![Reinvigorating the Army’s Approach to Command and Control Training for Mission Command (Part 3)](/Portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/2019/Townsend-3-img-1.jpg)
Training for Mission Command (Part 3)
By Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, U.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Douglas C. Crissman, U.S. Army
Col. Jason C. Slider, U.S. Army
Col. Keith Nightingale, U.S. Army, Retired
In the third of three articles on mission command, the former commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and his fellow authors discuss how, as with any task or battle drill, soldiers and units must train and practice extensively to enable a culture of mission command and disciplined initiative.
Published Online Exclusive Articles 17 July 2019
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![Reinvigorating the Army’s Approach to Mission Command and Control Leading by Mission Command (Part 2)](/Portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/2019/rough-rider-roosevelt.jpg)
Leading by Mission Command (Part 2)
By Gen. Stephen Townsend, U.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Gary Brito, U.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Douglas Crissman, U.S. Army
Maj. Kelly McCoy, U.S. Army
In this follow-up to an article published in the May-June issue of Military Review, the commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and his fellow authors discuss how effective, successful leadership is the result of using mission command.
Published Online Exclusive Articles 31 May 2019
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![Reinvigorating the Army’s Approach to Mission Command It’s Okay to Run with Scissors (Part 1)](/Portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/2019/Townsend-img-1.jpg)
It’s Okay to Run with Scissors (Part 1)
Gen. Stephen Townsend, U.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Douglas Crissman, U.S. Army
Maj. Kelly McCoy, U.S. Army
The mission command philosophy is the U.S. Army’s approach to command and control. It empowers subordinate decision-making and decentralized execution, using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative in accomplishment of the commander’s intent.
Published Online Exclusive Articles 9 April 2019
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![The U.S. Army and Mission Command Philosophy versus Practice](/Portals/7/military-review/img/ENGLISHma2018/Wehrmacht-officers-Kriegsshule.jpg)
Philosophy versus Practice
Maj. Brett Matzenbacher, U.S. Army
According to this author, the Army could successfully adopt mission command as its overarching command philosophy by using a more precise definition of mission command and by aligning professional military education with it.
Published Military Review March-April 2018, pg 61
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![The Mission Command of Islamic State Deconstructing the Myth of Lone Wolves in the Deep Fight](/Portals/7/military-review/img/ENGLISHso2017/islamic-state-propaganda-video-screenshot.jpg)
Deconstructing the Myth of Lone Wolves in the Deep Fight
1st Lt. Michael P. Ferguson, U.S. Army
The author contends the Islamic State uses a mission command philosophy, and so-called lone wolf attacks in Western countries are in fact deep attacks with strategic implications.
Published Military Review, September-October 2017, pg 68
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![The Practical Application of Followership Theory in Mission Command](/portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/Air-Force-pararescuemen.jpg)
Lt. Col. Mikail Kalimuddin
Singapore Army
The author contends the Islamic State uses a mission command philosophy, and so-called lone wolf attacks in Western countries are in fact deep attacks with strategic implications.
Published Online Exclusive Articles 29 September 2017
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![Soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment dismount their Stryker combat vehicle to join Bulgarian army special forces soldiers as they conduct a cordon-and-search during Kabile 15, a multilateral joint-training exercise, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve 17 June 2015 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria. (Photo by Spc. Jacqueline Dowland, U.S. Army)](/portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/Soldiers-2-2-Cavalry-Regt-dismount-Stryker.jpg)
Maj. Robert R. Phillipson, U.S. Army
The author uses an infamous story of Leeroy Jenkins in an online game of War of Worldcraft to raise important points about some current holes in conveying commander's intent to subordinates.
Published Online Exclusive Articles 16 May 2017
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![Mission Command in the 21st Century Empowering to Win in a Complex World](/Portals/7/Hot-Spots/images/Msn-Cmd/mc-21-cover.jpg)
Empowering to Win in a Complex World
Foreword by Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown
Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, the commanding general of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, has overseen the publication of a collection of vignettes and articles that sharpen the understanding of mission command. They offer an expanded view of the practice of mission command in widely varied settings. Chapter that addresses urban operations include:
Published by Army University Pres, 2016
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![Private First Class Edward Meyers, machine gunner, Alpha Company, 1st 325 Airborne Infantry Regiment (U.S. Army photo)](/portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/Mission-Command-Evolutionx800.jpg)
Evolution of a Warfighting Function applied to Recruiting Operations
By Sgt 1st Class Alex H. Joy
Cpt. Joseph N. Harmon
Recruiting Command suffers a range of organizational issues as it strives to meet its commander’s intent. The authors explain how mission command can be used to improve recruiting efforts.
