Maneuver and Effect: The Need for Chutes and Ladders Command and Control

Increasingly capable weapons communications and information management systems are transforming the manner in which the U.S. conceptualizes its joint forces. This transformation is merging the services mutual capabilities into two inherently joint combat processes: Effects Based Operations (EBO) and Maneuver Based Operations (MBO), Development of joint command and control (C2) doctrine has proven problematic however leaving the responsibility to the individual military services, Consequently joint component commanders often adopt service-oriented C2 systems and perspectives which conflict with those of assigned or supported forces, An alternative lies in severing the C2 links between component-based command organizations and service-oriented control perspectives and replacing them with process-based organizations and appropriately matched control perspectives Three attributes, Process Based Command, Adaptive Control, and Flexible Combat Tasking form a C2 model represented by a series of successive and short vertical information links which are integrated and coordinated with long direct links between upper and lower organizational echelons, or Chutes and Ladders C2. This recommendation contributes to jointness by synthesizing attributes of Full Spectrum Dominance and by severing links to service-oriented structures and perspectives. As such, it retains the strengths of conceptual and centralized control while reducing conflict by changing the context in which they are applied.