The battalion executive officer gave “Captain Smith” a selection of field manuals (FMs) and described in detail the importance
of a mission-essential task list (METL). Captain Smith had served as a platoon leader in Iraq and was a very competent
leader. After digesting the reading material for a week, he said, “I think I understand this whole METL thing. I wish I’d had
this as a platoon leader to help us get ready for our year in Iraq.”