The Language
of the
Military Profession
War . . .
“A state of open, armed, often
prolonged conflict carried on
between nations, states, or parties.”
American Heritage Dictionary
War . . .
“. . . is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried
out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterized
by extreme violence, social disruption and economic
destruction. War should be understood as an actual,
intentional and widespread armed conflict between political
communities, and therefore is defined as a form of political
violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a
group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war
is usually called peace.
“While some scholars see warfare as an inescapable and
integral aspect of human nature, others argue that it is only
inevitable under certain socio-cultural or ecological
circumstances . . .”
Wikipedia
“International Terrorism”
18 U.S. Code § 2331 - Definitions
• The term “international terrorism” means
activities that
– involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life
that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United
States or of any State, or that would be a criminal
violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the
United States or of any State;
– appear to be intended
• to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
• to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or
coercion; or
• to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction,
assassination, or kidnapping;
Threads of Continuity
Audiences
(Practitioners)
• Academic community
• History “Buffs”
• Professional Soldiers
Levels of Military Operations
• Strategic
• Operational
• Tactical
Strategy (Strategic)
Strategy is the level of war at which
a nation or group of nations determines
national or alliance security objectives and
develops and uses national resources to
accomplish those objectives.
Operations (Operational)
Operations involve the planning,
conduct, and sustainment of campaigns
designed to accomplish strategic goals
within a specific theater of war.
Tactics (Tactical)
Tactics are the specific techniques that
smaller units use to win battles and
engagements.
The “Framework” of War
• Strategic Level
– National or Alliance security objectives
• Operational Level
– Conduct, and sustainment of campaigns
• Tactical Level
– Fighting battles and engagements
Military Operations
Strategy=War
Operations=Campaign
Tactics=Battle
Combined Operations
An operation conducted by
forces of two or more allied
nations acting together for the
accomplishment of a single
mission.
(i.e., “international”)
Joint
A force of assigned or attached
elements of two or more
services and constituted by
appropriate authority for a
specific or limited purpose or
missions of short duration.
(i.e., “interservice”)
National Military Strategy
• Strategy of Attrition/Exhaustion: A strategy
which seeks the gradual erosion of the combat
power of the enemy’s armed forces and/or the
enemy’s will or non-military means to resist.
• Strategy of Annihilation/Incapacitation: A
strategy which seeks the immediate destruction
of the combat power of the enemy’s armed
forces.
Principles of War
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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OBJECTIVE
OFFENSIVE
MASS
ECONOMY OF FORCE
MANEUVER
UNITY OF COMMAND
SECURITY
SURPRISE
SIMPLICITY
Friction
• Carl von Clausewitz, On War.
• “Friction” as Chance or Uncertainty?
• Friction
Culminating Point
Friction
“Everything in war is very simple, but the
simplest thing is difficult.”
“Friction is the force that makes the
apparently easy so difficult.”
“Friction is the only concept that more or
less corresponds to the factors that
distinguish real war from war on paper.
Offense / Offensive
“The offensive is the decisive form of war.”
“The fight is taken to the enemy in such a
way as to achieve decisive victory at least
cost.”
“The main purpose of the offensive is to
defeat, destroy, or neutralize the enemy
force.”
Defense / Defensive
“The immediate purpose of defensive
operations is to defeat an enemy
attack.”
“The greater intent of the defensive is
to force the attack to culminate, to gain
the initiative for friendly forces, and to
create the opportunity to shift to the
offensive.”
Retrograde
“A retrograde operation is a maneuver to the
rear or away from the enemy.”
“It is part of a larger scheme of maneuver to
regain the initiative and defeat the enemy.”
“Commanders use retrograde operations to
harass, exhaust, resist, delay, or damage an
enemy.”
Military Operations Other Than War
“…military activities during peacetime and
conflict that do not necessarily involve armed
clashes between two organized forces.”
“…attempts to influence world events through
those actions that routinely occur between
nations.”
“…hostilities to secure strategic objectives.”
Logistics
“Logistics is the process of planning and
executing the sustainment of forces in
support of military operations.”
“Logistics cannot win a war, but its
absence or inadequacy can cause
defeat.”
Force Projection
“…the movement of military forces from
the Continental US or a theater in
response to requirements of war or
MOOTW.”
“Force projection operations extend from
mobilization and deployment. . .to
redeployment. . .to demobilization.”
Standard Terminology
Interior and Exterior (Convergent)
Lines
Distribution of Forces
Flanks
Envelopment
Double Envelopment
Turning Movement
Oblique Order
Penetration