DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW

File: 102896_jun96_decls6_0063.txt
Page: 0063
Total Pages: 64

Subject: DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW                                   

Box ID: BX001608

Unit: 101ST ID    

Parent Organization: XVIII CORPS 

Folder Title: DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C                                                    

Folder SEQ  #:         83

Document Number:          2







           DSIT-AE-103: COL Roy E. Beauchamp


           MAJ HONEC: On that last point, though, it seemed like at
           leas@ on this interview that your plan held up fairly well.
           So that's something to be said about the preparation ahead
           of time to produce a plan that didn't need to be changed
           that much.


           COL BEAUCHAMP: Well, what we tried to do, and I think it
           paid off for us, is we tried to make a plan and then tried
           to work that plan. We were not inflexible in changing the
           plan. But we tried first of all to always have a plan so
           that we knew what we were going to do and then we tried very
           hard to follow that plan and execute the plan. We had to
           change things, we had to modify as we went along. We tried
           to look at our task organization. What is the requirement?
           What is the capability? What is the structure? The basic
           issues--we try to always go back to the fundamentals.
           Requirements, capability and structure--what we need to do
           there. The five key questions, they call it. Where are we
           located? Why are we there? How do we support it? How do
           we get support? How do we displace it? To where, when, and
           in what sequence. What is the problem, why is it a problem,
           what must be done about it, who should do it and when should
           it be done? There is nothing mysterious or certainly
           intellectual about that, but it provided us a mechanism for
           communicating across the group, and it was helpful to us.
           And that is certainly not to say that we didn't have our own
           problems in our own situations because we're people with
           people.

           MAJ HONEC: Yes, sir.

           COL BEAUCHAMP: We'll get tired. Some people have different
           experiences than others. Some people have more experience
others. Some
           people are more mature than others. We have the same
           quotient of qualities and defects that other army
           organizations do. But I think a key for us was to try to
           stick to the basics, try to deal with the fundamentals and
           try to do so with enthusiasm and do so aggressively. And
           keep in mind at all times the very great importance of the
           mission that we are performing to support soldiers. All the
           soldiers in the group. And it's a great compliment to them.
           All the soldiers in the group. From the privates to the
           sergeants and the company grade officers and field grade
           officers, all took very seriously and understood what we
           were trying to do there. We didn't do it perfectly.
           Perfectionism was not the objective. Excellence through
           teamwork was the objective. And we did that pretty well.




                                        60

Document 64 f:/Week-22/BX001608/DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C/desert shield-storm interview:10019616504029
Control Fields 17
File Room = jun96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-22
Box ID = BX001608
Unit = 101ST ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C
Folder Seq # = 83
Subject = DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW
Document Seq # = 2
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 01-OCT-1996