Formalizing command intent through development of a. Commanders intent, according to army doctrine reference publication 50 the operations process, succinctly describes what constitutes success for the. Oct 30, 2019 the commander s intent is a clear and concise expression of the purpose of the operation, the desired military end state, provides focus to the staff, and helps subordinate and supporting commanders and leaders act to achieve the commander s desired outcomes without further orders, even when the operation does not unfold as planned joint. Apr 25, 2017 commanders intent is a critical concept for military leadership, yet rarely used in business. Commanders intent and concept of operations questia. It does not say executive officers xo intent or operations officers s3 intent.
Knowing commanders intent to be able to extend the command influence and be at the critical events mentioned in adrp 60, the csm must understand the commanders intent. Commanders intent is the description and definition of what a successful mission will look like. The 1st armored division is a values based, fit, and cohesive team led by expert leaders focused on readiness and continuing the division s legacy of americas tank division. General mattis was a huge proponent of the book good to great by. Holder argued that an over reliance on a rigid, methodical planning process and the relatively new doctrinal addition of commanders intent had left many orders without an appropriate concept of operations paragraph and subsequently left subordinates without. With their bare hands traces the fate of the us 79th division men drafted off the streets of baltimore, washington, and philadelphiafrom their training camp in maryland through the final years of world war i, focusing on their most famous engagement. Military planning begins with the mission statement that describes the who, what, when, where.
The key current doctrinal reference for definition of commander s intent is fm 1015, staff organization and operations, specifically, page 59. Borrow a book books on internet archive are offered in many formats, including daisy. Oct 06, 2016 however, the timetested commanders intent ci concept can offer a successful guiding structure to help agencies meet modern policing challenges. A commanders intent for a unit can be likened to a vision for those under his charge, or more clearly, what purpose those individuals marines and sailors should feel they serve day after day. The application of operational design as explained in chapter iv of jp 50 provides the conceptual basis for. Lees lack of clear commanders intent to his subordinate commanders created confusion on the battlefield. To provide policy guidance for the efficient conduct of interior guard programs for marine corps units. As a result, the development of the commanders intent and the concept of operation are of paramount importance and must be well developed. Typically, the commanders intent statement is three to five sentences long and contains the purpose, key tasks, and end state. The briefing goes back in time as far as necessary to present the full picture. Formalizing command intent through development of a command. Which brings me back to my favorite two words about command. The more your agent understands the purpose behind your actions, the better theyll be able to respond appropriately when the situation changes. He immediately brought the division staff together so that we might better understand his intent and leadership style.
Contents division commander s message xi foreword xiii part one. A clear, concise statement of what the force must doand the conditions the. It is a concise expression of the purpose of the operation and must be understood two echelons below the issuing commander. This operation was the first largescale battle in the post2001 war in. But in the years after pinning on the gold bar of a second lieutenant, the responsibility for junior officers development begins to fall, in. Intelligence units marine cryptologic support battalion. Operation anaconda was a military operation that took place in early march 2002 as part of the war in afghanistan. It is a simple written description of what success will look like in a highrisk situation. Use these three military lessons to be decisive in business. But legacy only happens when good leaders also take the time to share those lessons with the profession.
The mattis way of war this thesis examines the generalship, leadership, and operational art of general james n. The command sergeant majors place on the battlefield from. Dec 31, 20 naturally from welldeveloped commanders intent and concept of the operation paragraphs. The general template for a commanders intent includes the purpose, key tasks and end state. My commanders acceptance of risk paved the way for action within his intent. The commanders intent is the key element in providing a framework for freedom to act and thereby enhance and foster initiative by subordinate commanders during the execution of their assigned missions. My next major lesson in mission command occurred at the national training center where i served as the brigade operations officer for 22 sbct. The commanders intent describes the desired end state. Fort drum pamphlet 6005 commonly called the blue book describes general rules and policies while serving in 10 th mountain division li. Mcsb exists to enable and execute signals intelligence, information assurance and nationaltactical integration activities in order to satisfy nsacss, marine airground task force and joint force intelligence requirements.
Compendium on commanders intent small wars journal. During execution, the commanders intent spurs disciplined initiative. T he commanders intent is the key element in providing a framework for freedom to act and thereby enhance and foster initiative by subordinate commanders. A commander who tasks one of his staff officers to write his intent is simply a commander on paper. This failure promoted misunderstanding and mutual trust issues among the joint force that affected the integration of joint functions such as intelligence and sustainment. Yet despite its great importance, the commanders intent is still not understood well in the u.
