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Intelligence is a fraternity where all work to help each other. -Shipley Thomas, 19401
In June 1993, FM 100-5, Operations, added the concept of battle command to the Army's doctrinal lexicon. That manual described [battle] command as
The art of motivating and directing soldiers and their leaders into action to accomplish missions. Command means visualizing the current and future state of friendly and enemy forces and then formulating concepts of operations to accomplish the mission. 2
General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. (U.S. Army, Retired), in his article "Battle Command: A Commander's Perspective," discusses the art of command. He relates why
this was not so much a desire to change terminology as it was a way to open up fresh thinking that our Army really needed There was not much wrong with command and control C^sup 2^), other than that it came with many Cold War-associated thoughts....In our changed world..there would be no formulas, no set-piece scenarios, no battle books, no familiar terrain akin to the Fulda Gap.3
Battle command requires leaders to perform three key tasks: "visualize the battlefield, assess the situation, and direct the military action required to achieve victory" I Will discuss these key tasks in this article. Battle command applies not only to the commander; it must guide leaders in every battlefield operating system (BOS). Indeed, the effective employment of battle command principles by staff members creates conditions in which the commander can better carry out his responsibilities.
"The commander drives intelligence," 5 but the G2 must direct the intelligence effort based on the commander's guidance. Today's military realities require the G2 to employ the same principles of battle command as those that the "boss" employs. Intelligence battle command requires the G2 (or S2) to visualize the battlefield, direct intelligence actions to support mission accomplishment, and assess the situation. To exercise intelligence battle command for the primary intelligence task of situation development, the G2 distributes or coordinates responsibilities for intelligence collection, production, and reporting requirements in the area of interest. The G2 also provides for effective intelligence handover of enemy activity between friendly echelons in that area.
Visualize the Battlefield
The G2's battlefield visualization encompasses the interaction of significant enemy and environmental activities in view of planned friendly actions, all of which...