3-72. Commanders determine the degree of control necessary to synchronize their operations. They balance synchronization with agility and initiative, but they never surrender the initiative for the sake of synchronization. Excessive synchronization can lead to too much control, which limits the initiative of subordinates and undermines mission command.

2-67. The medical brigade (support) (MEDBDE [SPT]) is a subordinate mission command organization of the MEDCOM (DS). It provides the mission command and planning capabilities necessary to deliver responsive and effective AHS support across the range of military operations. The MEDBDE (SPT) is mission variables driven to ensure the right mix of medical forces and expertise (operational, technical, and clinical) to synchronize AHS support to unified land operations.

2-86. In a positive command climate, the expectation is that everyone lives by and upholds the moral principles of the Army Ethic. The Army Ethic must be espoused, supported, practiced, and respected. Mission command depends on a command climate that encourages subordinate commanders at all levels to take the initiative. Commanders create a positive command climate by—

1-15. The more fluid a situation becomes, the more important and difficult it is to identify decisive points and focus combat power. The philosophy of mission command helps mitigate this uncertainty. Mission command requires mutual trust and shared understanding, and it emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the commander’s intent is understood at each level. This mitigates risk when communications are interrupted and allows subordinates to take initiative while out of contact with their higher headquarters. (See ADRP 6-0 for doctrine on mission command.)

2-67. The network operations officer oversees the operation and defense of the warfighting information network and ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information critical to mission command and the establishment of a cyber-related common operation picture. At the operational and tactical level, network operations capabilities include network and systems management, information assurance and computer network defense (to include response actions), information dissemination management, and content staging. G-6 (S-6) responsibilities related to network operations include, but are not limited to—

3-63. Control allows organizations to respond to change, whether due to threat or friendly actions, or environmental conditions. The mission command approach provides flexibility and adaptability, allowing subordinates to recognize and respond effectively to emerging conditions and to correct for the effects of fog and friction. Control informed by a mission command approach provides information that allows commanders to base their decisions and actions on the results of friendly and opponent actions, rather than rigid adherence to the plan. Commanders seek to build flexibility and adaptability into their plans.

2-58. When deployed, the sustainment brigade is a subordinate command of the TSC, or the ESC. The sustainment brigade is a flexible, multifunctional sustainment organization, tailored and task organized according to mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available and civil considerations. It plans, prepares, executes, and assesses sustainment operations within an area of operations. It provides mission command of sustainment operations and distribution management.

3-49. Effective commanders impose minimum constraints on subordinates to enable freedom of action while meeting the overall intent. They exercise the control necessary to effect coordination and synchronization among subordinate and supporting forces. Commanders monitor this coordination and allocate available resources or shift priorities to support the actions of subordinate commanders. Allowing subordinates maximum freedom of action requires a mission command approach.

2-33. Overemphasizing the direction, coordination, and synchronization functions of planning may result in detailed and rigid plans that stifle initiative. Mission command encourages the use of mission orders to avoid creating overly restrictive instructions to subordinates. Mission orders direct, coordinate, and synchronize actions while allowing subordinates the maximum freedom of action to accomplish missions within the commander’s intent. (See paragraphs 2-119 through 2-126 for a discussion on mission orders.)

2-102. The commander’s intent provides guidance within which subordinates are expected to exercise initiative to accomplish overall goals. Understanding the commander’s intent two echelons up further enhances unity of effort while providing the basis for decentralized decision making and execution. Subordinates who understand the commander’s intent are more likely to exercise disciplined initiative in unexpected situations. Under mission command, subordinates have an absolute responsibility to fulfill the commander’s intent.

1-60. Although Army special operations personnel must be included in centralized planning at the combatant commander and subordinate joint task force commander levels, successful special operations require decentralized planning. Army special operations forces command, plan, and conduct operations through the mission command approach by conducting decentralized planning and execution of special operations down to the team level. Mission command enables special operations units down to the team level to conduct planned operations that higher echelons account for. Colloquially, this is called bottoms up planning. When the executing special operations unit is charged with conducting a critical mission that higher echelons depend on, particularly when these missions are unilateral, commanders provide their mission statement and intent and let the operators plan the mission. This is an inherent element of the mission command approach, which allows those commanders with the best situational understanding to plan and—once a mission is approved for execution—make rapid decisions without waiting for higher echelon commanders to assess the situation and issue orders.

2-195. U.S. forces’ increased reliance on reachback information and network capabilities creates vulnerabilities to attack from various sources. Employment of the mission command philosophy is essential to overcome the fog and friction that a decentralized, disaggregated, and degraded communications environment adds to the battlefield when other defensive counter-measures fail.

2-49. Within their headquarters, commanders exercise their judgment to determine when to intervene and participate personally in staff operations, as opposed to letting their staffs operate on their own based on guidance. Commanders cannot do everything themselves or make every decision; such participation does not give staffs the experience mission command requires. However, commanders cannot simply approve staff products produced without their input. Commanders participate in staff work where it is necessary to guide their staffs. They use their situational understanding and commander’s visualization to provide guidance from which their staffs produce plans and orders. In deciding when and where to interact with subordinates, the key is for commanders to determine where they can best use their limited time to greatest effect—where their personal intervention will pay the greatest dividend.

2-264. +Army personnel recovery is the military efforts taken to prepare for and execute the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel (FM 3-50). Personnel recovery is a commander-led activity achieved by mission command which enables staffs, unit recovery forces, and individuals to implement personnel recovery proficiencies and execute the personnel recovery tasks of report, locate, support, recover, reintegrate.

1-44. There is a hierarchical component of shared understanding. At each echelon of command, commanders will have a slightly different understanding of the situation. Having a common perception of military problems does not imply any requirement to come to identical solutions; under mission command, understanding what outcome to achieve is more important than agreement on how to achieve it. Activities that can lead to shared understanding include collaboration among commanders and staffs, professional development meetings, terrain walks, and professional discussions.

1-28. Training and education that occurs in both schools and units provides commanders and subordinates the experiences that allow them to achieve professional competence. Repetitive, realistic, and challenging training creates common experiences that develop the teamwork, trust, and shared understanding that commanders need to exercise mission command and forces need to achieve unity of effort. (See ADP 7-0 for doctrine on individual and collective training.)

3-21. Training prepares forces and Soldiers to conduct operations according to doctrine, SOPs, and the unit’s mission. Training develops the teamwork, trust, and mutual understanding that commanders need to exercise mission command and that forces need to achieve unity of effort. Training does not stop when a unit deploys. If the unit is not conducting operations or recovering from operations, it is training. While deployed, unit training focuses on fundamental skills, current SOPs, and skills for a specific mission.

2-318. Protection of friendly networks requires developing and following policy and procedures. Adversary electronic warfare capabilities can disrupt both data and voice networks. Commanders enforce the proper execution of drills designed to mitigate attacks. Mitigating attacks enables mission command, fires, and information collection by friendly networks. Policies and procedures should also address establishing secure communications with appropriate multinational partners.

3-5. Information is the meaning that a human assigns to data by means of the known conventions used in their representation. Information alone rarely provides an adequate basis for deciding and acting. Effective mission command requires further developing information into knowledge so commanders can achieve understanding.

2-82. The guides to effective command help commanders fulfill the fundamental responsibilities of command. A commander’s use of these guides must fit the situation, the commander’s personality, and the capability and understanding of subordinates. Command cannot be scripted. These guides apply at all levels of command. Mission command provides a common baseline for command during operations and garrison activities. These guides aid commanders in effectively exercising command and inculcating mission command: