What should unit leaders provide to subordinate leaders when delivering combat orders?

Unit leaders should provide only pertinent facts from higher headquarters when delivering combat orders to subordinate leaders. This approach ensures that the information conveyed is focused and relevant, enabling subordinate leaders to understand the current operational context and the directives necessary for effective execution of their responsibilities. By filtering out extraneous details, leaders can enhance clarity and minimize confusion, allowing subordinate leaders to concentrate on the mission at hand.

Providing relevant facts helps subordinate leaders make informed decisions and fosters a common understanding of the command's intent. This is critical in combat situations where time is sensitive, and decisions must be made quickly and efficiently.

In contrast, providing a detailed backlog of all orders could overwhelm subordinate leaders with unnecessary information that detracts from their ability to make timely and strategic decisions. Similarly, historical context about past missions might not always be relevant to the current operation, potentially leading to outdated tactics or misunderstandings of the current battlefield dynamics. A 'one-size-fits-all' order lacks the nuance needed for different situations and can result in inappropriate application of strategies that are not tailored to the current mission's specific requirements. Therefore, focusing on pertinent facts strikes a balance between clarity and comprehensiveness crucial for effective communication in a combat environment.