The Heart of Operational Art: Translating Strategic Objectives into Tactical Missions

Abstract

This monograph examines the role of the operational level of war to translate strategic objectives into tactical missions. Evidence exists in both the joint and specific service doctrines which suggests that there is a lack of commonality in the language used to express these ends. It appears that to communicate military ends in the joint arena, the operational commander is confronted with the obstacle of a multi-language environment with numerous dialects. Theory provides a construct consisting of two primary elements - ends and levels of war. Specific ends are associated with a given level of war. These ends have several characteristics. They are duel linked between the levels of war, having a directive and supportive nature. The directive nature provides the end direction or purpose while the supportive nature reflects the degree of effectiveness sought. These ends are associated with four levels of war - policy, strategy, operations and tactics.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA234369

Entities

People

  • William F. Crain

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Classification
  • Combat Areas
  • Combat Operations
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Vessels
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Reconnaissance
  • Sea Control
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.