A surgical instrument comprising: (a) a housing assembly comprising: (i) a first housing, (ii) a second housing disposed adjacent the first housing, and (iii) a deck surface that includes at least one annular array of staple openings ; (b) a movable member at least partially disposed within the housing assembly; (c) an anvil configured to be selectively coupled with the movable member to compress tissue between the anvil and the deck surface; and (d) a force sensing assembly , characterized in that the force sensing assembly comprises at least one of: (i) a compression force sensor disposed between the first and second housings, wherein the compression force sensor is configured to sense the pre-fire tissue compression force communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and the force to fire communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during firing the surgical instrument, or (ii) a tension force sensor coupled with the movable member, wherein the tension force sensor is configured to sense a tension force communicated longitudinally through the movable member during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and firing the surgical instrument, wherein the tension force sensor is further configured to back calculate the pre-fire tissue compression force and the force to fire. (a) a housing assembly comprising: (i) a first housing, (ii) a second housing disposed adjacent the first housing, and (iii) a deck surface that includes at least one annular array of staple openings ; (i) a first housing, (ii) a second housing disposed adjacent the first housing, and (iii) a deck surface that includes at least one annular array of staple openings ; (b) a movable member at least partially disposed within the housing assembly; (c) an anvil configured to be selectively coupled with the movable member to compress tissue between the anvil and the deck surface; and (d) a force sensing assembly , characterized in that the force sensing assembly comprises at least one of: (i) a compression force sensor disposed between the first and second housings, wherein the compression force sensor is configured to sense the pre-fire tissue compression force communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and the force to fire communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during firing the surgical instrument, or (ii) a tension force sensor coupled with the movable member, wherein the tension force sensor is configured to sense a tension force communicated longitudinally through the movable member during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and firing the surgical instrument, wherein the tension force sensor is further configured to back calculate the pre-fire tissue compression force and the force to fire. (i) a compression force sensor disposed between the first and second housings, wherein the compression force sensor is configured to sense the pre-fire tissue compression force communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and the force to fire communicated longitudinally through the first and second housings during firing the surgical instrument, or (ii) a tension force sensor coupled with the movable member, wherein the tension force sensor is configured to sense a tension force communicated longitudinally through the movable member during compressing the tissue between the anvil and the deck surface and firing the surgical instrument, wherein the tension force sensor is further configured to back calculate the pre-fire tissue compression force and the force to fire. <EOS>