On Fieldcraft: An Interview with Marine Staff Sergeant Chad Skaggs
Professional Military Education
Release Date: 10/25/2020
Visiting the D-Day Beaches and Normandy Battlefields
Professional Military Education
Visiting Normandy and touring the beaches from D-Day, June 6, 1944, is a powerful experience. It is an experience that all American citizens should plan to do. There are incredible stories of American servicemembers that left their homes to serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves. It is important to remember and honor these heroes. Many people do this every year as there are approximately 1.7 million people who visit the annually. In this podcast episode, I speak with a tour guide, Yannick Sterke, who gives tours of the Normandy battlefields. In the summer of 2022, I took...
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American Guerillas Part Three: The Old Wagoner’s Revenge
Professional Military Education
In the year 1780, South Carolina was in the grip of violence and turmoil. On December 3, 1780, General Nathanael Greene assumed command of the southern department from General Horatio Gates. Gates, the hero of Saratoga, had struggled in the Carolinas most notably at the disastrous battle of Camden. The Continental Congress relented to General Washington’s preferred commander: Nathanael Greene. Thus, Greene left his post at West Point and traveled south. General Greene had a series of challenging decisions in front of him. How was he going to rebuild a nearly destroyed army? How was he going...
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Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Marine Corps with General Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC)
Professional Military Education
General Jason Q. Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC) is the author of a recently published book entitled Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777. In this interview, we discuss why and how the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775. General Bohm explains that General Washington did not initially support the Marines. However, the Marines played a pivotal role during the “Ten Crucial Days.” This was the period from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777. It included key battles at Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The Marines’ heroic...
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American Guerillas (Part II): The Sword of the Lord and Gideon
Professional Military Education
The American Guerillas series continues with part two: “The Sword of the Lord and Gideon”. After the British invasion of South Carolina, American forces had their backs to the wall. But many Patriot militia units refused to give up. They fought valiantly using guerilla style tactics. In this episode, we discuss those tactics in depth. This episode will cover the following: The Battle of Musgrove’s Mill The Battle of Kings Mountain and the legend of the Over Mountain Men The Swamp Fox, Francis Marion’s campaign in the low country The Battle of Blackstock’s Plantation Key...
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American Guerillas (Part I): War in the Carolinas
Professional Military Education
This is the first episode in a series on the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas. The series is called “American Guerillas” and part one is titled “War in the Carolinas”. This episode will cover a lot of ground and begin with an overview of the American Revolution up until the British invasion of Charleston in 1780. After a summary of the major milestones of the Revolution, the episode will cover the following: Why the British shifted their strategy to the Carolinas Key leaders on the British side: Cornwallis and Tarleton Key leaders on the American side: William Moultrie and...
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When China Attacks: A Warning to America
Professional Military Education
Col. Grant Newsham (USMC-Ret.), has a warning for America: China is at war with us. It is time for Americans to understand that China does not believe war starts with the deployment of missiles, tanks, and infantry. From the perspective of the People's Republic of China (PRC), war has already begun. Furthermore, over the last several decades, China has used influence operations, economic policies, political warfare, and lawfare to cripple America. The results have left American communities jobless with rampant drug use, deaths of despair, and social disfunction. As one example, fentanyl...
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A Brutal Winter: George Washington’s Leadership at Valley Forge
Professional Military Education
On December 19, 1777, George Washington led the Continental Army onto a high plateau twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After fighting the British at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, Washington entered camp with a little over 12,000 soldiers. By mid-February, that number had dropped in half. Disease ravaged camp. Soldiers starved. Many of them were down to their last shirt. Some walked into camp barefoot. As if the problems couldn’t get worse, most soldiers didn’t know if or when they would get paid for their service. Despite the many difficulties, General...
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The Heroes of Wake Island: Remembering the Americans that fought 16 days against impossible odds
Professional Military Education
Wake Island was the site of a famous battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. By December 7, 1941, it was a small (but growing) naval air station (NAS). The construction and development of the island began in January 1941. As Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Kimmel, recognized the vulnerability of the island, Marines were brought in to defend it in August 1941. On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Wake Island with a series of aerial bombardments. On December 11, the Japanese attempted their first invasion of the island. But they were soundly defeated. The Marine defenders bloodied...
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Is the U.S. military weak? Breaking down the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength
Professional Military Education
Is the United States Military weak? The Heritage Foundation has fired a shot across the bow with its “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength.” The Index concludes that the U.S. military in its current posture is “weak.” The Pentagon might not like the report. But, my guest, Dakota Wood, is calling things as they are rather than the way people would like them to be. “Nobody likes their baby being called ugly. But the facts are what they are.” -Dakota Wood The 2023 Index starts with an assessment of the operating environment from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. Dakota explains that...
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Epic Comeback in the Pacific! The events that led to Pearl Harbor and How the U.S. Navy won the Battle of Midway
Professional Military Education
How did the U.S. recover from the devastation of Pearl Harbor and win one of the most epic battles in naval history? Was war in the Pacific inevitable or were there diplomatic off ramps? Why did Japan attack America on December 7, 1941? Did America really know in advance that an attack was coming? My guest Dale Jenkins helps answer these questions in his book, Diplomats and Admirals. We speak at length about these topics in our interview. I thought our deep dive into the Battle of Midway was especially fun. Additional topics include: Diplomatic breakdowns that led to war between the U.S. and...
info_outline“Marine, get packed. You’re going to the field,” the Gunny says. The Marine shudders. The last time he went to the field his gear got wet and he spent days soaked and cold. When the rain stopped, the wind picked up, and he spent the night shivering so hard that he thought his teeth would fall out. On the final movement back to civilization, his pack dug into his shoulders and caused him to fall behind and the Company Gunnery Sergeant screamed at him to keep up or else... Back in the barracks, his feet remained blistered and he spent the weekend getting over an illness that he developed toward the tail end of the field op. This Devil Dog needs some guidance.
Going to the field can be daunting if one does not understand fieldcraft. Many infantry schools spend a lot of time in the field, but fieldcraft does not receive a lot of formal training. My guest, Staff Sergeant Skaggs, has spent years taking the best tips and techniques and compiling them into a useful “how-to” guide. He has consulted with dozens of Marine leaders on best practices. Furthermore, he has years of experience on deployments, in training, and from his own time as a Combat Instructor.
We discuss topics such as:
- Taking care of one’s boots and proper footcare
- How to properly pack gear and use the issued ruck sack
- How to survive in the cold and the heat
- How to use proper hygiene
- Considerations for units living in the field
- The role of discipline in fieldcraft
SSgt Skaggs’ book has many outstanding principles on fieldcraft. If any Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman, implements a handful of these principles, they will not only survive but thrive in the field.
SSgt Skaggs’ work on fieldcraft should help people gain the confidence they need to know that they can live and train in the field. Marines like to say, “Embrace the suck” and “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” SSgt Skaggs helps us get there.
Check out his BOOK. Send him an e-mail (he can be found in the GAL) and he will provide a digital copy. A print copy will be available soon. The intention is for people to be able to take it into the field with them as a hard copy.
Other great resources include:
- Charlies Rangers (Book link below)
- Marine Rifle Squad (Book link below)
MCIP 3-10A.4i w/Change 1 Marine Rifle Squad May 2020
- Scouting and Patrolling (Book link below)
Map Reading and Land Navigation and Marine Scouting and Patrolling
- Ranger Handbook (Book link below)
Ranger Handbook: TC 3-21.76, April 2017 Edition
- Bushcraft 101 (Book link below)
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
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