Accessing Operation Anaconda Case Study Using Mission Command Principles

On July 30, 2008, a bloody battle involving Coalition forces took place in the mountainous eastern Afghan province of Nuristan. This was the Battle of Wanat and the devastating amount of Coalition casualties began a vigorous investigation by the United States Army. The village of Wanat, defended by Second Platoon, Chosen Company, Second Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team would fall victim to numerous bad decision made by higher command. Although the men of Chosen Company fought hard, they ended up surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and without any Battalion assets. This paper will argue the reasons for the disastrous outcome of the Battle of Wanat; examining the effective company leadership exploiting effective

This battle, which lasted for two weeks and involved US and Afghan forces engaging with members of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, is seen as a turning point in the war, with the US-led coalition ultimately driving the enemy forces out of the valley (Kugler, 2007). The battle was significant in that it demonstrated the effectiveness of US-led coalition forces in a mountainous terrain and against a determined enemy. The coalition forces employed air strikes and ground troops to drive out the enemy, and the success of this strategy was evident in the outcome of the battle. Furthermore, Operation Anaconda demonstrated the importance of collaboration between US and Afghan forces, with the latter playing an important role in the battle. The battle also highlighted the need for US and Afghan forces to carefully consider the terrain and environment when engaging with the enemy.

This complicated any effort to bring massive of amounts of fire power without causing numerous unintended civilian casualties. Because of the possibility of the high number civilian casualties a close air support effort was considered unnecessary due to the lack of enemy personnel in this area. The plan for Operation Anaconda employed many of the same concepts that were successful in earlier experiences in Afghanistan. The battle was planned to be mainly a ground operation, although the task force did plan for a limited number of strikes by fighters and bombers just before the U.S. ground forces were supposed to enter the valley.

Operation Anaconda and the 7 Principals of Mission Command Operation Anaconda was a large-scale joint military operation conducted by the United States and its coalition partners, which implemented the seven principles of mission command. By following the principles of mission command, Operation Anaconda effectively coordinated the efforts of multiple branches of the United States military to achieve its objectives. The mission was launched in 2002 as a part of the War on Terror to destroy terrorist networks in Afghanistan and surrounding countries. Operation Anaconda and mission command go hand in hand as they emphasize decentralized decision-making and mission-type orders. The seven Mission Command principles used throughout Operation Anaconda were competence, mutual trust, shared understanding, commander's intent, mission orders, disciplined initiative, and risk acceptance.

Operation Eagle Claw The purpose of this paper is to outline the events of Operation Eagle Claw, the mistakes made, lessons learned, and additional outcomes. Operation Eagle Claw was essentially doomed from the beginning. President Jimmy Carter hastily authorized a Joint forces operation which inevitably failed due to lack of understanding and training between the forces. There was no single point of failure for the mission; it was across the board, from training to planning, intelligence collection, and time.

Therefore, he dispatched his 2nd Brigade Commander, Colonel Anderson, to gather as much information as possible, assess the situation, then report back describing the conditions in order for Major General Petraeus to lead, and direct his units in Mosul. This paper explores the aspects he used to lead, direct, and assess the 101st Airborne Division in Mosul. Moreover, how General Petraeus was able to utilize artful

Introduction: Operation Anaconda was one of the largest operations conducted by the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan in March 2002. The operation was aimed at destroying Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shah-i-Kot Valley in eastern Afghanistan. The success of the operation was due in part to the principles of mission command, which allowed individual soldiers like M.Sgt. John Chapman to demonstrate their leadership and bravery on the battlefield. This analytical essay will examine the seven army principles of mission command and how they were demonstrated in the story of M.Sgt.

Staff Sergeant Montano was vital in the planning, leadership, and execution of more than four major computer network operations, covering a span of two years against high-priority Counter-ISIS nodes of interest worldwide in direct support of national intelligence objectives. These operations included two of the largest and most complex cyber operations in USCYBERCOM history. For all of these efforts, Staff Sergeant Montano was the key leader who made it possible for USCYBERCOM to achieve what had only been imagined for years. He excelled at skillfully taking an idea for an operation and turning it into an executable

The U.S. Marine Corps has been fighting the nation’s conflicts since their founding in 1775. Their agile structure and unique capabilities make them the primary go to force for military operations and activities. Marines have currently and/or have been previously involved in several joint operational environments from stability operations in Haiti with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), to peace operations in Liberia with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), to counterinsurgency (COIN) operations in the aftermath of the war in Afghanistan, and counterterrorism operations in the Philippines with Operation Freedom Eagle. These military operations and activities are different in scope, nature, and presumed

Realizing the need, Major General Petraeus soon began to employ the division to work local nationals to restart water and electricity and working to reopen schools (Lundberg, 2008). Lacking any guidance from his leadership, Petraeus took many prudent risks in order to further see these plans through by utilizing his own assets. For example, according to Lundberg, he utilized assets such as Army engineers to begin clearing rubble and debris from cities, villages, and roadways. Conclusion Providing a strong leadership approach and willingness to take risk, Major General Petraeus was put on a mission to develop and implement strategy to establish stability in Mosul, Iraq.

In order to inspire Soldiers to win in battle, Colonel Freeman understood he had to gain their trust. His presence at training as well as fighting alongside his unit members on the battlefield, instilled confidence and reinforced trust in his Soldiers. He provided encouragement and confidence to his team. An example of that confidence was during an attack, Colonel Freeman, his executive officer, and his Soldiers laid out their weapons and consolidated ammunition for the last stand. Colonel Freeman displayed an even temperament and convinced his Soldier to believe that the conditions were not as bad as the seemed and he still had control of their destiny.

General Macarthur and his plan to attack Inchon was a daring endeavor however, it was one that was analyzed greatly and used the tenants of mission command. General Macarthur used his considerable leadership skills and understanding of mission command to develop a winning strategy for the landing at Inchon, skills that all leaders should know and use. Mission command is a powerful tool when used correctly and General Macarthur was a master at

By definition, “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,” according to ADRP 5-0. Mission command is about knowing when to change the task to fit the purpose. This paper is intended to analyze the mission command of one side of the battle, focusing on the commander’s role in the operations process. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the most important battle of the American Revolution because of Colonel Prescott’s superior command and control.

Joint Planning for Operation Anaconda SFC Spurlock, Matthew MLC Class 005-18 Joint Planning for Operation Anaconda Since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism, there have been numerous battles. One of the most important battles that shaped future joint planning of operations was Operation Anaconda. The outcome of this operation was ultimately successful, however, the original intent from the commanders were not met due to errors in the joint planning process. Joint planning during Operation Anaconda proved ineffective because of inaccurate intelligence about the terrain and weather, the exemption of Air Force and Navy during the initial planning phase, and false assumptions about the enemy. Intelligence Intelligence Preparation

Returning to the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) to assume command as the brigade commander brings me much joy to be reunited with great Non-Commission Officers and Officers that I have previously served with. Unfortunately, this brigade is no longer the brigade I remember when I commanded a battalion within the 4th ABCT not so long ago. In the last 30 days, I have had the opportunity to observe the ABCT and review a multitude of historical documents to assess the state of the brigade. During my observation, I believe the critical leadership problem in the 4th ABCT’s is the lack of vision for the brigade. Therefore, this critical problem has led to other challenging issues within the brigade.