Mission Command Activities Of Lead Direct Analysis

Applying the Mission Command Activities of Lead, Direct, and Assess to the Rebuilding of Mosul The mission command activities of lead, direct, and assess are tools that a commander will use to help make decisions, interpret results, and stay up to date on current and future operations. Using this framework during the occupation and rebuilding of Mosul, Iraq, General Petraeus kept within his higher commander’s guidance and successfully reestablished basic services and security to the city. After toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Petraeus and the 101st Airborne Division undertook the task of rebuilding and restoring order to the populous city of Mosul. Utilizing
During the course of action analysis portion of MDMP, the commander will issue guidance that sets the framework for successful mission completion. This typically includes the “mission, the commander’s intent, current dispositions and freedom of action, commander’s critical information requirements (CCIR’S), and limiting factors” (FM 6.0, pg. 14-6). Most initial guidance is direct in nature, but is flexible enough to anticipate contingencies. When Petraeus decided to not only give his commanders on the ground the ability to make their own decisions; he also listened to, and in most cases, accepted their recommendations. His goal was to give his commanders enough information that they understood his intent, but also allowed them the freedom to adjust to unforeseeable
His first efforts revolved around getting influential local leaders involved in the security of their city. One of the first entreaties he made towards this effort was to meet with over forty retired Iraqi generals to enlist their help in securing the city (Accidental Statesman, pg. 7). Soon after speaking with the generals, he then began to identify local leaders within the population, trying to figure out who controlled what aspect of the city. To develop this information he started identifying local tribe chiefs, prominent businessmen, judicial leaders, and teachers (Accidental Statesman, pg.7). He realized early in the process that he would also have to play a role in mediation to the multiple religious and ethnic groups present in the city and surrounding area, and that this meant that he would have to take the lead in some instances. The overarching goal was to make the Iraqi people trust him and his soldiers which he accomplished by following through on his promises and by showing