Published Online Exclusive Articles, 24 June 2016
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![(U.S. Army photo by Steve Stover)](/portals/7/Army-Press-Online-Journal/images/Getting-the-411-c.jpg)
By Paul Sanders, U.S. Army, Retired
The author explains how the adult education concept Andragogik as applied in Army Distance Education programs provides students with the foundations of the six principles of Mission Command.
Published Online Exclusive Articles, 24 March 2016
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![16 Cases in Mission Command- cover](/Portals/7/Hot-Spots/images/Msn-Cmd/16-Cases-cover.jpg)
General Editor Donald P. Wright, Ph. D.
This collection of historical vignettes seeks to sharpen understanding of mission command philosophy and practice by providing examples from the past in which mission command principles played a decisive role. Each historical account is complemented by an annotated explanation of how the six mission command principles shaped the action. Chapters that address urban operations include:
Published by Combat Studies Institute Press, July 2013
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Lieutenant General Walton Walker’s “Stand or Die” Order
Thomas Hanson, PhD, Colonel (Ret), US Army
Contributing Author
Dr. Tom Hanson, Colonel (Ret), US Army, assumed duties as Director of the Department of Military History for the Command and General Staff College in January, 2017. His book Combat Ready? The Eighth US Army on the Eve of the Korean War was recently placed on the Army Chief of Staff’s Recommended Reading List. He holds a BA in history from the University of Minnesota and an MA and PhD from The Ohio State University.
![Auftragstaktik and Innere Führung: Trademarks of German Leadership](/Portals/7/Hot-Spots/docs/MC/MR-Sep-Oct-2002-Widder.jpg)
by Major General Werner Widder, German Army
Auftragstaktik is based on an image of man who values his individual dignity and freedom and who harnesses them to achieve superior strength. This concept is still valid for the 21st century.
Published Military Review, September-October 2002, pg 3
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![Integrating the Decisive Action Training Environment Training for Near-Peer Threats](/Portals/7/nco-journal/images/2019/July/DATE/DATE-feature.jpg)
Training for Near-Peer Threats
By Sgt. 1st Class Steven Harvey
U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence
Everything from politics, economics, religion, infrastructure, technology, and even social media has the potential to dramatically affect mission outcome. Incorporating these factors, as well as current operational environment (OE) variables are all part of the Army's Decisive Action Training Environments (DATE) training.
Published by NCO Journal, 12 July 2019
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![FM 3-0: Operations A Selected Overview](/Portals/7/nco-journal/images/2019/July/Overview-Feature.jpg)
A Selected Overview
By Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Kiely
Combined Arms Center — Fort Leavenworth
As the focus on COIN operations shifts to a LSCO-oriented mindset to prepare for near-peer threats, FM 3-0 is a standardized guide that allows Soldiers to develop training and tactics with the future battlefield in mind.
Published by NCO Journal, 10 July 2019
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![A Culture of Trust](/Portals/7/nco-journal/images/2019/May/Trust/Feature.jpg)
Implications for Security Challenges in Nigeria
By By Master Sgt. Michael Holmberg,
Master Sgt. Andres Salazar,
Sgt. 1st Class Jonah Herd,
Sgt. 1st Class Brandie Lane,
and Sgt. 1st Class Natasha Orslene
A culture of trust is a priority for the Army and essential to mission command. Soldiers are stewards of their professions through education, training, professional development, and the enforcement of ethical standards.
Published by the NCO Journal - 20 May 2019
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![U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Hileman, Pennsylvania National Guard, speaks with Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard during their training rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, Aug. 13, 2018. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class HollyAnn Nicom)](/Portals/7/nco-journal/images/Russell-img-1.jpg)
Using Mission Command as a Mechanism for Subordinate Leadership Development
By Sgt. Reed P. Russell
Delta Company, 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division
Allow your Soldiers to learn and grow through tangible experience and disciplined initiative, and you may be surprised at the extent to which they will commit to themselves, the mission, and the Army.
Published by the NCO Journal, 29 October 2018
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![The commander's intent, one of the six guiding principles of mission command, should be concise and to the point. The “conciseness“ depends upon your target audience. For example, “go sweep the hangar floor“ is enough for a sergeant who has swept many a hangar floor. However, if you are telling the specialist who has never done it before, more details may be needed. (Graphic by NCO Journal)](/portals/7/nco-journal/images/Sweep.jpg)
By Command Sgt. Maj. Paul G. Hutchings
2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
We know what mission command is, and knowing is half the battle, but do we practice mission command at the NCO level? Is mission command, especially the philosophy, even in the realm of the NCO? Lastly, how do we create agile and adaptive leaders?
Published by the NCO Journal, 21 February 2018
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