Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Sometime during reflection, i realized that among where we exist, there is a need for senior commanders to be present.

In our context, senior leadership.


An army may be robbed of its spirit and its commander deprived of his confidence.

At the beginning of a campaign, the spirits of soldiers are keen; after a certain period of time, they flag, and in the later stage thoughts turn towards home.

And therefore, those skilled in war avoid the enemy when his spirit is keen and attack him when it is sluggish and his soldiers homesick.

This is the control of the moral factor.

In good order, they await a disorderly enemy; in serenity, a clamorous one.

This is control of the mental factor.

Close to the field of battle, they await an enemy coming from afar at rest, they await an exhausted enemy; with well=fed troops, they await hungry ones.

This is the control of the physical factor.

They do not engage an enemy advancing with well-ordered banners nor one whose formations are in impressive array.

This is control of the factor of changing circumstances.

The art of employing troops is that when the enemy occupies high ground, do not confront him uphill, and when his back is resting on hills, do not make a frontal attack.

When he pretends to flee, do not pursue.

Do not attack troops whose spirits are keen.

Do not swallow bait.

Do not thwart an enemy who is returning homewards.

Leave a way of escape to a surrounded enemy, and do not press a desperate enemy too hard. Such is the art of employing troops.

-Sun Tzu's Art of War




Every soldier is equipped with his own knowledge of fighting with his individual field craft. Yet, there must be the other who must plan and make it sound for battle. He may be the one doing the talking, but unless he speaks, no amount of group can just do the fight with his fists.

Behind every plan, there must be the doctrine. This is his source where he learns and derives his decisions.

Somewhere in church, such similarity will have to exist. God is our commander, the perfector. His plans will forever be sound. As individual units, as we fight our battle everyday, the Commander is in hands of the strategy, ready to discuss with us.

Are we ready to listen?




Bringing down the level of command, there must be unit leaders to group up the fighters. He is capable of employing his men to the best of their abilities. To zero-in, they are our cell leaders. They know their members. Their habits and fighting capabilities zoomed in. They help them match the plans with the Commander.

Back in OCS, I remembered walking along the walkway and the quote goes something like, ‘when they look at the men, they would have known who their leader are’. There is a fair bit of meaning in what goes there. Then, shouldn’t our investment and time goes towards leaders and thus, fine tune the men?

Train the men to whom the Commander wants them to be. The rules and regulations are all stated in the Commandments. We are the authorities being commissioned to act. That’s where He gives us the power. Of which, must be handled properly w/n the instructions of the Commander.

Imagine a whole lot of a troop, being so well trained, individually motivated and initiated. When the unit leaders and Commander says, “GO!” and the troops move w/o second doubt on their leadership, the overwhelming strength and power would exceed what the enemy could handle.

As discussed on the above mentioned, is the control of the moral and the mental factor.

As for now, let’s listen to what our Commander has to say in our daily walks.

And Satan is nothing but soon, underneath our feet.
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