May 12, 2009 funny thing about the new commander of u. Commanders intent is a much better method of delegating tasks. Adrp 50 the operations process, may 2012, rightly reintroduced key tasks back into commanders intent. It read, when was the last time you heard a unit commander ask for feedback, consider the input, publicly admit hes wrong, and change his opinion given that i have a vivid example of being humbled while in command, i felt. The shorter the commanders intent, the better it serves these purposes. An examination of operational art in task force 58 and 1st marine division. Continuously strive to maintain our unique marine ethos and standards that set us apart from others. The enemy i was accustom to had been replaced by a complex.
Steven kwast, commander of air education and training command, lays out his initial intent for first command airmen. The us army in field manual 30, operations, similarly defines commanders intent as. Disciplined initiative and the commanders intent small wars. Compendium on mission tactics and commanders intent. 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 conduct of unified land operations. Joint planning process jpp the lightning press smartbooks. In the 1980s, the army improved its planning process by inventing a concept called the commanders intent. The commanders intent is a simple, nononsense statement that appears at the top of every order, specifying the plans goal and the desired outcome of an operation. Filling every seat would have required having people on standby to deploy, many of whom would have had to say goodbye to their family multiple times, which was unacceptable. Marine cryptologic support battalion commander s intent purpose.
Commanders intent is an intent describing military focused operations and it is a publicly stated description of the endstate as it relates to forces entities, people and terrain, the purpose of the operation, and key tasks to accomplish. However, the timetested commanders intent ci concept can offer a successful guiding structure to help agencies meet modern policing challenges. The key element between theater and corps was arcent. Operating within commanders intent recruiter journal. Commander s intent is an intent describing military focused operations and it is a publicly stated description of the endstate as it relates to forces entities, people and terrain, the purpose of the operation, and key tasks to accomplish. This understanding comes from the close relationship the csm has with the commander, giving us a unique insight into rationale behind decisions and the intended end state. During execution, the commander s intent spurs disciplined initiative. Commander us atlantic command lantcom, failed to convey the commanders intent to the joint force for operation urgent fury. History of the 82nd airborne division of the us air force. This commanders intent is addressed to submarine crews and leadership i. Outside of mosul, other brigade commanders have been immersed in the effort to build trust and thus a new iraq.
The joint planning process jpp is an orderly, analytical process, which consists of a set of logical steps to examine a mission. To achieve this goal, army leaders use three planning methods. R eading a post on the military leader one day, a question reminded me of a critical leadership lesson i learned from my time in command. 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. Limited conversion division lcd organization and equipment. That is, in todays army, are staffs giving commanders what they need to complete their required deliverables at the conclusion of the mission analysis brief, timely, relevant, and constructive intent and guidance, or. Mattis assumed command of 1st marine division in the summer of 2002.
Unfortunately, this condition only devalues command and is also detrimental to a commanders formation. The application of operational design as explained in chapter iv of jp 50 provides the conceptual basis for structuring campaigns and operations. In the past year, african nations and regional organizations have been addressing. Apr 02, 2017 my commanders acceptance of risk paved the way for action within his intent. To be able to extend the command influence and be at the critical events mentioned in adrp 60, the csm must understand the commanders intent. Second, commanders intent, executed by the lowest level of command practical, is faster than any network or communications means.
Some units are approaching the problem of integrating information operations into operations with the use of an effects coordination cell. When a marine commander takes command of a unit, one of the first things they do is publish their intent for the individuals that they now command. It is commanderled and blends the art of command and the science of control to integrate the warfighting functions to. Lieutenant colonel scott shaw is a great leader, and has selflessly compiled this substantial collection of tips, templates, warnings, and insights to help other leaders succeed in their own leadership opportunities, command or otherwise. The key current doctrinal reference for definition of commanders intent is fm 1015, staff organization and operations, specifically, page 59. Mar 09, 2017 unfortunately, this condition only devalues command and is also detrimental to a commanders formation. Sep 19, 2014 the commanders intent must be easy to remember and clearly understood by leaders two echelons lower. Milan vego is professor of operations in the joint military operations department at the naval war college. I eagerly digested this book, in which nye discusses the opportunities of command and addresses the role of a commander as tactician, warrior, moral arbiter, strategist and yes. Aug, 2019 when a marine commander takes command of a unit, one of the first things they do is publish their intent for the individuals that they now command. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commanders intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations. Understanding the commanders intent is the most critical step for a signal leader. Army provides combatant commanders with organized, trained, and equipped forces to fight and win the nations.
