ADP6-0.pdf

Assignment Questions

This publication is available at the Army Publishing Directorate site

(https://armypubs.army.mil/) and the Central Army Registry site

(https://atiam.train.army.mil/catalog/dashboard).

https://armypubs.army.mil/

https://atiam.train.army.mil/catalog/dashboard

*ADP 6-0

DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

This publication supersedes ADP 6-0, dated 17 May 2012, and ADRP 6-0, dated 17 May 2012.

ADP 6-0 i

Army Doctrine Publication

No. 6-0
Headquarters

Department of the Army
Washington, D.C., 31 July 2019

Mission Command:
Command and Control of Army Forces

Contents

Page

PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. iii

INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………………….. vii

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO MISSION COMMAND …………………………………………………… 1-1
The Nature of Operations ……………………………………………………………………………… 1-1
Unified Land Operations ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1-2
Mission Command ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 1-3
Principles of Mission Command …………………………………………………………………….. 1-6
The Role of Subordinates in Mission Command …………………………………………….. 1-14
Command and Control ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1-16
The Command and Control Warfighting Function …………………………………………… 1-19
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1-21

Chapter 2 COMMAND…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2-1
Nature of Command …………………………………………………………………………………….. 2-1
Elements of Command …………………………………………………………………………………. 2-1
The Role of Commanders in Operations ……………………………………………………….. 2-12
Guides to Effective Command ……………………………………………………………………… 2-16
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2-24

Chapter 3 CONTROL ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3-1
Nature of Control …………………………………………………………………………………………. 3-1
Elements of Control ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3-3
Control Measures ………………………………………………………………………………………. 3-10
Guides to Effective Control ………………………………………………………………………….. 3-14
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3-17

Chapter 4 THE COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM …………………………………………………… 4-1
Command and Control System Defined ………………………………………………………….. 4-1
Organizing for Command and Control …………………………………………………………… 4-13
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4-15

SOURCE NOTES …………………………………………………………………….. Source Notes-1

GLOSSARY …………………………………………………………………………………… Glossary-1

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………. References-1

Preface

ii ADP 6-0 31 July 2019

INDEX ………………………………………………………………………………………………… Index-1

Figures

Introductory figure-1. Logic map ………………………………………………………………………………………….. x

Figure 1-1. Levels of control ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 1-6

Figure 1-2. Combat power model …………………………………………………………………………………… 1-20

Figure 2-1. Achieving understanding ………………………………………………………………………………… 2-4

Figure 2-2. The operations process ………………………………………………………………………………… 2-13

Figure 2-3. The commander’s role in the operations process …………………………………………….. 2-14

Figure 2-4. Commander’s visualization …………………………………………………………………………… 2-15

Figure 2-5. Map of Ruhr encirclement …………………………………………………………………………….. 2-19

Figure 3-1. Reciprocal nature of control ……………………………………………………………………………. 3-4

Figure 3-2. Map of Austerlitz, the initial situation ………………………………………………………………. 3-12

Figure 3-3. Map of Austerlitz operations ………………………………………………………………………….. 3-13

Figure 4-1. Components of a command and control system ………………………………………………… 4-1

Tables

Introductory table-1. New, modified, and removed Army terms ………………………………………………. ix

Table 3-1. Operational variables ………………………………………………………………………………………. 3-5

Table 3-2. Mission variables ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 3-6

Vignettes

Von Moltke and Auftragstaktik …………………………………………………………………………………………. 1-4

Command Based on Shared Understanding and Trust: Grant’s Orders to Sherman, 1864 ……… 1-9

Initiative: U.S. Paratroopers in Sicily ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1-13

Corporal Alvin York and Mission Command …………………………………………………………………….. 1-15

Assuming Command: General Ridgway Takes Eighth Army ……………………………………………….. 2-2

Risk Acceptance: OPERATION HAWTHORN, Dak To, Vietnam………………………………………….. 2-8

Mutual Trust and Shared Understanding: VII Corps and the Ruhr Encirclement …………………… 2-18

