Command and Control Considerations for Field Army Operations: A Primer on Joint Operations,
Abstract
This study investigates the hypothesis that there is an increased requirement for command and control systems when US Army and Marine Corps forces conduct large unit joint operations as members of a field army. Based on this hypothesis, this study examines the employment of the US Tenth Army during the World War II Okinawa campaign (April-June 1945). The principal focus of this study is on the eighty-two day ground operation against the Japanese Thirty-Second Army on Okinawa. This study addresses the key question of how a field army, consisting of both Army and Marine Corps forces, might structure an effective command and control system in order to synchronize operational maneuver and air support for the purpose of defeating a concentrated enemy force. The historical and contemporary analyses are performed by using the command and control guidelines which support the execution of Airland Battle doctrine outlined in Field Manual 100-5, Operations (Final Draft, dated 28 October 1985). These guidelines include: the operational flexibility of the campaign plan; the ability of the command and control system to maintain the tempo of the operation in order to capitalize on success; and the need to optimize the use of time to facilitate the friendly force being more agile than the enemy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 12, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA174133
Entities
People
- Duane E. Byrd
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College