Military Decision Making Process, Essay Example

Introduction

The military decision-making process (MDMP) is essentially a militarized version of problem-solving approach through analytical means. The approach helps the staff and commander to develop estimates and achieve an effective implementation of an operation.  In essence, it assists the commander and his staff to hypothesize and analyze a combat situation and come up with consistent decisions (Department of the Army, 1997). This paper examines how NCO staff anticipates the outcome of ongoing operations to conceive strategies for follow-on missions, and the characteristics of NCO staff, necessary leader attributes and core competencies. It also explores the processes necessary for planning and executing a mission, how TLP works into the MDMP and the impact as well as the roles and responsibilities of each G or S staff.

How NCO Staff Anticipates the Outcome of Ongoing Operations

The noncommissioned officer (NCO) corps can anticipate the outcome of ongoing operations through situational analysis. Situational awareness is concerned with understanding their capability and that of the enemy, the environment, and the terrain. Therefore, through situational analysis, they can develop concepts for a follow-on mission using situational awareness information, which enables them to understand the situation as the source of information to anticipate the outcome of the current operations (Department of the Army, 1997).

Alternatively, through their cognitive abilities, the NCO staff also use the information and orders they receive from the commander or commissioned officers to anticipate an outcome of an ongoing operation. The commander focuses on recognition and anticipation of the battlefield activities to make a decision and act faster than the adversary. By using their cognitive capabilities, they can deduce the orders and information into instructions needed to accomplish the mission. The orders they are given from their superiors indicates what’s expected of them.

They also rely on their visualization abilities to anticipate the outcome of an ongoing operation. To accomplish a mission, it is vital for the commander and the NCO staff to have a capacity to visualize the current combat and the combat zone as a whole. Accordingly, the commander needs to plainly articulate what he has visualized to his subordinates to make sure that there is an optimal implementation of his concept of the operation. As a result, the NCO staff can anticipate the current battle using the information the commander provides regarding his visualization (Department of the Army, 1997).

Essential Characteristics of NCO Staff, Necessary Leader Attributes, and Core Competencies

NCO staff should be both agile and fast in action in order to be available at any time they are needed. The commander and commissioned officers depend on their ability to be agile and fast to efficiently focus on recognition and anticipation of the battlefield activities so as to make faster decisions and act faster than the adversary. They also need to be flexible, as this allows them to change depending on the situation.

NCO staff has to take own initiative. By taking own initiative, it implies taking a necessary action whenever required even when not given an order. It also implies handling new and unexpected scenarios by acting promptly. For instance, it may include the pragmatic and timely use of assigning of resources to get something done when the standard materials or procedures are unavailable.

NCO staff also needs to be decisive and to execute their tasks professionally and accomplish them competently. Hence, they need to be decisive, which means that they should be able to make clear decisions fast, obtain all facts and evaluate their credibility. The commander also depends on the ability of the NCO staff to be fast to process information in order to communicate his decision to the NCO staff away that rapidly focuses the required capabilities in the command to accomplish the will of the commander over an adversary at the right time and place (Department of the Army, 1997).

The NCO staff should also have the capacity to process and analyze information faster. In the military, the staff is mainly organized, and processes for decision-making are also set up to assists in the faster collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of information in a manner that is palatable to the commander. Accordingly, the commander will need to depend on the NCO staff to process and understand the information on events at the battlefield faster than the enemy. After making a decision, the commander would still rely on the NCO staff to pass the decision to subordinates in ways that facilitate rapid focus on the vital capabilities in the command to accomplish the vision of the commander at the right time and place.

As part of leadership attributes, NCOs need to have a clear vision and to influence others to commit to their vision and comply with their plan. They also need to be trustworthy and loyal to their superiors, as this determines their dependability (Department of the Army, 1997).

The Processes Necessary for Planning and Executing a Mission

The first step involves receiving a new mission from the headquarters or higher command. It may also begin from anticipating a new mission, based on information derived from a current operation.

The second step involved analyzing the mission. This stage allows the commander and his staff to visualize the battlefield or combat zone. The significance of this step is to determine the tactical constraints and to determine appropriate tactics and counter-tactics that can be used against the enemy (Department of the Army, 2011).

