Romanian Military Thinking

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Romanian Military Thinking ~ 4/2007
understood. Therefore, there are disputes and controversies regarding these issues,
even among experts, which demonstrate both the complexity and the evolutionary
character of the process itself 3 .
The Role and Significance
of Command and Control
Within a military system, command and control are instrumental actions
the commander needs to accomplish his mission.
At strategic level, the command of military operations is generally assigned
to the Operational Command. A correct approach of command and control intimate
nature, scope and characteristics, environment and essential functions is required
in order to increase leadership efficiency.
One of the first questions that arise refers to the importance of command and control
in managing an armed conflict. Could we imagine the development of such an armed
conflict out of a well-organized decisional framework for implementing the appropriate
guidance in exercising control over the confrontation between two opponents with
considerable military potential ? The answer is definitely not. In this case, the military
action would be nothing but a manifestation of primitive violence with the only objective
of total devastation for both sides. Consequently, we may say that command and control
stand as key factors within every military operation or related activities. Command and
control provide the military force with a goal and precise guidance. Well and properly
instrumented, command and control mean more added power or disaster, in case
of any shortfalls. Command and control together support the commander to better employ
the available resources: personnel, information, equipment and time, which is quite
often a crucial element.
Command and Control
~ a Historical Perspective
Attempting to define the essence of command, Frank Snyder 4 notes that, throughout
history, the commander has been asked to answer two fundamental questions: “What
happens ?” and “What should I do facing this situation ?”. The former question refers
to the information gathering process, while the latter one envisages the decision-making
process. These two processes are considered critical by the author, as they substantially
influence the evolution of the military institution towards a hierarchical organization
and a core control.
Throughout the pre-industrial era, when technology did not play such an important
role, commanders made decisions by themselves, based on their own observations.
3 Dr. Pigeau Ross and McCann Carol, Re-Conceptualizing Command and Control, Canadian Military
Journal, 2002.
4 Snyder Frank, Command and Control: The Literature and Commentaries, National Defense
University, 1993.