Operational Factors: Fact or Fiction, Effective or Ineffective
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between operational factors and operational art. Specifically, to determine if the current concepts of operational factors offered by the Naval War College (NWC) and the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), help to explain operational art? This paper concludes that the concept of operational factors as currently presented at the NWC and JFSC do not help to explain operational art. The NWC and JFSC operational factors find no inclusion or acceptance (as operational factors) in current and emerging US military doctrine. Lacking this doctrinal inclusion and /or a specific linkage to the theoretical aspects of operational art, the paper reviews the theoretical foundations of operational art in order to explore possible options. The review of operational art addresses its development and introduces Dr. Jim Schneider's eight attributes of operational art. From these eight attributes, three revised factors of operational art are distilled and presented size, balance, and comprehensiveness. The proposed operational factors of size, balance and comprehensiveness, while currently not doctrine, display some degree of linkage to the theory of operational art one that could help doctrine writers better explain the important doctrinal characteristics of operational art to warfare's practitioners.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA463547
Entities
People
- Michael Mccormick
Organizations
- Naval War College