The third stage involves reviewing of facts and postulations. During this processes, the commander guides his staff in cyclically reviewing accessible facts and postulations regarding the battlefield, and assess the impacts of their tactics during the mission, and ultimately make adjustments where necessary. It may include analyzing the order from higher authority, undertaking intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB), assessing accessible resources, undertaking risk assessment and planning how time will be used during the actual mission (Department of the Army, 2011).

The next step involves developing a course of action by the staff. The course of action analysis allows commanders and staffs to discover any coordination problems and the likely implication of each planned action (Department of the Army, 2011). The focus is on the creativity of the staff and generation of a comprehensive plan for the mission within the time limit. Mission analysis offers the information necessary for developing courses of action, which help decide the most suitable way to accomplish a mission (Department of the Army, 2005).

The fifth stage involves analyzing the courses of action devised by the staff. The idea is to identify a course of action that can effectively accomplish the mission with minimal casualties. It assists the commander and his subordinates to identify who combat power should be optimized to gain strategic advantages over the enemy and to minimize collateral damage. It also helps to anticipate the events of the battlefield (Department of the Army, 1997).

The sixth stage involves comparing the courses of action. Each member of staff analyses and evaluates the advantages and drawbacks of each course of action from their perspective before presenting own findings to other members to consider.

In the final stage, the commander makes a decision. After the courses of action have been analyzed and compared, the staff makes a decision on the best course of action, which they recommend to the commander. In case the staff is unable to make a decision, the commander makes a decision on the course of action that should be adopted (Department of the Army, 1997).

How TLP Works into the MDMP and the Impact and Importance of Step 8

Troop leading procedures (TLP) consists of a dynamic process that small-unit leaders used and which is characteristically not used in organizations with staffs. The MDMP is intended for use at the higher hierarchy or at the headquarters by commanders and with staffs to offer a logical progression of decisions. Conversely, the TLP is used at the lower tactical stratum at company level for planning and preparing for an operation (Department of the Army, 2005). Therefore, in the military decision-making process, TLP is significant in effective planning of the operations process to effectively complement the military decision-making process (MDMP). Essentially, TLP is essential for effective planning and preparation of effective mission operations.

Step 8 of the TLP is concerned with supervision. The step is significant as it makes sure that the platoon is well prepared for a mission through try-outs and inspections. It also ensures that the right weapons and ammunitions are inspected, along with the platoon’s uniforms. During these processes, soldiers get to understand the mission in addition to their designated roles and responsibilities. Overall, the TLP provides a commander with the checklist for proper preparation of his soldiers to enable them to carry out a tactical mission (Department of the Army, 1997).

The Roles and Responsibilities of Each G or S Staff

The military has special staff officers, with special duties and supportive functions to the military. The G1 or (S1) staff, such as the Public Affairs Officer (PAO), offers the commander personal legal advisor on issues that affect the discipline or order of the command.  They provide legal advice on areas of law, such as criminal law, administrative law, environmental law, contract law, and operational law. G2 (S2) staff are responsible for providing the military with vital information regarding subversive people. G3 (S3), such as the Air Defense Coordinator (ADCOORD), are responsible for coordination of staff responsibilities during air combats and issues regarding providing early warning to the command.  The G4 (S4), such as Transportation Officer (TO), is responsible for coordination of transport for assets or during an operation. The G5 (S5) staff is responsible for preparing the civil-military operations (CMO) estimates on the underlying circumstances of an operation.  The G6 (S6) staff, on the other hand, is in charge of preparing the communications estimates regarding the underlying circumstances of an operation (Department of the Army, 1997).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the staff assists the commander to anticipate the outcome of ongoing operations through situational analysis, make logical decisions and to implement the decisions effectively during an operation. To accomplish a mission, it is vital for the commander and his staff to effectively visualize the current combat and the combat zone as a whole and to make decisions necessary for a successful mission. In particular, no command decision can be considered to be more significant or unattainable than that capable of leading to a great number of causalities.

References

Department of the Army. (1997). Staff organization and operations. Washington, DC: Department of the Army

Department of the Army. (2005). Army Planning and Orders Production. Washington, DC: Department of the Army

Department of the Army. (2011). Commander and Staff Officer Guide. Washington, DC: Department of the Army