One, underlying aspect of this section of reading, is that if you can control the enemy, you essentially control the turn out of the battle. Sun Tzu goes into how commanders should make decisions based on the battlefield they are presented. He first goes onto say that if a unit already occupies the battlefield they already have a distinct advantage over the enemy in that there already prepared for a battle and are in a defensive position. He also states how the personal health of your soldiers, physiologically, mentally and physically are vital and should be checked routinely. Tzu, explains how the element of surprise is a key tool in conducting a successful attack, especially if you are able to hit the enemy at key points and at your discretion. When attempting to gauge enemy strength of an opposition, he says that size is not the only important thing to consider, but leadership, experience and firepower are even more dangerous and should be considered first. Sun Tzu, goes onto argue that a commander with better intelligence will be a victor of a battle. The importance of intelligence can be seen in our Army today. It is very easy for a unit to get trapped and ambushed in the back roads of Iraq with multiple attack points from numerous city buildings. This intelligence is absolutely critical for victory today, pointing out enemy saturated areas, firepower, level of threat zones etc. A useful tactic derived from this is counter-intelligence or deception, making the enemy think your somewhere else for example leading them to a specific area and then setting up in that area to ambush them upon arrival.
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