The operational approach is an essential activity in the Army Design Methodology because it is a significant bridge to mission accomplishment. An operational approach is an outline developed by planners and commanders to give focus on how to address certain issues. Before the approach is established, the set of issues or problems are agreed on. The operational approach has a detailed understandable operational environment and the problem to be addressed as well as the possible methods that are the potential to solving the problems. Also, the approach has the number of resources required and any risks that may arise. The operational approach has an environmental frame that details what the current situation is, comes up with the problem frame, then the operational approach to be developed to achieve the desired future state. This paper will describe the process and concept of developing an operational approach and how to facilitate the process as an operation sergeant major.
Developing an operational approach
The commander and staff perform several activities to come up with an operational approach, then translate it into an executable order or plan. These activities include reviewing the problem and environmental frames, formulation of an operational approach, and documenting the results. The current operational environment is described by the commander, who also visualizes how the environment would look like on the conclusion of operations. That’s a visualization of how the end state would look like once the operational approach is executed. To achieve this, the commander with the staff must understand the operational environment and review what is required to achieve the desired future state and any hindrances to achieving it.
The operational approach is formulated after identifying the problems and analyzing the operational environment. During formulation, the planning team reviews several factors such as the center of gravity, identifying points of decision making, determining the type of approach, establishing objectives and lines of operations, and finally phasing. The center of gravity is the point where the planning team understands the friendly, enemy, and others’ points of strength within an operational environment. The source of strength can either be moral or physical. Moral centers of gravity are intangible and are hardly influenced, and they include traditions, either tribal or religious, charismatic leaders, or a powerful ruling elite. Physical ones are more tangible, and they include the military force or capital city. All these centers of gravity must be unified for changes to be effected. The center of gravity is analyzed by considering three factors, which include the capabilities, requirements, and areas of weakness. Capabilities assist in achieving objectives; requirements are what is needed for the capabilities to be effective, while vulnerabilities are aspects of requirements that are vulnerable to attack. The main purpose of identifying the centers of gravity is to determine the best ways of conquering the strengths of the enemy by identifying their areas of vulnerability. The three factors assist in coming up with decisive points. The decisive points may include a place, event, function, or a factor that a commander uses to gain advantage and act upon to contribute to success. These points protect of attack the centers of gravity.
Once the commanders and planners plan the decisive points and the centers of gravity, they establish an approach. The approach can either be direct or indirect. The direct approach works by attacking the main strength or the center of gravity of the enemy by acting against it directly. The indirect approach works by avoiding the strength of the enemy but applying power against decisive while attacking the enemy’s center of gravity. Both approaches apply either defeat or stability mechanism. The defeat mechanism applies a combination of four mechanisms, which include destroying, dislocating, disintegrating, or isolating the enemy to accomplish the mission. Stability mechanisms apply friendly forces to affect civilians to achieve peace, which is lasting and stable mainly. This mechanism works best by performing for mechanisms that include compelling force, controlling of civil order primarily by imposing, influencing the attitudes and opinions of civilians, and supporting the national power to work efficiently.
The next process after planning decisive points is establishing objectives. Objectives are derived from decisive points identified for action. An objective can either be conceptual or physical, and they are the main building blocks for coming up with lines of operation and effort. Commanders use both lines for task development for the subordination of units and resource allocation. A line of operation forms a connection of actions that result in control of a force oriented or a geographical objective. Lines of effort link a number of tasks by the use of logic purpose to channel efforts towards the establishment of strategic and operational conditions. The development of both the lines of effort and operation lead to the execution of an operational approach.
The operational approach is a description of the visualization of the commander in terms of time, purpose, and space, and the resources needed to support the approach and identify the possible risks. The operational approach is refined by a combination of several elements that include operational reach, tempo, phasing, and risk. The operation reach, used in conjunction with basing and culmination, is the time and distance through which a force can employ its capabilities successfully. The tempo is a reflection of how fast the military is acting, and its control assists commanders in establishing normalcy, especially in humanitarian crises. Phasing involves planning and executing tools used in dividing operation inactivity or duration. During Army Design Methodology, the commanders and their staff need to look for and relay any risks. Identifying the risks involves considering any failure chance once the operational approach is employed. After risk identification, they are relayed to higher guidance for risk mitigation.
The final activity in the operational approach is documenting the results, which involves the transfer of the knowledge developed during the Army Design Methodology to all staff. The planning team assists the commander in summarizing the understanding of the problem and operational environment, and the description of the operational approach.
How I envision to facilitate the operational approach as an Operation Sergeant
Alongside experience, an operation sergeant facilitating the operational approach requires careful consideration of the whole process and all factors and activities that are involved. These activities include reviewing of the operational environment and problem, and formulation of the operational approach. Some considerations have to be incorporated to facilitate the operational approach as an operation sergeant. The first consideration is understanding the problem and the operational environment. This will be improved by input from other staff and personal observations to modify the visualization of the operation throughout the whole process. The second consideration is to visualize the desired results and possible solutions to the identified problems. My visualization would give a base for planning and developing orders. The next consideration is describing my vision to staff to facilitate a common understanding and purpose. The next consideration is directing operational aspects by setting objectives as well as giving clear tasks to junior staff.as an operation sergeant, physical leadership is important. Time balance in leading the junior staff throughout the process and provision of direction, purpose, and motivation is an aspect of good leadership that would see the operation approach a success. As an operation sergeant, continuously assessing the situation is important in gaining a deeper understanding of the current conditions and overseeing the progress of the operation. Assessing the operation consistently assists in anticipating and adapting to any change in circumstances. Through the above consideration, I envision and believe that the process would be a big success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper has developed and discussed the concept of an operational approach. In the development of the operational approach, three main activities have been discussed. The first activity involves reviewing the operational environment and problems. This activity is important to plan the desired future state. To achieve this, the commander with the staff must understand the operational environment and review what is required to achieve the desired future state and any hindrances to achieving it. The other two activities are the formulation of the operation approach and documenting the results. As an operations sergeant, I envision to facilitate the operational approach I would require to understand the situation and the environment, visualize the needed results and solutions, direct the staff, and assess the operation continuously.