Mission Orders in the United States Army: Is the Doctrine Effective
Abstract
This study is an analysis of the effectiveness of the U.S. Army's mission order doctrine at the tactical level. The study examines the reasons for decentralized command and control philosophies, the development of mission orders in the German Army, and the evolution of mission order doctrine in the U. S. Army. The study determined the doctrine's effectiveness by administration of a survey to selected middle grade officers. The study explains the development of the survey instrument and analysis of responses. The survey determined whether the participants had a common understanding of the term 'mission,' whether they could correctly identify the characteristics of mission orders, and the level of their personal experiences with mission orders. The survey also focused on the state of selected conditions which are necessary for the use of mission orders. The primary conclusion drawn from the analysis was that the U.S. Army's mission order doctrine is not effective at the tactical level. The analysis of survey data revealed that a workable doctrine exists; however, it was not commonly known nor, by inference, understood by those officers surveyed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA242667
Entities
People
- John D. Johnson
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College