US Army Rapid Deployment Task Force Dynamics - Rapid Teaming

摘要

The US Army is currently attempting to modify its forces of today in order to provide a more relevant force to Commanders in Chief. The US Army Strike Force concept provided an opportunity to develop and test new ideas in providing a more rapidly deployable force that is lethal, survivable, and has a small logistics requirement. The concept and name has changed since its inception in 1993, but the type of rapid deployment force envisioned remains an organization somewhere between the current US Army heavy and light forces. Technology is able to enhance the deployability, lethality and survivability of weapons systems, and equipment; however, harnessing technology to help teams rapidly form within a Task Force remains a challenge. The research question for this monograph was 'what is Rapid Teaming and what are critical Rapid Teaming skills for a US Army Rapid Deployment Task Force'. The concept of Rapid Teaming emerged during early Strike Force workshops and was primarily a theoretical discussion. The focus of the theoretical discussion centered on US Army lessons learned during operations in Somalia (1993) and Haiti (1994) and the need to better train rapid deployment forces in the accelerated teaming process. The Teaming process is difficult enough under normal Task Force scenarios. Rapid Teaming would require teams to quickly task organize and move through the team building stages at an accelerated pace. Initial discussion and thought about Rapid Teaming was that it would be critical to train the Strike Force (as well as the task organized units) to rapidly form and operate as a team for the Strike Force concept to be successful.