While watching the Guard vehicles roam the plains in the fading light, Nathan went over the decisions he had made up to that point. With his platoon pinned down, the XO dead, his RTO bleeding to death in his arms, National Guard tanks headed their way, and small arms fire hammering away at his position, Nathan quickly appreciated that his platoon’s initial objectives were beyond their means. Given that terrible fact, the young officer opted to go for King’s alternate plan. As quickly as he could, he rallied his platoon and pulled it back to defend their drop zone. As he saw it then, his inability to fully accomplish his first real world mission would not result in dishonor if, when the rest of the battalion arrived, they landed in a DZ that was safe and secure.

Yet even this simple task proved to be unattainable. As the hours ticked away and it became obvious the follow-on force wasn’t coming, Nathan began to despair at even being able to fulfill this modest achievement. By then the Guard was beginning to sally out of their motor pools looking for them, making it impossible to go west in search of the rest of the company.

In theory, decisions made at platoon level use the same methodology that the President and his chief advisors use. Factors such as the mission, the opposition, the terrain upon which the operation will take place, and the troops available to execute the mission, are all taken into consideration. Options of how to best accomplish the mission in light of those factors are formulated and then considered using a technique known as “War gaming.” Once this process has been completed, the option that best suits the circumstances and promises the best chance of success is selected for implementation. This is known as a decision cycle.

There is, of course, no comparison between the circumstances and conditions under which the President operates and those faced by a platoon leader in the field. The President and his advisors execute their duties in a controlled environment where everything from who is allowed to enter the room to the very temperature of that room is regulated. Information required by the President is presented to him using a well established procedure that is designed to provide the commander-in-chief with only that information that is deemed necessary. Even this information is delivered in a package tailored to the President’s own personality. With few exceptions the presidential decision cycle is designed to permit the commander-in-chief time to think things over carefully before making a final choice.