Levels of Control and German Auftragstaktik …………………………………………………………………….. 3-2

Crosstalk in the Desert-VII Corps in the Gulf War …………………………………………………………….. 3-10

Control in Austerlitz ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3-11

file:///C:/Users/michael.lance.waller/Desktop/ADPs/ADP%206-0/ADP%206-0_18%20JULY%202019.docx%23_Toc14334047

file:///C:/Users/michael.lance.waller/Desktop/ADPs/ADP%206-0/ADP%206-0_18%20JULY%202019.docx%23_Toc14334049

file:///C:/Users/michael.lance.waller/Desktop/ADPs/ADP%206-0/ADP%206-0_18%20JULY%202019.docx%23_Toc14334050

31 July 2019 ADP 6-0 iii

Preface

ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces, provides a discussion of the

fundamentals of mission command, command and control, and the command and control warfighting

function. It describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, combine the art and science of command

and control to understand situations, make decisions, direct actions, and lead forces toward mission

accomplishment.

To comprehend the doctrine contained in ADP 6-0, readers should understand the nature of operations and

the fundamentals of unified land operations described in ADP 3-0, Operations. Army leadership attributes

and competencies are vital to exercising command and control, and readers should also be familiar with the

fundamentals of leadership in ADP 6-22, Army Leadership, and FM 6-22, Leader Development. The Army

Ethic guides decisions and actions while exercising command and control, and readers must understand the

ideas in ADP 6-22. As the operations process is the framework for exercising command and control, readers
must also understand the fundamentals of the operations process established in ADP 5-0, The Operations

Process.

The doctrine in ADP 6-0 forms the foundation for command and control tactics, techniques, and procedures.

For an explanation of these tactics and procedures, see FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and

Operations. For an explanation of the techniques associated with command and control, see ATP 6-0.5,

Command Post Organization and Operations, as well as other supporting techniques publications.

The principal audience for ADP 6-0 is Army commanders, leaders, and unit staffs. Mission command

demands more from subordinates at all levels, and understanding and practicing the mission command

principles during operations and garrison activities are imperative for all members of the Army Profession.

The Army historically fights with joint and multinational partners as part of a coalition, and ADP 6-0 is

nested with joint and multinational doctrine. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters that require joint

capabilities to conduct operations, or serving as a joint task force or multinational headquarters, should also

refer to applicable doctrine concerning command and control of joint or multinational forces.

ADP 6-0 implements North Atlantic Treaty Organization standardization agreement 2199, Command and

Control of Allied Land Forces.

Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable U.S.,

international, and, in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their

Soldiers operate in accordance with the Army Ethic, the law of war, and the rules of engagement. (See

FM 27-10 for a discussion of the law of war.)

ADP 6-0 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the

glossary and the text. Terms for which ADP 6-0 is the proponent publication (the authority) are marked with

an asterisk (*) in the glossary. Definitions for which ADP 6-0 is the proponent publication are boldfaced in

the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent

publication follows the definition.

ADP 6-0 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and

United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.

The proponent of ADP 6-0 is the United States Army Combined Arms Center. The preparing agency is the

Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, Mission Command Center of Excellence. Send comments and

recommendations on a DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) to

Commander, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, ATTN: ATZL-MCD (ADP 6-0),

300 McPherson Avenue, Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2337; by email to

[email protected]; or submit an electronic DA Form 2028.

mailto:[email protected]

This page intentionally left blank.

31 July 2019 ADP 6-0 v

Acknowledgements

The copyright owners listed here have granted permission to reproduce material from their works. The Source

Notes lists other sources of quotations and photographs.

Excerpts from On War by Carl von Clausewitz. Edited and translated by Peter Paret and Michael E.

George Patton, Ruth Patton Totten, John K. Waters, Jr., and George P. Waters. Reprinted by

Quote reprinted courtesy Field-Marshall Viscount William Slim, Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan in

renewed 2000 by Copper Square Press.

