#7B--Tim Barrick

Controversy & Clarity

(This is the conclusion to our interview with Colonel Barrick.)

In this episode, we discuss

-The work Barrick is doing with wargaming and force design at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab

-The differences between wargaming for education, wargaming for analysis, and wargaming for training

-Assassin’s Mace, an operational wargame designed, developed, and used by the Warfighting Lab

-How Assassin’s Mace is currently being used beyond the Warfighting Lab

-Barrick’s favorite wargames

-The differences between educational wargames, decision-forcing cases, and tactical decision games

-The Marine Corps’ upcoming Wargaming Center and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab’s possible relationship to it

-The role the Wargaming Center might play in educating Marines

-Potential ways the center could provide wargaming to the Fleet Marine Forces

-The role that matrix and analog games may play at the Wargaming Center

-Barrick’s concerns for the future of wargaming in the Marine Corps

-The case for gamification for learning

-How games can help learning

-Barrick’s thoughts on the future of tanks in the Marine Corps

-Why the Commandant of the Marine Corps cased the colors on his tank battalions

-How tanks contribute to the Marine Corps’ combined arms capabilities

-The challenges of creating a tank corps from scratch

-The future of combined arms

-The Marine Corps’ spotty record of institutionalizing experience

-Common misperceptions that Marines have about tanks

-Some of the creative ways Barrick has seen tanks employed

-The decision to send Marine tanks to Afghanistan in 2010

-The special capabilities added to Marine tanks deploying to Afghanistan

-Barrick’s favorite tanks from World War II and the modern day

-Barrick’s thoughts on the Russian T-14 Armata tank

-Barrick’s thoughts on some historical tank commanders

-The development of Soviet combat experience and skill in World War II

-Barrick’s favorite armored warfare books

Links

Red Army by Ralph Peters: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Army-Ralph-Peters/dp/1451636695

Defense of Hill 781 by James McDonough: https://www.amazon.com/Defense-Hill-781-Allegory-Mechanized/dp/0891414754

Panzer Commander by Hans von Luck: https://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Commander-Memoirs-Colonel-Library/dp/0440208025

Brazen Chariots by Robert Crisp: https://www.amazon.com/Brazen-Chariots-Robert-Crisp/dp/0393327124

Panzer Battles F.W. von Mellenthin: https://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Battles-Major-General-von-Mellenthin/dp/1862274592

The Heights of Courage by Avigdor Kahalani https://www.amazon.com/Heights-Courage-Tank-Leaders-Golan/dp/0275942694

Errata

*I misspoke when I called the SU 122 the "cat killer." The correct tank destroyer was the SU 152. It was known as the “beast killer” for its ability to knock out German Panther, Tiger, and King Tiger Tanks as well as the Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger and Elefant Tank Destroyers. For more see: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_ISU-152.php

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