[Paraclete]

Last week on the Washington Report on CNBC they interviewed a fellow who gave insight into Rumsfeld's and other military leaders mindsets. I didn't get the name of the book he referred to, but the gist is responding so quickly that you get inside the enemies decision cycle, thus paralyzing them. It sounds like Rumsfeld and others really took the lesson to heart.

[TankerKC]

I didn't see the report. Were they referring to the “OODA” Loop. This is a term coined by Col John Boyd. OODA is Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Your OODA loop has to be faster that the bad guy’s. It’s even better if you can “get inside” his loop. For example, if I take away his ability to observe (camouflage, radar jamming etc) , he can never act.

Strategy of a Fighter Pilot

[walden]

Great book: "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram.

I'm not a military person, but I wanted to understand such things better and my sweetie (old Marine) recommended this one. It's a great story, and deals a good bit with OODA, although Boyd did a lot of other fascinating stuff as well.

[The Other Harry]

the gist is responding so quickly that you get inside the enemies decision cycle, thus paralyzing them.

I heard this same interview. I found it intiguing. The concept (as I got it) was to move so fast that the enemy is unable to respond to what you are doing.

[archy]

...a fellow who gave insight into Rumsfeld's and other military leaders mindsets. I didn't get the name of the book he referred to, but the gist is responding so quickly that you get inside the enemies decision cycle, thus paralyzing them.

Do a websearch for OODA Loop, or John Boyd. There's an old FReeppost obit post and response thread worth a look, too.

Thanks Col Boyd. You were right; it worked. You saved a lot of lives.

-archy-/-

[ChadGore]

Re: I didn't get the name of the book he referred to, but the gist is responding so quickly that you get inside the enemies decision cycle, thus paralyzing them.

I'm sure there are many people who know this better then me, but the guys name is "40 Second Boyd". While an instructor in the airforce he had a standing "40-40" bet with any pilot from any country. Boyd would start from a position of disadvantage and have to beet you in 40 seconds, or you got 40 bucks. He never lost.

He gave a very very detailed briefing in 1986 (called PATTERNS OF CONFLICT http://www.d-n-i.net/boyd/pdf/poc.pdf big file, but a great read, check the illustrations) that discribed his principle of getting inside the other guys decision loop in great detail.

I remember Collin Powell was asked in the days just after 911 "How will we define victory?" in this war on terrorism and he replyed "Victory will be when we know everything they know", and isn't that the essence of every defeat ?