Tom Rendall

Background

About Tom Rendall

Retired Army SOF Officer. Commands included two Special Forces Battalions and a Functional Brigade. Served on staffs at all levels from Battalion to the United States Joint Staff. Multiple tours in combat zones. Extensive work within the US Interagency and in Foreign environments. Current Army Civilian coordinating the Unified Action Partners (UAP) Program at the Mission Command Training Program (MCTP). MCTP’s UAP program develops and articulates the environment that overarches the Army’s Warfighter Exercises (WFX)(Training Corps, Division and Senior Special Operations Forces [SOF] headquarters) through the "Instruments of National Power (DIME - Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic), as they flow into the relevant civil-military aspects of the doctrinally focused “Eight Operational Variables of an OE,” (PMESII-PT / Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, Infrastructure, Physical Environment, and Time) while supporting Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO)- To enable Commanders and Staffs to gain an understanding of and learn to work with expeditionary elements of the US Government (USG) as the gateway to UAP Organizations in order to accomplish missions and tasks “through, with and by” elements of these organizations- To enable Commanders and Staffs to anticipate, understand, accept, shape, focus, and apply the effects of friendly UAP (NCA, Congress, NATO, The UN, The EU and Other International and Non-Governmental Organizations [IOs and NGOs] and Ministries and other activities of the friendly Host Nation) so as to support the operation and transform the conflict to bolster the policy that initiated the operation (Turn Clausewitz’s “War is Policy…” Dictum on its head). Thus, the UAP team can provide a modest capability similar to that of a "Red Team" to leaders that can help prepare Training Audiences (TAs) to acquire and maintain an appropriate "up and out" focus, while engaging in emerging operations. MCTP UAP carefully stimulates TA Training Objectives (TOs) and modulates this process and capability in coordination with Higher Command (HICOM), Operations Groups (OGs), Training Audiences (TAs) and Senior Mentors.*Unified action partners are those military forces, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and elements of the private sector with whom Army forces plan, coordinate, synchronize, and integrate during the conduct of operations (ADP 3-0).” Thomas.h.rendall.civ@army.mil