Historic Mission Command in Large Scale Combat Operations: the 80th Infantry Division in the Ardennes

One of the most significant problems facing the United States Army today is the challenge of realizing mission command in large scale combat operations. After years of optimizing command posts for low intensity conflict, processes and procedures vital for mission command may not enable success on the highly lethal and mobile battlefields of the future. Considering the past offers examples when command posts excelled in similar environments. The activities inside of the command post of the 80th Infantry Division that enabled the allies to respond during the Battle of the Bulge offers just such an example. What processes and procedures enabled this division to respond so quickly and so effectively in a highly lethal and mobile environment? (Buller, Thomas T.)