RE: Leadership and Management - is NOT about decision making or control, is it?

Ron,

War stories follow...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron 
> Subject: Re: [xpAdoption] Leadership and Management - is NOT about
> decision making or control, is it?
> 
[snip]
> 
> Good example. I see that there isn't much room for enabling in the
usual
> sense here. But is there any? For example ...
> 
> Do different flight leaders lead differently in any significant ways? 

[>] Not in significant ways. Only at the micro level in terms of flying
technique, detailed paths once on target, and exit routes which depended
on local weather. The terrain was known, the hostile sites known for
avoidance, etc. The mission was planned down to the minute prior to
launch. The head ways over target were tight in 1970. In 1990 the same
aircraft tail numbers off the same ship (CV-61 Ranger) held head ways
that were a 1/3 the time (seconds) we had 2 decades before - the
addition of software!! Also they only made one pass over the target, it
took 30 years to figure that out.

> Do flights ever split up to take different mission components? Do
different
> flight leaders let that happen differently or cause it to happen
> differently?

[>] This is all pre-planned, usually 2 hours if briefing prior to
flight. Wake on a typical day was 3:30 AM, for a 7:00 AM launch.
Secondly once the flight goes "feet dry" (over land) an AWACS controls
the group - usually 2 flights of 2 or 4 flights of 2. For the Navy this
was an EC-121 or E-2C, with regional radar, flying high and behind us.
The mission could be re-purposed but this came from the CAG (Commander
Air Group), to the Wing, then Squadron, then to the AWACS, then to
flight leader, then to us. This happened rapidly. In the current
technology this all comes over a digital link (JTIDS) - again nice CMM
Level 5 software. But no matter what there almost no room for
independent process in the A6 role.

There are other "seek and destroy" roles. The BARCAP (Combat air patrol)
who flew F-4's (a real air craft), they had patrol areas and engaged
anything that came their way. They flew out front when we went north,
the "cleared our path." That mission was much like you suggest above -
find something new engage, and adapt to the changing conditions, "lead"
the group to a new and emerging mission.

We just hauled ordinance to the target dropped it and got back to the
ship as fast as possible.

> What is the approach, for example, to "targets of opportunity"?

[>] In the North no. In I-Corp (1st Marine Division and 101st AB ground
support) there were "free fire zones" where targets of opportunity could
be found, but this was rare.

[>] The movie image of a free wheeling pilot is just that a movie. Only
the fighter jocks got to "play." All you ever prayer for in Naval
aviation was that your air craft didn't have wind shield wipers, so the
A6 mission meet that test. The F-4 guys were breed well above me.

> Ron 

[>]Glen B. Alleman


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