The following is the April 8, 2021 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Defense Primer: What Is Command and Control?
From the report
The Department of Defense (DOD) defines command and control (C2) as “[t]he exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned forces in the accomplishment of the mission.” At its most fundamental level, C2 represents how DOD makes operational decisions. One can view C2 through the context of five variables: who, what,...
https://news.usni.org/2021/04/13/report-to-congress-on-command-and-control