Do We Debrief Successful Wars the Same Way We Debrief Failures: The Six-Day War.

摘要

Debriefers tend to debrief failure in great detailIn wars, as in everyday training, failures are given much more attention; difficult questions are asked. Why, How, Is there another way; The debrief is not complete until the debriefer finds all the answers to all the questions. Are successes dealt with in the same manner. The comparison between the Six Day and the 1973 War is the perfect example to analyze. Both wars were fought by the same teams on the same court and yet, the outcome was no doubt different. Checking lessons learned on both sides in both wars, one will mostly certainly conclude that the lessons of the failures were better learned and applied. In 1973, Israel employed the same ground and aerial tactics that were so successful in 1967. An important question was never seriously asked. Were conditions in 1973 the same as they were in 1967. No. And neither was the outcome. In 1967, Israel initiated a preemptive strike, and, a few hours later, the war was won. In 1973, Israel did not strike first, and her few active duty units were forced to face an overwhelming onslaught of attacking Arab armies. It is imperative that senior debriefing officers comprehend the difference between debriefing successes and failures and the importance of both. (SDW)