The thing to remember with all the "whiz-bang" communications gear is that it won't always work. And linking directly back to higher commander isn't always a good thing, as decisions that need to be made immediately can become delayed due to higher level discussion (Vietnam provides many examples of this, and there are more recent examples to be sure). My take on Krulak's strategic corporal concept is that it's intended partly to foster the ability to make informed decisions with people who might not normally be expected to make them, and for those same people to be mindful of the impact higher up the food chain their decisions might have. Unique to the modern era? Not really. But the command awareness and support regarding these sorts of decisions may well be new.