Soldiers need to be highly trained to maintain cognitive functions and adapt to any situation while under the pressure of physiological and psychological stress. The quick decision exercise (QDE) is a tool that can be used to rapidly change a training scenario in order to enable psychological growth through experience by stopping two-dimensional thinking within the battlespace.
When a definitive action which causes a disturbance or distraction to the task occurs, it requires pre-allocated priorities to be re-modelled. A QDE should cause a new battlespace analysis and OODA-loop in a high-stress environment where time is a diminishing factor.
Conditioning and experience. A first-time experience in conjunction with a heightened emotional state will cause hormones to be released throughout the body and cause a fight, flight, or freeze response. Through experience, soldiers can become psychologically conditioned to harness their arousal levels for an effective performance. QDEs also provide a reference point to fall back on if similar events were to occur. Both the conditioning and the experience should combine to allow for better judgment and a more sound appreciation while minimising the negative effects of being over-excited. As an example of a scenario suitable for QDEs, a section could be conducting an assault on an enemy position when a friendly battle casualty occurs while indirect fire simultaneously targets their position. By having practised this within a safe environment, the brain not only has a reference point on how to retain the initiative, but cognitive functions can actually thrive in the search for a successful outcome.
Realism. Advancements in technology have allowed for even the simplest of scenarios to have a sense of hyper-realism through the use of man-packable visual and auditory devices, such as IED simulators to cause a large blasting sound while smoke plumes from the area, or a small pump with fake blood to simulate a lost limb. When conducting QDEs, simplicity is key; however, they can be as technical as needed and it is down to the creator’s imagination to place people into an environment that causes thought and action.
Conduct of a QDE. QDEs are not just for the field environment, they can be conducted from the comfort of an air-conditioned lecture room. A set of patrol orders with a map and an overlay can be projected onto the wall so that a collective can wargame and change routes, enemy, and obstacles in real-time with little effort. The use of verbal scenarios and imagery to describe and portray the battlespace will still allow the soldiers to recreate what is occurring; however, this type of training helps to develop the tactical mind of the soldier while they are not physically and mentally over-stimulated. Scenarios can still be completed in a timely manner while soldiers quick-fire answers. Past patrol reports would be very useful in this training. They would allow for soldiers to think about what they would do in a situation and then compare it to what actually occurred and the real-time endstate. Then, soldiers could discuss these events and the positives and negatives of each action.
Learning lessons. The most important function of a QDE is to teach. These exercises can be simple, abstract, fun, or tough. But what they must do is create an effect on the soldiers involved. Whether positive or negative, a lesson must be drawn from these scenarios to help build the soldiers’ cognitive capacity and resilience, creating a wealth of experience for soldiers to rely on when adversity stares them in the face on operations. These lessons are to make our soldiers more effective and lethal within the tactical space. When creating a QDE, the reasoning behind it must have a definitive lesson.
After-action reviews (AARs) can be a great reflection tool for soldiers and leaders to help understand the scenarios that were imposed on them. By verbally and/or physically tracing over the events in detail, and by drawing on both the strengths and the limitations of what occurred, plans and actions can be built upon for future occurrences. Past actions which were both positive and negative will always have a lesson to be learned. Every person has a different thought process and would have a different perspective during a scenario. By listening to others’ perspectives, a larger overview of what occurred will be obtained. What one person may have seen or thought during a scenario may not have been noticed by the commanders making the decisions. This experience will assist with future planning if a similar event ever arises.
Conclusion
The QDE is a great tool that provides an opportunity to gain experience and exercise judgment in a safe training environment. The simplicity of these exercises allows for versatility within scenarios and their outcomes, while the creator’s imagination enables malleability with their actions. QDEs assist the soldier to conduct the battlespace analysis and planning with both positive and negative results that will help build and shape effective judgment and decision-making skills. Also, the access to, and flexibility of modern technology allows for straightforward creation of scenarios that are not only designed to enable intellectual growth but also provide a realism that is easier than ever to implement. The quick decision exercise is an under-utilised tool and should be deployed more often to train our soldiers.
