Mission Command Research Paper

Experiential Writing Assignment

SGT Carlos I. Acero

Non Commissioned Officers Academy

Advanced Leader Course

Class 506-18 Phase 1 dL

Experiential Writing Assignment

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 (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 02). Today’s Army requires that leaders be more adaptive, disciplined and empowered due to the ever-changing battlefields that we are encountering in today’s world. In order to successfully conduct unified land operations, Non Commissioned Officers need to know how to successfully help their Commanders

carry out Mission Command. Non Commissioned Officers have a lot of responsibilities in helping their Commander exercise authority and command; from following the six principles of Mission Command to following orders and giving their subordinates an understanding of the mission. In the following paper, I will demonstrate to the reader how I have personally met the NCO’s responsibilities within Mission Command and the various ways that I have supported my Commander’s intent.

First, let us begin by discussing the first principle of Mission Command. The initial principle of Mission Command is building cohesive teams through mutual trust (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 02). The foundation of our Army is the Soldiers. Trust is a cornerstone of NCO profession and without trust, the mission will not be easily accomplished. Personally, I treat my Soldiers with respect and I trust them to complete tasks without supervision. As a result, they come to me with any issues that they have. As Colin Powell states, “the day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”(as cited in Satterfield, 2015). We have a great rapport and we know that we have our teammates’ backs no matter what.

Next, the following principle of Mission Command is creating a shared understanding (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 03). It is very important that leaders and their subordinates share the same vision for their organization’s success. Everyone from the top down has to have the same overarching goals to see the mission succeed no matter what. I personally meet this responsibility by always being there with my Soldiers and leading from the front. I get them to buy into our mission even if they are tired, hungry, sleepy, etc. We are in the so called suck together all the time and that lets my subordinates know that I care about the mission and so should they. It is amazing how leading from the front has such a massive effect on subordinates.

In addition, the tertiary principle of Mission Command is providing a clear and concise Commander’s Intent (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 03). The Commander’s Intent, as the name suggests, must be provided by the Commander to his subordinates. This lets subordinates know what the outcome of the mission should be and must support Mission Command principles as well. In my experience, communication is key when it comes to meeting the Commander’s Intent. The best way for me to convey this intent to my subordinates is through CONOPs or concepts of operation. The Commander’s Intent is clearly stated along with all key tasks and timelines associated with it. A lot of Soldiers are visual learners and CONOPs help visualize the end state. With the key tasks listed, we can work backward and meet all deadlines and tasks as required. Our Commander is a very engaged leader and is always providing us with feedback and correcting us if we do not meet his intent.

Further, the fourth principle of Mission Command is exercising disciplined initiative (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 04). As Non Commissioned Officers, it is not only our responsibility, but our duty to exercise initiative in the absence of orders (Ferrand-Johnson, 2017). This is best illustrated in the Army concept of implied tasks. For example, if I know that we are going on a convoy, there will be a lot of implied tasks that go along with this: dispatching vehicles, fueling, conducting Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services, PCCs, PCIs, gathering Meals Ready to Eat, inspecting Hazardous Materials, etc. Once we know what the Commander’s Intent is as well as the key tasks, my team and I can always take initiative and start accomplishing these tasks that seem rather small and simple, but can have a huge impact on a mission’s success.

Continuing with the previous points, the fifth principle of Mission Command is using Mission Orders. Mission Orders are directives that emphasize to subordinates the results to be attained, not how they are to achieve them (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 05). In a nutshell, NCO’s are responsible for knowing what the end result of a mission should be; how they get there is up to them. Being in USAREUR, one of the pillars of this organization is empowering junior leaders. This is precisely what Mission Orders help Non Commissioned Officers achieve. In my own experience, my Soldiers and I enjoy autonomy in the way that we can execute missions. Our Commander will call us in, give us his intent or Mission Orders, and we can come up with a way to achieve the mission without much supervision from higher. This not only makes junior Soldiers feel empowered, it also gives them firsthand experience in successfully accomplishing missions.

Moreover, the final principle of Mission Command is accepting prudent risk (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 05). As leaders, we are taught to always conduct a composite risk assessment. There are times, however, when there are risks that we just have to take in order to complete the mission. It is our responsibility as NCOs to know when it is necessary to underwrite a risk in order to be successful. Personally, I was convoy commander on a particular convoy and we had very limited communications capabilities. I communicated to the Commander that this could be mitigated by use of personal cell phone devices in addition to flashing headlights and hand and arm signals. The Commander agreed with my assessment and we continued mission. In the end, accepting that risk was very important in achieving our mission of returning to home station.

Lastly, Non Commissioned Officer responsibilities are not necessarily outlined or defined in ADP 6-0 Mission Command (Eger, n.d., p. 06). It is our job as NCOs to interpret this doctrine in order to support our Commanders. We are subordinates to our Commanders, yes, but we are also leaders to our own subordinates. By exercising the principles of Mission Command and communicating consistently with our seniors, peers, and subordinates alike, we can successfully achieve our organization’s missions while at the same time we can groom our next generation of leaders.

In conclusion, this essay has explained and discussed the principles of Mission Command, the responsibilities of Non Commissioned Officers as it relates to Mission Command, and the writer’s personal experience when it comes to supporting the commander’s intent.

There are many things to consider when it comes to Mission Command, but I believe that leadership is the most important one of all. From the Commander issuing orders all the way down to the Private executing as he or she is told by superiors, we can all agree that great leadership will always ensure that the mission and the organization are successful.

References:

Department of the Army. (2014, Mar 12) Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0. Mission Command.

Eger, D. (n.d.). Noncommissioned Officers and Mission Command. Military Review. Retrieved from: https://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/ MilitaryReview_20141031_art005.pdf

Satterfield, D. R. (2015, May 11). The Leader Maker: a blog about Senior Executive Leadership. Retrieved from: http://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-is-about-solving-problems/.

Ferrand-Johnson, M. (2017, Nov 06). The NCO Corps and The NCO Creed. NCO Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCOJournal/Archives/2017/

November/NCO-Creed/.