Chapter 10: Combined Arms

Overview

The challenge for every organization is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another because the question is usually not how well each person works, but how well they work together.

”Vince Lombardi ^[1]

Combined arms is the integration of complementary weapons in a manner that creates a synergistic effect and places an opponent in an inescapable, hopeless situation, otherwise known as the horns of a dilemma .

Given that the capabilities of certain weapons reinforce one another, a commander s arsenal can be considerably more lethal when deployed as a coordinated, synchronized whole than it would otherwise be if the weapons were deployed individually. And the commander s arsenal becomes exponentially more lethal when the coordinated, synchronized deployment of weapons creates a situation in which to defend against one attack, the enemy must become more vulnerable to another. ^[2] As the opponent s potential responses are systematically eliminated, he becomes paralyzed with fear and despair, loses the will to resist, and inevitably finds himself impaled on the horns of a dilemma. ^[3]

While devastatingly effective, combined arms is an inherently complex and difficult endeavor that demands the utmost cooperation, practice, communication, and implicit understanding throughout an organization. To this end the various constituencies involved in the combined arms effort must set aside their competing interests, strive to understand and anticipate the actions of other team members , and think and act as one.

In this chapter we offer four examples of combined arms and its key components , as well as present-day lessons from the Marines. English king Henry V s integrated deployment of archers, spikes, and terrain at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 illustrates combined arms in early warfare . In business Lexus s successful integration of design, manufacturing, marketing, and service enabled it to offer a product that neither German nor U.S. luxury automakers could match, and this successful use of combined arms made its focused attack on the U.S. luxury car market all the more effective. A series of raids conducted by U.S. Marines from the 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment (5/11), a Marine Corps artillery battalion, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 exemplifies combined arms in modern warfare. And NetJets employment of combined arms enabled it to pioneer the concept of the fractional ownership of private jets and maintain a dominant position in the market niche it created, even as numerous competitors attempted to replicate its business model.

Emulating the Marines combined arms practices could help you put your competitors on the horns of a dilemma. Based on the techniques they employ and on some of the lessons learned from our four historical examples, we will recommend ways in which you can form the optimal combined arms team, employ its capabilities in the most effective manner, and encourage maximum cooperation among the various constituencies in your organization.

^[1] Lehmann, Gary C., Lt Col, USMC. Transforming Marine Corps Leadership, Marine Corps Gazette , April 1, 2002.

^[2] Warfighting , 75.

^[3] Liddell-Hart, B. H., Strategy , 2nd ed.