Against Bureaucracy
Richard Adams , PhD
T his article argues against bureaucracy , which is choking the military . It explains how red-tape routine corrodes the deep competence and independence that are critical to mission command , and it portrays the devastating rise of the military bureaucracy as a failure of leadership .
( Graphic by Arin Burgess , Military Review )
The Mission Command Idea
The doctrine of mission command derives from Auftragstaktik , a German army methodology that espouses initiative at lower levels of command . 1 Perceived and realized in the Napoleonic Wars , Auftragstaktik achieved prominence in the German
8 January-February 2017
MILITARY REVIEW