The American Revolution was a struggle for the American military from the beginning. The British Army was a better trained and equipped force. The Battles of Lexington and Concord following the battle of Bunker Hill were significant to the victory of the American forces over the British. The Battle of Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula north of Boston on June 17th 1775 was arguably one of the key events that set in motion American victory. The battle was a loss for America, but the audacity and strength the American militiamen showed in the face of adversity inspired later actions by other forces in America to fight against a far superior enemy. This paper will analyze the tenets of mission command as exercised by Colonel William Prescott, to include: understanding the battlefield, visualizing weaknesses, and directing reinforcements throughout his leading and assessment processes. COL Prescott also used his presence on the hill to motivate his men to hold their positions in the face of overwhelming odds. Prior to the events of Bunker Hill, a council of civilians and military leaders in Cambridge decided on the construction of a redoubt on Bunker Hill and the surrounding area to prevent the free flow of the British naval fleet through the Boston Harbor and into the city of Boston. The intent behind the structures was to systematically make it more difficult for the British to occupy Boston and eventually force their removal from the area. The American Army understood there was little chance for victory by invading Boston due to the amount of British soldiers quartered in the city. The American militiamen understood that in order to win the war they must attrite their foe over the course of multiple small engagement... ... middle of paper ... ... understood and emulated the tenets of mission command throughout the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was able to understand his orders and ensure that the orders he disseminated were concise and easily understood. He visualized where his weaknesses were on the hill and described to his engineers how to overcome their lack of soldiers and build a defensive position that could repel British forces. Throughout the entire battle COL Prescott would run the ramparts making assessments and adjustments to his lines and shouting orders to his soldiers. Facing an enemy he knew he could not defeat in a full fight COL Prescott accepted a high level of risk and moved to destroy as many British soldiers as he could before abandoning his post. While considered a loss by American forces, COL Prescott’s use of mission command attributes to later victories in the American Revolution.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
Mission Command as defined by the United States Army consists six distinct and critical principles. During World War II there were many examples of exemplary mission command that led to stunning victories for the Allies but also many examples of failure. The Battle for Arnhem or Operation Market-Garden was such a failure. Major General Robert Elliot Urquhart, the Commander of the 1st Airborne Division failed in not only in tactics but the ability to lead his division to victory. He did not completely misunderstand the principles of mission command, but four main areas in which he made critical mistakes were; Build a Cohesive Team Through Mutual Trust, Create a Shared Understanding, Accept Prudent Risk, and Exercise Disciplined Initiative.
With careful planning, co-operation, good leadership and courage, Currie managed to bring out the characteristics of a well thought out success at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 (Dancocks, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie’s responsibility was to command the 1st Canadian Division (Hyatt, 1987). He pushed his troops to undergo rigorous training and to prepare themselves by using a life-size course, with every trench marked by tape and a flag (Dancocks, 1985). Currie designed very accurate maps and he had a small-scale plasticine model built so that it could be studied by all soldiers. Arthur Currie insisted that his division’s knowledge of the enemy was excellent (Dancocks, 1985).
The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
In “Battles of Lexington and Concord”, the goals of the British were hindered due to American preparation. One of the goals of the British was “capturing pat...
Brigade General Scales, Robert H. JR. Certain Victory. The U.S. Army in the Gulf War.
In order to receive a victory in the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton used Mission Command Analysis in order to understand how he can be successful for this mission. The first thing of understanding t...
The Americans weighed fewer than 10,000 pounds, roughly nine rounds per man. The situation was not expected to improve soon. During the night of March 4th, 1776 in Boston. Washington pulled the unthinkable and surprised the British by placing his army up the undefended Dorchester Heights. The British had ships anchored in the Boston Harbor, which were within range of American cannons.
The American Soldiers showing courage in the face of adversity during the raid has been evident throughout the research of this paper. From Cooks throwing boil pots of water, to Soldiers fighting with no shoes and half clothed. The adversary having planned and executed was not allowed to extract a devastating blow. This is a testament of the American Soldiers adaptability and courage.
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought in June of 1775. In the Battle of Bunker Hill the patriots were successful in holding their ground, Redcoats sent three attack waves, the first to were successfully defended by the patriots buy the third was successful in driving the patriots off the hill. The main reason of the patriot's retreat was because of lack of ammunition. Officially the victory was given to the Redcoats but the Patriots had the real victory, for they had proved themselves against professional soldiers and took a great many British soldiers in the battle.
It is far easier for us in the present than it was for those at Gettysburg, to look back and determine the path that the leaders should have taken. As students, studying battles such as this, we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing the outcome. Nonetheless, we can still learn valuable lessons from it. To do so, this analysis will explore some of the decisions of the leaders at Gettysburg, and how they were affected by the operational variables. This essay will scrutinize some of the leaders at Gettysburg, and the impact of their actions. The outcome of this analysis will show that what was true in 1863 is still true today. While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg.
Unobserved, the brave patriots ran the gauntlet, and reached the head of Coddington’s Cove in safety at the mouth of a small stream which passed by the quarters of Prescott. It was midnight when the party scampered ashore for the three-quarter mile hike to the Overing House where General Prescott was staying. The first critical point in their journey had now come. Apprehensive that if discovered, the enemy might attempt to cut off his retreat, he ordered one man to remain in each boat, and be prepared to depart at a moment's warning. Barton divided his men into several squads, assigning to each its duty and station, and then, with the strictest order and profound silence, they advanced toward the house.
The most effective commanders through their leadership build cohesive teams. Mutual trust, shared understanding, and accepting prudent risk serve as just a few principles for mission command. Mutual trust is the foundation of any successful professional relationship that a commander shares with his staff and subordinates. The shared understanding of an operational environment functions, as the basis for the commander to effectively accomplish the mission. While my advice for the commander on what prudent risks to take may create more opportunities rather than accepting defeat. Incorporating the principles of mission command by building cohesive teams through mutual trust, fostering an environment of shared understanding, and accepting prudent risk will make me an effective adviser to the commander, aid the staff during the operations process, and provide an example for Soldiers to emulate.
To support this statement, this paper will highlight events in his time as the United States Central Command Commander validated his visionary leadership skills. Next, it will address the events that demonstrate the decisions General Schwarzkopf made that clearly validate those of an ethical leader. Finally, this paper will discuss the relevance of why it is important for a Combatant Commander of such a wide area of responsibility to possess both of these traits. Let us begin by highlighting events in his military career that establish his visionary leader characteristics.
Imagine being in a battle where you were outnumbered 4 to 1, a platoon cut off and surrounded, all the leadership in that platoon killed and your landing zone was just overrun. For many battlefield commanders it is the worst scenario possible. Most would deem the situation unwinnable. However, Hal Moore believe in a no win situation. Furthermore, through applying visionary leadership traits his unit won the engagement (Moore, 2015).