Mission Orders: Is Intent the Answer?

This study investigates U. S. Army doctrine for the commander's intent statement. The inclusion of the commander's intent statement as doctrine is traced from the 1982 version of FM 100-5, Operations, to the present. Current doctrine for the intent statement is not specific enough for commanders in the field; however, emerging U.S. Army doctrine is found to be basically sound. The U.S. Army's emerging doctrine contained in FM 101-5, Staff Organization and Operations, is taught at the Army's Command and General Staff College and is commonly accepted as current doctrine. Rotations at the National Training and the Joint Readiness Training Centers provide data for the research. The actions of subordinate leaders are evaluated to determine to what degree the U.S. Army's doctrine for intent allows freedom of action to subordinates. This study concludes that a properly constructed intent statement facilitates the issuance of mission orders. Research found the most useful intent statements address the purpose of the operation, desired end state, and how to achieve the desired end state. Properly formulated and communicated, the commander’s intent statement is a powerful tool which encourages initiative in subordinates.