S.M.E.A.C?

[Rusty Cessna]

Hi everyone,

I am due to go on a course in September which has a strong Leadership element contained in it, I became aware of the term SMEAC a while a go but was never able to find out what it stood for, all I know is that it is a preferred method of tackling problem solving situations within the forces, I think it bears more relevance to the RAF way of doing things.

If anyone knows what it means or stands for, or if I have got it wrong what it is supposed to be, I would be very grateful if they could explain it to me as I am hoping to try and attack the Practical Leadership Task's from as many different angles as possible to see which are more effective.

I realise this may not be suited to this forum but I thought this was the best place to find an answer as it is the forces where SMEAC originated, or so I believe.

Many thanks,
Rusty.

[canberra]

situation
mission
execution
ask questions
check timings

[Rusty Cessna]

Canberra and Mike Jenvey,

Many thanks, thats exactly what I was after!

Regards,
Rusty.

[gijoe]

I'll go with Mike J on that one.

Any Questions and Check understanding.

Another used whilst executing the task is

PISCIE or PBSCIE

Planning
Initiating (more formally Briefing)
Supporting
Controlling
Informing
Evaluating

Enjoy the Command Tasks :cool:

[BEagle]

I stand to be corrected, but I suspect that DIOT have adapted the original terms which were in use certainly during WW2 as my old CCF instructors told me!

Situation, Missison, Execution, Administration, Command and Signals, Logistics or somesuch?

Other mnemonics?

GRIT (for fire orders)
RSVP and BASS (for voice procedure)
ERCATLI (for laying telephone cables - honest!)
and, of course, SNAFU!!

[Kiting for Boys]

Try Google.com

I found this..
http://www.air-cadet.freeserve.co.uk/smeac.html

[STANDTO]

SMEAC - nearly had a nosebleed when I saw that again

situation mission execution any quations check understanding.


I am surprised that IIMAC ( in its various bastardised forms) isn't taught from scratch these days

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Beagle,

GRIT was always associated with CLAP:

Clear
Loud
As an order
with Pauses

The only other mnemonic I can remember from OCTU was WTFAWe...

[Tartan Stazi]

Blot
Bang
Rub !!!!!

:D

[Gash Handlin]

theres a couple that have changed recently

my favourite change is thius one...

TEWT Tactical Exercise Without Troops has now been changed to Practical Exercise Not Involving Soldiers

[Talking Radalt]

Whole thing sounds FUBAR to me.......:D

[day1-week1]

In terms of leadership training in the RAF, I found that SMEAC actually means the following:

Sitaution - In any series of leadership assessments you almost 100% certain to fail the first couple.

Mission - They mission is to show how wonderful the trg system is because you failed (awfully) initially and passed after being trained.

Execution - This will be carried out by ambiguous briefs, impossible standards and holding you responsible for absolutely everything that everyone does.

Any question - The student can ask as many as he wishes - more opportunity to confuse him.

Check Understanding - If the student looks like he understands the task - throw in some more standards. :confused:

Actually most of the time theyr'e quite a good laugh - and hey, its only your career

[Trash 'n' Navs]

We use
Situation
Mission (repeated twice - "You are to seize that bunker. I say again, you are to seize that bunker."
Execution
Admin & Logistics
Command & Control

As GI Joe said, PICSIE (Planning, Initiating, Controlling, Supporting, Informing, Evaluating) can be used to monitor the Execution phase.

It's amazing that even going to the pub can be broken down in to this format.
Situation - It's Friday night and Blogg's is having a party at the pub.
Mission - You are to get rolling drunk. I say again, you are to get rolling drunk.
Execution - Three phases. Phase 1: Transit to Pub. Phase 2: Being at the pub. Phase 3: Getting home from the pub. Phase 1 - Be ready to move NLT 1830hrs. I will arrange for a taxi to collect you and deliver you to the pub NLT 1900hrs. Phase 2 - Remain at the pub whilst consuming copious amounts of alcohol. You can expect to remain at the pub until closing time. Phase 3 - This will be the most difficult phase of the mission and I wish you good-luck because you'll probably be on your own by now (unless you get lucky!). Preferred plan of action is for you to obtain transport (taxi preferred) that will return you home. The back up to this will be to chat up anyone for a free ride if your funds are depleted. Be careful to not have your kidneys removed at this point.
Admin & Logistics - You are to ensure sufficient funds are available so that copious amounts of alcohol can be purchased. Eating food before deploying is advisable although considered cheating. All supplies for phase 2 can be obtained on site.
Command & Control - I am in command for phase 1. You are in command for phase 2. Phase 3 is anyone's guess.

