BG Ravi Wagh currently serves as the Assistant to the Adjutant General-Army for the Michigan National Guard. He has also been selected to serve in a dual-hat capacity as the Special Assistant to the Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau for Pacific Initiatives. Recent assignments include Chief of the Joint Staff (Michigan National Guard) and Commander, 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade. He also served as the G3 of the Michigan Army National Guard, which included service during the recent 2+ year domestic/pandemic response efforts. He received his Commission as an Infantry Officer from Slippery Rock University, PA in 1994. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Captain’s Career Courses, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, U.S. Army Airborne, Ranger, Jumpmaster, and Air Assault Schools, Bradley Leader’s Course, The Joint Staff Course, Joint Firepower Course, Combat Advisor Course, the Command and General Staff College (ILE-AOC), the Pre-Command Course (BN and BDE), the US Army War College Resident Education Program, and the Advanced Strategic Art Program.
BG Wagh’s previous assignments include: Rifle Platoon Leader, 2-35 Infantry 25th Infantry Division (L) (Schofield Barracks, HI); Weapons Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, and Battalion S5, 2d Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment (JBLM, WA); Plans Officer, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division (FT Riley, KS); Commander, HHD 334 Forward Support Battalion (Iowa National Guard); Commander, C/1-125 Infantry and E/1-125 Infantry (Michigan Army National Guard - MIARNG); Chief, G37 Pre-Mobilization Training (MIARNG); Assistant Professor of Military Science, Michigan State University Army ROTC (East Lansing, MI); Battalion S3 and XO, 210 Military Police Battalion (MIARNG); Brigade S3 and XO, 177 Military Police Brigade (MIARNG); Advisor, 23d Infantry Brigade (SETAF; Monrovia, Liberia), G5 (Plans/Strategy) MIARNG; and Deputy G3 of the MIARNG while simultaneously serving as Commander, 3-126 Infantry (32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team). BG Wagh has deployments CENTCOM in staff and command positions (MTOE and advisor missions), to AFRICOM ISO Operation Onward Liberty as an advisor, and most recently to INDOPACOM as Director, Joint Training Team. BG Wagh’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal, among other awards. He has also been awarded the wear of the Expert and Combat Infantryman’s badges, Senior Parachutist badge, Air Assault badge, and the Ranger Tab. BG Wagh’s degrees include a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Most importantly, BG Wagh is married (29 years) to the former Jennifer L. Hanik, of Hollsopple, PA. They have three children Daya (29), Aidan (24), and Tara (22).
Click the YouTube link to watch a video of BG Wagh talk about his way forward.
BG
Wagh, The Way Forward - YouTube
Brigadier General RAVI WAGH
Reading/Listening/Watching List as of 08Nov2023
Reading
Doctrine
We must have a common frame of reference. Expand by WfF, functional area, and get into joint, multinational doctrine as you progress.
- ADP-1 (The Army 2019) Already dated (ignore ULO references) but the message is solid. Who we are, our shared legacy, provides the historical role of land power and threads in current concepts (e.g. Mission Command). The Profession.
- AR 600-100 (Army Profession and Leadership Policy) First chapter critical. Some decent info in the back as well (example: creating an IDP)
- FM 3-0 (Operations) Defines our current operating concept. This is germane to every Army leader agnostic of COMPO. Essential for all MIARNG leaders.
- FM 7-0 (Training) Refresh annually prior to UTM and AT.
- FM 6-22 (Developing Leaders) Everything from counseling to building your own LDP. Lots of folks looking for mentorship but they’re missing the self-study opportunity.
- FM 7-22 (Holistic Health and Fitness) Nowhere near enough space dedicated to COMPO 2 but the principles and program design are germane to our world.
- FM 3-90 (Tactics) Required reading for M&M WfF but a good scan for other WfFs to better understand how to enable the warfight from their perspective.
- FM 3-94 (Armies, Corps and Division Operations) Good reference and helps field grade leaders transition from tactical to operational thinking – if nothing else read about the role of the Theater Army. Also a good prep for us as we transition to the Division as the Unit of Action. What is the role of Landpower in the Pacific?
- ATP 5-0.2-1 (Staff Reference Guide) No need to buy these commercial staff guides. Use what the Army provides.
Books on Navigating the Operational Environment
- Once a Warrior King: Memories of an Officer in Vietnam (David Donovan)
- Seven Pillars of Wisdom (T.E. Lawrence)
- Battle for the Falklands (Max Hastings) Don’t send your people in unprepared.
- A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (Neil Sheehan)
- Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan and Burma in India 1942-1945 (Field Marshal Viscount Slim) Not an easy read, but in the context of INDOPACOM and the brilliance of one leader operating as an economy of force in brutal terrain – and finding success – must read.
- The Liberation Trilogy: The Epic Story of the Liberation of Europe in World War II (Rick Atkinson)
- The Revolution Trilogy: The Epic Story of the American Revolution (Rick Atkinson) Only one published.
- Red Storm Rising (Tom Clancy) Taken in context of Ukraine – it’s worth the re-look.
