Mission command is the modern style of military command that, in the words of Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, requires a commander to “blend the art of command and the science of control.” In mission command, the commander is the focal point of the operations process. To carry out the operations process successfully, a commander must do the following: understand the operational environment and problem at hand, envision the end state and visualize the nature and design of the operation, direct the joint warfighting functions, constantly assess the process, and lead soldiers by providing direction and motivation. Although mission command is a newly coined term, its principles have been apparent since 1775 when the colonial army was formed.
Following the initiation of the American Revolutionary War, American military troops trapped British forces inside the city of Boston. Lacking the forces necessary to attack the rebels, Gen. Thomas Gage, the British commander, opted to secure the surrounding terrain on the Charleston Peninsula. He hoped to prevent the enemy from capturing the terrain that would enable them to bombard Boston with artillery. Aware of the enemy’s plan, Col. William Prescott led approximately 1,200 soldiers atop Breed’s Hill (originally thought to be Bunker’s Hill) on June 16, 1775, and constructed an earthen redoubt. In response, the British Army deployed 2,300 soldiers to attack the colonials. After three bloody assaults, the British captured Breed’s Hill. Although the British gained control of the Charleston Peninsula, it was a Pyrrhic victory because the end state did not substantially alter the state of the siege. The British lost over a third of their forces, whereas the colonials suffered fewer casualties with only 405. Colonel Prescott, although outmanned and ill-equipped with inexperienced soldiers, successfully executed four of the six principles