3-49. The headquarters of the 75th Ranger Regiment (figure 3-5) is similar to the headquarters of other Army brigade combat teams. In addition to exercising mission command for three Ranger infantry battalions and the Ranger Special Troops Battalion, the regiment headquarters may, when properly augmented, exercise operational control of conventional forces, logistics assets, and other special operations forces.

2-117. While staffs perform essential functions, commanders are ultimately responsible for accomplishing assigned missions. Throughout operations, commanders encourage disciplined initiative through a clear commander’s intent while providing enough direction to integrate and synchronize the force at the decisive place and time. To this end, commanders perform three primary mission command warfighting function tasks. The commander tasks are—

1-17. Successful commanders anticipate future events by developing branches and sequels instead of focusing on details better handled by subordinates during current operations. The higher the echelon, the more time commanders should devote to future operations and the broader the guidance provided to subordinates. Subordinates empowered to make decisions during operations unburden higher commanders from issues that distract from necessary broader perspective and focus on critical issues. Mission command allows those commanders with the best situational understanding to make rapid decisions without waiting for higher echelon commanders to assess the situation and issue orders.

2-96. There is one cyber protection brigade that provides worldwide defensive cyberspace support, including support for corps and below. The cyber protection brigade is subordinate to Network Enterprise Technology Command. The cyber protection brigade provides mission command and support to assigned cyber protection teams that conduct defensive cyberspace operations (DCO). Cyber protection teams conduct DCOs to enable freedom of maneuver in cyberspace for supported commanders. Cyber protection brigade mission support includes recruitment, planning, coordination, and training required to enable cyber protection teams to conduct DCOs and meet cybersecurity objectives to support the DOD, the Army, combatant commands, and interagency operations worldwide.

2-280. Airspace will be contested during large-scale land warfare against peer threats. Effective air-ground operations will require that units train to integrate airspace use during planning and execution, in conditions where use of mission command information systems is uninterrupted, and during degraded conditions when units must rely on procedural control. Effective airspace control training requires significant coordination, as airspace control is inherently a joint task. Installations and units must work together to replicate the complexity of airspace control in training in order to ensure units can effectively execute simultaneous organic fires, joint fires, air-ground operations, information collection, and air defense.

1-37. Shared understanding starts with the Army’s doctrine and professional military education that instills a common approach to the conduct of operations, a common professional language, and a common understanding of the principles of mission command. Army professionals understand the most current Army doctrine to ensure a minimum level of shared understanding for the conduct of operations. It is this shared understanding that allows even hastily task-organized units to operate effectively.

1-19. The Army requires leaders who provide direction and subordinates who can execute without the need for continuous guidance. The Army needs leaders who understand, train, and employ mission command during the course of their duties. Mission command is the Army’s approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision making and decentralized execution appropriate to the situation (ADP 6-0). Mission command recognizes that no single person in an organization or unit can make every important decision at every critical moment, nor can a single person keep up with the number of simultaneous decisions organizations require during combat or other time-constrained environments. See ADP 6-0 for further discussion about mission command.

4-76. Commands operate most efficiently and effectively when Soldiers consider themselves part of a team or larger organization. Organization serves the important function of providing sources of group identity for soldiers assigned to a command. A command operates most effectively when soldiers consider themselves members of one or more groups characterized by high levels of loyalty, cooperation, morale, and commitment. This supports mission command.

2-103. The SSE is responsible for maintaining situational awareness and updating the space portion of the COP. SSE members coordinate space operations objectives and tasks with their counterparts at higher and lower echelons. The SSE serves as the primary mission command element within the staffs for space operations. The SSE also works alternative compensatory control measures and special technical operations missions. (See FM 3-14 for more information on the space brigade.)

4-16. Mission variables are the categories of specific information needed to conduct operations. The mission variables are mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, and civil considerations (known as METT-TC). The purpose of mission variables is to provide a set of information categories focused on what commanders and staffs need to know to achieve situational understanding once assigned a mission. Commanders and staffs use mission variables as a filter to extract information from the operational variables that staffs need to conduct an operation and commanders need to exercise mission command.

8-3. Each staff element builds and maintains running estimates. The running estimate helps the staff to track and record pertinent information and provide recommendations to commanders. Running estimates represent the analysis and expert opinion of each staff element by functional area. Staffs maintain running estimates throughout the operations process to assist commanders in the exercise of mission command.

