GI Wilson worked with John Boyd as the Marine Corps built its maneuver warfare concept. Mark “Moose” McGrath asked him how an outsider’s view changed the Marines. I wasn’t on this one.
An outside perspective
GI tells how he met Boyd and how Boyd “joined” the Marine Corps. Boyd shifted the Marines’ focus from terrain to the enemy. The opponent gets a vote in every conflict. People wage war and business, and intent that everyone understands builds trust and speed.
Van Riper’s war game
GI tells the story of General Paul Van Riper using low-tech tactics against a high-tech force in the Millennium Challenge 2002 war game. Human ingenuity and cross-disciplinary knowledge shape strategy and decisions.
Learning that never stops
Small-unit leadership matters, and so does professional reading. GI shares how to deal with bureaucracy and why Boyd kept learning to the end of his life. Nobody studies Boyd once and gets it. GI also looks at closed-loop force design, the need for creativity, and the moral level as the deciding edge in conflict.
Boyd taught the Marines to orient on the enemy and on themselves. GI was there for it.
Who on your team tells you what you need to hear?
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No Way Out on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@nowayoutpodcast
Written by Ponch Rivera with AI assistance in production. The full conversation is in the player below.