DECISION MAKING COMMANDERS: A DYING BREED?

Boston, Massachusetts June 17, 1775

American patriots under the command of General Artemas Ward are being attacked by a numerically superior force of experienced British soldiers. Dug in atop Bunker Hill the patriots are running low on ammunition and supplies after several British attacks. Every shot the patriots make needs to count. As the British mass for a new assault the American commander sends a runner to seek permission from General Washington, miles away, to order his men not to shoot until they "see the whites of their eyes". Permission is granted but the word fails to reach the patriots in time.......and they run out of ammunition.

Off the coast of Scotland, September 23, 1779

John Paul Jones, the commander of fleet of American naval vessels faces a superior British fleet in numbers and armaments. Jones' own vessel is afire and badly damaged. The British naval commander offers to accept the American surrender. Admiral Jones mentions to his men that he has "not yet begun to fight" but defers to higher command the decision to do so. The British take advantage during this lull and triumph.

New Orleans, December, 1814

It is the waning days of the War of 1812 a major battle is shaping up between British and American forces south and east of New Orleans. The Americans are a motley crew of regular Army troops, volunteers and pirates commanded by Colonel Andrew Jackson. Again the British have an experienced force of professional soldiers led by seasoned officers. On the eve of one major encounter between the forces Colonel Jackson receives a report. He turns to his officers and says "the British are below, we must fight them tonight." He seeks permission from a higher command to join the British in battle. Unfortunately by the time his orders are confirmed the British break camp and move on. The Battle of New Orleans never occurs. The War of 1812 drones on for years.

Over the Solomon Islands April 18, 1943

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is on an aerial inspection over Bougainville Island. Ever since he masterminded the attack on Pearl Harbor and engineered the emergence of a modern Japanese Navy the United States targeted him. President Roosevelt himself told Secretary of Navy Frank Knox to "get Yamamoto."

On April 18, 1943 several Army Air Corps P-38's are in the air over the Solomon Islands searching for Japanese to prey on. Yamamoto's flight was intercepted by the American P-38's. Because of intercepted radio communication by the flight the American pilots felt that this Japanese aircraft might be carrying Admiral Yamamoto.

The lead airman immediately radios higher command to get permission to engage the enemy aircraft. However, due to atmospheric conditions radio traffic that distance was not possible. Not wanting to supersede orders the Japanese aircraft slips away and Yamamoto remains in command of his forces.

The War in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2007

We all know that the example cited above were not the way events played themselves out. At Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill, okay?) the commander did manage to conserve ammunition by only firing when the enemy was at close quarters. John Paul Jones did lead his fleet on to victory, his fight was not over with. Colonel Jackson did engage the British at New Orleans and the Americans prevailed. And finally, the aircraft carrying Admiral Yamamoto was shot down. Japan was headed for defeat.

These lapses did not occur for several good reasons. Paramount among these reasons is that fact that these commanders had decision making powers over their immediate tactical battlefield situation. Unfortunately, in the present day situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of the decision making powers have been stripped from the battlefield commanders. Permission to engage the enemy has to be granted from higher up in many situations today to a laughable degree.

In Afghanistan, prior to Operation Anaconda in the Shiakot Valley, helicopter pilots had to ask permission from commanders, as far away as Dohar, Kuwait or Tampa, Florida to engage clear enemy targets. Also in Afghanistan, in late 2001 and early 2002, Usama bin Laden was able to escape because the ground commanders desire to use American forces in the battle were declined by higher ups in Washington D.C.

Remember the first battle of Fallujah in Iraq? The Marines were in battle with insurgents for several days and the enemy was about to end their resistance when Washington ordered the Marines to stand down for 2 days before resuming the battle....the insurgents used the 2 days to slip away. Examples no doubt abound indicating that the decision making powers of ground commanders have been greatly eroded.

I believe that stripping the ground commanders of the ability to make these battlefield decisions indicates that we have not made the decision to be victorious. If this is the case, why are we fighting?
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