Quote courtesy Logan Nye, “How the ‘Little Groups of Paratroopers’ Became Airborne Legends,” We

Are the Mighty, 8 April 2016. Online

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3535576/posts?page=12.

Quote courtesy Field-Marshal Earl Wavell, Soldiers and Soldiering or Epithets of War. Oxford, United

Kingdom: Alden Press, 1953.

permission of Andesite Press, 2017.

by British Ministry of Defence Crown.

William Slim. Reprinted 1962 by Orion Publishing Group.

Excerpts from William M. Connor, “Establishing Command Intent, A Case Study: The Encirclement

of the Ruhr, March 1945” in The Human in Command: Exploring The Modern Military

Academic/Plenum Press.

Quote courtesy Ulysses S. Grant, Memoirs and Selected Letters: Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant,

Selected Letters, 1839-1865, vol. 2. Edited by William S. McFeely and Mary Drake McFeely.

by B. H. Liddell Hart.

1990 by Robert A. Doughty.

Quote courtesy Richard E Simpkin and John Erickson, Deep Battle: The Brainchild of Marshal

Quote courtesy George S. Patton, Military Essays and Articles by George S. Patton, Jr. General, U.S.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/fchat/3535576/posts?page=12

Acknowledgements

vi ADP 6-0 31 July 2019

Quote reprinted courtesy Erin Johnson, “Schwarzkopf Speaks of Leadership at Symposium,” The

Daily Universe, 21 October 2001. Online https://universe.byu.edu/2001/10/11/schwarzkopf-

speaks-of-leadership-at-symposium/.

Quote courtesy Lt.-Col. Simonds, Commandant, “Address to Canadian Junior War Staff Course,

24 April 1941.” Online https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-

defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official-military-history-

lineages/reports.html.

https://universe.byu.edu/2001/10/11/schwarzkopf-speaks-of-leadership-at-symposium/

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official-military-history-lineages/reports.html

31 July 2019 ADP 6-0 vii

Introduction

This revision to ADP 6-0 represents an evolution of mission command doctrine based upon lessons learned

since 2012. The use of the term mission command to describe multiple things—the warfighting function, the

system, and a philosophy—created unforeseen ambiguity. Mission command replaced command and control,

but in practical application it often meant the same thing. This led to differing expectations among leadership

cohorts regarding the appropriate application of mission command during operations and garrison activities.

Labeling multiple things mission command unintentionally eroded the importance of mission command,

which is critical to the command and control of Army forces across the range of military operations.

Differentiating mission command from command and control provides clarity, allows leaders to focus on

mission command in the context of the missions they execute, and aligns the Army with joint and

multinational partners, all of whom use the term command and control.

Command and control—the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over

assigned and attached forces—is fundamental to the art and science of warfare. No single specialized military

function, either by itself or combined with others, has a purpose without it. Commanders are responsible for

command and control. Through command and control, commanders provide purpose and direction to

integrate all military activities towards a common goal—mission accomplishment. Military operations are

inherently human endeavors, characterized by violence and continuous adaptation by all participants.

Successful execution requires Army forces to make and implement effective decisions faster than enemy

forces. Therefore, the Army has adopted mission command as its approach to command and control that

empowers subordinate decision making and decentralized execution appropriate to the situation.

The nature of operations and the patterns of military history point to the advantages of mission command.

Mission command traces its roots back to the German concept of Auftragstaktik (literally, mission-type

tactics). Auftragstaktik was a result of Prussian military reforms following the defeat of the Prussian army

by Napoleon at the Battle of Jena in 1809. Reformers such as Gerhard von Scharnhorst, August von

Gneisenau, and Helmuth von Moltke sought to develop an approach for planning campaigns and

commanding large armies over extended battlefields. At the heart of the debate was a realization that

subordinate commanders in the field often had a better understanding of what was happening during a battle

than the general staff, and they were more likely to respond effectively to threats and fleeting opportunities

if they were allowed to make decisions based on this knowledge. Subordinate commanders needed the

authority to make decisions and act based on changing situations and unforeseen events not addressed in the

plan. After decades of debate, professionalization of the army, practical application during the

Danish-Prussian War of 1864, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and the Franco-Russian War of 1870,

Auftragstaktik was codified in the 1888 German Drill Regulation.

