Mission Command Principle

The first Mission Command principle discussed is ‘Create Shared Understanding’. According to ADRP 6-0 shared understanding forms the basis for unity of effort, builds trust, emphasizes coordination, and facilitates information sharing with purpose towards a common goal. It allows collaboration where between two or more people allowing the establishment of human connections that help to understand problems in the operational environment find means to solve them. Throughout this battle Millikin created shared understanding. A perfect example is when the 1st and 2nd battalion started receiving attacks from the Chinese. According to the defensive plan, 1st battalion’s A Company was expected to tie-in sectors with 2nd battalion’s E Company.

The shortcoming was that the area was expansive and battalions could not cover it physically. Millikins had to collaborate with LTC Walton for a common goal of protecting their flanks by ensuring regular patrols in this area. He conferred with LTC Walton to ensure unity of effort in protecting the ridgeline between them. Millikin emphasized the importance of this through his constant physical contact with LTC Walton and especially with increased attacks from the Chinese. Another example exhibition of creating shared understanding was when Millikin received withdraw orders. He understood that it was necessary for him to inform LTC Walton about 1st battalion’s withdrawal plan. He immediately telephoned LTC Walton and reassured him that his battalion would try to hold Unsan long enough for 2nd battalion to withdraw successfully. Millikin understood the operational environment, especially the status of 2nd battalion in the west, and that both had a common goal of withdrawing

ADRP 6-0 asserts that opportunities come with risks and that “prudent risk is a deliberate exposure to potential injury or loss when the commander judges the outcome in terms of mission accomplishment as worth the cost”. An example that reinforces Millikin’s effective application of this mission command principle was when he had arrived at the assembly junction only to find that abandoned vehicles blocked the MSR south to Ipsok. Millikin used the radio of the only operable tank to try and communicate with his regiment and realized that no help was available. He assembled about forty 1st battalion’s men at the fork, ordered the only tank to head towards the roadblock and start clearing. He followed behind the tank with his men. This group came under intense fire from the Chinese forces. This action enabled the group to infiltrate Chines lines, cross the Kuryong River and head south to Ipsok. This decision involved surmountable risk but was key to enabling the men including Millikin to reach Ipsok early the next