Command and Control (C2) in Joint Operations: Separate Functions, their Purpose, and Application to Battle Command in the 2lst Century.

Abstract : The command and control function at the operational level is the most important operations function because it ties together the other functions at all levels of war across the range of military operations. Successful command and control is dependent on the commander's judgment, experience, intuition, and leadership abilities Command and control (C2) must be examined as separate functions to understand their role and purpose on the 2010 battlefield. The vital components of command, leadership;and decision-making are critical centralized activities that, if executed properly, inspire subordinates and instill confidence in them. Control, inextricably linked to command, must be decentralized as a rule in order to retain initiative, flexibility, and the freedom of action our subordinate commanders require to be successful. The dynamics of Battle Command, the Army's C2 combat function, are not only applicable to the operational level of war, but they also should be included in our joint doctrine. Leadership, decision-making, assimilation, visualization, conceptualization, and communication are elements of battle command that allow commanders to decentralize control and execution without the loss of their command responsibility. Although information superiority is justifiably critical to our success on the 2010 battlefield, we must pay closer attention to the command and control function. This function and its components will shape our destiny in the 21st century.