Training for Decisive Action: Stories of Mission Command. Collected Insights from Commanders and Leaders on their Experience at the National Training Center.

摘要

Better than a decade ago the Army Research Institute in cooperation with the School for Command Preparation at Fort Leavenworth published a collection of stories entitled 66 Stories of Battle Command. The fact that there were 66 stories is not significant. There could have been more many more. The fact that it was a collection of stories is significant not only in the experiences shared in the stories, but the willingness of Army leaders to share their experiences, good and bad with whoever chose to read them. Stories are some of the purest forms of learning. If done correctly, they capture the imagination of the listener in ways that lead to development and growth. As General Fred Franks Jr., US Army Retired said in the introduction to the first edition of 66 Stories of Battle Command The commander who shares his experiences, good and bad, encourages a climate of open exchange and honest appraisal. These stories are valuable. They stimulate, they enrich, they teach. The same is no less true today, and we have a very rich decade of stories to tell that are centered on the mission of the United States Army to fight and win our Nation s wars. The Army s doctrine has evolved over the past decade due in large part to experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our terminology has evolved as well. What was Battle Command is now referred to as Mission Command with an entire doctrinal volume dedicated to its discussion and definition. Doctrine, however, is of little use unless it is put into practice. The stories in this volume are about Mission Command applied to specific circumstance. There is much to be learned in the process. The stories in this particular volume are important not only in what they say, but also in what they suggest for the Army's future.