Throughout history not always have the “biggest and baddest” been the ones deemed superior. You could have all the men and firepower you want, but without proper communication none of that matters. A war fought with poor communication is like trying to win a football game with no playbook, but the consequences are much more extreme.  Lack of communication can often lead to casualties in war. There are many things that are necessary for success in war, but communication is the deciding factor in who is victorious.

            Communication is not something new either. The United States have been using communication systems such as the flag system and Morse code since the Civil War.  Both the Union and the Confederates used the flag system or Signal Corps. This was a set of two flags that would be signaled in certain directions sending a code or message to the rest of the troops. In ideal conditions, the Signal Corps would be elevated above the battlefield in towers. This created it much easier for the signal Corps to see what was happening, and relay the message to the next tower so everyone is on the same page.  When everyone is not on the same page, it creates havoc and confusion. Communication is necessary in preventing casualties due to friendly fire. Although war fought today is much different then is was during the Civil War, the need for communication between troops is still relevant.

            In present day combat, the communication systems has greatly increased from two flags and stick used during the civil war. Instead of a man sitting in a tower or tree, there is know someone thousands of feet up looking down relaying signals to the troops on the ground. When fighting the Somalia in the Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S troops had a difficult time navigating through the city due to the delay they were receiving the information. Even though the communication systems have dramatically changed for the better, there are still flaws that take away from unit cohesion. Communication was key when the U.S troops needed to reach to the crash site of a Black Hawk. After countless hours of trying to stay alive they finally worked together and reached their destination, and saved their fellow soldiers.

While the United States communicated through high tech radios and constant air surveillance, the Somalis used low level radios and signal fires. They had spies that would watch the United States and warn the rest when they were coming. The Somalis were not near technically as fortunate as the United States, but their low levels of communication seemed to work well. No matter what side you are fighting for, there will always be a need for communication. If the Somalis would not have know the U.S was coming there probably wouldn’t be a movie and a book about the event today.

Anything that involves a team working together in search for the same goal needs communication. Communication bridges the gap between firepower and tactics in war. There have been countless battles and wars fought, and there will be more to come. New technology will be created, but some will stick to their outdated system. As long as people are still at war, communication will still be the most important aspect of success in war.