Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land). Educating and training Army and Royal Marine Majors for command and staff appointments for operational success.
Tanks. Sunset capability?
Reports of dozens of armoured vehicles on both side of the
#NagornoKarabakh
destroyed in the last 48 hours.
Is this exposing the inherent vulnerability of armour in the 21st Century or does an AD bubble and latest gen DAS mean tanks have a future?
1/
The 1957 Defence White Paper was seduced by over speculation on what missile technology could deliver, leading to the whole-scale destruction of Britain’s aviation industry.
Is speculation on cyber and AI about to do the same to Armoured Fighting Vehicles?
#miltwitter
Tomorrow circa 185
@BritishArmy
and
@RoyalMarines
Majors arrive for ICSC(L) 18A, this course will take them through till Easter next year. They are joined by just over 20
@USArmy
Strategic Broadening Seminar Officers who will spend just over 6 weeks with us. Wish them all luck!
The first course baby has arrived! On day 2 of ICSC(L) 18A, Maj Jon Powell and his wife Dr Christina Powell welcomed baby Alice Olivia to the world. Huge Congratulations.
#belonging
#family
#militaryfamily
#army
Congratulations 👏 to those selected as Warrant Officers today.
An exclusive club where Officers want you and Soldiers want to be like you!
Never underestimate the weight of your opinion and the impact you can have across Defence
@ArmySgtMajor
@FdArmyComdSM
@D_Morgan_10
As a great light goes out, we should always remember
@capttommoore
's motto and the manner in which he lived, 'Tomorrow will be a good day.'
Rest easy Sir, and thank you.
"...concealment will remain a key skill in warfare, it may become subordinate to deception." - ISR wins the day. SHORAD integral to armoured troops? Track discipline & reducing physical and EMS signatures.
@LWC_UK
@thepagey
@RoyalArmdCorps
@7AirDefence
ICSC(L) Twitter is now in the hands of the students. We shall be launching soon. But first a rebrand - no longer just a newsfeed our new handle is simply -
@icsc_l
It's not all work on ICSC(L). Maj Vics Deakin received a commendation from the Commandant for her outstanding contribution to the Athletic Union at the Defence Academy.
#sportandwellbeing
#worklifebalance
@nicholadrummond
It was a good bit of kit, made a huge impact in the western desert.
Churchill MkV with 95mm gun, now that’s an under appreciated tank!
Scheduled PT but not enough Professional Military Education?
We want your ideas and best practice for enabling personal development and education in the Army. Should time for reflection and study be part of the working week?
#PME
#miltwitter
An Officer's duty
On Queen’s Guard it is the Officer's responsibility to ensure the guardsmen are carrying out their duties correctly whilst they are on sentry. Regular rounds or inspections help maintain the standard expected.
Mandy was due to join
@icsc_l
in Jan and had many friends on the current course. We know she was planning to run a coffee morning for
@macmillancancer
and we are going to take that forward in her inspirational memory. She was a role model for us all.
@DefAcUK
Deception and what 🇨🇳 thinks, tactically, it can do: "...battlefield ratio of one to one between real equipment and decoys produces the equivalent of a 40 percent increase in friendly firepower."
Many think 'we' aren't great at deception, are we really?
Brigadier (Retd) Ian Gardiner RM visited Course 18A today to discuss the Realities of War and Command challenges from his experiences in Oman and the Falklands. What a fantastic insight and many lessons to pull through to today. Plus some new reading material!
#falklands
#command
In the Armed Forces we hate two things, change and the way things are.
Should we encourage loyal dissent from “troublemakers” to create a culture of change?
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
The course programme was paused for the day in order to allow all students to concentrate on
#OpTeamwork
A productive day with some positive action to follow.
@ArmyCGS
You might have heard of the 160th, The Night Stalkers. Born from a need for specialist aviation which was highlighted during Panama. The
@RoyalAirForce
also has a number of Chinook pilots on exchange with them... Not a bad job
It's time to pass on the baton from the last course to the next. The last 9 months have been unique in many ways for everyone, at home and at work. We wanted to say first, thank you to all who have engaged with us positively.
Congratulations to Maj Stewart and his new wife, Tara, on their wedding last weekend. The first wedding of the newly formed up 18B course at the Defence Academy.
#People
@MercianRegiment
.
@PeteAFB
certified a
@RoyalAirForce
corporal, awarding him the Space Operations Badge.
🇺🇸 🇬🇧
Read more about the partnership opportunity that helped him earn the badge:
The 15B course is on parade at the Kansas City Memorial Day service. We remember and honour those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice 🇺🇲🇬🇧. A Brief History Behind Memorial Day And How It Started below:
Planning operations is a challenging task, full of complexities. We have been taught how the UK plans at the divisional level.