- Sword Point (Harold Coyle)
- The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam (Max Boot)
- A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedies of America’s Last Years in Vietnam (Lewis Sorely)
- Starship Troopers (Roberta A. Heinlein) Tracking its science fiction – some great lessons on changing environments, innovation, and service to the collective vice individual. Never talk to me about the movie. It was awful.
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Doris Kearns Goodwin Unbelievable how this group came together to support Lincoln.
- Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy (Colin Gray)
- Every War Must End (Fred Iklé) Read this in the context of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
- The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern American Defense Strategy (Andrew Krepinevich and Barry Watts) AM led the Office of Net Assessment – basically SECDEF’s thinktank – for more than 40 years.
- This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History (T.R. Fehrenbach) Had a small resurgence in the 2017 Focused Readiness Unit panic…classic and if nothing else read the Proud Legions chapter. Love this book.
- The Guns of August (Barbara Tuchman) Referenced at the leadership conference…you’ll see lots of similarities to what was going on pre-WWI.
Books on Leadership
- Denali’s Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America’s Wildest Peak (Andy Hall)
- Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing)
- Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (David Epstein)
- Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Ed Catmull)
- Legacy: What the All-Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business of Life (James Kerr) Centers on a rugby team – most successful sports franchise in history – great lessons for civilian and Army leader alike.
- Grant (Ron Chernow)
- All the standard-issue company grade stuff (Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Attacks, Band of Brothers/Pegasus Bridge/Citizen Soldier/Undaunted Courage, Killer Angels)
- Once an Eagle (Anton Myrer) Yes, it is fiction. But it’s awesome.
Fundamental History Books for Army Leaders
- Stormtroop Tactics: Innovation in the German Army, 1914-1918 (Bruce Gudmundsson) Evolution of Combined Arms Warfare in WWI.
- On Infantry (John English and Bruce Gudmundsson) Complement to Stormtroop Tactics.
- Army University Press LSCO Series Historical studies of LSCO.
- Combined Arms Warfare in the Twentieth Century (Jonathan House)
- Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944-1945 (Michael Doubler)
- Carrying the War to the Enemy: American Operational Art to 1945, Campaigns and Commanders Series (Michael Matheny)
- America’s School for War: Fort Leavenworth, Officer Education, and Victory in World War II (Peter Schifferle)
Current Events
- The Economist (https://www.economist.com)
- Foreign Affairs (https://www.foreignaffairs.com)
- The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (Walter Isaacson and Kathe Mazur)
- Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (P.W. Singer and August Cole)
- Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution (P.W. Singer and August Cole)
- The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Fight of High-Tech Warfare (Christine Brose)
- Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War (Paul Scharre)
- 2034: A Novel of the Next World War (Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis)
Listening - Podcasts
- Modern War Institute
- War Room / A Better Peace
- School of War
- The Convergence - TRADOC G2 Mad Scientist
- Irregular Warfare Podcast
- From the Green Notebook
- Urban Warfare Project
- War on the Rocks
- Breaking Doctrine
- War Studies – King’s College, London
- USAHEC Military History Lectures
- Hardcore History
- Built for Change
- Social Science of War
Watching
YouTube
- Army University Press If you don’t R/L/W anything else on this list, go to this site and watch their history stuff. Succinct and great summaries.
- Center for the Army Profession and Leadership
- Dale Center for the Study of War & Society
- Frontline PBS
- The Economist
- The Dole Institute of Politics
- The National WWII Museum
- The Operations Room
- The USAHEC
- US Army War College
- WWII History Round Table
Movies/Series
- Lawrence of Arabia Great movie period, excellent study understanding cultural nuance. Pretty historically accurate as movies go. It’s a marathon.
- Sicario This is about consequentialism and the slippery slope of sacrificing your values to achieve an objective. Good movie also.
- 12 O’Clock High “Maximum effort” came from this movie, not Deadpool. The challenges of driving change in an organization going through combat; great study in leadership.
- A Bridge Too Far The case study in over-reach and how not to execute multiple wet gap crossings (!). Movie is based on phenomenal book and pretty historically accurate. Great cast.
- Patton Great study in leadership. Must be taken with a grain of salt since the mil-advisor to the movie was Bradley and he wasn’t a fan of Patton.
- Apocalypse Now Long movie, truly a Hollywood production and not meant to be a historical study. Great perspective on the perils of isolated leadership. Lots of good YouTube shows on all of the hidden meanings behind the characters. Heart of Darkness = the companion read.
- Master and Commander Probably one of the best movies ever made. Phenomenal study of leadership. Early 19th century Royal Navy but the principals and lessons are still relevant today. Mission Command!
- Greyhound Another phenomenal Navy movie that’s really a study of the challenges of command. The book, The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester, is even better and should be read after you watch the movie. You’ll want to watch the movie again after you read it.
- Band of Brothers Great series (HBO but it’s on Netflix now) that is a good small-unit case study of a single formation from cradle to grave. Loaded with leadership vignettes and lessons. The Pacific also a good one, and the new Masters of the Air TBP.
- Glory Pulling a team together under duress, and when lots of people want to see you fail. Sticking with the ACW scene I’d follow it with Gettysburg after you read Killer Angels. Good insight into risk and how each leader assesses it differently. Pull up some of the documentaries on Grant and accompany with his autobiography (one of the single best examples of American writing).