Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 116

•
•

There is no need for perfunctory checks on
an assumed reply of “yes” was very pointed: “Then do
learning.
not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.”23
Finally, from the tone of Eisenhower’s memoirs,
To apply Franklin’s little jewel of wisdom to the Army,
no lecturing is evident. Not once does he mention any
substitute “life” with the word “success” This is timely,
.
critique or rejoinder on the part of Conner. The memas the Army now returns to garrison and endeavors
oir conveys a good bit of the give and take, interspersed
to keep the high-tempo training pace that soldiers are
with encouragement, so instrumental in stimulating
accustomed to as a result of their intense operational
the cognitive process.
experiences over the decade of conflict.24 This raises
As a case in point, Eisenhower relates how he deanother critical point.
spised the “memory course” of history at West Point.19
Since the Army, like nature, abhors a vacuum,
With gentle questioning, querying, and prodding that
herein lies a trap to avoid: the Army must not mistake
eventually engendered within Eisenhower renewed
activity for action. If there is time to fill, the Army
interest in the topic, Conner undertook the process of
should fill it productively. Therefore, the campfire
motivating interest. Again, Eisenhower never records
theme is critical.
a moment of disquiet. By Eisenhower’s own admission,
the change in his attitude came when Conner evidentThe Essential Campfire Topic
ly enticed Eisenhower, over time, into the cognitive
Certainly Eisenhower and Conner contemplated
process.20
the Army’s status in their time.25 History aside, most
The term cognitive now
assuredly they disappears in military writcussed adaptation just
ing, both Army and joint.21 Ben Franklin is known for his
as the Army does today.
Contrasting the older
Recently, an apt descriprhetorical question, “Do you
staid joint publications, for
tion was applied to the
example, recent versions
of today’s soldier by
love life?” His snappy follow-on plightGen. Daniel Hughes,
show how doctrine now
Brig.
eschews the proposition
deputy commanding
to an assumed reply of “yes”
that following an estabgeneral, U.S. Army
was very pointed: “Then do not Combined Arms Center–
lished planning checklist