ADP 5-0 provides doctrine on the operations process. It describes fundamentals for effective planning, preparing, executing, and assessing operations. It describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, employ the operations process to understand situations, make decisions, direct action, and lead forces to mission accomplishment. To comprehend doctrine contained in ADP 5-0, readers should first understand the fundamentals of unified land operations described in ADP 3-0. As the operations process is the framework for the exercise of command and control, readers should also understand the fundamentals of command and control and mission command described in ADP 6-0. Readers must also understand how the Army ethic guides decision making throughout the operations process (see Army doctrine on the Army profession).
Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0 presents the Army's guidance on command, control, and the mission command warfighting function. This publication concisely describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, combine the art of command and the science of control to understand situations, make decisions, direct action, and accomplish missions. The principal audience for ADP 6-0 is all professionals within the Army. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine on command and control of joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable U.S., international, and, in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and the rules of engagement. ADP 6-0 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.
ADP 6-22 describes enduring concepts of leadership through the core competencies and attributes required of leaders of all cohorts and all organizations, regardless of mission or setting. These principles reflect decades of experience and validated scientific knowledge.An ideal Army leader serves as a role model through strong intellect, physical presence, professional competence, and moral character. An Army leader is able and willing to act decisively, within superior leaders' intent and purpose, and in the organization's best interests. Army leaders recognize that organizations, built on mutual trust and confidence, accomplish missions. Every member of the Army, military or civilian, is part of a team and functions in the role of leader and subordinate. Being a good subordinate is part of being an effective leader. Leaders do not just lead subordinates--they also lead other leaders. Leaders are not limited to just those designated by position, rank, or authority.
ADP 3-0, Operations, constitutes the Army's view of how to conduct prompt and sustained operations across multiple domains, and it sets the foundation for developing other principles, tactics, techniques, and procedures detailed in subordinate doctrine publications. It articulates the Army's operational doctrine for unified land operations. ADP 3-0 accounts for the uncertainty of operations and recognizes that a military operation is a human undertaking. Additionally, this publication is the foundation for training and Army education system curricula related to unified land operations. The principal audience for ADP 3-0 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force (JTF) or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will use this publication as well.
The doctrine discussed in this manual is nested with ADP 3-0, Operations, and describes the sustainment warfighting function. The endurance of Army forces is primarily a function of their sustainment and is essential to retaining and exploiting the initiative. Sustainment provides the support necessary to maintain operations until mission accomplishment. The relationship between sustainment and operation is depicted in introductory figure-1 on page vi.Sustainment must be integrated and synchronized with operations at every level to include those of our joint and multinational partners. Sustainment depends on joint and strategic links for strategic airlift, sealift, intratheater airlift, and strategic and theater-level supply support. Sustainment depends on our host nation (HN) partners to provide infrastructure and logistics support necessary to ensure both maneuver forces and followon sustainment are delivered to right place, at the right time, and in an operable condition.
This manual, Army Doctrine Publication ADP 6-0 Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces July 2019, provides a discussion of the fundamentals of mission command, command and control, and the command and control warfighting function. It describes how commanders, supported by their staffs, combine the art and science of command and control to understand situations, make decisions, direct actions, and lead forces toward mission accomplishment.The doctrine in ADP 6-0 forms the foundation for command and control tactics, techniques, and procedures.For an explanation of these tactics and procedures, see FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations. For an explanation of the techniques associated with command and control, see ATP 6-0.5, Command Post Organization and Operations, as well as other supporting techniques publications.The principal audience for ADP 6-0 is Army commanders, leaders, and unit staffs. Mission command demands more from subordinates at all levels, and understanding and practicing the mission command principles during operations and garrison activities are imperative for all members of the Army Profession.This revision to ADP 6-0 represents an evolution of mission command doctrine based upon lessons learned since 2012. The use of the term mission command to describe multiple things-the warfighting function, the system, and a philosophy-created unforeseen ambiguity. Mission command replaced command and control, but in practical application it often meant the same thing. This led to differing expectations among leadership cohorts regarding the appropriate application of mission command during operations and garrison activities. Labeling multiple things mission command unintentionally eroded the importance of mission command, which is critical to the command and control of Army forces across the range of military operations. Differentiating mission command from command and control provides clarity, allows leaders to focus on mission command in the context of the missions they execute, and aligns the Army with joint and multinational partners, all of whom use the term command and control.Command and control-the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces-is fundamental to the art and science of warfare. No single specialized military function, either by itself or combined with others, has a purpose without it. Commanders are responsible for command and control. Through command and control, commanders provide purpose and direction to integrate all military activities towards a common goal-mission accomplishment. Military operations are inherently human endeavors, characterized by violence and continuous adaptation by all participants. Successful execution requires Army forces to make and implement effective decisions faster than enemy forces. Therefore, the Army has adopted mission command as its approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision making and decentralized execution appropriate to the situation.