Now we fly to
@FortLeavenworth
@USACGSC
to learn the art of multinational planning with our brothers and sisters of the
@USArmy
🇬🇧🤝🇺🇲
This was a great opportunity for our course to have their say and contribute to the highest levels of Defence. An opportunity which is seldom offered and that was firmly grasped.
We will remember them!
#AnzacDay2020
Although we not able to attend the sunrise ceremony at the ANZAC memorial on Hyde Park Corner today, we remember our ANZAC brothers and sisters sacrifices. 🇦🇺🇳🇿
Initial thoughts from Ops Term... if the character of conflict has changed as we move towards continuous sub-threshold competition, why do we persist in primarily exercising conventionally? Are we too comfortable practicing what we know and are used too?
@MOD_DCDC
@LWC_UK
Key takeaways from
@matthewsyed
at the
@Army_Leadership
conference:
1. Learn from sub-optimality.
2. Don’t become a “know-it-all” organisation.
3. It’s not called ping-pong!
#whiffwhaff
A refreshingly personal and frank talk from the 3rd Div’s DCG discussing all manner of topics, changing close held stubborn opinions and knocking for six the questions thrown at him! How much benefit and useful change could be enacted from greater public engagement at this level?
Beautiful morning for a
#CombatPower
Demo!
@icsc_l
checking out the latest gadgetry and widgets operates by our amazing soldiers.
#ACPD
Thanks for having us!
A good model to refer to when problem solving and planning. Defence planners can operate in the context of one, two or all four simultaneously and at any level of command or followership.
We’re studying multi domain operations at the moment... anyone know how they are different to joint operations?
Asking for a friend, obvs
(Ps they do look very similar to Russian ideas about Next Generation Warfare)
One of ICSC’s next students has been taking advantage of the reopened pubs...
@Cookie2148
we look forward to seeing how CASTLE will kick this guy out 😉
Ex EAGLE OWL is all about interoperability, here Maj Steph Manning-Degobertiere discusses her plan and the use of deception with Lieutenant General Lundy.
#BehindTheScenes
Here at ICSC(L) we are looking forward to greeting the students of Cse 16A tomorrow. We have spent the last couple of weeks preparing as a staff - but having a bit of fun too!
@BritishArmy
@DefAcUK
@UKACSC
#PME
Alllllll righty then!
17A logging in and cleared to tweet (...we had to do a back brief and everything).
Massive thanks to 16B!
Read on to see we’re aiming to do 👇👇
ICSC(L) took time today to focus on physical resilience in between their lectures this afternoon. Students were introduced to the new Soldier Conditioning Review and will learn more about mental resilience later in the course.
On conclusion of ICSC(L) we will have completed c10 months of mandated 'Officer education' since Commissioning. We repeatedly say that people are our strength, so why doesn't equivalent professional education exist for NCOs?
@ArmySgtMajor
@Army_Leadership
"a commander too wedded to the approaches learned in staff college will rapidly lose touch with the situation" - an interesting quote from some reading yesterday. Staff training provides a good grounding but the learning never stops...you never know enough.
#TuesdayThoughts
Chief of Defence Staff and
@BWallaceMP
presented the Integrated Operating Concept last week.
Given it was released by the MOD, without any other Department present, how integrated will it be in reality?
Is it the MOD speaking to itself, again?
LIVE NOW: Future Defence: The Integrated Operating Concept
With General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff
Introduced by
@BWallaceMP
and Chaired by General David Petraeus
Terrible IRTB. Addressees are in different chains of command. Recommendations aren’t in bold or actually recommendations. Fails to mention
@RoyalNavy
in background. Formatting, spelling and grammar awful. Probably a distinction on
@icsc_m
or
@UKACSC
Really good read on the personal reflections of command.
"Command is finite, leadership is enduring"
"Define your career but do not let your career define you"
"Make time to make time"
"Leave a legacy"
🇺🇸Army have adopted significant changes to the selection of unit commanders.
Instead of relying on personnel reports, they now do selection tests.
The outcome has been a dramatic change in the order of merit.
@Cookie2148
, more tests? 😵💫🥴
A huge thanks to Maj
@Levisonwood
for his talk tonight about his adventures. It seems
#ArmyConfidence
still gets you access in the most denied areas...Syria!
Levison, will you come back and tell us about the next
#adventure
, ‘Walking With Elephants?’
"No matter where you are or what trouble you're in, we will come"
We discussed recently what the unique bond between soldiers is, no matter nation or belief and the sentence above summed it up.
Belonging - knowing your team will come, no matter what.
