With all the valuable training I’ve ever received throughout
my time in the Army, the most valuable learning experience was definitely
during my time at US Army Ranger School. The Ranger Instructors (RIs)
consistently put you in scenarios where you have to think and react quickly.
Most importantly, if you develop a good plan ahead of time, you don’t have to
think. One of the most basic concepts I’ve ever learned was to understand the
meaning of 3:1 ratio.
 |
|
Ranger students and Instructors wading through the swamps of
Florida in the vicinity of Eglin Air Force Base. Graduates are some of the most
prepared individuals for the pending Zombie Apocalypse.
|
 |
|
Sun
Tzu: Zombie Killer
|
ALLEGEDLY the idea
of 3:1 comes from Sun Tzu. I say allegedly because I have yet to find it in The Art of War, but more on that later.[1]
Anyhow, this explains most of the stuff the US Army teaches and organizes down
to the most basic level (i.e. Light Infantry Platoons have three squads.)
Battle Drill 1A – the most basic drill taught to all maneuvering units in the
field – breaks down the whole unit into three components: 2 assault elements, 1
supporting element.
To compensate for a loss in numbers, soldiers have a wide
array of weapons to compensate for that shortcoming. In the basic Fire Team – composed
of four soldiers – two soldiers will be equipped with the standard M4 assault
rifle, one will have an M4 assault rifle with an M203 grenade launcher
attached, and the last will be equipped with the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
(SAW). So how does this make for a shortcoming in physical numbers? Think of it
in terms such as these: the most basic weapon in the Army is the M4. If you had
3 soldiers with an M4, the most ideal situation would be one enemy. If one of
those soldiers had an M203, they could deal MORE damage than the three soldiers
with just M4s. Now throw an M249 in the mix and you can multiply the combat
effectiveness of that team even more so based on the capabilities of the SAW.
 |
|
M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) – capable of firing at a
rate of 850 rounds per minute.
|
What does this have to do with Zombies? EVERYTHING!
Zombies are no different than your typical enemy within a
linear combat situation. They’re very reminiscent of the way the British and
original American colonials fought during the American Revolution – open field,
face to face. It’s very fortunate for the living that we no longer fight like
that because we would wipe the floor with them. Zombies will walk out in a
linear formation unbeknownst to their own undead psyche as soldiers did before
the advent of (we’ll just call it for now--) “more modern combat.” They’re very
much automated, which enables us to calculate their movements. They’re dictated
by one thing only, and that is to eat the living. They don’t process choice like we do, but rather that one
mandate. So while the option is still ours, we can still make choices to our
advantage – including how to maneuver towards them or how to break contact.
If 3:1 is in your favor, then take advantage of it and try
to destroy the Zombies. If it favors the Undead, then regroup before you waste
anymore of your time.
[1]I eventually found a website
called www.suntzusaid.com where he
makes references of divisions in threes. You can read about it here: http://suntzusaid.com/book/7. I’m going
to keep digging once I’m done here.
No comments:
Post a Comment