Sun Tzu: The Art of Midshipmenry

By; Quinton Cooper The-Art-of-the-Deal-Vs.-The-Art-of-War-650x360

The art of war is one of the most heavily studied passages for military leadership in the world. It has earned its title as the premier guide to the concept of war and is timeless. If it is so essentially and has proved its efficacy: Why isn’t it a required reading for midshipmen. By required reading, I mean a plebe summer reading. If midshipmen read The Art of War I think we would be enlightened by many of the shocking yet effective tactics that Sun Tzu notes.

From the very beginning of the work, Sun Tzu notes something that I think many midshipmen are confused and mostly ignorant of. Walking through Bancroft, the “warheads on foreheads”, and “Let’s just go to war” comments are common. If midshipmen were required to read The Art of War I think that this immature and underdeveloped view of our role as a military would go away. The very first point made in The Art of War is ” War is a grave affair of state; It is a place of life and death, a road to survival and extension, matters to be pondered carefully” (Sun Tzu 1). Contrary to the motivations here at USNA from students and military staff alike, we should be more careful of our rhetoric when it comes to going to war. We often forget that yes we may be defending our nation, but in that effort, we lose lives and take lives. To that point, we should ponder even the thought of violence more carefully instead of throwing comments like “let’s just blow them up”.

I think a more holistic view of the concepts and practice that make up our very profession would be useful. We often talk about learning from the past and there is no better way than to learn from a piece of literature that has proven to be beneficial to many practitioners of war. USNA may teach of the loose ethics of war and teach of leadership, but its convoluted way of teaching is not nearly as plain put as it should be. Instead, we sit in classes learning about how to lead instead of just leading. Making the Art of War a required reading, I think would be the best step we could take towards learning the very basics of our trade. Maybe then we could branch out to more broad topics of leadership and ethics.

Source: The Art of War

Word Count: 402

Sun Tzu and USNA training hooyah

Sun Tzu’s over-arching principle in Art of War is to defeat your enemy with tactics and not just brute force. Strategy is the most important part of war. This sentence from the reading sums it up well, “Victory belongs to the side that scores the most in the temple calculations before battle” (Sun Tzu 8). Here at USNA, the main focus is mentally preparing us to become officers. We are not necessarily learning how to kill people or win wars just yet. However, the education we receive is setting a foundation for us to become military leaders. Sun Tzu would agree with this based on the emphasis he describes on the strategy and tactics party of war and not the physical act of killing the enemy.

One of Sun Tzu’s five fundamentals in the Art of War is discipline. The practice of discipline is one that is very prominent here at USNA. Between marching, drill, maintaining proper uniforms, and staying on top of homework, discipline never goes away. That is because just like Sun Tzu says, it translates to war. Sun Tzu says that discipline is chain of command, a concept we encounter everyday within our companies. We also practice discipline by having unpleasant punishments for breaking the rules such as restriction. Another one of these fundamentals is command, which Tzu describes as integrity and compassion. Integrity is probably the most important thing for a midshipman to have.

The passage emphasizes the importance of good military leaders. Here at USNA, everything we do is supposed to help us with becoming a better military leader one day. Some of Sun Tzu’s advice is to be ready for the unexpected, and know yourself. These are two things we certainly learn here at Navy. We really get to know ourselves after becoming a midshipman. We face serious challenges through a combination of academics, athletics, and military training. We fail, learn why we failed, and become better from it. We learn what we ourselves are capable of and what our limits are. This constant learning about ourselves is in my opinion, probably the most effective in becoming a better future leader because we really get to know our flaws. Sun Tzu says that before we know the enemy, we must know ourselves. In order for militaries to be great, they have to have good leaders. Not every one of them can be strictly an excellent warfighter. They will need people to be able to lead them. Teaching us how to think as leaders first here at USNA, is more effective than sending us directly into military war fighting training.

Word count: 435

Sun Tzu’s Philosophy Versus The US Military

In ancient China, a timeless work was written by Sun Tzu during the warring states period. Tzu’s The Art of War redefined unconventional warfare through mental strategy, and is still analyzed today by businesses and military schools including the Naval Academy. While Sun Tzu’s writings seem to stress the importance of using strategy over physical strength, modern teachings at military institutions like the Naval Academy believe that the best way to obtain peace is to prepare for war.

Sun Tzu was unique for his time and continues to have a presence in military teachings because of the bizarre ideas but exceptional leadership that he brought to the battlefield (1). For example, he mentions that in order to defeat your enemy “you must become your enemy” (2). This defies the idea that conquering your enemy means having a stronger army, and he reasons that a weaker army can still win. Tzu is also saying that the best way to ensure victory is to analyze the enemy and attack the weak points, similar to the way David defeated Goliath. This specialized form of battle strategy is why Sun Tzu was one of the most legendary Chinese generals- he recognized the importance of strategy over brute force.

At the Naval Academy, midshipmen are convinced from the very beginning of their careers that the strength of the Navy is the reason for our nation’s success. With an annual defense budget of over six hundred billion dollars (3), the United States spends more money on the military than the next seven countries combined. Compared to the rest of the world, America is Goliath. This being said, the US military does employ strategic deterrence through our nuclear weapons and this does align more with Sun Tzu’s teachings.

In my opinion, I believe that the strategy currently employed by the United States and taught at all of the service academies is the superior philosophy. While Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is important to consider with any military, his strategy is based on the conservation of resources- the most important being his men. However, the advancement of technology in warfighting capabilities and the lack of intense conflict in the world allows for soldiers’ life expectancy to increase dramatically. In addition, the virtually unlimited resources and funding of our military today is vastly larger than what Sun Tzu had access to, and therefore it can afford to focus on both unconventional warfare (in new areas like cyber defense) and power projection. With all of these factors considered, this is why the US hybrid philosophy that combines strength with deterrence is more effective.

Sources:

1.http://time.com/2801517/sun-tzus-art-of-war-how-ancient-strategy-can-lead-to-modern-success/

2.https://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0053_defense-comparison

3. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War

Word Count: 432

Strategy Wins (Sun Tzu vs USNA)

Dean Caravela

Strategy Wins

There are many ideas incorporated into Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The piece covers a wide variety of aspects and features Sun Tzu’s opinions on the matter. These opinions are not direct, however described and laid out for the reader to determine. His take on these aspects of war in his work lead for his philosophy to be interpreted as to always have an ordered plan and well executed strategy when dealing with warfare. His ideas in the text feature many examples of the importance of strategy and having a level head in war. He states that the, “Skillful Strategist defeats the enemy without doing battle, captures the city without laying siege, overthrows the enemy state without protracted war,” (Tzu 16). This is a layout of the benefits Sun Tzu believes a skillful strategist has in warfare. These positive factors contribute to the over-arching philosophy of his piece in that it supports the importance of having a good strategy. Comparing this to the Naval Academy, there really is no difference in the techniques and tactics taught. At USNA, strategy comes into play every day. It is something can be related directed to the mission statement, “….to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically.” On the moral side of the statement, having a strategic plan in developing skills of leadership throughout the four years here is very important. Being able to strategically choose to partake in opportunities that will aid in moral development is something all midshipmen should strive for. This strategy will ensure that midshipmen are morally ready to be leaders in the fleet. Strategy is almost most important in the mental aspect of the statement. This is because this aspect relates to academic success. Students will not thrive or sufficiently gain a beneficial education without having strategies for success or a plan of attack to tackle the rigorous academics at this institution. There is even a learning skills course at USNA dedicated to help create these strategies for academic success. Too often than not do students at USNA fall short of their academic goals or requirements due to poor planning. It is also pertinent to have a strategy when dealing with the physical side of this school. The Physical Readiness Test is something that haunts many midshipmen and creates an extra burden to the already busy life of the academy. Having a good strategy of work outs and even execution of the exercises on the test proves to be very beneficial in passing. This also applies to athletics. Division 1 athletics is no joke at all. Thus, a dedicated athlete must be strategic in their preparation and performance in order to gain success in their respective sport. An athlete that slacks and does not plan properly for their upcoming practices and events will certainly not find triumph and fall behind their teammates and demands of the sport. Based on these comparisons, to the Art of War and USNA, the close similarity they share shows the importance of strategy. Hence, I think the most effective way is to have a good strategy. It is tough to find failure in a poor plan. Even if a good plan does fall through, more often than not will a follow up plan close to the same lines of the original be beneficial for success. So whether it is war, or the daily rigors of the US Naval Academy, strategy wins.

Sources: Sun Tzu’s Art of War

Word Count: 579

Sun Tzu vs. USNA

Sun Tzu’s Art of War is definitely a collection of knowledge that should be taken to heart when preparing to become a military leader in the heated political and social environment we live in today. Throughout his text, Tzu stresses the importance of intellect in all areas of life. Whether this be knowledge of your own being, of the territory you will be conducting your war efforts in, or of your enemy, Tzu states that an effective leader needs to be competent in a wide variety of topics of war. Tzu makes this abundantly clear as he says that “victory belongs to the side that scores the most in the temple calculations before battle”, showing that this knowledge which is required of our leaders is vital to our success as a military and that it needs to be well developed far before our engage in combat (Chapter 1).

I find that Sun Tzu has an extremely familiar philosophy to that of the United States Naval Academy. Here art USNA, we are put under strong pressure every day in order to prepare ourselves for the stresses of war that we will be experiencing after four short years. Throughout this time, we gain knowledge of ourselves, our own military, and of the military of our adversaries. This falls directly in line with the main concept surround Tzu’s teachings, especially with his statements made in Chapter 7. When saying that “If you march fifty miles in order to outmaneuver the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal. If you march thirty miles with the same object, two-thirds of your army will arrive” he shows that a leader needs to be extremely knowledgeable of his/her own people, especially when in high stress situations. It is very easy to lose sight of your own people when your main goal is defeating your enemy.

Over all, I think that the strategies of USNA and Sun Tzu follow the same basic principles but I do see some advantages of Tzu’s teachings which should be implemented into the studies at the Academy. Tzu stresses the high importance of being able to overcome your enemy without using force. Being able to negotiate with your enemy, break the alliances that your enemy has, or financially weakening your enemy are all great practices that we do not cover in great depth. These ideas would encourage Midshipmen to think outside of the box more often when looking for solutions and could potentially save lives on both sides of conflict.

Word Count: 429

Blog Post 4

In Sun Tzu’s Art of War the overarching philosophy seems to be one of execution and care. It is stated in the “Laying Plans” section, the first topic in the book that “the art of war is of vital importance to the State.” The quote symbolizes the importance of tactical decisions, and careful consideration from military commanders to perform their duties. This is an important lesson taught to us at the Naval Academy through our leadership and ethics classes, but also through our military professors who take the time to share their experiences with us.

The part that stands out most to me is point three in this section. It speaks of “Five Constant Factors” in which the art of war is governed. The five points include “The Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; The Commander; Method and Discipline.” In our leadership classes we are constantly asked questions regarding moral decisions, and how to lead sailors and marines properly. This is a foundation that the Naval Academy tries to teach us, because it is imperative for decision making in stressful situations. I believe Sun Tzu understood this and wanted his soldiers to practice this in combat situations. As for heaven and earth I believe that aligns more with the spiritual side of an individual; at the Naval Academy we are free to practice our own spiritual beliefs, and that helps reinforce the moral side of things. It is hard to make moral decisions if one doesn’t look inside their self for improvements, and it is hard to earn respect from subordinates if they do not do this.

The Commander is a huge aspect in the United States military. We are taught from day one to take respect anyone of superior rank. For example, on I-Day we take the oath which states we will “obey the orders of those appointed over us,” this ranges from officers all the way to the President. In order to have a strong, tactful force the members of that force must have full faith and allegiance to its commanders. Wang Tzu is quoted with “Without constant practice (speaking of moral law), the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle,” strengthening the importance of faith in commanders. If the forces see a nervous leader they will lose confidence, and this is the reason that confidence is pounded in our brains. This confidence is based upon point five, method and discipline. Obviously, our methods and discipline have evolved over time, but both have importance in our respective forces. The stronger discipline and proven methods create confidence, and for a powerful, well trained force, these attributes create a deadly force.

It is impressive to see parallels between the forces of today and yesterday. To see these parallels just reinforces the necessity of a strong foundation.

Word Count: 467

http://www.idph.com.br/conteudos/ebooks/suntzu10.pdf

The Art of War at USNA

When we examine the military strategies of ancient empires, we so often look at what failed. We want to know what went wrong, so that we do not repeat the same mistakes. We rarely stop to consider what went right, because more often than not, we have incorporated successful innovations into our daily lives without even realizing where they come from. That is why when I looked at Sun Tzu’s Art of War, I expected it to be outdated, and full of differences between what is taught at the Naval Academy. I was vastly wrong.
One of Sun Tzu’s over-arching points is that knowledge wins wars, and the importance of being prepared, as he says, “To be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues”. When I think back to plebe summer, when we were indoctrinated into USNA, I think of my detailers screaming out what training day it was, and telling us that we had better be ready for the fleet in four years. From the very beginning of our time at the Naval Academy, we are taught to be prepared. During the academic year, and during the summers, we are exposed to countless opportunities that are meant to give us knowledge on the world that we are expected to be leaders in. This philosophy of knowing as much as possible to prepare oneself is what we are taught at the Naval Academy—I know for me, I chose the Naval Academy over a ROTC scholarship at a civilian school, because I knew that if I wanted to become a Naval Officer, then I would want to prepare myself for this role as much as possible. Yet, this simple philosophy is age-old, and proven to be effective as seen by all who have employed Sun Tzu’s strategy.
Sun Tzu also offered a philosophy on leadership that I think mirrors the type of leaders that the Naval Academy hopes to develop. He says that “When one treats people with benevolence, justice and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.” At the Naval Academy, we are given leadership positions that are meant to build up confidence, such as the position of a squad leader. Whether they play a positive or negative role on a midshipman’s view on leadership, there is no denying that their influence shapes the members of their squad’s viewpoints.
Ideally, I think that the philosophy of preparation and learning that both Sun Tzu and the Naval Academy preaches is pretty effective. It, of course, depends on the person too, and how much they are willing to be open to learning from the experience. Take, for example, our youngster cruises: there were plenty of opportunities to learn about what to expect in the fleet, but there were also plenty of opportunities to take very long naps. It all depends on creating the type of culture that fosters a mindset that encourages wanting to be prepared and to learn more. Take, for example, the Forrestal Lectures that are given frequently at the Naval Academy. During Plebe Summer, my detailers would tell us about how they were wastes of time and that they would sometimes bring a book, or schoolwork, so that they would not “waste” time during the lecture. However, if you have the attitude that at least you are going to learn from these lectures, they can actually be kind of interesting.

War as Art

Sun Tzu’s Art of War is a philosophical document that explains the terms of a War and what is needed to find success in War. The document seems familiar to me, as many of the things that Sun Tzu says, can parallel to different things that I have learned during my time at the Academy.

Early in to the list, Sun Tzu says that people must be in complete accord with their ruler, so that the rulers will be followed regardless of danger or chance of death. At the Academy, you can receive a major conduct offense for actions that do not align with following your “rulers” orders to a T. This is an example of how we are taught to follow orders exactly. Not only can you receive an offense, but plebe summer consists of 7 weeks of doing exactly that. This engrains a thought process into the students here that all orders must be followed, no matter your opinions on them. Another parallel between what we learn here and the Art of War is the philosophy that War is heavily based on deception and planning. We take several classes here, and will continue to study tactics for the rest of our military career. We learn that it is never smart to challenge others head on, or exhaust all resources for little gain. This is revolutionary as prior to Sun Tzu, many wars consisted of two nations battling large battles in brute force attacks. Also, Sun Tzu makes it clear that every battle does not have to be fought. It is acceptable to flee from battles where it is clear you are outmatched. Generally, Sun Tzu is saying that War is an art, and that letting your pride or anger get in the way will cause disaster. Not preparing for battle, or picking fights you cannot win due to pride will result in a defeat.

Sun Tzu’s philosophy on war is impressive, and completely changed the way wars have been battled. The philosophy is way ahead of its time, and many of the fundamental things Sun Tzu mentions are taught to military leaders up to this day. Sun Tzu’s philosophy is an effective plan to win wars, and to outsmart your enemies through careful planning and artistic strategizing. All in all, the Art of War is an impressive piece of work that still shows its fundamental teachings today in our nation’s military.

WC: 404

The Art of USNA

If there was a word to describe Sun Tzu, solely from his writings in The Art of War, it is tactician. Meaning “a person who uses a carefully planned strategy to achieve a specific end” (www.dictionary.com). This philosophy is evident as he preaches hand to hand combat as a last resort, maintaining that “ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting (The Art of War 15). This is an extremely effective way to overcome an enemy for when done correctly, is done without any loss of life. Using The Art of War as a template for what a commander should strive for, there are many similarities that the Naval Academy employs, and a few differences.

Keeping with the overarching theme of winning a battle before fighting, Tzu proclaims that “War is… a matter to be pondered carefully” and that “Victory belongs to the side that scores the most in the temple calculations before the battle” (The Art of War 3-8). Every midshipmen at the Academy forgoes a leadership curriculum designed to stimulate thought on the right vs. wrong in war, and highlights the qualities of a great leader. The course also includes extensive personal reflection of past experiences to promote self-improvement, which aligns perfectly with the teachings of Sun Tzu as he writes: “The general is the prop of the nation. When the prop is solid, the nation is strong. When the prop is flawed, the nation is weak” (The Art of War 17).

Lastly, Sun Tzu proclaims that before attacking in hand-to-hand combat, a commander should attack his enemy’s alliances. In keeping with this statement he states: “Without knowing the plans of the feudal lords, you cannot form alliances” (The Art of War 41). For this very reason, that each midshipmen is educated in the ways of their own government, as well as the history of other nations’ governments. This provides insight to the modern day conflicts that the United States is involved in, and allows more informed decision-making to be made.

If Sun Tzu were here today he would not agree with the praised stories of the Naval Academy. Sun Tzu taught: “In war, with forces ten to the enemy’s one, surround him; with five, attack him; with two, split in half. If equally matched, fight it out; if fewer in number, lie low; if weaker, escape” (The Art of War 16). This conflicts with the celebrated stories of the Naval Academy, The Battle of Thermopylae being one example. The story of a few thousand soldiers rising to fight an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands does not comply with the teachings of The Art of War. Especially when the author teaches that physical conflict is a last resort. The story of the Greeks standing up to the Persians is revered in the Academy however, even residing on the Superintendent’s books-to-read list. All in all The Art of War remains one of the most studied books in history, not only for military purposes, and is followed by many great institutions like the Naval Academy. Its doctrine of skillfully overcoming an enemy has saved many lives.

Star Wars in Antiquity

Michael Shubert

Star Wars in Antiquity

In Star Wars, specifically the later episodes, there is an empire that is trying to conquer the galaxy. The “Empire” from Star Wars has a similar structure and even takes similar actions as the Roman Empire. The Empire establishes a government funded military to conquer new planets. There is standard equipment and standards rules for every military personnel. Having standard equipment and expectations reinforces loyalty of each soldier to the generals of the Empire. The equipment also gives the Empire the advantage in its military campaigns against less powerful and developed militaries. A government funded military is also seen in the Roman Empire. The Roman military was more advanced in military technology and tactics due to the supporting government funds. Soldiers were also extremely loyal to their generals. Both empires sought to expand their borders and eventually spread themselves out too far. The Empire from Star Wars had border planets that were mostly filled with criminals and rebels, while the Romans had surrounding lands filled with “barbarians.” Whether it be Jabba the Hutt or a barbarian, both empires experienced trouble in managing the vast amount of land acquired through campaigning. Both empires sought to improve their abilities in managing the spread out empire. In Star Wars, the Empire creates outpost planets commanded by generals that are meant to patrol a certain sector of the galaxy, while the Romans split the empire into different sectors ruled by various leaders. Both empires suffer from a succession of leadership. In Star Wars, emperor Palpatine is killed and the empire experiences a power vacuum which is later filled by emperor Snoke. The Roman Empire also experiences power vacuums after certain emperor’s die. One such example is when Emperor Vespasian is succeeded by his son Titus, who only lives a couple months as emperor. The quick succession of emperors makes it hard for the Roman Empire to get a strong structure. Next, are there similarities between modern America and the Empire? Yes, there are similarities between modern day America and the Empire. Similarities include trade and a power presence throughout the known world. The U.S. relies on trade between nations to help grow its economy just as the Empire relies on trade between planets. The U.S. also makes it a key point to have a forward presence throughout the world. Being able to strike anywhere and respond quickly to threats anywhere gives the U.S. a major advantage in power projection. The same advantage is seen with the Empire. Rebels are always being intercepted and attacked by the Empire. In response, the Rebels are thought to be foolhardy to even think about taking on the Empire.

Michael Shubert 445