2-107. Noncommissioned officers are key enablers of mission command, and they must be trained in the mission command principles to effectively support their commander and lead their Soldiers. Noncommissioned officers are required to exercise disciplined initiative to make decisions and take actions to further their commander’s intent. They must actively work to understand the commander’s intent two levels up and relay that intent to their Soldiers. They train to develop mutual trust and shared understanding with their commanders and their Soldiers.

4-28. The operations process is the major mission command and control activities performed during operations: planning, preparing, executing, and continuously assessing the operation (ADP 5-0). The purpose of the operations process is to provide a common, logical, inter-related set of processes that guide the conduct of operations. It is the basic underlying process that guides the employment of forces and ensures the synchronization of all elements of combat power for the conduct of operations. The operations process provides a flexible, adaptable set of activities capable of adjusting to changing circumstances and which facilitates a common approach to operations across all echelons and all environments. It is the operations process that allows commanders and staffs to synchronize and link all other components into a coherent and logical plan and facilitates the execution of the plan through adaptation to changing circumstances.

1-15. The leadership requirements and principles of mission command are mutually supportive. Understanding and practicing the principles of mission command are imperative for all leaders: officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers (NCOs), and Army Civilians. 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 (ADP 6-0). While commanders exercise mission command, the actions of subordinates influence effectiveness.

3-56. Theater army cyberspace elements provide enablers for mission command and messaging to support the shaping of perceptions in concert with the GCC’s TCP. The regional cyber center oversees DODIN operations and DCO internal defensive measures in theater. The theater cyberspace forces coordinate with national agencies to develop cyberspace awareness, potential tools for future use, and better protection for friendly networks. They act continuously to defend friendly networks against cyberspace attacks. (See JP 3-12[R] and FM 3-12 for more information on cyberspace elements.)

4-2. The operations process is a commander-led activity informed by mission command principles. It consists of the major command and control activities performed during operations: planning, preparing, executing, and continuously assessing an operation. These activities may be sequential or simultaneous. They are rarely discrete and often involve a great deal of overlap. Commanders use the operations process to drive the planning necessary to understand, visualize, and describe their unique operational environments; make and articulate decisions; and direct, lead, and assess military operations. (See ADP 5-0 for a detailed discussion of the operations process.)

1-107. Command and control is fundamental to all operations. Mission command—the Army’s approach to command and control—underpins how the U.S. Army fights. Mission command concentrates on the objective of an operation, not on every task necessary to achieve it. Mission command emphasizes timely decision making, understanding of the higher commander’s intent, and the clear responsibility of subordinates to exercise initiative within that intent to achieve the desired end state. Mission command relies on decentralized execution and subordinate initiative within the commander’s intent to provide unity of effort.

2-191. Dispersing CPs enhances the survivability of the commander’s mission command system. Commanders place minimum resources in the close area forward and keep more elaborate facilities in the support area. This makes it harder for enemies to find and attack them. It also decreases support and security requirements forward.

1-30. The entire command post (depicted as the mission command box in figure 1-1) assists the commander in the exercise of mission command. Therefore, commanders do not form a specific mission command functional cell. All of the various command post cells and staff sections assist the commander with specific tasks of the mission command warfighting function. For example, all functional and integrating cells assist the commander with conducting the operations process. As such, the command post as a whole, including the commander, deputy commanders, and command sergeants major, represents the mission command warfighting function.

2-109. As part of training subordinates in command and control and mission command, commanders must prepare their subordinates for positions of increased responsibility. To this end, they promote leader qualities and assess subordinates’ potential for future appointments to command and staff positions.

2-1. The staff is a key component of the mission command system. In addition to executing the mission command staff tasks (see ADRP 6-0), the primary responsibilities of any staff are to—

2-103. Commanders develop a basic level of control within their organizations when they create a culture that embraces mission command at every level. The time spent inculcating mission command into training, education, and problem solving prior to operations saves time and simplifies command and control during operations. Commanders cannot expect subordinates to respond effectively to a mission command approach once operations commence if they have not developed subordinates comfortable in its use beforehand.

2-152. In addition to command and staff tasks, the mission command warfighting function has several additional tasks. Paragraphs 2-153 through 2-164 discuss additional mission command warfighting function tasks.

2-22. Command and support relationships provide the basis for unity of command and are essential to the exercise of mission command. Army command relationships define command responsibility and authority. Army support relationships define the purpose, scope, and effect desired when one capability supports another. Establishing clear command and support relationships is fundamental to organizing for any operation.

1-109. In practice, mission command tends to be decentralized, informal, and flexible. Plans, orders, and graphics should be as simple and concise as possible, designed for maximum flexibility during execution. By decentralizing decision-making authority, mission command increases tempo and improves subordinates’ abilities to act quickly in fluid and chaotic situations.

5-13. Fusion centers improve dynamic operational support by integrating the mission command approach together with focused analysis and other partners within a single centralized entity. A fusion center is an ad hoc collaborative effort between several units, organizations, or agencies that provide resources, expertise, information, or intelligence to a center with the goal of supporting the operations of each contributing member. They are primarily designed to focus collection and promote information sharing across multiple participants within a set geographic area. These centers are not operations centers. Commanders at various echelons create fusion centers to manage the flow of information and intelligence; focus information collection to satisfy information requirements; and to process, exploit, analyze, and disseminate the resulting collection.

1-1. In operations, effective mission command requires continuous close coordination, synchronization, and information sharing across staff sections. To promote this, commanders cross-functionally organize elements of staff sections in command posts (CPs) and CP cells. Additional staff integration occurs in meetings, including working groups and boards. (See paragraphs 1-65 through 1-71.)

2-92. Communicating with subordinates contributes to the shared understanding fundamental to mission command. Effective commanders take positive steps to encourage, rather than impede, communications among and with their subordinates and staff. Candor and the free exchange of ideas contribute to trust. Commanders make themselves available and accessible for communications and open to new information. They create a climate where collaboration routinely occurs throughout their organization through personal example, coaching, and mentorship.

command post cell – A grouping of personnel and equipment organized by warfighting function or by planning horizon to facilitate the exercise of mission command. (FM 6-0)

2-278. Training units and leaders to execute operations using the philosophy of mission command mitigates the effects of systems degradation while enabling subordinates to effectively execute offensive, defensive, and stability tasks in the rapid manner required to exploit opportunities that come with achieving positions of relative advantage. Effective leadership applied through a combination of education, application, and repetition develops the trust and understanding of the commander’s intent necessary to act in the absence of orders. Subordinates are unlikely to act in the absence of orders in the face of capable enemies if they cannot do so during peacetime training. Developing the climate necessary to facilitate effective mission command requires daily emphasis.

3-2. Commanders also strive to create shared understanding within the force and with unified action partners. Essential to mission command is the shared understanding and appreciation of the operational context and the commander’s intent by multiple participants. The shared understanding of an operational environment, the operation’s purpose, the problem, and approaches to solving the problem form the basis for unity of effort and trust. This shared understanding is the context within which decentralized actions can be performed by units as if they were centrally coordinated. Knowledge management helps create shared understanding through the alignment of people, processes, and tools within the organizational structure and culture in order to increase collaboration and interaction between leaders and subordinates. Knowledge management facilitates situational understanding and acts as a catalyst for enhanced shared understanding. (See Army doctrine for more information on shared understanding.)