Command

affect, with WHAT courses of action, in WHAT order, for WHAT duration, and with
WHAT RESOURCES.
At the lowest end of the spectrum lies the tactical level of war, where individual
battles and engagements are fought. While resulting effects may be described as
operational or strategic, military actions occur almost entirely at the tactical level. Thus,
even a global strike mission intended to produce a direct strategic effect on an
adversary COG is ultimately a tactical action. To the Airman, the distinction between
this level and higher levels of war is fairly clear-cut; Airmen tend not to fight large-scale
battles (as surface forces use the term) but focus at the tactical level on individual
engagements and “missions.” The tactical level of air, space, and cyberspace warfare
deals with how forces are employed, and the specifics of how engagements are
conducted. Tactics are concerned with the unique employment of force, so application
defines this level. In short, the tactical level of war deals with HOW we fight.
THE RANGE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS
Military operations slide along an imprecise scale of violence and scale of military
involvement, from theater-wide major operations and campaigns; to smaller scale
contingencies and crisis response operations; to engagement, security cooperation, and
deterrence operations. See figure 3.1. No two conflicts are alike; scope, duration,
tempo, and political context vary widely. Some conflicts may even change from one
form to another, either escalating or de-escalating; several may exist simultaneously.
Military leaders carefully assess the nature of the missions they may be assigned, not
only to properly determine the appropriate mix of forces but also to discern implied
requirements. Some operations involve open combat between regular forces; in others,
combat may be tangential to the main effort. In some operations, the US military’s
contribution may not involve combat at all; simply providing an organizational framework
for an interagency force and key elements of infrastructure may be all that’s required.
The various discrete military tasks associated with the ROMO are not
mutually exclusive; depending on the scenario, there may be some overlap
among the tasks. They may also occur within the context of a larger major
operation. For example, some tasks, such as nation assistance or combating
terrorism, may be required as part of the post-conflict stabilization phase immediately
following a major conflict, and may even be initiated before the cessation of major
operations. Even though there are many types of operations typically not involving
combat, Airmen must understand that violence (and casualties) may occur in virtually
any type of operation and, therefore, must be ready and able at all times to defend
themselves and their units.
Many of the challenges our armed forces face today are more ambiguous and
regionally focused than during the Cold War. These challenges address multiple risks,
such as: economic and political transitions; repressive regimes; the spread of weapons
of mass destruction; proliferation of cutting-edge military technology; violent extremists;
militant nationalism; ethnic and religious conflict; refugee overflows; narcotics trafficking;
26