A Cognitive Assessment of Military Approaches to Understanding
Abstract
The U.S. Army currently finds itself in its first protracted conflict since Vietnam. Leaders at all echelons are making decisions and conducting missions that influence enemy forces, economies, civil security, governance, and politics. They do this while reacting to ambushes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and snipers. It requires great mental agility to succeed in a complex, changing, and high-pressure environment, and only an understanding of all the different systems of the operational environment and how they interact will allow the problem solving and rapid decision making that leads to success. It is a daunting task, but achieving understanding can and must be done, and once accomplished, leaders must stay true to conclusions that are drawn without the pressures of battle. The purpose of this monograph is to identify the most effective military approach to understanding that cues advantageous cognitive processes. By leveraging one's natural cognitive processes to understand the operational environment, better and more adaptable military planning is possible. This understanding brings leaders and soldiers closer to an expert level of knowledge that facilitates intuitive decision making. Better understanding also provides superior situational awareness to commanders at all levels. First, the monograph examines the importance and implications of understanding. Second, it provides a summary of current systemic approaches to understanding followed by an analysis and cognitive assessment of them. The military approaches to understanding examined include FM 3-0's operational variables of PMESII-PT, joint doctrine's concept of system of systems analysis, the developing concept of systemic operational design, and the developing doctrine found in TRADOC Pamphlet 525-5-500 for the commander's appreciation and campaign design. Third, the author presents recommendations on how the Army can best achieve understanding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 22, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA485623
Entities
People
- Daniel H. Hibner
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College