McMaster continued the demanding training regimen to prepare this unit for the fight he believed was ahead. McMaster, Eagle Troop’s Commander, demanded his troop execute challenging and realistic training in Germany before deploying to the Middle East (Guardia, 2015). To develop this high level of competence, Capt. A competent Soldier has the confidence to take the initiative and seize opportunities or mitigate risks. This article analyzes competence and risk acceptance and how each were applied during the battle against a numerically superior force.Ī Soldier's competence level is vital to every mission command principle. Overall, mission command follows seven principles (competence, mutual trust, shared understanding, commander’s intent, mission orders, disciplined initiative, and risk acceptance) which allow Soldiers to make decisions at the point of execution to take advantage of opportunities or mitigate risks. In essence, commanders ensure their intent is fully understood, allowing subordinates to act without waiting on permission from higher echelons. Army (DA, 2019a) defines mission command as “the Army’s approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision making and centralized execution appropriate to the situation” (p.

This article will examine mission command principles, the elements of command and control, and the warfighting functions used at the Battle of 73 Easting.

Furthermore, Eagle Troop successfully conducted unified land operations to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative.

Eagle Troop’s use of the principles of mission command and effective command and control directly attributed to its decisive victory against overwhelming odds. On February 26, 1991, Iraqi tanks and armored personnel carriers heavily outnumbered Eagle Troop, Second Squadron, Second Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) as the two forces met at the Battle of 73 Easting (Guardia, 2015). The Iraqi Republican Guard and their T-72s were no match for the superior firepower of the M1A1 Abrams. M1A1 Abrams of the 3rd Armored Division move out on a mission during Operation Desert Storm.

Modern great tank battle utube