Squaring the Circle The Theater Army and Campaigning with COL Chad Pillai
Feb 16, 2026
COL Chad Pillai, an Army strategist with theater-level experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He explains why a theater army matters and its core functions. He contrasts regional planning challenges, discusses digital planning tools and partner barriers, and outlines how theater armies integrate joint, multi-domain operations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Prioritize ASOS Early
- Coordinate theater sustainment and Army Support to Other Services (ASOS) with joint components early and explicitly.
- Ask commanders to prioritize support when resources force trade-offs between moving Army forces and enabling joint operations.
Allies Differ In Doctrine And Readiness
- NATO and non-treaty partners require different planning approaches because doctrine, definitions, and exercise experience differ significantly.
- Expect more doctrinal friction and lower interoperability with partners who lack habitual joint training.
Fuse Tools But Train For Degradation
- Use fused tools (e.g., Maven + OneBrief) to speed planning but avoid overreliance on degraded networks.
- Train planners to operate without advanced systems in contested cyber/electronic environments.
