Re: Leading from the front, reprise

re a remote command simulation Derk Groeneveld said
> I was considering exactly this, with perhaps a videocamera thrown in
for a
> live video feed :) I'm curious whether anyone's ever done this, and
come
> up with other interesting stuff one could do?

	Well some 20 years ago my group played a north german plains
brigade
defence scenario brits v's russians with the umpires (3 off) running the
combats and the russians. The Russians had a preset attack and reinforce
schedule..  We placed the 3 members of the brigade team in a LARGE
cardboard
construction. (I kid you not) roughly the size of an afv command vehicle
with maps and battery operated telephones. (fairly cheap if I remember
correctly ) I suppose now days one could use mobiles.. To complicate
their
lives somewhat we made them operate in NBC conditions. They were dressed
in
boiler suits wore thick leather gloves and used subaqua masks and filter
masks.. The afvs wre not of course NBC capable so they were suited up
all
the time.. They were given views of the "outside world through a
periscope..
(In reality these were hand drawn sketches..) After a while they
reverted to
controlling the battle via maps and radio.. This eventually proved their
undoing as they failed to see a helicopter strike by a Speznatze team at
their command point. Excellent game . Although having little
relationship
with reality , the players did admit to feeling the pressures of the
game
(which was real time) much more than a regular game style.

	 BTW when talking about the qualities and the desirability of
leading from the front , there are many modern examples. In recent
history,
one of the most striking examples was of Col H of the UK royal marines
whose
battalion had bogged down during the attack on Goose Green in the
Falklands/Malvinas.
Col  H. (a wargamer to boot) decide that a spot of leadership was
required
and led his men frontally on an attack on the bunker complex that was
slowing them down. He managed to motivate his troops but unfortunately
was
mortally wounded in the process. This highlights the problems . Yes a
leader
can make a vital difference at the front but the command structure had
better be good enough to replace him if he goes down in the process. The
marines structure was and they went on to take Goose Green in a frontal
assault despite being outnumbered by the defenders by 3 to 1. Col H
jones
was posthumously awarded his countries highest honour in respect of his
actions. Many military men at the time respected his courage but
questioned