17July05

The "OODA Loop"

His nickname was "Forty-Second Boyd." John Boyd was the mos t famous and capable American fighter pilot in a generation, seeing significant action in the skies over Korea, and greatly influencing me and my contemporaries, bo th in and out of the Air Force. He got his nickname from the fact that no opponent ever lasted more than forty seconds with him during air-to-air com bat. Most didn't last ten seconds!

Boyd had an intrinsic understanding of himself and his aircraft that went far beyond what even the very engineers who designed the craft knew or began to comprehend. He understood the art of aerial combat at a vastly higher leve l than any of his contemporaries. In the sky, no one was a match for him. Few were even in the same league.

He had a special talent; no doubt. Like Mozart, Patton, Mac Arthur, and others of note, he was a true genius. But, unlike most virtuosos, he made a study of his own genius, so that we mere mortals could benefit. Unlike mos t masters, he had an abiding involvement in the genuine advancement of the Ar t.

As is the case with all geniuses, the dunces of world continually formed a conspiracy against him, mostly out of fear and petty jealously, but his influence upon the Art of War and his place among significant military inte llects of our age is secure, as high as ever, because those who would pull it down

never stand quite tall enough to reach it. At his funeral in 1997, more Marines were in attendance than were Air Force folks!

The OODA Loop is one of the models produced by Boyd. It dissects the menta l process involved in emergency decisions. "Observe," =80 Orient," "Decide,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9C Act."

The most important of the four steps is the second. As we view the universe, we look at it through the veneer of the totality of our lives =99 experiences. All our prejudices and biases, our knowledge and concerns, are continuousl y displayed on our "map," and we judge everything we perceive according to it. However, the problem with all maps is that they're obsolete th e day they' re printed! Our personal "map" must be continuously update d, but the universe contains so much information, our map can easily become obsolete.

Boyd pointed out that any delay, any speed bump, in "spinning=80 one's OODA Loop will slow his response, perhaps fatally. The most common delay is whe n a conflict develops between what one observes and one's expectations upon orienting the information. Thus, one of Boyd's rules was:

REALITY ALWAYS TRUMPS EXPECTATION! REALITY IS ALWAYS "RIGHT.=80

It is when warriors cling to outdated expectations, dear falsehoods, even when confronted with stark reality, that they begin to dither and are then outmaneuvered and defeated. You can't get to the "Decide " stage until you break through the "Orient" stage, which, as noted above, functions as a roadblock for the unsophisticated.

When a marksman continually fails to hit the target, it is never the fault of the target! When your expectations conflict with reality, the problem d oes not lie with reality! It is your map which must be updated, and the middle

of a fight is a poor time to do it!

All aspiring warriors should be familiar with the OODA Loop model and with Boyd and his contributions to our Art. It is selfless heroes like Boyd, of ten unsung, who boldly and fearlessly advance our Art, making it possible for u s to influence and entire new generation.

/John