eli5 How do military units navigate chaos and maintain direction when faced with casualties, especially if the commanding officer is killed, as depicted in the opening scene of “Saving Private Ryan”?

Question

Recently I watched “Saving Private Ryan” again, and it made me have some questions. For example, in the opening scene of soldiers rushing to the beach, most of the soldiers were almost dead before they even got out of the landing craft. If the commander was also killed, what about the remaining soldiers? Who should direct the people? How should each unit perform the tasks assigned before departure?

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Answer 1

One of the US strengths is the amount of independence our soldiers have. This, combined with every soldier knowing the mission parameters, allows for a bit of independent action when things get tough.

Also, there is a chain of command that is followed, so if a soldier hears his chain has been disrupted, he will fall back on the next in command. This does not just apply to the higher command levels, but each level, right down to the squad has a leadership chain as well, even if it is just assumed.