9-67. The who, where, and when of a mission statement are straightforward. The what and why are more challenging to write and can confuse subordinates if not stated clearly. The what is a task and is expressed in terms of action verbs. These tasks are measurable and can be grouped as “actions by friendly forces” or “effects on enemy forces.” The why puts the task into context by describing the reason for performing it. The why provides the mission’s purpose—the reason the unit is to perform the task. It is extremely important to mission command and mission orders.