Chain of Command

Unity of command and unity of effort are often listed as principles of war. Generic and specific, the term chain of command is widely found in today’s corporate bodies, be they military, bureaucratic, public service, or commercial. With command being both noun and verb, the expression should be understood to conceptualize and categorize the sources and dynamics of military power, as well as methods of decision making within armed forces as a significant institutional fact. Briefly, chains of command indicate the relative positions of superior and subordinate commanders and their command posts and headquarters, often shown in diagrammatic form. A chain of command is also the politico-military and legal means of developing and applying military policy and exercising institutional governance within a constructive and healthy ...