Unity of command

For other uses, seeUnity of Command (video game)andUnity of Command (Incident Command System).

Inmilitary organisation,unity of commandis the principle that subordinate members of a structure should all be responsible to a single commander.

United States

Themilitary of the United Statesconsiders unity of command as one of the twelve principles of joint operations:

Unity of command means that all forces operate under a single commander with the requisite authority to direct all forces employed in pursuit of a common purpose. During multinational operations and interagency coordination, unity of command may not be possible, but the requirement for unity of effort becomes paramount. Unity of effort—the coordination and cooperation toward common objectives, even if the participants are not necessarily part of the same command or organization—is the product of successful unified action.

Military problems

When the principle of unity of command is violated problems quickly develop. An example occurred inAfghanistanin 2006 whenCombined Forces Command-Afghanistanpassed control of the ground fight to theInternational Security Assistance Force.This caused the operations to split between several unified commanders in charge ofU.S. Central Command,theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization,and theU.S. Special Operations Command,which caused significant operational problems.

See also

• Chain of command,a clear command structure
• Civilian control of the military
• Command hierarchy
• Division of labor
• Parochialism
• Span of control
• Staff (military)