But as with all good plans, they're only good until the first shot is fired....

[albert]

Tell me it's a joke!! Mike Jenvey posting a reply under his own name and then signing off with "Flt Safety is not an accident". Well, he should know!! What was it they said on the Flying Supervisors course as they went over his flying history!

[BEagle]

albert - I've had a pop at him over this in the past. But perhaps he's now making amends for his previous incarnation and we should bury the hatchet? He has offered quite a lot of help to many mil wannabees on this forum. Or is the huggy-fluffy world of the 21st Century getting to me?

As 'Trash 'n Navs shows, at least those in the Antipodes have got the correct original version of SMEAC - that's what I remember from CCF training years ago! The example he/she gave is a very good synopsis of Giving Orders!!

[Llademos]

Get back in your box, Albert ... your memory is way too long

[The Diggler]

FIBUA has been renamed FISH

Fighting In Someone's House.

[Iggy Plop]

Anyone remeber gun drill stuff?

Old Rockape drill addopted by staff officers that seems to work most days:

Senior officer speaks once or twice and then ceases to speak!

Check that senior officer is awake!

Senior officer wakes and carries on speaking!

Senior officer speaks once or twice more and then ceases to speak!

Check senior officer heads is correctly fitted!

Senior officer's head is lose and lacking any filling!

Senior officer carries on speaking.........Senior officer carries on speaking ........ Senior officer carries on speaking .....

Junior officer unload! ........

........ There are no real thoughts in my senior officer's head or about his person ............Cpl!! :eek:

[snafu]

Rusty

Nice to hear from you, hope the 'Prize flight' went well....

Sorry to re-iterate what someone has already said, but

Situation
Mission
Execution
Ask (questions)
Check (understanding)

is the correct mnemonic from my BRNC training.

BTW the favourite phrase for the 'Execution'phase will be "My plan is..."

The very best of luck on the course.

[bad livin']

Hey Rusty! Am I to assume I might be seeing you in a dark blue suit very soon? If so, congrats fella, look forward to seeing you!

BL

[9.81m/s/s]

SMEAC? That rings a bell!! Oh yeah those good people at
***** came up with the FLA regarding FALA in order to MAKE a MOUNTAIN out of a MOLEHILL!

[SirToppamHat]

Only one thing to add to previous. If I remember correctly, the 'Execution' part of the SMEAC Brief was broken down further into 'General Outline' and 'Detailed Tasks'. To recap:

Situation
Mission
Execution - General Outline (How we are going to do the task)
- Detailed Tasks (Who will be responsible for what
elements (and to what standard, by when etc)).
Any Questions?
Check of Understanding.

Here's a top tip to go with it - get yourself a waterproof notebook and permanent fine OHP Film pen for writing your brief down. A small pack of 'Quickies' nail polish removers will enable you to wipe the sheet clean when you have finished the Lead!

One word of warning though, sometimes the pens dry up. A guy on my flt turned to another in the flt in the pouring rain in the middle of Otterburn in December and said

"Lend us a pen Nxxx, this one's gone tits-up"

The 35-yr old ex-Chief Tech was Sheet 3'd by our illustrious 'creamy' flt cdr (Med Sec) for 'using un-officer-like language'.

Good Luck!

:) :)

[Gash Handlin]

top tip ref the last post...

if your likely to be out in the rain trying to write orders, a permanent pen is useless... they dont write in the wet.

best bet is waterproof paper and a nice softish pencil (anything harder than HB will tear the paper)

next best is the waterproof nirex and a chinagraph

sorry to be a spotter but I have bitter experience of trying to write platoon orders for an ambush in Ballduff in the Highlands during a blizard last February.