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. Giving commanders the freedom to act within the purpose of a higher command enabled commanders to respond quickly to changes on the battlefield. I will explain how incorporating mission command principles during Operation Anaconda helped the mission's success. …show more content…
Air Forces, initially seen as something other than an essential part of the operation. General Franks and General Mikolashek needed competence in their subordinate commander General Hagenbeck to give him the leverage he needed to make command decisions. Therefore, the military forces must devise a new plan without veering from the commander's intent. This new plan consisted of massive air strikes to support U.S. Army forces in the valley. Having a shared understanding as defined in ADP 6-0 (2019) paragraph 1-38, commanders and staffs actively create shared understanding throughout operations (planning, preparation, execution, and assessment). Task Force Mountain and the U.S. Air Forces shared knowledge that the operation needed collaboration to make the mission
The C300 course outlined joint operations and how they pertain to unified actions. In addition, the course discussed operational reach, Range of Military Operations (ROMO), and capabilities of our Sister Services. Lastly, C300 explained the types of command relationship and how they pertained to joint operations. Unified actions are those military forces, organizations, and agencies that can influence operations in a theater. These key players may have a negative or positive outcomes; due to lack of communication or even different objectives between the military and civilian leadership.
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.
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
Introduction: Operation Anaconda was one of the largest operations conducted by the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan in March 2002. The operation was aimed at destroying Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shah-i-Kot Valley in eastern Afghanistan. The success of the operation was due in part to the principles of mission command, which allowed individual soldiers like M.Sgt. John Chapman to demonstrate their leadership and bravery on the battlefield. This analytical essay will examine the seven army principles of mission command and how they were demonstrated in the story of M.Sgt.
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
Colonel Paul Freeman commanded the 23rd Regimental Combat Team to victory at the Battle of Chipyong-ni, marking the first major victory by the United States Army over the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) in the Korean War. This is an account of his heroism and supporting his brothers-in-arms. Colonel Freeman was able to demonstrate mission command through action. He used the following four mission command principles: build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create a shared understanding, provide a clear commander's intent, and accept the prudent risk. Colonel Freeman was able to build cohesive teams through mutual trust, by utilizing engaged leadership, previous combat experiences, and promoting a positive command environment.
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
In the following paper, I will discuss how the 7 principles of mission command helped them to be successful and complete the mission. Competence MG Hagenbeck was the commander of the 10th Mountain Division. He proved his competence in a previous battle in the earlier stages of the war in Afghanistan. He knew that
General Patton drove the Allied forces since he had already built the cohesive team through mutual trust. General Patton also created a shared understanding throughout all of his troops of the mission they had to accomplish. General Patton also was highly known throughout the war for always giving a clear commander’s intent and did so again in the Battle of the Bulge. General Patton also used mission orders to ensure that his subordinate units completed the strategic objective of the operation and didn’t worry about micromanaging their Soldiers. General Patton helped put the
This was an Army lead operation in the Shah-i-Kot valley. The enemy mounted a strong resistance from the high ground making it difficult for the United States Military to advance. This operation resulted in 8 American casualties. Lambeth blasts the Army’s plan for Anaconda explain several problems citing the lack of communication between the Army and Air Force as the main reason. He also states that some believe the Army intentionally left out the air services of other branches of the military so it could take more credit for the operation.
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.
Thesis Statement Operation Anaconda was a military operation that took place in the Shahikot Valley of Afghanistan. It occurred during the beginning of the war against terrorism in March of 2002. The intent of this operation was to push enemy Taliban and al Qaeda out of the region with possibility of capturing some of the enemies’ top leaders. The battle was ultimately a success; however, this outcome came only after many significant issues within mission command. Despite careful planning and a strong military force, the failure of the command structure during this operation can be attributed to inadequate communication, a lack of flexibility, and a failure to account for the terrain and enemy capability.
The honorable 73 October war will be last forever not only inside the Egyptians but also all over the world, we can consider it as the biggest war in the 20th century after world war 2. The importance of this war based on changing the balance of power in the Middle East and showed how to conduct the combined arms in the battlefield using the mission command principles. The 73 October war was praxis for using the mission command principles; we can notice that in all phases of the battle, starting with taking the responsibility of the war decision, establish cohesive units through the interaction trust, enable disciplined initiative, shared understanding and purpose, using mission orders to achieve the commander’s intent . This war is considered