Army operations are complex and involve various stakeholders and departments. However, for effective operations, there will be are various operational elements required. Some of these elements include the functional approach adopted, the course of action development, the operational environment, and Mission Command. All of these operational elements ensure that army operations are successful and attain their objectives.
The course provided in-depth knowledge and understanding of various enabling learning objectives (ELOs). One of the ELOs is the role of the senior NCO within two of the five domains of multi-domain operations. The senior NCO acts as an advisor, and they will be involved in the consideration and recommendation of factors that mitigate or minimize personnel and equipment losses during operations on land. Decisions by the NCO are based on historical data and their experiences (Department of the Army, 2012). Some of the strategies used include conducting land domain operations such as striking, maneuver, and intelligence activities, all of which are elements of close combat battle. Additionally, they should also assess the air domain and the capabilities and threats faced from this front. While the senior NCO is undertaking their duties, they will work in close collaboration with the commander and provide them with operational training through virtual classrooms or hands-on encounters.
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Another ELO relates to the operational approach and the processes that are involved. Within the army setup, commanders have the role of designing the mission instructions while taking into account their experience and knowledge. For commanders to be effective at their role, there should be mutual trust between them and other officers, which will enable their juniors to follow instructions. Having a good operational approach is, therefore, important since it helps in the development of a perfect framework, which leads to the production of executable orders by combining the objectives to particular tactical activities (Department of the Army, 2019). Various stages are involved in an operational approach. The first is planning, which provides an opportunity to assess the problem and the desired outcomes. The second stage consists of the preparation activities that are performed to ensure the smooth implementation of the entire operation. Activities at this stage include the briefs, training, and rehearsals. The final step is the execution phase. At this phase, designated personnel implement the plans and make any necessary adjustments. A critical individual in regards to the operational approach is the Operations Sergeant Major, who oversees the entire process. He uses the information provided to control the operation and monitor its progress while ensuring all the units involved are working towards a common goal.
A critical lesson was the course of action development, which focuses on the best strategies to implement issued commands. There are also several steps involved in this process. The first is the assessment of fundamental factors such as the enemy’s strengths and the level of threat that they pose to the organization. The second phase is analyzing operational variables and strategizing the positive counteractions (Department of the Army, 2012). The third step involves preparation, by the formulation of guidelines that facilitate the execution of the operation. At this stage, the Operations Sergeant Major has the task of assigning duties based on one’s skillset. Finally, friendly forces execute the military operation.
The course also provided knowledge on mission command and its relationship with military operations. Mission command facilitates the resolution of conflicts through various principles. These principles include shared understanding, mutual trust, risk acceptance, competence, commander’s intent, shared understanding, and disciplined initiative. Under Mission Command, commanders have the task of ensuring that all the subordinates can design and execute decisions and to ensure that discipline is maintained. The performance of such subordinates will be assessed based on their ability to be creative and also execute and follow orders from their superiors. Based on the principle of Mission Command, both physically and mentally competency is required of all leaders so that they can handle their assigned responsibilities. Some critical aspects of Mission Command include control and command. Control refers to the structure of various functions and forces within the army, while command deals with the aspects of authority, leadership, responsibility, and decision-making.
The concept of framing the operational environment is also vital for military operations. The commander has to assess issues that can have both a positive and negative effect on a particular military operation. Some of the necessary details when evaluating the operational environment includes the physical features and the society within a specific region (Department of the Army, 2019). These factors will be involved in the planning process, which enables the inclusion of all the relevant variables in the mission. The Operations Sergeant Major assesses the operational environment. He is also directly involved in the understanding of the operational environment and execution of the laid out strategies and evaluating them to ensure they are successful.
There is also a close relationship between the principles of Mission Control and the war-time fighting functions that are under control and command. The command and control aspects of Mission Control ensure that junior officers understand the objectives of various missions while giving them some element of flexibility while ensuring they abide by the project guidelines. In all of these circumstances, the commander leads the operations to ensure the attainment of the Mission Command objectives.
References
Department of the Army. (2012). The Operations Process (ADP 5-0). Army Doctrine Publication.
Department of the Army. (2019). Intelligence Preparation of the Battle ( ATP 2-01.3 ). Army Doctrine Publication.
Department of the Army. (2012). Mission Command: Command and Control of the Army Forces (ADP 6-0). Army Doctrine Publication.
Department of the Army. (2019). Operations (ADP 3-0). Army Doctrine Publication.
