Compare and Contrast the Three Categories of Multinational Command Structures

Multinational Command Structures

According to the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms command and control is the "exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission -- Also called C2" Staff officers and enlisted personnel assist commanding officers with the bi-directional flow of information with their subordinate military units. This information categorically represents the basis for command decisions, which are further characterized by effective management of the resources of units.

What is missing in this comprehensive definition of C2 is an explanation of the impact substantive change has this ordered, sustainable system. What, out of all these moving parts, is most disturbed when the overarching plan is significantly altered? How is touted bi-directional flow information impacted when communication becomes less imperfect than usual? Which sources of information must remain stable during the change in order to effectively manage resources and make appropriate command decisions -- and how can that be done? Lieutenant Colonel Wood has stepped into the early stages of a substantive change effort and must -- at once -- grapple with organizational change leadership and combat command.

Assessment

The challenges.

In the Reset phase of the Army Force Generation (ARFOGEN) plan, as Lieutenant Colonel Wood takes prepares for his new command, he is faced with four fundamental categories of issues to address: (1) Train/Ready and Available issues for mission execution; (2) Personnel issues; (3) Equipment procurement, tracking, and accountability; and (4) Leadership development. Undergirding these categories is a constellation of change dynamics as the Army moves toward "modular expeditionary force packages…tailored to joint mission requirements" ("Army Posture Statement," 2010). At the same time that effort is directed at force readiness, the Army is expected to make "institutional adaptations to ARFORGEN [to] maximize potential efficiencies while ensuring effective capabilities are built to support operational requirements" ("Army Posture Statement," 2010). It's a tall order -- it's not surprising that Lieutenant Colonel Wood was greeted with a truckload of exigencies upon his arrival at the 59th HBCT.