Operation Anaconda

Appraisal of Operation Anaconda

Kugler (2007) states that Operation Anaconda was the first large-scale battle to be carried out as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, which incorporated joint efforts between Special Forces and multinational partners. These forces worked together in Shahi Kot Vallley in Afghanistan in 2002. The battle took place in a rugged mountainous terrain with extremely complex circumstances for the soldiers. In addition to the complex terrain, the soldiers also experienced numerous challenges that contributed to the failure of the mission. Since then, Operation Anaconda has been used to provide significant lessons in the military. Based on Operation Anaconda case study, this paper appraises the battle using the six principles of mission command. Through these principals, the paper provides insights on what could have contributed to the failure of Operation Anaconda.

Analysis of Operation Anaconda Using the Six Principles

Military commanders have traditionally used variations of two basic concepts of command in different operations i.e. mission command and detailed command (Army Doctrine Reference Publication, 2014). However, the most preferred concept or style is mission command, which has been utilized since the 1980s. Mission command is preferred by military commanders since it helps leaders to overcome intrinsic challenges associated with unified land operations. Mission command is defined as the exercise of authority and direction by the military commander through the use of mission orders that focus on disciplined initiative. The mission orders are issued in line with the commander’s intention to empower adaptive and agile leaders when conducting unified land operations. The army’s approach to mission command entails unifying the philosophy of command and warfighting function in order to be effective and successful in the specific operation.

As an important component of military operations, mission command has six principles that help guide the decisions and orders of the military commander. These six principles of mission command are building cohesive teams through mutual trust, creating shared understanding, providing a clear commander’s intent, exercising disciplined initiative, using mission orders, and accepting prudent risk. The principles are applied on the premise that mission command decentralizes decision-making authority while empowering subordinates the freedom of action.

Building cohesive teams through mutual trust is regarded as an important principle in mission command since military commanders build teams through their leadership when conducting unified operations. In this regard, mutual trust is defined as shared confidence among the various stakeholders involved in the operation including commanders, subordinates, and partners. Since building trust takes time, the actions of these stakeholders determine whether trust is…

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…weaknesses. As part of accepting prudent risk, commanders focus on generating opportunities instead of simply preventing defeat. In Operation Anaconda, the process of accepting prudent risk commenced with intelligence gathering. However, the commanders experienced significant challenges in intelligence gathering since they did not conform to theories of information-age battles. Additionally, it is unclear whether commanders used risk assessment and risk management techniques to determine potential risks for engaging in the operation and how to mitigate the risks.

In conclusion, Operation Anaconda remains to be one of the major operations in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2002. This operation has continued to provide significant insights for military commanders and personnel on how to conduct joint operations. As shown in this discussion, Operation Anaconda was based on mission command concept of conducting unified military operations against an enemy. Mission command is based on six principles, which are crucial toward the success of an operation. Despite being based on mission command, Operation Anaconda did not adhere or comply to these principles.









References

Army Doctrine Reference Publication. (2014). Mission Command. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://armypubs.us.army.mil/doctrine/index.html

Kugler, R. (2007). Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan – A Case Study of Adaptation in Battle. Retrieved March…