al, as an "effect desired", includes not only
the effect desired of him by higher authority, but also the effect
which his immediate superior desires to be accomplished by that
superior's entire force.

Occasionally, full appreciation of the commander's objective will
require, also, consideration of the further effects desired by yet
higher successive echelons.

The natural requirement is that the goal be so clearly defined as to
obviate any material doubt as to the implications involved in the
commander's assigned objective. When the goal has been thus defined,
there results a linking of effect and further effect, of objective and
further objective,--in short, of task and purpose,--the importance of
which has previously been emphasized (page 48).

In making notation of this further objective for the solution of
problems typical of the first step, the commander normally sets down
the general plan of his immediate superior for the employment of the
latter's entire force. When the linking of objective to objective,
echelon by echelon, has involved no complication, the immediate
superior's general plan will be a sufficient indication of the
purpose for which the commander is to carry out his task.

(4) Formulation of the Mission.

The linking of the commander's assigned task to the general plan of
his immediate superior permits the commander to formulate his mission
(page 87). His assigned task becomes the task of his mission; his
superior's general plan becomes the purpose of his mission. In this
manner he crystallizes into a clear statement the part of the common
effort which he is to carry out, indicating the assigned objective he
is himself to attain, as well as the further objective to whose
attainment his effort is to contribute.

In establishing the basis for solution of his problem with respect to
suitability, the commander may have considered his assigned objective
before studying his situation. If so, he may now desire to modify his
earlier statement of that objective, before incorporating it in the
formulation of his mission, to the end that a more clear-cut and
concise expression may be obtained.

The relationship (restated from page 87 for emphasis) is expressed in
the following;

My assigned task is to be accomplished for the purpose of
carrying out my designated part of my superior's general plan.

This formula is customarily simplified to the following:

(Task) (statement of the ass