The U.S. military does not believe its soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines should be engaged in combat with adversaries on a "level playing field." Our combat individuals enter engagements to win. To that end, the United States has used its technical prowess and industrial capability to develop decisive weapons that overmatch those of potential enemies. In its current engagement-what has been identified as an "era of persistent conflict"- the nation's most important weapon is the dismounted soldier operating in small units. Today's soldier must be prepared to contend with both regular and irregular adversaries. Results in Iraq and Afghanistan show that, while the U.S. soldier is a formidable fighter, the contemporary suite of equipment and support does not afford the same high degree of overmatch capability exhibited by large weapons platforms-yet it is the soldier who ultimately will play the decisive role in restoring stability. Making the Soldier Decisive on Future Battlefields establishes the technical requirements for overmatch capability for dismounted soldiers operating individually or in small units. It prescribes technological and organizational capabilities needed to make the dismounted soldier a decisive weapon in a changing, uncertain, and complex future environment and provides the Army with 15 recommendations on how to focus its efforts to enable the soldier and tactical small unit (TSU) to achieve overmatch.
BSS6 is the sixth edition of The Battle Staff SMARTbook, completely updated for 2020. Updated material includes the full scope of new material from ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (Jul `19); ADP 6-0, Mission Command (Jul `19); FM 3-0 (w/Change 1), Operations (Dec `17); FM 6-0 (w/change 2), Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (Apr `16); ATP 2-01.3, Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (Mar `19); ADP 3-19, Fires (Jul `19); ATP 3-60, Targeting (May `15); ATP 5-19 (w/change 1), Risk Management (Apr `14); and ADP 1-02, Terms and Military Symbols (Aug `19); and more.
The Army embraced knowledge management (KM) as a discipline in 2003. How the Army manages information and facilitates the movement of knowledge has changed dramatically in recent years. This includes the growth of KM within the Army and refinement of associated technology-both hardware and software. Recognizing that the ability to efficiently manage knowledge is essential to effective mission command, the Army authorized the Army Knowledge Management Qualification Course (AKMQ-C), with additional skill identifier (ASI) to prepare Soldiers for KM's complex challenges. KM sections at brigade through theater army headquarters now work with commanders and staffs to help manage knowledge within their organizations; bridging the art of command and the science of control through KM. KM can be summarized in the phrase "Know, Show, Grow!" Know = tacit "head knowledge"; Show = knowledge that is written down and documented (explicit knowledge) to be shared with others; Grow = collaboration toward innovation which sparks new knowledge. What individuals and small elements know that could help others cannot be widely shared without the means to share it. The sheer volume of available information makes it difficult to identify and use that which is relevant. Knowledge management provides the means to efficiently share knowledge, thus enabling shared understanding and learning within organizations. To do this, KM creates, organizes, applies, and transfers knowledge and information between authorized people. It seeks to align people, processes, and tools-to include information technology-within the organization to continuously capture, maintain, and re-use key information and lessons learned to help units learn and adapt and improve mission performance. KM enhances an organization's ability to detect and remove obstacles to knowledge flow, thereby fostering mission success. Because collaboration is the key contributor to KM, it is imperative that everyone be involved in the process, from the generating force that trains and sustains the Soldier to the operating force, which ensures Soldiers survive and thrive every day in every circumstance or location. The contributions of everyone are important because anyone may be the source of an idea that may become the catalyst for a solution that accomplishes missions and saves lives. Though the focus of this document is operations, KM can be used by organizations and individuals to accomplish many tasks. This manual and its successors are intended to provide the guidance on how to use KM successfully to benefit Soldiers at the tip of the spear as well as commanders and staff, in present and future operational environments, in an era of persistent conflict. This manual, "Knowledge Management Operations," provides doctrinal knowledge management (KM) guidance. It provides doctrine for the organization and operations of the KM section, and establishes the doctrinal principles, tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary to effectively integrate KM into the operations of brigades and higher. FM 6-01.1 applies to KM activities in Army headquarters from brigade through Army service component command. ("Brigade" includes brigade combat teams, support brigades, functional brigades, and multifunctional brigades.) It applies to the KM section as well as to commanders, staffs, and Army leaders who will have a role in improving KM effectiveness or implementing KM procedures in their organizations. FM 6-01.1 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. The Army currently leads the effort to develop doctrine for KM; thus Army headquarters serving as the headquarters of a joint force land component command or joint task force may adapt this field manual with appropriate modifications until joint doctrine or guidance is provided.
