Military Decisionmaking Process Essay

Mission Command is the framework used by the U.S. Army to ensure key leaders receive clear direction from commanders. Clear commander’s guidance allows subordinates to make disciplined and informed decisions to best accomplish assigned tasks. Ideally, application of mission command principles ensures all elements integrate and sync actions, thus creating a shared understanding and purpose. Analysis of Major General (MG) William Garrison’s decision making during the Battle of Mogadishu demonstrates how mission command principles must be applied to gain and maintain a position of advantage during military ground operations. As commander of Task Force Ranger (TFR), MG Garrison demonstrated both successful and failed application of mission command principles. Four principles will be discussed in the

Per ADP 5-0, to understand something is to grasp its nature and significance. Understanding includes establishing context—the set of circumstances that surround a particular event or situation. ADRP 5-0 states that understanding is fundamental to the commander’s ability to establish a situation’s context. Information collection (to include reconnaissance and surveillance) is indispensable to building and improving the commander’s understanding. ADRP 3-0 states, the intelligence warfighting function is the related tasks and systems that facilitate understanding the enemy, terrain, weather, civil considerations, and other significant aspects of the operations environment

Operational leaders down to the platoon and squad level have recently faced increasingly complex missions in uncertain operational environments. Accordingly, Army doctrine has shifted to officially recognize mission command, which enables leaders at the lowest level feasible to “exercise disciplined initiative” in the accomplishment of a larger mission. The operational process consists of six tenants: understand, visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess. During the battle of Fallujah, LtGen Natonski understood the intent two levels up, visualizing courses of action for both allies and the enemy, and leading his organization into combat while directing his officers and soldiers to meet his intent. He visualized that Marines alone could not accomplish the mission. He understood that without the support of Iraqi police and a task force from the Army with

When a commander has a visualization of the problem, the desired end state becomes that much clearer. Proactive planning contemplates and evaluates potential decisions and actions in advance; it involves visualizing consequences of possible courses of action to determine whether they will contribute to achieving the desired end state. Field Marshal William J. Slim provides an example of how commanders identify complex problems when he encountered multiple problems in Burma in the mid-40s. Marshal achieved successful operations by addressing the problems with the supply, health, and morale of his unit. Once Marshal recognized these three problems, he was able to motivate his unit to achieve success operations in Burma and provided the basing for future operations into China. This example exemplifies that through visualization commander’s can answer complex problems that lead to achieving their desired end state.

In 2012, General Dempsey states “Mission Command is fundamentally a learned behavior to be imprinted into the DNA of a profession of arms.” The way Mission Command has evolved through the past years is indicative to the US Military adjusting to a new threat. The concept of Mission Command is not new, what is important is how General Dempsey states “Education in the fundamental principles of mission command must begin at the start of service and be progressively more challenging..” The General emphasizes the need for education at the start of the individual’s service. Additionally, this highlights the United States Army’s doctrinal adjustment to the new threat. During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US faced an enemy whose creativity and adaptability are two of its greatest assets. The fast-paced situation changes in both of those AOs required tactical level leadership maintain the autonomy to “exercise disciplined initiative.” This type of initiative historically leads to mission success, specifically in fast-paced situations where a key to success is forcing the enemy to react.

According to Army ADP 6-0, mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander, using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent, to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations (CAPE, 2012). Effective mission command can generally be analyzed according to the six principles outlined in ADRP 6-0. The six principles of mission command are to: build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create shared understanding, provide a clear commander’s intent, exercise disciplined initiative, use mission orders, and accept prudent risk (CAPE, 2012). This paper provides a brief overview of the

What might have been the setback we previously faced in making decisive, clear or sound effective decisions? Was it a defect in how Commanders and Leaders led units or troops, or perhaps the philosophy in which we chose to command and control every aspect of the battlefield? What does it mean to recognize or comprehend the art of Command and the science of Control? The six principles of mission command are key in developing a cohesive team that will support all aspects of the mission. Asking “why” is now encouraged when it pertains to certain situations or missions. Understanding the purpose of why a course of action or desired outcome is necessary, leads to mission success and a cohesive unit with thinking leaders. Thinking clearly usually isn’t an issue for most leaders, but position an individual in a situation of extreme stress or complexity, then there might be a reason to be concerned. Through

An example of Anticipation is Operation Iraqi Freedom, where our sustainment leader’s ability to forecast the replacement of personnel by anticipating wounded in action (WIAs), and losses of personnel based of understanding of the mission, and past

Commanders at all levels face increasingly challenging scenarios as the operational environment changes. Some instinctively motivate and empower their subordinates to think and act independently, thereby influencing actions during combat. However, those who understand the commanders' activities of mission command will influence not only subordinates, but the outcome of the battle as well. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders.1 Commanders who understood the importance of mission command was Major General Horatio Gates. General Gates at the Battle of Saratoga successfully

Intelligence gathering and collection in the United States has significantly increased over time. This paper examines how intelligence reporting and pre-mission planning was crucial to the success of the United Nations involvement at The Battle of Inchon during the Korean War. By examining how intelligence played a role in this battle, you will be able to understand why it is important to gather and collect intelligence prior to every mission executed. Intelligence collection should be the baseline for all military operations. Inchon Landing has an ample amount of actionable intelligence; collected and disseminated appropriately we will discuss how it played a role in a low probability mission accomplishment to the last great amphibious assault in history. This paper provides detailed explanations on why The Battle of Inchon was a success and what could have been the outcome had it gone the other way.

US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) lack of understanding the operational environment led to a poor definition of the problem. The key to understanding the operational environment is the ability to describe the current and desired operational environment. (JPiii8). CENTCOM’s planning did reflect a good understanding of the current operational environment. CENTCOM understood the influences Iraq’s current political structure

The utilization of actionable intelligence is invaluable during peacetime and war in evaluating aspects of the enemy and conditions that Soldiers face during battle. I define aActionable intelligence is defined as information that is critical in nature and readily available for a specific operation and demographic. The process in of gathering actionable intelligence is sometimes

The final attribute of mission command for consideration is understanding. Understanding prepares leaders at all echelons with the vision and far-sightedness that is essential to make operative choices, manage risks, and consider second and third order effects (Mission Command White Paper, 3 April 2012, 5). Leaders who possess understanding have the mental capacity to grasp and appreciate any state of affairs which facilitates their capacity to make autonomous decisions. Conversely, leaders who lack understanding put their troops or others at risk.

To sum up, the recommendations by the president and administrative staff may not results in what they are trying to achieve due to the above stated assumptions. Thus without answering these questions these assumptions cannot be

The second step, sort out information that is not needed provided clarity during times in which the process seemed overwhelming. This called for a potential solution, a desired outcome and how to get there. The research that had initially been part of the formulating method had sparked an interest in the military. This idea was supported by the benefits that outweighed