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38 <a href="http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette">www.mca-marines.org/gazette</a> M a r i n e C o r p s G a z e t t e • M a y 2 0 0 9 IDEAS & ISSUES (LEADERSHIP) tial solutions becomes how the Marine orients on the problem. Training should examine and develop how Marines in- terpret their observations, to see why some items standout more and thus have a greater impact on the decision. This process generates dialogue, debate, and discussion that will engage more Marines and result in more education than if TTP were the only focus. Understanding how the Boyd cycle should frame the goals for training helps one see the connection to recog- nitional decisionmaking. Mastering Tac- tics: A Tactical Decision Game Workbook (Marine Corps Association, 1994), by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR, set the intellectual framework for understand- ing the value of tactical decision games and their role in developing recogni- tional decisionmaking skills. It high- lights the need to increase exposure to tactical scenarios with requisite partici- pation and discussion to increase one’s exposure to decisions. The true value of the method is discussing which factors one uses to develop his solution. These drills enhance one’s abilities to recog- nize similar combinations of variables and improve decisionmaking by pro- viding an additional experience to ori- ent on future problems. This ability to recall similar situations or patterns en- hances decisionmaking and begins to open the door to developing creativity. It is impossible to predict every tactical situation in which a Marine might find himself. It is just as impossible to try to create a playbook of tactical responses to every potential situation. It is possi- ble though to predict that Marines will always find themselves faced with mak- ing a decision in a friction filled envi- ronment. It is this very reason that makes it obvious that to properly exe- cute maneuver warfare, the develop- ment of creative decisionmakers must be the core element of all training. Implementing Change to Develop Creativity Much can be done to develop cre- ativity without significant changes to training schedules. The most impor- tant change is to simply accept the idea that Marines must develop more cre- ative decisionmaking skills. The next step is to incorporate the following ideas into existing training programs. Units will have different degrees of tol- erance for change, but the more change is embraced the more successful the training will be. Independent learning and self-evalua- tion. It is generally accepted that one learns better when self-motivated. This is especially true for adult learners who must recognize the value in what they are learning to achieve the greatest re- tention of what is being taught. When learning accompanies initiative, the path of discovery is limited only by the indi- vidual. The learning experience is broadened and enriched, unlike the ex- ternally directed learning experience. Boyd’s OODA loop applies at the moral, mental, and physical levels of warfare. (Photo by Cpl Andrew Carlson.)
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