Command in the Objective Force

This paper seeks to answer what type of command will best serve the Army's Objective Force in gaining the initiative, building momentum, and exploiting success to achieve land dominance in the future by synchronizing forces and by making better decisions than an opponent. Current U.S. Army doctrine outlines two variations of command in Field Manual 6-0, Command and Control; mission command and detailed command. Throughout this manual, there is a high degree of emphasis upon mission command. The U.S. Army is currently transforming to the Objective Force and continues the emphasis upon mission command as the dominant type of command. The Objective Force contains many new concepts and will field new systems that will take advantage of information age technology. The Objective Force command and control system will have multiple, interconnected sensors, live video feeds, and automatic, multi-echelon data sharing that will allow all levels to access a common operational picture (COP), thus enhancing or ensuring situational understanding throughout the force. This monograph uses both Joint and Army Vision statements to provide information of what the future force's capabilities will be and how the Objective Force is expected to accomplish its missions.