In the chaos and uncertainty of modern war, our troops must be empowered to make decisions, take the initiative, and lead boldly. This is Mission Command: a command culture, leadership style, and operating concept that has been embraced by armed forces the world over.While the U.S. Military and many of our allies have formally adopted Mission Command, much work remains to truly understand and implement this style of leadership. In this anthology, 12 authors from 3 nations (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway) offer diverse perspectives on the topic of Mission Command as it relates to their service in the military, law enforcement, government, and private sector. Real-world examples supported by in-depth research provide the who, what, when, where, and why of Mission Command, identifying opportunities to improve how we lead our teams. Topics and authors include:- Unit Cohesion (Joe Labarbera)-Mission Command at Sea (Tommy Krabber�d)-The Historical Evolution of Mission Command (Donald Vandergriff)- Improving Army Doctrine (Regina Parker)- Military Campaign Analysis (Gerry Long)- Organizational Culture (Thomas Rebuck)-Mission Command in Garrison (Darrell Fawley)- Training and Leadership for Mission Command (Chad Foster)-Mission Command and Complex Operations (Grant Martin)-Fitness and Mission Command (Daniel Markert & Scott Sonnon)-Civil Policing and Mission Command (Fred Leland)...and more!

In September 2010, James G. Pierce, a retired U.S. Army colonel with the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, published a study on Army organizational culture. Pierce postulated that "the ability of a professional organization to develop future leaders in a manner that perpetuates readiness to cope with future environmental and internal uncertainty depends on organizational culture." He found that today's U.S. Army leadership "may be inadequately prepared to lead the profession toward future success." The need to prepare for future success dovetails with the use of the concepts of mission command. This book offers up a set of recommendations, based on those mission command concepts, for adopting a superior command culture through education and training. Donald E. Vandergriff believes by implementing these recommendations across the Army, that other necessary and long-awaited reforms will take place.

The book tells the story of the theory and history of the mission command approach (decentralized command) and the attempts by different armies to adopt and reform according to this approach.

Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0 presents the Army's guidance on command, control, and the mission command warfighting function. This publication concisely describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, combine the art of command and the science of control to understand situations, make decisions, direct action, and accomplish missions. The principal audience for ADP 6-0 is all professionals within the Army. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine on command and control of joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable U.S., international, and, in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and the rules of engagement. ADP 6-0 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.

Muth examines the different paths the United States Army and the German Armed Forces traveled to select, educate, and promote their officers in the crucial time before World War II. He demonstrates that the military education system in Germany represented an organized effort where each school provided the stepping stone for the next. But in the US, there existed no communication about teaching contents among the various schools.

For the US Army to succeed in the 21st Century, Soldiers of all ranks must understand and use Mission Command. Mission Command empowers leaders at all levels, allowing them to synchronize all warfighting functions and information systems to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative against a range of adversaries. This collection of historical vignettes seeks to sharpen our understanding of Mission Command philosophy and practice by providing examples from the past in which Mission Command principles played a decisive role. Some vignettes show junior officers following their commander's intent and exercising disciplined initiative in very chaotic combat operations. Others recount how field grade officers built cohesive teams that relied on mutual trust to achieve key operational objectives. Each historical account is complemented by an annotated explanation of how the six Mission Command principles shaped the action. For this reason, the collection is ideal for leader development in the Army school system as well as for unit and individual professional development. Mission Command places great responsibility on our Soldiers.