4. {50 points} “Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations” (ADP 6-0). Pick a single character from the book. How did this individual apply the six (6) principles of mission command to enable mission success? Alternatively, you can pick a single character from the book and show how the failure to apply the six (6) principles of mission command caused mission failure. [Do not do both – success and failure.]
The six principles that guide mission command are: Build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create shared understanding, provide a clear commander’s…show more content… His inability to use these six principles cost him and the Marines dearly. He lost not only the faith of his subordinates, but also the lives of many American troops.
5. ESSAY QUESTIONS {80 points}. Answer 2 of the 4 questions below. Only two answers will be graded. Each question is worth 40 points and only a total of 80 points is possible for this section.
• {40 points} Consider the scene and dilemma described on pages 253-258. What is the conflict that 2LT Mellas faces? What options did 2LT Mellas have? What would you have done? Why? Identify a point later in the book that this decision/experience influences 2LT Mellas’ thought process. How and why did it influence his thoughts process?
I have never experienced the horrors of battle directly. However, through watching videos and reading books, I can only imagine the horrors that accompany war. Surely one of the most distressing features of war happens when soldiers are extremely wounded in combat. If there is no prospect of medical cure, should they be left to suffer hopelessly? It is up to leaders to make the difficult decisions that accompany these…show more content… When Lieutenant Colonel Simpson and Major Blakely first discussed the mission, they decided it should be Bravo Company because they needed to “redeem their honor and get their pride back.” (458) When the order gets to Mellas, tensions are very high for obvious reasons. However, later on, Mellas learns that Fitch had a decision in the assault (559). He learned that Delta Company was able to take Matterhorn, yet Fitch volunteered Bravo.
Bravo Company had not been performing very well, and I think that Fitch wanted to save face for himself by conducting the mission. If I were Fitch, I would have let Delta Company take Matterhorn. I would have made this decision because I would consider all that my troops had been through. They were tired, hungry, sick, and had suffered tremendous loss. They were in no shape, physical or mental, for the mission.
If I were Mellas I would feel extremely frustrated if I found out that Fitch had been given a choice. I’m not sure I would be as understanding as Mellas, because he also would have