3-34. The two primary procedures for information management are establishing information requirements and information categories. An information requirement is any information element the commander and staff require to successfully conduct operations (ADRP 6-0). Information management begins by identifying information gaps and developing information requirements. Commanders and staffs may use tools such as mission variables and operational variables to categorize information. (See appendix A for a discussion of mission and operational variables.) All information given to commanders should be relevant information for answering information requirements. Effective information management identifies and organizes relevant information and processes data into information for development into and use as knowledge. Information management then quickly routes information to those who need it. That is, commanders should only receive information that they need for exercising mission command. Forces determine the relevance of information based on the following characteristics:

1-23. The commander’s intent provides a unifying idea that allows decentralized execution within an overarching framework. It provides guidance within which individuals may exercise initiative to accomplish the desired end state. Understanding the commander’s intent two echelons up further enhances unity of effort while providing the basis for decentralized decision making and execution throughout the depth of a formation. Subordinates who understand the commander’s intent are far more likely to exercise initiative effectively in unexpected situations. Under the mission command approach to command and control, subordinates have both responsibility and authority to fulfill the commander’s intent.

8-5. Although Army special operations forces often use unique methods and equipment, the key to success lies with the individual special operations Soldier. In support of a combatant commander’s campaign plan, an Army special operations unit may routinely deploy an individual to conduct a specific special operations mission such as providing support to a U.S. Embassy’s objectives. The unit may deploy as task-organized teams (such as four individuals), as organic teams, or as a unit. In some cases, the only other Department of Defense presence in the country may be those assigned to the U.S. Embassy. Therefore, it is essential that the plans, orders, and procedures that drive Army special operations forces’ employment are clear and direct. Using the approach of mission command assures the commander’s intent is understood even for complex operations. Frequent involvement in joint and interagency operations requires an understanding of the U.S. organization for national security and the nature of joint military operations. Special operations forces deployed to a particular theater for various missions (exercises, operations, and support activities) remain under the command authority of the combatant commander or under operational control of the theater special operations command exercised through a subordinate headquarters.

3-37. A principle is a comprehensive and fundamental rule or an assumption of central importance that guides how an organization or function approaches and thinks about the conduct of operations (ADP 1-01). By integrating the six principles of unified land operations—mission command, develop the situation through action, combined arms, adherence to the law of war, establish and maintain security, and create multiple dilemmas for the enemy—Army commanders increase the probability of operational and strategic success. Success requires fully integrating U.S. military operations with the efforts of unified action partners. Success also requires commanders to exercise disciplined initiative to rapidly exploit opportunities that favorably develop the situation through action and create multiple dilemmas for the enemy.

2-66. Inadequate planning and preparation puts forces at risk, as does delaying action while waiting for perfect intelligence and synchronization. Risk averse commanders and units miss fleeting opportunities, which can actually increase the risk of greater casualties. Reasonably estimating and intentionally accepting risk is fundamental to conducting successful operations and essential to the mission command approach. Experienced commanders balance audacity and imagination against risk and uncertainty to strike at a time, at a place, and in a manner unexpected by enemy forces. This is the essence of surprise.

2-23. The leadership team needs to ensure that individual development stays the main effort and that the focus does not become the plan or running events. The documented plan can be either an enabler or a detractor to successful execution and achievement of the desired outcomes depending on the degree of mission command and disciplined initiative.

2-41. Commanders control tempo throughout the conduct of operations. First, they formulate operations that exploit the complementary and reinforcing effects of simultaneous and sequential operations. They synchronize those operations in time and space to degrade enemy capabilities throughout the area of operations. Second, commanders avoid unnecessary engagements. They do this by bypassing resistance and avoiding places not considered decisive. Third, through mission command, commanders enable subordinates to exercise initiative and act independently. Controlling tempo requires both audacity and patience. Audacity initiates the actions needed to develop a situation; patience allows a situation to develop until the force can strike at the most crucial time and place. Ultimately, the goal is maintaining a tempo appropriate to retaining and exploiting the initiative and achieving the end state.

4-187. Building cohesive teams and creating shared understanding together with all partners in unified action are key challenges for DSCA. Effective commanders use collaboration and dialogue to build relationships and achieve shared goals. They use their commander's intent to guide the disciplined initiative of Soldiers. Commander's intent is a clear and concise expression of the purpose of the operation and the desired military end state that supports mission command, provides focus to the staff, and helps subordinate and supporting commanders act to achieve the commander's desired results without further orders, even when the operation does not unfold as planned (JP 3-0). When establishing their commander's intent, commanders keep in mind the three overarching purposes as well as the end state of missions—that civilians can return to self-sufficiency and carry on without military support. However, this does not mean that team building is limited to the duration of a crisis. Effective interorganizational coordination depends on collaboration, relationships, and training before, during, and after incidents.

1-30. The operations process, while simple in concept, is dynamic in execution. Commanders must organize and train their staffs and subordinates as an integrated team to simultaneously plan, prepare, execute, and assess operations. In addition to the principles of mission command, commanders and staffs consider the following principles for the effective employment of the operations process: