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Essay / The Principles of Mission Command in The Punishment at Syahcow, Afghanistan Afghanistan. The mission consisted of carrying out patrol reconnaissance to determine the presence of the Taliban in the village. The reconnaissance team was ambushed and, despite all odds, American forces and their allies were victorious. The battle was won using the seven principles of Mission Command, which will be covered in this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayBattle is defined as “engaging in combat between individuals or armed forces: engaging in battle: to fight: to confront with all one's strength, vigor, skills, or resources” (Merriam-Webster, 2020). In war, it is imperative to use all available capabilities. The principles of mission command are an ability and must be used in order to defeat one's enemies. Failure to use these principles will result in defeat. I will provide the principles and how each was used during the punishment at Syahcow, Afghanistan and how each contributed to LTC Don Bolduc leading the soldiers of the Desert Eagle Battalion to victory. Principles of Mission CommandMission command dictates the objectives of the mission while simultaneously enabling them. receive orders to determine how to complete the mission and adjust their strategy based on the ever-changing battlefield. “Mission command – the Army's approach to command and control – underpins the way the U.S. Army fights. » (JCS, 2019). The principles of mission command prepare Soldiers for the mission and also assist Soldiers when they are engaged in combat. Mission Orders It is necessary to know the objective before you can begin an operation. “An order is a communication – verbal, written or signaled – that conveys instructions from superiors to subordinates” (JCS, 2019). The mission was simply to “defeat the insurgency” (JCS, 2019). The Desert Eagle Battalion knew its mission and accomplished it. Commander's Intent Understanding the mission order is also essential when planning its execution. “Commander's intent is a clear and concise expression of the operation's purpose and desired military end state that supports mission command, allows the staff to focus, and assists subordinate commanders and support to act to achieve the results desired by the commander without additional orders. even when the operation does not go as planned” (JP 3-0 cited in JCS, 2019). LTC Bolduc's intent was "as part of a specific strategy designed to seek out, find, repair and finish off the enemy, and attack them in a kinetic and non-kinetic manner through the use of direct and indirect approaches. Assist the local population using Civil-Military Operations (CMO), Psychological Operations (PSYOP) and Information Operations (IO), then train the Afghan National Army (ANA) under a decentralized training program and assist other Afghan nationals. security forces are capable, over time, of doing what we do and losing ourselves” (JCS, 2019). CPT Christopher Wells, a subordinate of LTC Bolduc, was tasked with directing the execution of the commander's intent. SkillIn order to perform a task and achieve the desired intention, one requires knowledge and skills acquired through education and experience. “Tactically and technically competent commanders, subordinates, and teams provide the foundation for effective mission command” (JCS, 2019). CPT Wells based his action plan on gathered intelligence and used the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). A decision that had to be made by CPT Wells was what time they would arrive at their objective, the village. He decided to arrive at sunrise based on his theory "that the Taliban were going to be pretty." tired because we received reports that they were taking the bodies of the guys who were killed in Tagaw and brought back to Syahcow and buried them” (JCS, 2019). This decision demonstrated skill: the idea of arriving at sunrise would mean the enemy would be surprised and tired. Shared Understanding Having a plan means nothing if everyone involved doesn't understand the who, what, when, where, why and how of said plan. “Shared understanding of the situation, along with the flow of information down to the lowest possible level, provides the basis for unity of effort and initiative of subordinates” (JCS, 2019). Most operations have multiple moving parts and Syahcow, Afghanistan, was no different. CPT Wells commanded three main elements and all understood that their ultimate objective was to establish a cordon around the village. Two of the three elements were under fire and despite the fire, the additional support provided by the Apache pilots and the efforts necessary to regain control of the situation, "the three Coalition positions now constituted a cordon to prevent any enemy present in the village to escape” (JSC, 2019). Each element understood and believed that the other element would do its part so that it could accomplish the mission as a whole. Mutual TrustHaving confidence in yourself is easy, but having trust and faith in others based on my research proves to be more empowering. According to Joyce Catlett, MA, psychologist, author and speaker "it has become increasingly difficult to remain vulnerable, confident and open to life in this era of uncertainty, global upheaval, divorce and disrupted family life." (Catlett, 2020). ). The heat of battle and facing life or death only makes trust and dependence on others even more difficult, but it is a necessity. “Mutual trust is essential to the success of mission command, and it must be transmitted throughout the chain of command” (JCS, 2019). The soldiers of the Desert Eagle Battalion had a mutual trust and after regaining control of the battle and establishing a parameter around the village that would not allow the enemy in or out, their mutual trust would be needed again; to clean up the village complexes. “Once the first complex was cleared, Logsdon was supposed to take a team to the west side of town and clean up from north to south. " JCS, 2019). They should have confidence that the other team was properly cleaning their assigned complexes and would provide support if necessary when performing the hazardous task. Disciplined initiative when performing d 'a dangerous task, it is important to keep pushing until the end. When you lack the discipline and/or initiative to complete the tasks, the results can be catastrophic “Every individual, from the highest commander on down. low soldier, must always remember that inaction and neglect of opportunities will warrant censure
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