The Loop

[Solid]

I think it's as complicated as you make it. If you chose not to take the loop seriously, it's simple. I remember seeing it for the first time and saying 'okay, cool', memorising it and being done with it. Bad move. You expand that link and look at it, having become interested in it, and it's fairly complicated. Certainly, when it comes to determining your actions during the different steps and possible reactions of the enemy it can be complicated. Eventually, though, the steps become well integrated into your everyday life and things become simple because they are instinctual.

Solid

[usaf2ltdb]

Useful website- www.d-n-i.net - run by Chuck Spinney. Has the best stuff on OODA you'll find anywhere. Also, any folks close to Quantico can go to MCU and they'll let you dig through the Boyd archives with zero hassle...Can get video of the man giving a brief on the subject made into a DVD.

As to shaping your adversary's observation/orientation, that's very much at the core of Boyd's work. He was a devotee of Sun Tzu. Loved to quote Patton on "hold him by the nose and kick him in the pants." As was mentioned, he inspired the Desert Storm plan, of which half was the USMC pretend landing that fixed the Iraqis in place so the hail mary could loop behind.

Also key to remember that "loop" was a term Boyd hated. He preferred "cycle," which is much better reflected in some of his later (complicated) diagrams. Each portion feeds back and forward to the others. New information can preempt acting while you're making up your mind, causing a different observation, creating a different orientation, leading to a different decision.


(first post after months of lurking. woohoo.)

[Roguish Lawyer]

Welcome, Lieutenant.

[pulque]

Originally posted by NousDefionsDoc
Ok, simple or complicated and why?

"too many mind. no mind."

[Student2501]

It's simple and complicated. We all do it in every aspect of our lives regardless of if we are aware of it or not. How effective we are at it is something entirely different. The most important part is the observation phase, if you aren't attending to the right stimuli, or are being decieved either by yourself, or your enemy then the rest of the cycle will not be very effective.

The mismatch between reality and what you think is reality will compel you to go through the cycle again until you achieve the desired outcome or until the enemy achieves his.

If you get a chance to read Boyd's Destruction and Creation it really helps to explain more of the theory. Really opens it up more.

usaf2ltb's suggesstion of www.d-n-i.net is right on. Great sight not just for Boyd enthusiasts but for the Military Reform, 3G and 4G warfare, and goings on in the Pentagon as well.

Great Books on Boyd are:

Mind of War by Grant T Hammond:
Great info on Boyd's life, the Military Reform Movement, and Boyd's other theories on War as expressed in his Patterns of Conflict brief.

Boyd by Robert Coram
Boyd's biography. The great part about this is Destruction and Creation is included at the end of the book. IMHO one of the most brilliant things I've ever read.

Also a paper on Boyd's theory as it applies to the Army:
A Critique of The Boyd Theory - Is It Relevant to the Army
Authors: Polk, Robert B.; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED MILITARY STUDIES (Haven't read this one yet, but it's on the list.)

Sorry for being long winded but this topic is great.

[LongWire]

Stumbled across this blog site last year while deployed......meant to post this but never remembered to. Great write up as well as being a good blog to follow......

I'm posting the link, since the essay is way too large to post here.

http://pajamasmedia.com/ejectejectej...icture-part-1/