Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

Martin Schüler

The purpose of the study is to investigate participating personnel's learning and ability to perform tasks safely during a two-sided military exercise.

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Data collection

• Participatory observation of the final planning conference before the exercise.
• Shadowing groups participating in the exercise.

Data analysis

• Activity theory framework

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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To be successful in supporting a unit you must have a network outside the unit. Officers and civilians function as invisible enablers. They can help with problems distribute additional resources and contact civilian landowners enabling new terrain or buildings during the exercise (CU, Conversation, and observations, NW19).

Informing tactical commanders of the enemy position in advance (CU, Observations, NW19). Participating units get access to information or resources that they can’t obtain within their unit. “Everyone seems to be aware of the cheating and it seems to be socially accepted, that's how you win on an exercise” (EPT, CU, Conversation, NW19).

Interestingly the Norwegian safety officers are not included in all activities during the planning conference, in order not to reveal tactical information giving the hostile side an advantage (EST, Observation, FCP-NW19).

“When so many people meet during an exercise, we expect a fatal accident” (EPT, Army officer)

Score sheet with a winner

Playing the game

1. Bending, breaking rules to gain a tactical advantage
2. Enhancing unit abilities with unauthorized equipment for exercise purposes
3. Using an unauthorized network of enablers to gain a tactical advantage
4. Receiving interventions from the exercise staff creates unequal opportunities

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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Unit A

Unit B

Exercise staff

The two-sided military exercise creates dilemmas for participants: 1) winning or losing, 2) speed (action), and reflection (thought) both have safety implications.

Using safe work practices, and following rules and regulations creates an exercise disadvantage and is perceived to take more time generating a negative attitude towards safety

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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A Military exercise is complex learning activity but is not always recognized as one. The exercise is important for creating military capability, but the study challenges the assumption, that exercises are always good. The study stresses a more alarming issue, what exercises prepare soldiers and officers for, actual work (combat), or a military competition that lacks authenticity. If two-sided military exercises are used as pedagogical tools for learning the design and framing need to support learning.

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Martin Schüler / Planning for Safety when Preparing for War: Competition Brings Out the Wickedness of the Military

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