In this May 2013 interview, Maj. Josh Biggers, US Maine Corps, discusses his deployment to Afghanistan as a company commander for 3d Battalion, 6th Marines in 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Maj. Biggers talks about primarily Operation Moshtarak, the clearance of Marja, Afghanistan. He describes how he prepared his Soldiers for combat before deployment, both mentally and physically. He discusses working with Army Aviation and the fire support he had on the battlefield and shares how he worked to combat PTSD in theater for his Soldiers. He also discusses mission command as it related to the Marine Corps. Maj. Biggers closes his interview by stating, "One of the key things is knowing how to operate jointly. Doing an airborne assault with the Army Aviation was a great learning experience. . . Additionally, mission command, for us we just call it commander intent. As long as you know how to express your commander's intent and subordinates know they have the trust and confidence to operate that will enable you to be more successful, which enables your company to be successful. . . If you know how to harness the human factors, whether that be physical conditioning, mental readiness, building that tomahawk or whatever your company can rally around, small unit, to build success."

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