Command and Control, Warfighting Functions, and Army Maintenance Study Guide

Definition and Foundations of Command and Control

• Command and Control (C2): The exercise of authority and responsibility by a designated commander over their subordinates.
• The Dual Nature of C2: Command and control is described as a "double-edged sword" consisting of two primary pillars:
  • Authority: The power given to a leader by a higher authority to tell subordinates what to do and how to do it.
  • Responsibility: The obligation to ensure soldiers are taken care of, families are ready, and personnel are medically fit and trained to the standard at all times.
• The Focal Point: The commander is the absolute focal point of command and control. What drives command and control is the Commander's Intent.
• Readiness Factors: Beyond warrior tests and drills, readiness includes medical readiness and family readiness.

The Command and Control Warfighting Function

• Definition: The command and control warfighting function consists of the related tasks and a system that enables commanders to synchronize and converge all elements of combat power.
• Core Tasks and Focus: According to ADP $6-0$ (dated $07/31/2019$), specifically around paragraphs $1-99$ or $1-93$, the four primary tasks are:
  1. Command forces.
  2. Control operations.
  3. Drive the operations process.
  4. Establish the command and control system.
• Principles of Mission Command: These principles are contained within the warfighting functions and are essential leadership components that integrate information and mission command.
• Combat Power:
  • Combat power is used to sustain operations and conceptualize capabilities in combined arms operations.
  • It assists commanders in integrating elements such as maneuver, intelligence, fire, protection, sustainment, and leadership.
  • Operations must incorporate simultaneous offense, defense, stability, and DSCA (Defense Support of Civil Authorities).

The Command and Control System Components

• The Physical Location: The Command Post (CP) provides the physical location for the three other components: people, processes, and networks.
• The Components Explained:
  • People: The most important component. Includes commanders, seconds in command (deputy commanders, assistant commanders, or executive officers), Command Sergeants Major (CSMs), staff, and liaison officers. Human nature and skill are uniquely exploited in C2; technology and AI cannot function without the human aspect.
  • Processes: A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a specific end. They govern actions within the C2 system to make it effective. Examples include the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP), Rapid Response Planning Process (RDP), Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), and Risk Management.
  • Networks: A grouping of interconnected things (end-user applications, information services, and transport management) that collect, process, store, display, disseminate, and protect information worldwide.
  • Command Posts (CP): These can be vehicles, containers, tents, or buildings.

Command Post Operations and Functions

• Command Post Types at Battalion Level:
  • Main Command Post.
  • Tactical Command Post (TAC).
  • Combat Trains Command Post (CTCP).
  • Field Trains Command Post (FTCP).
• Core CP Functions:
  1. Knowledge Management: Gathering information from local forces and other units to meet the commander's intent.
  2. Situational Awareness: Battle tracking, reporting, and maintaining a constant flow of information through a set battle rhythm.
  3. Controlling Operations: Delegating authority to the deputy commander, XO, staff, and senior NCOs so the unit can operate based on disciplined initiative without the commander's physical presence.
  4. Assessing Operations: Constant reassessment of mission success and pivoting as needed.
  5. Coordination: Internal and external crosstalk between squads, platoons, or civilian authorities and host nations.
  6. Administration: Maintaining setup/teardown standards, security, and personnel management for $24$-hour operations (including sleep and stress management).

Denied, Degraded, and Disrupted Space Operational Environment (D3SOE)

• Context: Modern military operations assume that peer threats (like Russia and China) will attempt to deny specific space capabilities, particularly air and communications.
• Space-Based Capabilities:
  • SATCOM: Satellite Communications (non-lethal, under the Electromagnetic Spectrum).
  • PNT: Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.
  • ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance.
• Line of Sight (LOS) Communication Systems:
  • ASIPS: Traditional radio; can be unreliable in deep vegetation.
  • Blue Force Trackers (BFT): Interactive live grids for secure, encrypted information and GPS.
  • Hardwires and Landlines.
  • Satellite Phones.
• Communication Factors: Commanders must consider the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS), GPS jammers, Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP), cyber-attacks, lasers, vegetation, and solar weather.
• The PACE Plan: Essential for medical operations (moving casualties from Roll $1$ to Roll $4$):
  • P: Primary.
  • A: Alternate.
  • C: Contingency.
  • E: Emergency.
• Technology Systems: Evolution from CPOF (Command Post of the Future) to CPCE (Command Post Computing Environment) and ATAC systems. Other systems include WIN-T (Warfighter Information Network-Tactical) and GCCS-A (Global Command and Control System-Army).

Army Maintenance Program

• Purpose: Maintenance is critical for readiness and the success of the Army in the field. Equipment failure in the field is a point of personal embarrassment and a failure of responsibility.
• NCO Responsibility: NCOs must be physically present during maintenance, not just directing soldiers to do it. They must instill a sense of pride and ownership in equipment.
• Technical Manuals (TM): TMs must always be used to ensure maintenance is done in the right order and to the correct standard (how to check, when to check).
• Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS):
  • Required before, during, and after any movement.
  • Conducted weekly, monthly, and annually.
  • DA Form 5988-E: Used to document faults. Failure to document faults can lead to catastrophic accidents, such as vehicle explosions in high heat due to tire cracks.
• Maintenance Checks: Includes checking tire tread (wear bars), checking for leaks under the vehicle (getting on more than one knee), and checking fluid levels/colors via crosshatches.
• Key Regulations: AR 750-1 and DA PAM 750-1.

Questions & Discussion

Q: What is the focal point of command and control?
A: The commander. While readiness and missions are important, the commander and the commander's intent are what drive the system.

Q: What happens if soldiers do not trust their leaders in the C2 system?
A: If subordinates do not trust the leader, they will not trust the decisions made. Training and promoting leader qualities are essential for establishing a functional C2 system.

Q: Are we currently in an engagement regarding D3SOE?
A: Yes. Near-peer adversaries are currently resourcing commercially available satellite images and pulling data from cell phones to target and disrupt systems. It is an active environment of engagement.

Q: Does AI replace the human element of C2?
A: No. While AI can adapt and learn, humans program it and power it. The human aspect remains essential for technology and network operations, particularly regarding cybersecurity and specialized personnel like the $25$-series soldiers.