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| Mission Command Center of Excellence | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Mission Command Center of Excellence |
| Dates | 2010–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Center of Excellence |
| Role | Doctrine development, leader development, training, concept experimentation |
| Garrison | Fort Leavenworth, Kansas |
| Motto | "Mission Command" |
Mission Command Center of Excellence The Mission Command Center of Excellence is a United States Army institution located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, established to advance doctrine, training, and leader development for mission command concepts across Army formations. It serves as a focal point for doctrinal synthesis, capability evaluation, and professional education linked to historical practice and contemporary operations. The center engages with combat developer organizations, academic institutions, and industry to integrate lessons from operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2021), and multinational exercises like Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The center was formed in the aftermath of doctrinal shifts following post-Cold War operations and the counterinsurgency campaigns of the early 21st century. Its creation reflects influences from earlier organizations at Fort Leavenworth and echoes initiatives associated with institutions such as the United States Army Combined Arms Center, the School of Advanced Military Studies, and the Command and General Staff College. The center’s lineage intersects with doctrinal milestones like the publication cycles of Field Manual 3-0 and revisions to ADP 6-0, and it has mirrored organizational reforms seen after assessments by panels like the Center for Strategic and International Studies and commissions such as the Gates Commission-era reviews.
The Mission Command Center of Excellence is charged with articulating and promulgating mission command principles across the force, aligning its work with directives from higher authorities such as the Department of the Army and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Its functions include doctrine development tied to manuals like Doctrine Publication 6-0, leader development programming in coordination with the United States Military Academy, and operational concept refinement influenced by experiences from Multinational Force Iraq and International Security Assistance Force. The center supports capability development for formations from brigade combat teams modeled after 1st Infantry Division concepts to corps-level organizations like III Corps.
The center operates within the structure of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and reports through the United States Army Combined Arms Center. Its leadership cadre has included senior officers drawn from formations such as U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command and the Eighth Army, and it engages civilian subject-matter experts formerly affiliated with organizations such as the RAND Corporation and the Center for a New American Security. Governance incorporates coordination with service-level entities including the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army and interoperability stakeholders like U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The center designs curriculum and leader development modules that influence courses at the Command and General Staff College and inform doctrine revision cycles for publications like ADP 1 and FM 3-21. Training initiatives draw on historical case studies from the Battle of Fallujah (2004), the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), and Cold War-era maneuvers such as Reforger exercises to emphasize decentralized execution and disciplined initiative. Doctrine development leverages wargaming methods derived from practices at the Naval War College and analytical frameworks used by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Located on the Fort Leavenworth campus, the center benefits from proximity to facilities such as the Combined Arms Center–Training complexes, the Inter-American Defense College-adjacent resources, and digital experimentation environments used by organizations like the Army Futures Command. Its capabilities include live, virtual, and constructive training architectures interoperable with systems fielded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, modeling tools used by the Institute for Defense Analyses, and collaboration spaces suitable for multinational staff exercises akin to NATO interoperability events.
The center maintains partnerships with academic institutions including the University of Kansas and the Kansas State University, think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the Brookings Institution, and industry partners in defense innovation ecosystems associated with Silicon Valley firms and prime contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies. Multinational collaboration occurs with partners from NATO allies and coalition partners drawn from exercises with British Army elements, Australian Army contingents, and staff exchanges with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Key initiatives include leader development series that incorporate lessons from Operation Just Cause, mission command experiments linked to modernization efforts at Army Futures Command, and doctrine pilot programs that informed editions of Army Techniques Publication and Field Manual revisions. The center hosts recurring conferences and symposiums with participants from the Joint Staff, the Defense Innovation Unit, and academic communities tied to the National Defense University, producing white papers and case analyses used by combatant commands for operational planning.