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Operation Anaconda Essay

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Introduction Operation Anaconda had many shortcomings throughout the Operation Enduring Freedom Campaign. Many military scholars have commented on how the results of the operation contributed to the loss of trust between different branches of service during that time. The operation took place on March 2, 2002 where Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck commanded the 10th Mountain Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF). Combined Joint Task Force Mountain was comprised of forces from the Army, Marines, Navy, Airforce, Special Forces, International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), and Afghan Forces. One of the shortcomings was the failure to produce clear and concise guidance before the execution of the mission. This included the fact that commanders …show more content…

In Army Doctrine Reference Publication 6-0 it states, “unit organization should ensure reasonable span of control to include the number of subordinates or activities under a single commander.”- (ADRP 6-0, pg. 2-16). This means that when assigning units, commanders need the appropriate level of authority and support based on their portion of the mission. Operation Anaconda’s organizational structure did not complement the use of this theme. Due to the absence of a proper task organization, there was a lack of coordination between forces assigned to the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) and Special Operations Force (SOF) code-named Black. The JSOTF was a Joint Task Force that controlled of Task Force Dagger, Task Force K-Bar, and three Afghan attached Task Forces. When Operation Anaconda started, the JSOTF coordinated AC-130 Airstrikes that conflicted with SOF Black. Due to improper alignment of the organizational structure, both the JSPTF and SOF Black received degraded support from AC-130 air assets due to the Combined Joint Task Force not having overall Tactical Control. Had the CJTF commander been the coordinating official for both the JSOTF and SOF Black, this would not have happened. To understand this, we must break down the roles and responsibilities between a Combined Joint Task Force and a Joint Task

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Principles Of Mission Command: Operation Anaconda. SSG Alicea-Sevilla, Manuel Army Sustainment University SLC: 91/94 CMF Class 23-024 SFC Hercules & Mr. Burger Date:20230428 Introduction/Abstract The essay analyzes the application of the seven command principles by the United States military during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan in 2002. Primarily, an analysis on General Hagenbeck's operational leadership and decision-making through the lens of the seven command principles to evaluate the extent to which he adhered to them.

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Operation Anaconda In March 2002, the US military launched Operation Anaconda in the eastern part of Afghanistan's Shahikot Valley. The operation aimed to destroy the Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces that had been involved in attacks against coalition forces and Afghan civilians. The success of any military operation is based on its adherence to the seven principles of mission command outlined in ADP 6-0. I will now explain and analyze how Operation Anaconda failed or passed the seven principles of Mission Command.

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Thesis Statement Operation Anaconda was a military operation that took place in the Shahikot Valley of Afghanistan. It occurred during the beginning of the war against terrorism in March of 2002. The intent of this operation was to push enemy Taliban and al Qaeda out of the region with possibility of capturing some of the enemies’ top leaders. The battle was ultimately a success; however, this outcome came only after many significant issues within mission command. Despite careful planning and a strong military force, the failure of the command structure during this operation can be attributed to inadequate communication, a lack of flexibility, and a failure to account for the terrain and enemy capability.

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Task Force Mountain and the U.S. Air Forces shared knowledge that the operation needed collaboration to make the mission

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The different military branches took pride in their ability to integrate and work together cohesively not only with themselves, but with coalition forces as well. More importantly, the deployment of air and ground operations was a success because of their knowledge and expertise to adapt to changes in the mountainous terrain. Overall, Operation Anaconda put forth a tremendous level of competence in coordinating, planning, and executing the mission at hand, which contributed to its success by being effective. Mission Orders should be straight forward and to the point so that the Commanders intent provides flexibility to his or her subordinates and be able to adapt to change in conditions very easily. In this case the enemy in Shah Ikot Valley were based on a false intelligence estimate, and they were heavily armed.

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By definition, “mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations,” according to ADRP 5-0. Mission command is about knowing when to change the task to fit the purpose. This paper is intended to analyze the mission command of one side of the battle, focusing on the commander’s role in the operations process. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the most important battle of the American Revolution because of Colonel Prescott’s superior command and control.

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This was an Army lead operation in the Shah-i-Kot valley. The enemy mounted a strong resistance from the high ground making it difficult for the United States Military to advance. This operation resulted in 8 American casualties. Lambeth blasts the Army’s plan for Anaconda explain several problems citing the lack of communication between the Army and Air Force as the main reason. He also states that some believe the Army intentionally left out the air services of other branches of the military so it could take more credit for the operation.

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Accessing Operation Anaconda Case Study Using Mission Command Principles Operation Anaconda was a very pivotal moment for the conflict in Afghanistan and how the American Military structured itself. In the process of learning lessons about the importance of using mission command principles when conducting large-scale operations, the American Military made significant changes to the way they conduct large-scale operations. The operation has several elements that are both good and bad for every Soldier to learn from and understand. Using the mission command principles commanders’ intent, mutual trust, and disciplined initiative. I will analyze what went right, wrong, and what could have been prevented in the 17-day operation.

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