military mission - an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters; "the planes were on a bombing mission"military operation, operation - activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); "it was a joint operation of the navy and air force" search and destroy mission - an operation developed for United States troops in Vietnam; troops would move through a designated area destroying troops as they found them direct support - a mission requiring one force to support another specific force and authorizing it to answer directly the supported force's request for assistance |