text: Chapter 6
  action force into a host nation’s counterinsurgency effort, that force will have to understand the operational
  environment and the commander’s intent. Any mission can have unintended consequences, and this
  includes missions with clear objectives. For example, a direct action mission taken with faulty intelligence
  could result in the deaths of civilians. All commanders have to be empowered to make decisions that
  positively impact mission accomplishment. Whatever operational approach the commander takes and
  however the host nation is supported, mission command is essential.
  6-6. When squads, platoons and companies are distributed over wide areas, they must frequently make
  decisions, and their understanding of the environment is generally better than that of their higher
  headquarters. In an effective counterinsurgency, there is a need for decentralization that puts a premium on
  the higher headquarters establishing a clear commander's intent and providing subordinates with vision and
  guidance particular to an insurgency and a host nation. In a counterinsurgency, commanders must
  effectively execute the art of command, which is the creative and skillful exercise of authority through
  timely decisionmaking and leadership. These decisions often have to be made in a time constrained
  environment. As such, decentralized decisionmaking is essential, and it provides control over the
  operations and activities inherent in a counterinsurgency.
  HEADQUARTERS USE IN COUNTERINSURGENCY
  6-7. While mission command allows for multiple actions to simultaneously occur at every echelon, every
  echelon has an important role in ensuring that the various actions meet the desired end state. Control
  requires a shared understanding of an operational environment and operational approach in a
  counterinsurgency. A lack of effective control over these activities can create gaps that insurgents can
  exploit. For example, if different brigades or different divisions set different prices for weapons buyback
  programs or have different policies on wages, this sometimes creates situations that hamper the overall
  policy. A lack of understanding of the economic variables within a country can produce policies that
  undermine a weapons buyback program or distort the labor market. On the other hand, there might be cases
  in counterinsurgents want to allow a local commander more flexibility in setting such policies. The balance
  between local control and coordination of overall policy is one of the primary challenges facing the
  commanders and staffs of brigades, battalions, and regiments.
  6-8. A commander bases the level of flexibility and coordination of activities and policies on an
  operational environment and a superior commander’s intent. Moreover, the type and experience level of a
  unit may play a role in determining the level of flexibility and coordination. Conditions vary within a
  country or region and the cities and towns within it. For example, while different policies on wages could
  produce a disjointed overall policy, it is also possible that different wages are justified by the economic
  environment in different areas in the country. One city could have low unemployment, while another city
  could have high unemployment. The different conditions in the labor market is something commanders
  should take into account when designing a policy on economic development and hiring local workers. Also,
  an inexperienced unit or a unit that is not performing its traditional mission might have less flexibility than
  an experienced unit performing its traditional mission.
  6-9. In a counterinsurgency, operations are interrelated, and they must support the overall commander’s
  intent. The various activities that different units perform must also work within the operational approach of
  the joint commander. The joint commander is responsible for designing the overall operational approach of
  the counterinsurgency campaign. The joint commander has to ensure that that various activities being
  performed will meet stated United States (U.S.) policy goals. Subordinate commanders ensure that their
  operational approaches and activities fit within the overall operational approach. The combination of
  tactical actions must produce a strategic result, and every echelon of command shares a responsibility for
  ensuring that this occurs. Commanders must understand the end state and the ramifications of their actions
  in meeting that end state. The commander drives the operations process. The commander’s staff must
  ensure that the commander understands the operational environment and can visualize the
  battlefield/battlespace. This is accomplished through staff action during mission analysis. However,
  because a counterinsurgency environment is complex, situational understanding is continually developing.
  Understanding what counterinsurgents should do is more important than doing tasks that may be
  counterproductive. Also, constant engagement of key leaders with the population is essential to enhancing