Summary: Operational Thinking
Milan Vego
Operational thinking is one of the major conditions for proper use of military and non-military means of enforcing power by the commander for achieving strategic and operational objectives. The commander’s ability to think "operationally” is the result of many factors’ influences.
Operational thinking virtually is the basis of the commander’s operational vision: the ability to think farther than about present events, to anticipate the enemy’s actions and reactions correctly, to make correct decisions quickly, and to execute plans and orders vigorously. The lack of operational thinking will not only inevitably lead to losses in battle; it can also fatefully undermine the chances of a decisive and quick victory.
Operational commanders must fully comprehend the deeply dynamic relationship between three components of the art of war: They have to know and understand the differences between the command levels, and how decisions and actions of one level influence the other levels. Additionally, they have to assess the operational characteristic features of the physical environment correctly, where a campaign or a major operation takes place. They have to assess all situation aspects on a theatre of war correctly, and afterwards they have to be able to synchronise the use of all available military and non-military means of enforcing power.
Operational thinking is not innate. In order to acquire such a broad perspective, operational commanders will have to try very hard and consistently for most of the time of their careers. For an officer opportunities for acquiring an operational perspective in a war are relatively rare, and more so for commanders controlling an operational level in times of peace. For this reason, indirect experience, education and training are the most important means for acquiring operational thinking. The more manifold and comprehensive the training is, the more opportunities it will offer the operational commander to be to acquire the broad perspective he will need to be successful on both the operational and strategic level. One of the main sources for indirect experience is studying military history.
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