In Auftragstaktik, commanders issue subordinate commanders a clearly defined goal, the resources to

accomplish the goal, and a time frame to accomplish the goal. Subordinate commanders are then given the

freedom to plan and execute their mission within the higher commander’s intent. During execution,

Auftragstaktik demanded a bias for action within the commander’s intent, and it required leaders to adapt to

the situation as they personally saw it, even if their decisions violated previous guidance or directives. To

operate effectively under this style of command requires a common approach to operations and subordinates

who are competent in their profession and trained in independent decision making.

Aspects of mission command, including commander’s intent, disciplined initiative, mission s, and

mutual trust, have long been part of U.S. Army culture. The most successful U.S. Army commanders have

employed elements of mission command since the 18th century. Grant’s s to Sherman for the campaign

of 1864 and Sherman’s supporting plan are models of clear commander’s intent, mission s, and

understanding based on mutual trust. (See the vignette on page 1-9.) When addressing operations s, the

Army’s 1905 Field Service Regulation contained the following passage that served as an early discussion of

mission s:

Introduction

viii ADP 6-0 31 July 2019

An should not trespass on the province of the subordinate. It should contain

everything which is beyond the independent authority of the subordinate, but nothing more.

When the transmission of s involves a considerable period of time, during which the

situation may change, detailed instructions are to be avoided. The same rule holds when

s may have to be carried out under circumstances which the originator of the

cannot completely forecast; in such cases letters of guidance is more appropriate. It should

lay stress upon the object to be attained, and leave open the means to be employed.

Eisenhower’s general plan and intent for the 1944 invasion of Europe and defeat of Nazi Germany is an

example of mission command that guided Allied forces as they fought their way from Normandy to the Rhine

and beyond. A more recent example is the 3rd Infantry Division’s march to Baghdad in 2003 and the

subsequent “thunder runs” that showed the world that the Iraqi regime was defeated. Retired General David

Perkins (a brigade commander during this operation) writes, “These thunder runs were successful because

the corps and division-level commanders established clear intent in their s and trusted their

subordinates’ judgment and abilities to exercise disciplined initiative in response to a fluid, complex problem,

underwriting the risks that they took.”

Mission command requires tactically and technically competent commanders, staffs, and subordinates

operating in an environment of mutual trust and shared understanding. It requires building effective teams

and a command climate in which commanders encourage subordinates to take risks and exercise disciplined

initiative to seize opportunities and counter threats within the commander’s intent. Through mission s,

commanders focus their subordinates on the purpose of an operation rather than on the details of how to

perform assigned tasks. This allows subordinates the greatest possible freedom of action in the context of a

particular situation. Finally, when delegating authority to subordinates, commanders set the necessary

conditions for success by allocating resources to subordinates based on assigned tasks.

Commanders need support to exercise command and control effectively. At every echelon of command,

commanders are supported by the command and control warfighting function—the related tasks and a system

that enables commanders to synchronize and converge all elements of combat power. Commanders execute

command and control through their staffs and subordinate leaders.

This publication provides fundamental principles on mission command, command and control, and the

command and control warfighting function. Key updates and changes to this version of ADP 6-0 include—

 Combined information from ADP 6-0 and ADRP 6-0 into a single document.

 Command and control reintroduced into Army doctrine.

 An expanded discussion of command and control and its relationship to mission command.

 Revised mission command principles.

 Command and control system reintroduced, along with new tasks, and an updated system

description.

 Expanded discussion of the command and control system.

ADP 6-0 contains 4 chapters:

Chapter 1 provides an overview of mission command, command, and control. It describes the nature of

operations and the Army’s operational concept, and how it is enabled by the mission command. It then

discusses the function of command and control, and how commanders create conditions for mission

command to flourish. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the command and control warfighting

function.

