Decentralized Command and Control -- Reality or Myth

Abstract

The debate concerning the required degree of command and control continues today. It is an age old argument that has intensified during this era of limited conflicts. The intent of this study is to demonstrate that decentralized command and control at the operational level of war is still possible in today's world. After a short introduction of the study, a brief discussion of command and control at the operational level of war orients the effort and define the terms. Examining two reasonably successful limited operations-Grenada and the Falkland Islands-will provide a basis for analyzing several factors that impact on the command and control process. The next step outlines the factors and analyzes the impact on the leadership during the operations. Finally, the analysis is used to draw conclusions revelent to decentralized command and control.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 16, 1990
Accession Number
ADA220606

Entities

People

  • George H. Rhoades

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Department Of Defense
  • Falkland Islands
  • Governments
  • Hard Copy
  • Islands
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Security
  • Task Forces
  • Training
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control