What This Field Means
The principal work the unit is organized or documented to perform.
This identifies the principal kinds of work the unit is organized or documented to perform. It lets users browse by familiar mission communities while allowing one organization to perform more than one function over time.
How to Read It Correctly
Mission function is not the same as capability, domain, organization class, or native type. An aviation unit can provide lift and operate in the air domain; those are related but different assertions.
Example
Infantry, logistics, intelligence, training, engineering, or special operations.
Technical Specification
The database column is [USMIL-Unit].[Unit].[MissionFunction]. Required evidence-derived mission summary. The formal ontology is many-valued, while this flat field currently contains narrative and combined expressions.
Use every supported controlled mission value that materially describes the organization, effective-date the assertions when they changed, and preserve specialized wording in Native Unit Type or evidence rather than inventing uncontrolled mission labels.
| Property | Definition or current value |
|---|---|
| Database column | MissionFunction |
| Column order | 30 |
| SQL data type | nvarchar(1024) |
| Kind of information | Ontology-controlled classification with a scalar Unit-table summary |
| Cardinality | Unit table: one scalar summary per row. Ontology dimension: multiple; time-varying: true. |
| Required | Yes |
| Database default | No database default |
| Key or relationship | None |
| Database check constraint | ([CurrentStatus]=N'Planned' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Status unknown' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Historical' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Inactive' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Current') |
| Live population | 9341 of 9341 Unit records (100%) |
| Distinct nonblank values in the live table | 2041 |
| Live profile measured | September 2, 2026, 20:43 UTC |
Allowed Values and Definitions
The complete active controlled vocabulary is listed below. The ontology is authoritative for normalized options. Narrative or legacy phrases found in the scalar Unit-table column are current data expressions, not additional approved options.
| Ontology property | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ontology dimension | Mission function |
| Dimension number | 28 |
| Ontology definition | Primary and secondary evidenced mission functions. |
| Ontology cardinality | multiple |
| Changes over time | Yes |
| Active controlled options | 20 |
| Canonical option | Code | Plain-language definition | Technical definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | unknown | The evidence reviewed so far does not establish a value. | No supported value is asserted; this is an evidentiary state, not a positive classification. |
| Not applicable | not-applicable | This question does not apply to this kind of unit or relationship. | The dimension is intentionally inapplicable to the subject type; it is not missing data. |
| Unresolved | unresolved | The unit is known, but the available evidence does not yet settle this particular point. | Confirms that resolution remains open after review without asserting a competing value. |
| Needs review | needs-review | The retained evidence needs additional review before a reliable value can be shown. | Places the assertion in a review-required disposition rather than accepting a substantive value. |
| Source conflict | source-conflict | Reliable sources disagree, so the guide preserves the disagreement instead of choosing one silently. | Records an unresolved conflict among retained sources and prevents false canonical certainty. |
| Infantry | infantry | Infantry identifies organizations whose principal function is close combat and control of terrain through dismounted or mounted ground forces. | Controlled mission-function code 'infantry' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Armor | armor | Armor identifies organizations whose principal function centers on protected mobile ground combat using armored systems. | Controlled mission-function code 'armor' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Aviation | aviation | Aviation identifies organizations whose principal function involves military flight operations or direct support of aviation forces. | Controlled mission-function code 'aviation' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Logistics | logistics | Logistics identifies organizations whose principal function is supplying, maintaining, sustaining, and moving forces and materiel. | Controlled mission-function code 'logistics' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Intelligence | intelligence | Intelligence identifies organizations whose principal function is collecting, processing, analyzing, producing, or disseminating intelligence. | Controlled mission-function code 'intelligence' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Cyber | cyber | Cyber identifies organizations whose principal function involves military operations, security, effects, or support in cyberspace. | Controlled mission-function code 'cyber' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Space | space | Space identifies organizations whose principal function involves military space operations, systems, support, or effects. | Controlled mission-function code 'space' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Medical | medical | Medical identifies organizations whose principal function is health protection, treatment, evacuation, medical support, or related clinical service. | Controlled mission-function code 'medical' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Acquisition | acquisition | Acquisition identifies organizations whose principal function is developing, procuring, fielding, or sustaining military systems and capabilities. | Controlled mission-function code 'acquisition' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Training | training | Training identifies organizations whose principal function is developing, instructing, qualifying, or evaluating military personnel or units. | Controlled mission-function code 'training' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Recruiting | recruiting | Recruiting identifies organizations whose principal function is attracting, processing, and accessioning people into military service. | Controlled mission-function code 'recruiting' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Transportation | transportation | Transportation identifies organizations whose principal function is moving personnel, equipment, supplies, or forces through a transportation network. | Controlled mission-function code 'transportation' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Engineering | engineering | Engineering identifies organizations whose principal function includes construction, infrastructure, mobility, countermobility, survivability, or technical engineering support. | Controlled mission-function code 'engineering' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Special operations | special-operations | Special operations identifies organizations specially organized, trained, and equipped to conduct or support operations requiring specialized modes of employment. | Controlled mission-function code 'special-operations' in ontology Dimension 28. Mission is many-valued and time-varying; each assertion requires evidence and must remain distinct from capability, domain, and organization class. |
| Another evidenced function | another-evidenced-function | Another evidenced function is used when authoritative evidence establishes a mission function not represented by the named standard choices. | Controlled catch-all code 'another-evidenced-function' in ontology Dimension 28. Use requires explicit source support; recurring concepts should receive a separately defined extension rather than accumulating as unexplained catch-all data. |
How the Live Unit Table Uses This Field
The scalar Unit-table column currently contains 2041 distinct nonblank expressions. The 20 most frequently used expressions are shown below; these are evidence-derived or legacy contents, not extra controlled options.
| Observed live expression | Live Unit records |
|---|---|
| Pending profile enrichment | 4185 |
| Official source-period unit identity and function | 975 |
| Naval operations | 804 |
| Unknown after authoritative review | 426 |
| Organization-level identity and lineage | 320 |
| Logistics and support | 30 |
| Installation security and force protection; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 24 |
| Commissioned cutter command | 24 |
| Unknown pending source extraction | 22 |
| Logistics readiness; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 21 |
| Installation and mission support; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 21 |
| Historical regimental mission unresolved | 20 |
| Personnel and force support; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 18 |
| Provide naval-gunfire liaison, spotting, fire-support coordination, and advisory support to the assigned formation or regional command | 18 |
| Civil engineering and installation support; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 17 |
| Operations support; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 17 |
| Aircraft maintenance; exact unit-wide mission detail reviewed unknown from the retained source | 17 |
| Training and education | 16 |
| Commissioned vessel command | 16 |
| Provide medical readiness, clinical care, and training support | 14 |
Missing, Unknown, and Conflicting Information
This column cannot be NULL in the Unit table. When the underlying fact is incomplete, the record must use an allowed explicit disposition or a supported evidence-derived statement. Required storage does not mean that every historical fact is known, and it never authorizes a guessed value.
The controlled uncertainty values are deliberately different: Unknown means evidence has not established a value; Unresolved means the question remains open after review; Needs review identifies work still requiring evaluation; Source conflict preserves disagreement among retained sources; and Not applicable means the dimension does not apply to the subject.
Connections to Other Fields
- Capability Set — The military effects or services the unit can provide, which may span several different mission areas.
- Warfighting Domain — The physical or operational environments in which the unit performs its work.
- Native Unit Type — The exact type of organization used by its own service, including specialized terms that may not exist in other branches.
- Organization Class — The broad institutional form of the organization, such as a command, school, center, company, or defense agency.
- Operational Context — The operation, campaign, exercise, contingency, or standing plan in which a command relationship or unit activity applies.