Three Block War The Three Block War is a concept described by U . S . Marine General Charles Krulak in the late 1990s to illustrate the complex spectrum of challenges likely to be faced by soldier s on the modern battlefield . In Krulak ' s example , soldiers may be required to conduct full scale military action , peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid within the space of three contiguous city block s . The thrust of the concept is that modern militaries must be trained to operate in all three conditions simultaneously , and that to do so , leadership training at the lowest levels needs to be high . The latter condition caused Krulak to invoke what he called " strategic corporals " ; low - level unit leaders able to take independent action and make major decisions . The term has been referenced by CENTCOM commander General James Mattis , and has also been adopted by the British military , including former Chief of the General Staff , General Sir Mike Jackson and former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon , and also by former Canadian Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier . Strategic Corporal . The " strategic corporal " is the notion that leadership in complex , rapidly evolving mission environments devolves lower and lower down the chain of command to better exploit time - critical information into the decision making process , ultimately landing on the corporal , the lowest ranking non - commissioned officer , typically commanding a fire team of 4 individuals or a squad of 13 individuals ( three fireteams plus NCO ) . In very rapidly evolving mission situations , obtaining mission instructions from remotely located command may result in mission failure , or in casualties to both force personnel and civilians . Conversely , misusing this kind of responsibility may result in personal liability for the team leader : a decision executed to respond to situational needs may result in later prosecution as the team leader ' s actions are reviewed by higher authorities . The term " strategic corporal " was coined by General Charles C . Krulak in the title of an article in Marines Magazine about the " Three Block War , " an increasingly important arena of military operations characterized by engagement with hostile , neutral and friendly forces , all at the same time , in a very geographically limited area , e . g . , three blocks . This concept requires forces to apply an appropriate type of response in a timely manner relative to the immediate context . Complex Rules of engagement are needed that will minimize collateral damage to civilians and infrastructure . However , training " strategic corporals " requires time and money above and beyond what is considered normal infantry or military police training . The U . S . Army has used the Strategic Corporal term for their plan to equip ordinary squad leaders with advanced laser rangefinders to plot artillery fire . Impact . The need to conduct operations in this situation has significantly emphasised the importance of low level tactical leader s and led to the term " strategic corporal " being devised . One of the adjustments in the USMC is to move coordination of artillery down from the battalion to the company level . Example . In the Battle of Mogadishu , as detailed in the book and film " Black Hawk Down " , small - unit leaders on the ground continually had to make crucial decisions which had major impacts on not only the forces initially deployed on the mission , but to follow on forces as well .