Essay On Analyzing Principles Of Mission Command During Operation Anacanda

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.

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.

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

John Chapman during Operation Anaconda. Body: The seven army principles of mission command are defined as unity of command, build cohesive teams,

During the planning process, using multiple U.S. forces or other national forces, Unity of Command must be established, especially at the tactical and operational levels. Operation Anaconda is a modern-day

Mission command and understanding the mission were critical to whether he and his Soldiers would be successful or not. Throughout the deployment, his firm understanding of operations and concern for the operational environment led to accomplishments and breakthroughs for the Iraqi people and his division with the implementation of governance, civil authorities, and overall improvement of

I have left you a copy of the “Consideration for Command”, passed on by the best leader I have ever experienced, General James Hobson, my boss at ATI. General Hobson is a true leader with great experience commanding soldiers and civilians. I learned much from him in the five years I traveled and worked with him. When I left his organization, to be the Chief in Conway, he handed me these considerations

Leaders at all levels of the Army are faced with difficult decisions every day, decisions that can affect the lives of everyone around them. The thought processes used by individual leaders to make decisions can be as far reaching as their imagination; however, it is every leader’s responsibility to make these decisions using the tenants of mission command. Mission command is not an easy skill to master, however great leaders understand it and the proper use of it when planning a mission. Mission command is broken down into six major principles: Build cohesive teams through trust, create a shared understanding, provide a clear commanders’ intent, exercise-disciplined initiative, use mission orders and accept prudent risk . General Douglas

Rebuilding Mosul: General Petraeus’ Exercises Mission Command An example of leadership are the actions of General Petraeus and his process of exercising mission command during the initial movement into Iraq in 2003. Everyone involved played an important role but General Petraeus assumed the most detrimental role as the commander of the entire operation. Commanders are the most significant members in the operations process. Even though staffs execute vital tasks that enhance the efficiency of operations, commanders drive the operations process through understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing operations (Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2012, p. 11).

Mission Command. The decentralized approach of mission command fosters trust and continual dialogue from commanders to subordinate leaders; allowing them to be adaptable, creative, and critical thinkers that will impel individuals at all levels to prevail in unified land operations. In General Dempsey’s 2012 Mission Command white paper, he emphasizes the role of the commander to not only explicitly give his intent but to trust his subordinates to act on his intent to perform the mission.

Despite these issues, coalition forces adapted and better understood the environment's impact on the process. Operation Anaconda's primary goal was to destroy Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in the Shahikot Valley and prevent their resurgence (Tertrais, 2019). Though the initial battle plan failed, the coalition forces adapted their tactics, emphasizing the importance of air and close air support (CAS) in achieving mission success. The complex terrain and changing circumstances required a decentralized execution approach.

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.

Harsh action and on time or on spot must be taken against soldiers that commit lack of discipline braking orders and superior command guidance. This way, current and future military leaders can avoid negative climate command. Chain of command must be clearly expressed prior to the beginning of any operation. To avoid misunderstanding, only the immediate commander must distribute orders and instructions to his subordinate commander during the battle. In order to prevent faulty assumptions, the conclusion about enemy’s intentions must be drawn after obtaining reliable information and analyzing it.

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.