We find the term being
bandied about in art where “found” objects are used in a creative way.
The term is also used
by sociologists and anthropologists who describe how societies and cultures are
formed; it is less by a top-down fiat as in “We’re
all gonna wear cargo shorts and ballcaps, and use the fork in our left hands”
than it is a loose amalgamation of elements that gradually cohere and then
concretize into, “Well, that’s just how
it’s done.”
We find the concept in
engineering where a problem is presented, a mechanical solution is required and
the perfect tool or ready tool does not exist nor its constituent parts, so a
bit of creativity and tinkering leads to a bricolage answer that fits the bill.
How does bricolage
apply to combat systems?
We’ll come back to
that.
First, let’s talk Frogmen, the early days of
the Navy SEALS.
Let us go back to
WWII.
The Pacific Theater of
War.
The shadow of the
disastrous Tarawa Atoll invasion looms large.
Rear Admiral Richmond
Kelly Turner realizes that something different needs to be done on the next invasion
target of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
On Tarawa, invasion
boats ran aground on coral well offshore, leaving combat-laden marines to wade
several hundred yards under heavy fire.
More marines were drowned
in unseen sink holes and craters than were killed by enemy fire during the
invasion.
Admiral Turner needs
better intel than is currently provided so he turns to a tactic recently used
for clearing beaches in mainland Europe.
US Navy combat demolition
units [NCDUs] were used for beach clearing, Turner seizes two of these teams,
sends them to Maui, Hawaii for a crash course in hydrographic reconnaissance, mapping,
and obstacle removal skills.
These two teams were
redesignated Underwater Demolition Teams [UDTs.]
Back in Kwajalein air
reconnaissance shows the Japanese working on a seawall of rock set in concrete with
hardwood posts projecting seaward to repel Amtraks and assault boats.
A sea-launched
reconnaissance is planned with the two UDT teams, one at high tide and one at
low to map the area and plan where destructive charges would need to be set.
At this stage of UDT
evolution, these Frogmen forerunners, these proto-SEALs were designated as “walkers”
because…
They wore full combat
uniforms [including boots], their gear included an inflatable life belt to keep
them upright and on the surface, and a lifeline for each man to tether him to
their boat.
The UDT mission statement
was to “walk/wade” shoreline to examine obstacles.
Swimming was NOT a
part of the mission protocol for UDTs at this time.
BTW-The weapons they
carried? One heavy knife, either a marine Ka-bar or a navy Mark II.
Why so lightly armed?
UDTs were considered
so valuable they were not designated as combat troops.
Get this, the plan to
do better than the catastrophe of Tarawa was to send poorly armed waders to
“walk” the beach.
Commando beachcombers,
if you will.
The best minds sought
a solution, and this was the answer.
“OK, Mark, neat
but where’s this whole bricolage thing?”
Two of the UDT men, Seabee
Chief Petty Officer Bill Acheson and Ensign Lewis F. Luehrs thought the wading
plan ludicrous.
So, against
regulations and the warnings of their commander, the two men stripped down and
dove in to swim the beachhead.
These two measured
water depths, pinpointed gun emplacements, studied seawall and the log abatis
across the entire stretch.
They recorded all on waterproof
slates with grease pencils.
Their swimming trip
lasted an approximate 45 minutes. They returned to their landing craft, even
their disapproving commander was impressed by the intelligence gathered and
rushed the men to Admiral Turner’s flagship.
Using the two “rogue
swimmer’s” information, Turner altered tactics to Amtraks with heavy treads and
shallow drafts over deep-hulled LCVPs [Landing Craft, Vehicles, Personnel] to
better roll over coral obstructions.
The invasion was
successful, casualties were a fraction of what they were at Tarawa.
These two “rogue”
swimmers bucked their intensive training and forever changed how UDTs were utilized.
19 days after the
“rogue” swimmers bricolage at Kwajalein, UDT teams swam with goggles at
Eniwetok to report obstacles.
Upon Admiral Turner’s
return to Pearl Harbor, he reported that the only way to deal with coral and
underwater obstacles was to send in swimmers.
Gone were the days of
the “Walker.”
The Combat
Bricolage Lessons for Us
One—The best training may not always be right for
the job at hand. No one doubts the thought put into the “walker” program
but…only hindsight may let us see the depth of its folly now.
What high-speed, low-drag
well-intentioned, well-designed aspect of our own training is, perhaps, as
outmoded as a combat “walker?”
Two—Adapting to circumstances, Acheson and Leuhrs,
both evaluated the situation and ditched not only protocol but the given
uniform. Bricolage is adapting to the circumstances with what is at hand to
provide better results than the smooth plan.
We must ask ourselves,
what smooth drill might be bettered by a shake-up, a re-shuffling, or perhaps
even a complete discarding?
Will this gi-only
training present me with the same opportunities outside of the training arena?
Does this 8-step flow
drill actually exist in the wild or am I merely wading in heavy surf while
weighted with heavy wet clothing?
Three—Courage to adapt.
Not only did our two
“rouge” swimmers adapt, we must note how quickly the “Top Brass” adapted.
A mere 19 days after
committing an act warned against by an immediate commander the tactic is whole-heartedly
adopted.
The primary lessons of
bricolage are examine environments, parse circumstances and commit an action
plan that is informed by the elements that are present, not those that are
readily available in the sterile confines of well-supplied, scrupulously designed
well-intentioned training.
Sometimes going
“rogue” changes history and saves lives while history is being changed.
[Want more? See our
Training and Research Resources below.]
The Black Box
Warehouse
https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/
The Indigenous Ability
Blog
https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/
The Rough ‘n’ Tumble
Raconteur Podcast
https://anchor.fm/mark-hatmaker
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