An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 19 famous for stating that no plan survives first contact with the en- emy, emphasised the need for flexibility, freedom of action, and initiative during battle in order to quickly adapt to the changing situation. Today, Von Moltke is known as the 'Father of Auftrag- staktik' or 'mission command'. Fast forward to the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and we can see the evolution and adaptation of mission command. In the years prior to World War II the Wehrmacht invested great effort in empowering junior leaders, encouraging initiative, and empha- sising commander's intent and outcomes rather than detailed orders. The employment of such flexibility and decentralised deci- sion making during this campaign resulted in the rapid capitula- tion of Polish forces and vindication for the effort the Wehrmacht had spent developing mission command theory and practice. Since then, this command philosophy has been adopted by most Western militaries, including our own. The benefits of adopting a mission command philosophy should be obvious to the reader; but let's explore some of the more prominent rewards. Firstly, by pushing decision making authority downward, important decisions in critical situations are accelerated, without the need to constantly check with higher HQ as the battle progresses. An example of this would be a sec- tion commander having the freedom to conduct a section attack without having to check with the platoon commander (who in turn checks with the company commander) for permission, and to ask for instructions on how exactly to carry out the attack. This allows junior leaders to get inside the enemy's OODA (observe, orientate, decide, act) loop and task and launch soldiers quicker than the enemy can, thus exploiting changes and opportunities in the battle. Secondly, by empowering NCOs and junior officers with this authority and responsibility they will develop profes- sionally at an exponential rate, buying in to the mission and grow- ing as leaders. In such an environment leadership ability is put to the test, and in order to keep the new¬-found freedom NCOs and lieu- tenants should drill their soldiers in the most pertinent tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), in order to maintain the trust of their commanders. Thirdly, the workload of the commander should be streamlined as he/she transfers decision making to sub- ordinates. This means commanders can focus on the higher-level command functions that may be decisive to mission success. Obstacles to effective implementation of mission command come from both bottom-up and top-down. On the side of subor- dinates, there must be a high level of professionalism in terms of TTPs which will create trust. On the side of superior command- ers there needs to be a willingness to 'let go of the reins' and relinquish some control in order to provide freedom of action to subordinates. In practical terms this means junior leaders dem- onstrating competence and professional knowledge of their job (which creates trust); and the commanders must be brave enough to loosen their grip. If trust is not present mission command will fail; but trust works both ways and commanders need to be seen to issue very clear intent, guidance, and parameters and to com- petently deliver mission orders. How can I facilitate mission command? NCOs and junior officers insisting on the utmost professional- ism from soldiers under their command will generate trust. Senior commanders should then reciprocate and delegate as much responsibility as is practicable to junior leaders and in so doing ensure that very clear intent and parameters are issued. During the next field training exercise your unit participates in why not experiment by delivering a set of orders to your subordinates with the emphasis on the outcomes you want them to achieve and not on how they should achieve them. The effects-based approach to operations – as enshrined in our Land Component Manual (DFDM L1) – facilitates this, where the 'effect' that a commander wants achieved is the principal factor in the orders, not an over-prescriptive and elaborate scheme of manoeuvre. While the emphasis during command and staff courses is on ef- fects verbs and mission orders, the use of effects-based language on NCO career courses needs to improve. The NCOTW will en- deavour to achieve this, but junior leaders in units should actively seek to opt for mission orders focusing on effects-based language and on the outcome, not the means. NCOs and junior officers are the key to mission command's wide- spread implementation. Particularly, the empowerment of NCOs and a conscious effort by commanders to avoid micromanagement is something that will benefit the entire organisation. This bottom- up and top-down approach to mission orders and mission com- mand will in time result in the empowerment of junior leaders and accelerated decision making at critical times. A successful applica- tion of mission command in your unit will turn your subordinates into active leaders, rather than passive followers.

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