Summary: Operational Thinking and Command in the Bundeswehr on the Way to a Combat Army
Christian Millotat
Classic operational command in modern forms is necessary both in combat missions and in peace missions. Operational command is the military command echelon translating political intentions and military-strategic guidelines to directives and orders for subordinated command levels. It defines objectives, develops courses of action, puts them into drafts and plans, and coordinates the necessary measures on the theatre of military actions. It is tied neither to a certain echelon nor to a certain military strength. This definition points out clearly that its former attachments to echelons and strength have been dropped. An operational echelon exists whenever political and military-strategic guidelines are to be put into action.
During crisis management within the extended task spectrum of the Bundeswehr - in peace missions and in fighting against international terrorism - the operational plan regulates the assembly of forces which are deployed in modules as per order according to the "task force” principle. Their strength and their capabilities represent results of international negotiations. The operational plan regulates deployment, sustainability, redeployment, and restoration of operational readiness of these forces, but it does not regulate their employment in the operation area, as this is a task of the "operational control” of an international commander.
The modified demands, how environment, forces and information determine command and control of operational leaders, have been described in a modern and detailed way in command and control rules and regulations. So far, however, there has been a lack of instructions, such as measures for the reconstruction of an operational area, the so-called "nation building”, which has to be sparked off by directives from the political-strategic level, and put into action by the subordinated levels.
During the Kosovo mission commanders were faced with the problem to be forced to act, at the same time or in succession, on the political-strategic, the military-strategic, the operational, and the tactical levels. Thus, for instance, during contacts with politicians in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, they had to act on the political-strategic level, while developing new structures for the Kosovo Force on the military-strategic and operational levels, and while controlling the multinational brigades on the tactical level. To aggravate the situation, the tactical level in Kosovo had to act without an operational plan during "nation building”, which was the reason for the fact that many of these activities did not really help rebuilding the province.
Successful operational command needs intellectual independence, determination to act, and the flexibility to both find temporary help and overcome unexpected situations. Operational command, however, will be able fulfil its task as a "hinge” between the military-strategic and the tactical levels only if it is permanently developed and aligned to new circumstances.
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