Command and control
The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Also called C2 [U. S. Department of Defense, p. 41].
The Department of Defense (DOD) defines command and control (C2) as “the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned forces in the accomplishment of the mission.” At its fundamental level, C2 represents how DOD makes operational decisions [Defense Primer: What Is Command and Control? p. 1].
Command and control is the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in accomplishing the mission. Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations to accomplish the mission. Box 3 of the National Security System Identification Checklist should be marked yes if and only if the system's function, operation, or use involve command and control of military forces [Barker, p. 8].
U. S. Department of Defense. (2017). Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms - As Amended Through 15 February 2016 - (Joint Publication 1-02). New York: Skyhorse
Defense Primer: What Is Command and Control? (2022, November 14). FAS Project on Government Secrecy (1991-2021). https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/IF11805.pdf
Barker, W. C. (2003). Guideline for identifying an information system as a national security system. Gaithersburg: National Institute of Standards and Technology