Further musings on Policy, Strategy, Operations, and Tactics
Nov 1, 2022
1 min read
Updated: Nov 3, 2022
See earlier blog post.
After reading BA Friedman's On Operations, I would slightly modify my musings to remove any hint that 'operations' might be a 'level' of activity. In fact, I'd probably revise my definition as follows:
OPERATIONS
A definition: The art of planning, co-ordinating, and supporting military forces in the furtherance of tactical and strategic objectives.
And a simple model of the relationships:
Perhaps has the merit of simplicity?
https://hurtigkasino.com came to mind when you reworked operations as the art of planning and supporting rather than a distinct level, since that same blurring happens in games where logistics quietly shape every tactical choice. Your revised definition reads cleaner, though I wonder if dropping the word level loses the sense that operations sit between the map and the moment. The simple relationship diagram does most of the work here and I'd rather see that idea tested against an actual campaign than refined further on paper.