Chapter 2 defines and describes command. It describes the nature of command, provides the elements of

command, describes the role of the commander in operations, and offers guides to effective command.

Chapter 3 defines and describes control and its relationship to command. It discusses the elements of control

and guides to effective control. Finally, this chapter discusses the importance of knowledge management and

information management as they relate to control.

Chapter 4 discusses the command and control system that performs the functions necessary to exercise

command and control. This includes a discussion of the people, processes, networks, and command posts

Introduction

31 July 2019 ADP 6-0 ix

that are components of the command and control system. It also discusses command post design and

organization considerations.

Introductory table-1 lists modified terms and acronyms. The introductory figure-1 on page x illustrates the

ADP 6-0 logic map.

Introductory table-1. New, modified, and removed Army terms

Term or Acronym Remarks

art of command No longer defines term.

authority No longer defines term.

civil considerations ADP 6-0 is now the proponent for the term and modifies the
definition.

command and control Adopts the joint definition.

command and control system New Army definition.

commander’s visualization ADP 6-0 is now the proponent for the term.

common operational picture Modifies the definition.

data New definition.

essential element of friendly information ADP 6-0 is now the proponent for the term and modifies the
definition.

information New definition.

information protection No longer defines term.

information system No longer defines term.

knowledge New term and definition.

key tasks ADP 6-0 is now the proponent for the term.

mission command New Army definition.

mission command system Rescinds term.

mission command warfighting function Rescinds term.

prudent risk Rescinds term.

relevant information New term.

science of control No longer defines term.

situational understanding ADP 6-0 is now the proponent for the term.

understanding New term and definition.

Introduction

x ADP 6-0 31 July 2019

Introductory figure-1. Logic map

31 July 2019 ADP 6-0 1-1

Chapter 1

Introduction to Mission Command

The situations that confront a commander in war are of infinite variety. In spite of the most

careful planning and anticipation, unexpected obstacles, frictions, and mistakes are

common occurrences in battle. A commander must school himself to regard these events

as commonplace and not permit them to frustrate him in the accomplishment of his mission.

FM 100-5, Operations (1941)

This chapter sets the context for understanding mission command and command and

control by describing the nature of operations and summarizing the Army’s operational

concept. It defines and describes mission command as the Army’s approach to

command and control that enables unified land operations. Then it defines and

describes command and control, their relationship to each other, and their elements.

The chapter concludes with a discussion of the command and control warfighting

function.

THE NATURE OF OPERATIONS

1-1. Military operations fall along a competition continuum that spans cooperation to war. Between these
extremes, societies maintain relationships. These relationships include economic competition, political or

ideological tension, and at times armed conflict. Violent power struggles in failed states, along with the

emergence of major regional powers like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea seeking to gain strategic

positions of advantage, present challenges to the joint force. Army forces must be prepared to meet these

challenges across the range of military operations during periods of competition and war.

1-2. The range of military operations is a fundamental construct that helps relate military activities and
operations in scope and purpose against the backdrop of the competition continuum. The potential range of

military activities and operations extends from military engagement, security cooperation, and deterrence, up

through large-scale combat operations in war. Whether countering terrorism as part of a …

Continue to order Get a quote

Calculate the price of your order

Type of paper needed:

Pages:

550 words

Academic level:

We'll send you the first draft for approval by September 11, 2018 at 10:52 AM

Total price:

$26

The price is based on these factors:

Academic level

Number of pages

Urgency

Basic features

Free title page and bibliography
Unlimited revisions
Plagiarism-free guarantee
Money-back guarantee
24/7 support

On-demand options

Writer’s samples
Part-by-part delivery
Overnight delivery
Copies of used sources
Expert Proofreading

Paper format

275 words per page
12 pt Arial/Times New Roman
Double line spacing
Any citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard)

ADP6-0.pdf

Calculate the price of your order

Our guarantees

Money-back guarantee

Zero-plagiarism guarantee

Free-revision policy

Privacy policy

Fair-cooperation guarantee