It's a well earned day off for 15A as they recover from their exercise in the US. Meanwhile 15B switch focus onto Equipment Capability - here's the solution...maybe...
#behindthescenes
Similar behaviour was seen when the pound dropped in value. It's global economic behaviour, but what happens when it's a possible future weapon?
"...the one NATO is looking at, is Chinese companies buying into strategic sectors of other countries."
Great article from
@wavellroom
that provides a good basis for why the USMC are evolving the way they are. Getting rid of tanks, is it the right thing? The USMC are, like
@16AirAssltBde
and
@3Cdo_Bde
not designed to do everything themselves. They provide the entry into a theatre/1
Well that's Foundation Term complete. It's been a hoot, but it's time for this bunch of know-it-owls to take some leave!
Thank you everyone for your engagement, and we look forward to continuing the conversation when we return for Ops Term in a couple of weeks!!
Calling all professional logisticians (and/or anyone who likes big trucks and innovation)!
What are the most interesting and innovative distribution/storage/supply solutions that you have seen which might benefit the Army. Talking digitisation/big data/automation/new tech. 🤖
Extending our greatest thanks to
@PatDonahoeArmy
for delivering an awesome WEBINAR on leading in multinational staffs.
"Bureaucratic Stamina" - as a staff officer you need patience and an understanding of the process. If you can make it better, help it evolve. 🇬🇧🇺🇸
"If you admitted to homosexuality, you were out – that was the end of your military career" - Kate Green's courageous article on service before the lifting of the LGBT ban highlights the double life our personnel had to live.
#Pride2021
@ArmyLGBT
@MODLGBT
It’s
#NationalInclusionWeek
Course 17A is overwhelmingly male & with very few exceptions white. We don't proportionally reflect the UK. What can the Army do to recruit & retain people from across society, to harness untapped potential & instil diversity into the officer corps?
Today is the start of
#NationalInclusionWeek
Diversity and inclusion at all levels is a core value, EVERY DAY.
Do you think you have what it takes to stand up to bullying and harassment if you saw it?
Our Active Bystander course will get you thinking 👇
ICSC(Land Reserve) is being delivered at a high tempo.
Reserve Majors often find themselves commanding sub-units, on the Staff and deployed on operations in the most challenging of environments.
If they can do this with 2 weeks training, do Regulars really need 6 months?
Making brews for the grown ups is of course the main role of any Major, and brewing both tea and coffee is covered throughout our course.
Great video from
@BritishArmy
Happy
#IndependenceDay
to our
@USArmy
cousins across the pond! 🇺🇸
While we’ve got you, can we settle the age-old debate of how to make the perfect
#cuppa
? 🙌
No need to deploy the tanks unless strictly necessary, which for the King’s Royal Hussars it always is.
We’re moving to leadership theories next week.
Who is the best leader you’ve worked for/with and why?
And help us out here... what’s the best book/podcast on leadership you’ve come across recently?
Today ICSC(L) received a series of Ethics briefs from Padre Mark Speeks, Dr David Turns and Emma Norton. They superbly covered areas such as 'Legal Considerations & Responsibilities of Commanders' and also 'Ethical Challenges in Military Leadership'.
#Military
#leadership
#ethics
New technology & tactics have been used but the 40 day conflict over Karabakh reminds of centuries old principles
- states still go to war
- a better prepared military can succeed where 25 years of diplomacy did not
- outside actors (Turkey) can exploit a conflict to great effect
When it comes to sustainability it's a team effort. Our own
@Proud_Sappers
used a new solar array to power part of the UK's Corps HQ,
@HQARRC
during last year's
#arrcadefusion19
exercise.
What innovations can increase power for the mobile soldier on the ground?
@UKStratCom
@RiflesRegiment
Hey
@UKStratCom
could you do a shout out to all other Ships and Boats, Regiments and Squadrons battle honours throughout the year as well please?
New! There is a saying: ‘Behind every great man, is a great woman’. But who is behind every great woman? Commentary on challenges female leaders must overcome.
An excellent capability being delivered by
@BoeingAirplanes
to
@RoyalAirForce
, the E-7 has incredible joint capabilities that will add to the potency of land forces, not just in the C2 and ISR fields.
Also a common fleet with the P-8, which will save in the long run.
Pte Sam Mercer, who has died age 91.
He fought in the Korean War, losing an eye. He was held captive for 2 years - sustaining further life changing injuries at the hands of his captors.
We will remember him & them.
Course 18A is now fully residential and in control of the Twitter account. We look forward to keeping you updated with the course and interacting with past and future students.
We are ready...are you? Mon 7 Jan we will be back with our new schedule of activity. Get ahead by following us now!
Like and retweet this to spread the word 👍