NCOs, Mission Command, and their Future as Part of Multi-Domain Battle
Jamie Halchishick
Senior Management Analyst | Defense & Strategic Studies | Desert Homesteader
The Army's Command Philosophy is Mission Command. The future of warfare, as described in #MultiDomainBattle (MDB) will require all NCOs to fully understand and operate through the Mission Command Philosophy. We must embrace and exemplify its six principles. However, as NCO leaders, we must also fully grasp the commander's activities of UVDDLA, under the Mission Command Warfighting Function (WFF). Most leaders execute Direct, Lead, and Assess pretty well. However, most NCOs are unaware of the Understand, Visualize, and Describe activities. Do we all know what it means to Understand the Operational Environment and the Problem? Do we comprehend what it is to Visualize the Desired Endstate and the Operational Approach (solution to the problem)? How is Describe different from Tell? We must familiarize EVERY SOLDIER with Mission Command, as GEN Perkins says, "from PVT Perkins to GEN Perkins". We must create a Shared Understanding of all three facets of Mission Command (Philosophy, WFF, and MC Systems), especially among leaders. In MDB, when ground forces are forced to operate in a dispersed manner, due to the deadly air power and indirect fire of Near Peer adversaries, it is NCOs, leading those small groups of Soldiers, who will constantly be faced with decision-making requirements in the unknowns of the future OE. We must teach our NCOs to think critically and creatively, and empower them to operate within the commander's intent. We have great NCOs in our Army, with experience and motivation, but the future OE will require more of their cognitive ability.
CSM Davenport, I recommend the following video by TRADOC (GEN Perkins), or one similar to it, be shown AND thoroughly discussed (emphasis on discussion for shared understanding and application, led by a qualified NCO), in every single level of NCOPDS to achieve a shared Understanding, that we may all Visualize the commander's Desired Endstate with regards to Mission Command: