“Recently, this theoretical form of battle, tentatively called unit form asymmetrical battle, has been used in an ad hoc way notably in Afghanistan. On several occasions our small patrols have been attacked by numerically superior Taliban units. On each of those occasions the small unit was able to not only defeat the numerically superior force but do so with casualties to their attackers that were higher than would normally be expected.
“It should be noted, here, Mr. President, that all such instances were unintentional. No one in the US Army is willing, at this time, to test the theory in practice. The chance of failure is too high.
“Theory suggests that there are two sides to the psychology. The first is the psychology of the attacker. Seeing a small unit, trapped, unable to be reinforced and numerically far inferior, the attacker assumes the ability to defeat the unit utterly. They, therefore, press the attack to a much greater degree than would normally be the case. Call it the ‘bully’ mentality. They can beat up on a group that has been bothering them and anticipate little real difficulty in doing so.
“The other side, the combat psychology and ability of the defender, is arguably the important. The defenders must have several conditions to succeed. They must see no possible outcome but utter destruction and universal termination if they lose. Surrender must not be an option. They must have total confidence in their superiority. They must have capable leadership. And last but arguably most important, they must have a level of training that places their combat skills in a multiple over their attacker.
“In World War II, for example, the Japanese had three of these pre-conditions: unwillingness to surrender, confidence and capable leadership. And during the early phases of the war they were superior in training. Thus they often were able to defeat opponents that were numerically superior. As time went on, however, and the level of training of American and British forces improved, they were unable to effect their earlier successes.
“Modern Western combat training has been tested and proven to create soldiers that have a combat ability that is unheard of up until recently. Modern American standard infantry soldiers find, localize, engage and destroy targets with a coldness and precision that was unthinkable only twenty years ago. The reasons are complex and involve both new methods of training and certain societally common experiences. But the effect has been proven, repeatedly, to be synergistic and give the individual soldier and unit a combat multiplier over any of our standard opponents on the near order of twelve to one.
“The Kildar is apparently banking that the combination of prepared defenses, which are normally gamed as being a three to one advantage for the defender, and the combat multiplier of the Keldara over the Chechens will permit him to survive the encounter. And given the psychology of the attacker, that the Chechens will press the attack hard enough that he will not just defeat them but devastate them. That concludes my lecture, Mr. President.”
“Well done,” the president said, smiling. “How many times have you given that lecture?”
“About three, Mr. President,” Pierson replied. “I specifically avoided words like ‘transformative’ but I am in a small but growing community that believe that the really ‘transformative’ aspects of warfare don’t lie in the cool gadgets or ‘effects based warfare’ but in transforming the ability of the individual to bring death and destruction upon the enemies of America. I was unaware that Colonel Nielson was a fellow traveller but that is apparently the case.”
“So you think this will work?” the president asked.
“Sir, honestly, I don’t know,” Pierson admitted, slumping slightly. “Every case in which this sort of thing has worked it has been when units were more prepared and had better support. Even in Rourke’s Drift one aspect often overlooked was that it was a supply base. They had virtually unlimited ammunition and were well rested and fed before the battle. The Keldara have been running all night, they haven’t had anything to eat in nearly twenty-four hours and they’re yellow on ammunition already. That is they are below eighty percent of their standard ammunition load. They have little or no functional indirect or air support; a couple of Hinds just don’t do it for the current situation and one of those is down. They also don’t have a source of water immediately available; there are two streams nearby but when they are under fire they will be difficult to access. Last, but not least, the Kildar, while capable, is not a trained officer for this sort of engagement. He depends to too great a degree on Nielson’s professional input. Nielson, being remote from the situation, inevitably will overlook items of importance. If I were the Chechen commander, I’d set in a ring of heavy weapons and emplacements and starve them for a couple of days. Then I’d attack. Fortunately, with the nature of the Chechen resistance, that is unlikely. They just don’t have the cohesion.”
“When will we know?” the president said with a sigh.
“Sir, I would anticipate that the battle will go on for most of the day,” Pierson replied. “That will carry it well into the wee hours of our morning. Either that or, unfortunately, be over swiftly. In which case we will have lost a key ally in the black side of the current war as well as a friend.”
Shota was not an expert digger. He just didn’t have the mentality to learn the basic tricks of how much to dig up with each shovelful, the better angles to strike, the best way to cut through a root or move a rock so as to not wear himself down.
However, in his case, it didn’t really matter. The guy could hurl a shovel-ful of the heaviest substance on earth a couple of hundred feet and keep going. Where other Keldara would roll a small rock out of the way, in Shota’s case they kept their helmets on; rocks the size of small boulders were likely to go flying by.
But even the strongest man needs food to work, and Shota was wearing down.
Mike looked up in surprise as the front wall of the bunker started to disappear, the rocks and dirt flying upwards and to the side. In the case of some of the rocks they were flying nearly to the emplacements fifty yards away.
When he saw Shota’s head start to emerge from the trench he understood.
A boulder the size of a small suitcase was in the Keldara’s way. Unable to budge it with the small entrenching tool, the Keldara grabbed it in both ham-like hands and simply lifted it over his head, tossing it out of the trench. Although more or less rectangular in shape, it rolled ten meters.
“Hi, Shota,” Mike said as the Keldara started hacking at the opening, widening it. “How you doin, man?” Despite the cold the Keldara was stripped to his undershirt and still sweating. He also was covered in dirt. Mike wasn’t sure how much of it was getting out of the trench. On the other hand, it was pretty good camouflage.
“Hungry,” Shota replied, tossing the dirt out of the trench in fountains of dust. “Really hungry.”
“We’ve got some food on the way,” Mike said. “Don’t know if it will be before or after the first attack. But it’s on the way. I held back a package of crackers if that will help?”
“Food?” the Keldara said, dropping his e-tool.
“And I’ve got one bottle of beer left,” Mike admitted, pulling out the package of MRE crackers and one of the plastic bottles. “Have at it.”