Armchair General small spacer
Armchair General magazine mastheadGo to Weider History GroupSubscribe to Armchair General MagazineLearn about latest issue of Armchair General

Tactics 101: 027. Commander’s Intent

Rick Baillergeon and John Sutherland | June 13, 2008  | 2 comments  | Print  | E-mail

Subscribe Today

COMMANDER’S INTENT – IT’S A PERSONAL THING
Although it seems like a given – a commander’s intent must be written by the commander. It’s simple; dissect the words – commander’s intent. It does not say executive officer’s (XO) intent or operations officer’s (S3) intent. It says commander’s intent. A commander who tasks one of his staff officers to write his intent is simply a commander on paper. As mentioned earlier in our review of FM 3-0 (2008), “Commanders develop their intent statement personally.”

Perhaps British Field Marshal William Slim, one of World War II’s greatest leaders said it best regarding the topic. He stated:

 
REVIEW
Commander’s intent is a powerful tool when communicated effectively and understood by subordinates. It enables those subordinates to exercise initiative and take advantage of opportunities on the battlefield (as long as they assist in achieving mission accomplishment). It should not be long or contain flowery language that matters little on the battlefield. When the fog of war settles on the battlefield (as it ultimately will), it is a concise, meaningful intent that Soldiers will remember.

Commander’s Intent (WHAT IT IS):
Is a clear and concise statement
Describes what the force must do to be successful
Describes the conditions the force must meet
Describes an end state which defines success is in terms of friendly forces, enemy, terrain, and civil considerations
Focuses the efforts of the staff and subordinates in developing plans and orders.
Written by the commander himself

Commander’s Intent (WHAT IT IS NOT):
A template
A course of action
Tied to a specific course of action
Describe the method of getting from point A to the desired end state
Address acceptable risk

Commander’s Intent is not a template found in an SOP book.

It is not a Course of Action (COA) nor is it tied to a specific COA.

The method is the Concept of the Operation.

Risk is addressed in Commander’s Guidance and in each COA developed

NEXT MONTH
We will continue next month with another powerful tool the commander has at his disposal – commander’s guidance. A well-though out and delivered guidance early in the planning process sets the conditions for mission success. On the other hand, poor guidance or no guidance by the commander leads to an event commonly called a flail-ex!! See you next month!

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  1. 2 Comments to “Tactics 101: 027. Commander’s Intent”

  2. The first bullet point in the intent should be eliminated, as what forces are in our path is of “special interests” not ours.

    Last thing we need is to grabbing ourselves because we are up against the Republican or Special Republican Guard.

    Great article otherwise!

    By Kylen Haseneohrl on Jul 26, 2008 at 3:03 pm

  3. Re commander’s intent: nice to see that this surprisingly modern management concept, which is over a hundred years old, is getting the wide acceptance it deserves.
    I have a couple of questions, though!

    First question: How is ‘commander’s intent’ different from ‘mission’? Cannot /shouldn’t it be integrated?

    Second question: if in your example on page 2 there had been two instead of one scout sergeant, positioned on the opposite flanks of the battalion’s advance and they had both assessed the situation and radioed in to remedy the advance but towards their own (respective) positions, how would that situation be resolved? Company commander who receives the radio call decides, battalion decides?

    By MajorSennef on Feb 14, 2009 at 7:27 am

Post a Comment

Please note that Armchair General Staff cannot respond to requests for research of any type. Please visit our research forum to post research questions. If you have a question about our magazine, please use the contact us form.

Related Articles




Armchair General Spacer

SPONSORED SITES




Armchair General Spacer

OPINION POLL

Q: Which of these two conquerors do you rate as the greatest?

View Results

See previous polls

STAY CONNECTED WITH US

RSS Feed
 
Daily Armchair General Update
 
 

Armchair General on Twitter Armchair General on Myspace Armchair General on Facebook

What is Armchair General?

Armchair General (ACG) and ACG online feature a unique, interactive editorial approach that invites the reader to decide the course of action in challenging historical scenarios, to step into the shoes of a battlefield commander. Leading historians and contributors lend integrity and credibility to this fresh presentation of historical and contemporary events.

Armchair General is the INTERACTIVE history magazine where YOU COMMAND and decide the course of action!

Armchair General's Feedburner Link Get our RSS!
Weider History Group Newsletter Newsletter Signup

What We Write About

Our Other Magazines

Weider History Network:  HistoryNet | Armchair General | Great History | Achtung Panzer!

Copyright © 2004-2008 Armchair General L.L.C., All rights reserved.