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The qualities of commanders and their ideas are more important to a general theory of command and control than are the technical and architectural qualities of their computers and communications systems. This theory separates the art of command and control (C2) from the hardware and software systems that support C2. It centers on the idea of a command concept, a commander's vision of a military operation that informs the making of command decisions during that operation. The theory suggests that the essential communications up and down the chain of command can (and should) be limited to disseminating, verifying, or modifying command concepts. The theory also suggests, as an extreme case, that an ideal command concept is one that is so prescient, sound, and fully conveyed to subordinates that it would allow the commander to leave the battlefield before the battle commences, with no adverse effect upon the out-come. This report advances a theory about military command and control. Then, through six historical case studies of modern battles, it explores the implications of the theory both for the professional development of commanders and for the design and evaluation of command and control architectures. The report should be of interest to members of the Joint Staff and the services involved in developing command and control doctrine for the U.S. military, and to all of those interested in the military art and science of command and control.
Table of Contents
Preface
Figures
Summary
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
The Context of Command and Command Concepts
Chapter Three
Master of the Game: Nimitz at Midway
Chapter Four
The Technician: Guderian'S Breakthrough at Sedan
Chapter Five
Technology'S Child: Schwarzkopf and Operation Desert Storm
Chapter Six
The Visionary: Macarthur at Inchon
Chapter Seven
No Time for Reflection: Moore at Ia Drang
Chapter Eight
Structurally Deficient: Montgomery at Market-Garden
Chapter Nine
Summing Up: Command Concepts and the Historical Record
Appendix
Alternative Models of Command and Control
Bibliography
Research conducted by
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