Essay on Victory at Tarin Kwot: US Army & Anti-Taliban Forces Win Great Mission

Introduction

The victory at Tarin Kwot was the accomplishment of a great mission organized by the US army and anti- Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The scheme of the war was aimed at withdrawing the power of Taliban forces. Tarin Work was referred to as the core of the Taliban militia; all the leaders of this organization were based in this place as well as their families. This victory was achieved through the application of the six principles of mission attacks; the leaders involved utilized their leadership skills to plan for attacks. Mission command tactics are more important in war; they form a system that provides proper decision making and vision for achieving goals. It was well applied in the war against Taliban militia, which leads to great success. This approach is described as the most skillful and creative technique, which is based on authoritative exercise, leadership, and decision making (Fox, 2017). This paper provides the analysis of the victory at Tarin Kwot based on the application of the six principles of mission command.

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Overview

The battle of Tarin involved a coalition of the united states special forces from the Operational Detergent-Alphas ODA and anti-Taliban forces. The operation was organized against Taliban forces. Good leadership and the use of mission command played an important role in achieving the objectives of the operation. According to the US, army command is defined as a strategic and skillful operation which is authorized and timely planned.

Leadership, on the other hand, is an approach for influencing the people and providing direction, the purpose of the mission and motivating them in achieving the mission. Effective application of these aspects played an important role in the victory at Tarin Kwot. The operation involved a tough decision to make because American forces were outnumbered by the Taliban forces. The capability to protect Tarin Kwot was not predictable. The victory came as a surprise when the people from Tarin Kwot rose against the Taliban (Fox, 2017). This enabled American special forces to develop a strategic plan based to proceed with the mission with the help of mission command. The philosophy of mission command is based on six principles. During this war, effective mission command was established; it required mutual trust among the participants and united action associates, which included the commander, the subordinate armed forces, and the multinational partners.

Mission Command

Mission command is a straightforward strategy with the main objective being that the forces must understand the desired status of the mission at the end of the work. It defines the reasons as to why the desired state of the mission is important and the consequences of the mission. Mission command served a great role in accomplishing the mission of the acquisition of Tarin Kwot. Mission command required forces to know the direction of their move in order to keep them progressing (Whitford, 2015). During the mission, the soldiers worked towards achieving the mission despite the challenges that arose in the field. The commander made a decision based on the desired outcomes. There were several tiny decisions to be made along the way. Mission command environment helped to the leader to make proper decisions each time, the incidences of decision making showed a sense of the effective application of leadership skills. Colonel Barth played an important role in the implementation of the six principles of mission command. As leaders, Karzai and the leader of ODA (captain Jason Amerine) sat down to plot an operation to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan (Whitford, 2015). He ensured that all of his fellow soldiers and other subordinates operated according to the law of war and competence.

Six Principles of Mission Command

Mission command principles help the commanders to blend the art of command and their ability to control forces. Effective application of these principles requires concise and deliberate approach (Gunther, 2015). During the war in Tarin Kwot, these principles created a platform for shared understanding based on the commander's orders and intend as well as the objectives of the mission.

Build Cohesive Teams Through Mutual Trust

This is the one the essential principles in mission command; it involves developing trust among the team and creating a cohesive environment to ensure effective operation. This aspect contributed to the victory at Tarin Kwot. Trust is important for accepting the possible risks involved in a mission and developing discipline initiative fearlessly.

Create Shared Understanding

In every organization, leaders always struggle to create understanding by aligning their efforts and that of the staffs with the mission. It is created and implemented through a productive and consistent dialogue in all levels (Whitford, 2015). Leaders who are put in charge must consult higher leadership, subordinates, and their pears in order to build a culture of collaboration. This principle was greatly used in achieving this victory.

Provide Clear Commander's Intent

The intention of the commander must be concise and clear; it must explain the requirements of the leaders regarding accomplishing the mission and the reasons behind it. This helps to provide a clear focus and the purpose of the operation as per the desired results of the military operation. ODAs participation in the victory at Tarin Kwot involved the utilization of this principle in collaboration with other fighters.

Exercise Disciplined Initiative

US army describes discipline initiative as a way of playing a role in military operation without orders; this happens when the given orders no longer suited to the operation. This principle also helps in handling unforeseen threats or opportunities (Gunther, 2015). Colonel Barth applied this principle to ensure a successful mission to collaborating with his colloquies and subordinates.

Use Mission Orders

This principle is one of the critical aspects in mission command approach; the orders must be directive and focused on achieving the mission. The aim is to give as much direction as required to achieve the mission. During the war to conquer Tarin Kwot, the leaders developed plans to achieve this mission, and despite challenges, they were able to achieve their mission successfully.

Accept Prudent Risk

During an operation, prudent risks are fundamental in mission command operation and have to be accepted. Making reasonable and concise estimates is one of the leadership skills that is required in a mission however the commander is not able to eliminate all the possible risks that may arise during the mission and therefore accepting these risks is necessary (Gunther, 2015). This principle helped in achieving the mission's objectives during the war against the Taliban forces, Colonel and his subordinates adjusted to the obstacles which arose during the mission.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the coalition between ODAs and Anti- Taliban forces contributed to the victory of Tarin Kwot in Afghanistan. This war involved many challenges; however, the team managed to accomplish their mission as a result of the effective leadership skills and proper application of the six principles of mission command. This philosophy is a doctrine that has helped soldiers in accomplishing their missions. It acts as the best way to deal with most of the conditions in the field of military operations based on predictable and unpredictable outcomes.

References

Evans, A. M. D. (2016). War: a matter of principles. Springer.

Fox, A. C. (2017). Cutting Our Feet to Fit the Shoes: An Analysis of Mission Command in the US Army. Military Review, 97(1), 49.

Gunther, M. M. J. (2015). Auftragstaktik: The basis for modern military command. Pickle Partners Publishing.

Whitford, A. (2015). The Path to Mission Command. Military Review, 95(3), 40.