Operation Anaconda and the Six Warfighting Functions

Introduction to Operation Anaconda

Operation Anaconda was the first major joint combat operation of the U.S. war on terror — a conflict the United States was committed to winning. The operation tested the military's readiness for joint operations against a hardened and determined adversary. With forces from multiple nations fighting alongside the various branches of the U.S. military, the operation challenged the ability to conduct joint operations on multiple levels.

Joint functions, also called warfighting functions, are the tasks and systems used by commanders to accomplish missions and objectives. The term "systems" refers to people, organizations, processes, and information. The six warfighting functions — mission command, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment, and protection — are designed to reinforce and complement one another. While each function has its own distinct role, none can be employed effectively in isolation. Operation Anaconda demonstrates how each function supported the others in the pursuit of mission success. The success of the operation was largely attributable to commanders recognizing and acting on the information they received (Fleri, Howard, Hukill, & Searle, 2003). Without reinforcement from the other functions, it would not have been possible for the operation to succeed.

The Six Warfighting Functions Defined

A warfighting function is defined as a group of tasks and systems united by a common purpose, used by commanders to accomplish missions and training objectives. Each of the six functions is distinct yet interdependent.

Mission Command encompasses the tasks and systems that develop and integrate activities enabling a commander to balance the science of control with the art of command. Its aim is to integrate the other warfighting functions into a coherent whole.

Movement and Maneuver concerns the movement and employment of forces to achieve a position of relative advantage over the enemy. Close combat and direct fire are inherent to maneuver. This function also addresses tasks associated with force projection — gaining a position of advantage — and requires movement to disperse or displace the force as a whole or in part (Boyce, DeFalco, Davis, Kober, & Goldberg, 2018).

Intelligence encompasses the tasks and systems that assist commanders in understanding the enemy, civil considerations, and terrain, including adversaries, threats, and weather. It involves collecting information and synchronizing that collection with tactical tasks such as surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence operations, and security. Intelligence development is a continuous process of analyzing information from multiple sources.

Fires denotes the collective and coordinated use of air and missile defense, indirect fires, and joint fires. Army fires systems deliver fires in support of defensive and offensive tasks in order to create lethal and nonlethal effects on the target.

Sustainment provides the support and services necessary to ensure freedom of action, prolong endurance, and extend operational reach. Sustainment determines the depth of all Army operations and is vital for retaining and exploiting the initiative. It provides the support needed to maintain operations until the mission is accomplished (Garcia, 2015).

Protection encompasses the related tasks and systems that preserve the force so that the commander can apply maximum combat power to accomplish the mission. Preserving the force includes protecting the personnel and physical assets of U.S. and multinational civilian and military partners. This function enables the commander to maintain the integrity of the force and its combat power, and it determines the degree to which likely threats will disrupt operations and how those threats will be countered.

How the Functions Reinforce and Complement Each Other

The six warfighting functions are not meant to be used individually; they are designed to work collectively in order to achieve the desired results. For Operation Anaconda, it was essential that each of the six functions operated in concert with the others (Fleri et al., 2003).

Operation Anaconda was a joint forces mission, and there was a notable lack of joint control from the outset. Based on the six warfighting functions, mission command is the most vital aspect and must be inclusive of all forces involved. Mission command determines the placement and movement of forces — and this was a critical weakness in the early stages of Operation Anaconda. From the outset, forces were deployed at the wrong location and were immediately ambushed by the enemy. This failure can be attributed in part to a breakdown in communication between the joint forces.

The intelligence information received had not been properly verified; it indicated that the area was suitable for deployment when it was not. Intelligence information is used to determine the extent of a battle and the strength of the enemy (Canan & Sousa-Poza, 2018). Once that assessment has been made, the movement of troops and the creation of maneuvers are also determined using intelligence. Forced to respond to enemy fire, soldiers maneuvered to fight off the enemy, resulting in some casualties. With sustained fighting, they managed to push back the enemy — clearly demonstrating how the sustainment function complements both intelligence and maneuver.

The operation lasted longer than originally planned, which was only made possible through sustainment. When it became clear that the deployment location was wrong, other forces needed to offer protection to the soldiers on the ground. The fires launched played a vital role in pushing the enemy back and served as a protection mechanism that helped preserve the force.

The level of resistance had been underestimated; Taliban fighters were more than willing to defend their area of operation. The fires function was instrumental in enabling the joint forces to fight and ultimately succeed. The forces also had to secure their base of operations, relying on air support for protection. There was some disconnect initially, but by responding effectively to the challenges faced, the coalition forces were able to overcome those challenges and defeat the enemy.

Conclusion

Each of the six warfighting functions plays a vital role, and they are meant to be used in conjunction with one another rather than individually. The six warfighting functions reinforce and complement each other. Intelligence has been shown to be the most critical function, as it determines the scope of mission command, movement, fires, and protection. While all the functions contribute to mission accomplishment, without accurate and timely information it would be extremely difficult to plan or launch an effective operation. Operation Anaconda clearly demonstrates the importance of incorporating all six functions and interweaving them with one another.

References

Boyce, M. W., DeFalco, J. A., Davis, R. C., Kober, E. K., & Goldberg, B. (2018). Mitigating skill decay in military instruction and enemy analysis via GIFT. Paper presented at the International Conference on Augmented Cognition.

Canan, M., & Sousa-Poza, A. (2018). Integrating cyberspace power into military power in joint operations context. Paper presented at the International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security.

Fleri, E., Howard, E., Hukill, J., & Searle, T. R. (2003). Operation Anaconda case study. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education.

Garcia, D. M. (2015). Fighting in a contested space environment: Training Marines for operations with degraded or denied space-enabled capabilities.