Abstract The Battle of Osan was the first ground force engagement, during the Korean War, between United States (US) Army and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s Army. Task Force Smith, the initial US unit sent to the Republic of Korea to delay the advancing North Koreans, executed their mission facing a numerically superior force to the best of their abilities. The bad reputation Task Force Smith earned during this engagement is because of the large loss of its force when the North Koreans overran their positions. If Task Force Smith had better mission command, they would have been more effective in executing their mission, delaying the North Korean’s advancement longer and retreating with more survivors. The thesis or key lesson from the Battle of Osan is poor leadership (specifically inadequate logistics and communications) leads to failure. Logistical and Communication Failure in Osan …show more content…
Task Force (TF) Smith could have coordinated and communicated better to have a greater impact against the North Korean advance into South Korea. Although TF Smith successfully completed their tactical mission, their legacy is tainted because most people do not understand the underlying failures of the leadership. If TF Smith’s Mission Command functioned better, this unit could have delayed the enemy longer, could have had more survivors and could have been celebrated for their