Call to Action: Adopting Mission Command

Call to Action: Adopting Mission Command

Posted on: March 13,2020

Here is an excellent book about the imperative for forces engaged in land operations (the “close combat” elements of US Army and the Marine Corps) to adopt and institutionalize Mission Command. The author, Donald E. Vandergriff, provides detailed explanations of the Mission Command Philosophy, defined by the Army as “the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within commander’s intent to empower agile adaptive leaders…”

Indeed, the Principles of Mission Command are wholly consistent with the Corps’ maneuver warfare warfighting philosophy:

Build cohesive teams through mutual trust.

Create shared understanding

Provide a clear commander’s intent

Exercise disciplined initiative.

Use mission orders.

Accept prudent risk.

Later, the book goes into great detail explaining techniques to incorporate Mission Command into training and education such as Tactical Decision Games, and force-on-force exercises. Are these “excursions” into the application of Mission Command in unit training effective and useful?