Chapter 4
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 4-34. Every operation begins with a concept of operations that guides its conduct. In almost all cases, a commander’s concept of operations includes the other instruments of national power present in the operational area working with the military toward a common end state. Commanders frame their concept by answering several fundamental questions: What is the force trying to accomplish (ends)? What conditions, when established, constitute the desired end state (ends)? How will the force achieve the end state (ways)? What sequence of actions is most likely to attain these conditions (ways)? What resources are required, and how can they be applied to accomplish that sequence of actions (means)? What risks are associated with that sequence of actions, and how can they be mitigated (risk)? 4-35. The concept of operations expands on the commander’s intent by describing how the commander visualizes the force accomplishing the mission. It details the principal tasks necessary to accomplish the mission, the subordinate units responsible for those tasks, and how the tasks complement one another. The concept of operations promotes general understanding by explicitly stating the decisive operation—the task that directly accomplishes the mission, the units that will execute it, and the shaping and sustaining operations required to ensure the success of the decisive operation. The concept of operations also describes the status of the force at the end of the operation. (FM 5-0 discusses the concept of operations in detail.) 4-36. Conflict is fundamentally a human endeavor. Often, violence, uncertainty, chance, and friction characterize conflict. Land operations are inherently tied to the human dimension; they cannot be reduced to a simple formula or checklist. Planning is essential to the commander’s ability to integrate diverse capabilities, including those related to the human dimension. It also helps commanders synchronize military actions with actions of other instruments of national power. Planning provides the conceptual framework for ordering thought when visualizing and describing operations. As a creative engine, planning drives commanders’ ability to seize, retain, and exploit initiative.
DESIGNING STABILITY OPERATIONS 4-37. The elements of operational design are essential to identifying tasks and objectives that tie tactical missions to achieving the desired end state. They help refine and focus the concept of operations that forms the basis for developing a detailed plan or order. During execution, commanders and staffs consider the design elements as they assess the situation. They adjust current and future operations and plans as the operation unfolds. 4-38. Stability operations, more so than offensive and defensive operations, present a unique challenge. Where combat typically focuses on the defeat of an enemy force, stability focuses on the people. With an extended time horizon, people often gauge success over the course of several years. Such operations typically include significant offensive and defensive components. These components set the appropriate conditions to enable the success of concurrent stability tasks. These operations may set conditions as the operation progresses toward reestablishing the conditions of a stable, lasting peace necessary to plant the seeds of effective governance and economic development. 4-39. Planning for stability draws on all elements of operational design. However, certain elements are more relevant than others are, and some in particular are essential to successful stability operations. (See FM 3-0 for a detailed discussion of the operational art.)
END STATE AND CONDITIONS 4-40. Generally, the end state is represented by the broadly expressed conditions that will exist when an operation ends. The end state is thus an image of the operational environment consistent with the commander’s visualization of the operation. In a stability operation, the end state is achieved through the
4-6
FM 3-07
6 October 2008