Abstract
What does command look like in mission formations, those temporary, often ad hoc, military configurations established for a specific mission (Introduction, this volume)? In this chapter, I chart out the main characteristics of such command at the tactical level. My work follows King’s (2019) masterful analysis of contemporary divisions; he suggests that, in the 21st century, the command includes the executive role of making decisions, the managerial function of coordinating components to achieve the most effective results and the leadership part, centering on creating a common purpose and motivation. As my empirical exemplification I will use two documentary volumes published by the Swedish Centre for Studies of Armed Forces and Society (Tillberg & Tillberg, 2013; Tillberg et al., 2017). The two books consist of excerpts from interviews and conversations with officers and troops from the Swedish armed forces who had been posted abroad around the world since the 1990s. I use these sources both because they are rich in information and insights and because the missions that Sweden participated in fall squarely within the “New” or “Hybrid” Wars of the 21st century (Hoffman, 2007; Kaldor, 2001; Munkler, 2005). To be clear, however, I use these qualitative data sets to think through and illustrate my wider argument about tactical military command today.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Military Mission Formations and Hybrid Wars |
Subtitle of host publication | New Sociological Perspectives |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
Pages | 91-103 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781000207484 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780367427153 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2020 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 selection and editorial matter, Thomas Vladimir Brønd, Uzi Ben-Shalom and Eyal Ben-Ari; individual chapters, the contributors.