Everyone involved in an action needs to know the commander’s intent. The commander’s intent is not just the orders of what a unit or battalion is to do, it also includes the goal or purpose of the mission. The purpose of the commander’s intent is to empower subordinates to be able to achieve the goals of the mission if the circumstances change and they need to adapt.5 If you tell a group of Marines, “Take the enemy airfield,” that is a very different commander’s intent than “Take the enemy airfield so we can use it ourselves.” The commander’s intent clarifies the goal so that all strategies
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