Military Command Framing, Full Spectrum Operations Guide

Framing the Problem: Commander's Decision-Making Tools

One particularly important part of any commander's decision-making strategy is having the context and tools to make a cogent decision. Often this is initiated with the mission analysis process, but that does not always frame the problem within the appropriate paradigm for use in field operations. Understanding and visualizing the entire problem is part of the framing process. Essentially, framing takes an open-ended problem and explores it from all sides — both qualitative and quantitative — and uses divergent points of view to organize information in a cogent and meaningful manner. This then translates into a more reasonable approach to the heart of the problem.

Three components are important for command to express and communicate as leaders: visualizing (perspective, conditions, principles, trends, experience, tenets, and operational expertise); describing (purpose, shape of operations, resource needs, action items, and how to plan and guide); and directing (tactical and battlefield operations, intelligence, support, defense, plans and orders, and preparation through execution). Understanding any framing of military operational planning also requires the integration of PMESII-PT. Each of these components helps with task assessment.

The PMESII-PT framework is defined as follows:

Political — What is the political structure, foreign policy implication, and situation within the target area? How does it relate to the United States? What implications internally affect potential military operations?

Military — Strength, resources, deployment, attitude, weapons, and related factors.

Economic — Trade, economic strength, location of major infrastructure, and vulnerabilities.

Social — Culture, population, media, attitude, and degree of social actualization.

Infrastructure — Organization of society, operational capability of the citizenry, degree of freedom, and government efficacy.

Information — Flow of information at both the micro and macro levels; how information impacts operations; and the reliability of intelligence.

Full Spectrum Operations: A Four-Prong Planning Approach

Physical Environment — Geography, limitations, challenges, and how these factors impact planning.

Time — The time frame within military operations and the coordination of policy and operations with other units and joint efforts.

In the modern military, particularly with advanced technology, a number of issues often require operational adaptability and the need to be flexible yet diligent. Planning operations requires a four-prong approach to allow for robust execution: (1) transition to stability operations; (2) transition to offense; (3) planning for stability; and (4) planning factors for offense.

Transition to stability operations — If we accept the axiom that the object in war is to attain a better peace, forces must be ready to transition from aggression to stability. Stability operations require combined communication between forces and often more robust combat service support. The emphasis is on rebuilding a nation's infrastructure, expanding foreign policy roles, and adjusting schedules, supply chains, and defense communications to ramp into an operational paradigm.

Transition to offense — The purpose of defense is to resist, defeat, or destroy an enemy attack and gain the initiative for the offense, forcing the enemy to attack under unfavorable conditions and then defeating him. Transitioning to the offense requires defeating the enemy decisively and recognizing that defeat in a timely fashion. This requires the Brigade Commander's planning and warning so that task force and company team commanders can be ready to move quickly to an offensive role.

Planning for stability — Stability operations may be generally defined as a mixture of operations designed to support efforts through a prevention-to-intervention curve. Stability requires a broad level of support and differentiates based on the unique operational character of the situation. Planning for this allows for the best use of materials, human resources, and communications.

Planning for offense — The purpose of offensive operations is to destroy the enemy and his will to fight; to seize terrain; to learn the enemy's strength and disposition; and to deceive and divert the enemy. Planning for offense requires using PMESII-PT and METT-TC to gauge the level of threat and to coordinate operations — particularly tactical weaponry and personnel — accordingly.