How Did Julius Caesar Use Mission Command

Throughout time constant communication was key to winning battles, especially in today’s modern military. Every commander must know what goes on, when, where and how constantly in order to effectively control their units. However, constant communication is never certain, and it is up every subordinate to be prepared to make on decisions on the spot in the mission. The United States army currently uses Mission Command, which is defined by ADRP 6-0 as 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.” (2012)Under mission command leaders are guided by these principles: building cohesive teams through trust, creating shared understanding, clear commanders intent, exercise disciplined initiative, use mission order and accepting prudent risk. Even though the Army has favored this concept since the 1980s, the principles of mission command can definitely be seen before its conception. Going way back before the internet, radios, and telephones where …show more content…
Julius Caesar was ahead of his time utilizing most principles of mission command. Whether it was leading through the front or through letters to achieve various victories such as Gaul, Spain and the Roman Civil War, he exercised them before they would be conceived for almost another two-thousand years. Using numerous sources and writings from the Roman historian, Suetonius, we can conclude that he had all of what was mentioned, leading from the front and afar. It is shown that Julius Caesar has used some of the principles of mission command unknowingly, most notably, building cohesive teams, creating shared understandings, providing clear intent, and especially exercising disciplined initiative. All of this made Julius Caesar an all-around effective leader that made him legend throughout