Many commanders struggle to write effective intent statements in a manner that. It read, when was the last time you heard a unit commander ask for feedback, consider the input, publicly admit hes wrong, and change his opinion. On line version of joint publication 102, department of defense dictionary of military and. Mattis, us marine corps by using task force 58 in afghanistan as a formative base and then comparing elements of operational art to the conduct of the 1st marine division in operation iraqi freedom, 2003. Whether lee intended to engage the army of the potomac at gettysburg so early in the campaign is debated. As thenlieutenant commander dudley knox observed in 19, neither signals, radiomessages, nor instructions, written or verbal, can suffice to produce the unity of effortthe concert of actiondemanded. The division commanders intent for the air movement was to leave no less than one percent of the seats empty on each aircraft. The commanders intent is a clear, concise statement of what the force must do and the.
Operational commanders intent by vego, milan joint force. A clear commanders intent facilitates a shared understanding and focuses on the overall conditions that represent mission accomplishment. The general template for a commander s intent includes the purpose, key tasks and end state. It uses a leaderleader approach aimed at broader, longterm issues. Operational commanders intent by m i l a n v e g o dr. The commander s intent is the key element in providing a framework for freedom to act and thereby enhance and foster initiative by subordinate commanders during the execution of their assigned missions. Lieutenant colonel scott shaw is a great leader, and has selflessly compiled this substantial collection of tips, templates, warnings, and insights to help other leaders succeed in their own leadership opportunities, command or. Command and division shaping operations have left the nanda. Operational commanders intent by vego, milan joint. Currently, units at the brigade and division level are trying various methods of incorporating staff officers and noncommissioned officers into the planning process for information operations. The exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commanders intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in conduct of unified land operations.
Yet despite its great importance, the commander s intent is still not understood well in the u. Commanders intent and concept of operations 1 commanders intent. It is the single unifying focus for all subordinate elements. The operation took place in the shahikot valley and arma mountains southeast of zormat. A clear commander s intent facilitates a shared understanding and focuses on the overall conditions that represent mission accomplishment. When the main intent of regularly scheduled staff briefings is to achieve coordinated effort within, the substance of each staff officers presentation should only involve updating of material previously presented. Considerations of available resources, the commander s intent and numerous other factors lead to the conclusion that the effects coordination cell is the best way for these headquarters to organize. Almost 20 years ago, before i assumed command of a rifle company in the 25th infantry division, a supervisor handed me a copy of roger nyes the challenge of command. Did you know that the auxiliary was established on june 23, 1939, by an act of congress as the united states coast guard reserve and redesignated as the auxiliary on february 19, 1941. When the main intent of regularly scheduled staff briefings is to achieve coordinated effort within, the substance of each staff officer s presentation should only involve updating of material previously presented.
The commanders intent must be easy to remember and clearly understood by leaders two echelons lower. Require your officers to own and run their divisions, their departments, and. Cia paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy alqaeda and taliban forces. Commanders intent is a critical concept for military leadership, yet rarely used in business. Intent is the desired outcome of a military operation. It developed the theater logistics concept and ensured that all army operations were closely coordinated with operations in the other services.
Commanders intent and concept of operations army university. A mattis way of war is postulated in the conclusion which draws from his use of history, commanders intent, and leadership to build up a capacity, or potential energy, for action in his unit. His multiple and contradictory strategic aims left his commanders acting much on their own. An examination of operational art in task force 58 and 1st marine division united states army command and general staff college on. M ission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commanders intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of decisive action. Disciplined initiative and the commanders intent small.
How to organize the headquarters for information operations. Act on commanders intent proceedings april 2017 vol. The remaining elements tasks to subordinate units, coordinating instruc tions, and control measuresshould follow naturally from welldeveloped commanders intent and concept of the operation paragraphs. Signal soldiers and planners are chartered to build networks that almost intuitively act on behalf of the commanders intent. The xviii airborne corps and the vii corps balanced the missions, cared for soldiers, and executed the commanders intent.
The command sergeant majors place on the battlefield. Jul 16, 2015 r eading a post on the military leader one day, a question reminded me of a critical leadership lesson i learned from my time in command. Commanders as communicators from the green notebook. The internet archive offers over 20,000,000 freely downloadable books and texts.
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