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On Feb 4, 1944, the 7th Infantry Division and U.S. Forces declared victory on Kwajalein Atoll, a critical turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
On Jan. 22, 1993, then commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command (ROTC), Brig. Gen. Joe N. Frazar III instructed his battalion commanders to use an excerpt from S.L.A. Marshall's Book, Island Victory: The Battle For Kwajalein Atoll in World War II, as a fundamental learning tool for future Army officers going through the ROTC program.
Specifically, he asked his commanders to focus on chapter 1, How the Truth of Battle is Found, and the appendix, Conducting the Interview After Combat, to teach cadre and ROTC cadets the historical basis for the conduct of the AAR.
You see, following the historic victory, leaders and Soldiers on the ground at Kwajalein painstakingly reviewed each day of the battle in a days-long AAR to document what went well (what to sustain), and where operations could improve. Every team member on the ground during the battle and every living member of the unit contributed to the AAR, resulting in an extraordinary level of detail.
AARs continue to be fundamental to how the U.S. Army and Bayonet Division trains for combat today. AARs sustain our Readiness to Fight, and Win.
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For more on the Battle of Kwajalein, see our article at: The Bayonet Division in Operation “Flintlock” | Article | The United States Army
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