General Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army opened the two-day Mission Command Symposium, Kansas City, Mo., June 19-20. He presented his vision of Mission Command, and why it is so important to the future of the Army. He said that with the current environment changing so rapidly, commanders cannot cope by implementing a tight centralized control of their units. Instead, commanders who use mission command principles will empower adaptive leaders, build trust relationships with Soldiers, and keep the Army ahead of the changing environment.
