Differentiate 'command' and 'control' in C2.

• A. Command is authority to direct; control is the system of processes and communications to implement directions.
• B. Command and control are the same.
• C. Command is the plan; control is execution.
• D. Control is authority to direct; command is the system.

Answer: (A)

In C2, command is the authority to direct forces and make decisions about actions to accomplish missions. Control is the system of processes, communications, and resources that enable those decisions to be carried out and coordinated across the force.

This distinction matters because it separates who has the right to decide from how those decisions are actually implemented. A commander has the authority to issue directions, while control provides the means—plans, orders, networks, procedures, and feedback loops—to execute and synchronize those directions across units.

For example, a commander may decide to move a maneuver element to an objective. Control ensures the movement is planned, orders are issued and understood, signals and communications are available, and the action is monitored and adjusted as necessary. Without strong command, decisions lack legitimate direction; without strong control, those decisions can’t be effectively enacted or coordinated.

The other options blur or reverse these roles: equating command with the plan is incorrect because planning is a staff function, not the authority to direct; equating control with authority is wrong because control is about the implementation system, not who is authorized to decide; and saying they are the same ignores the clear difference between authority and the systems that execute it.