(Pam) 525-3-0, The Army Capstone Concept - Federation of ...

3-4. Military solution and supporting ideas
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TRADOC Pam 525-3-0
a. Six supporting ideas contribute to the future forces’ ability to apply operational
adaptability in future operations; develop the situation through action, conduct combined arms
operations, employ a combination of defeat and stability mechanisms, integrate joint capabilities,
cooperate with partners, and exert a psychological and technical influence.
b. Develop the situation through action. Because technology cannot deliver everything that
leaders and units must learn about the environment and enemy organizations, Army forces must
be prepared to develop the situation through action. Leaders must think in terms of friendly,
enemy, and the people and units must have the ability to learn and adapt based on interactions
with partners, the enemy, and civilian populations.
(1) Developing the situation
through action requires understanding
the situation in depth, breadth, and
context; acting; assessing and adapting
Implication
Army forces must be capable of developing the situation in
close contact with the enemy and civilian populations.
tactical and operational actions; consolidating gains; transitioning between tasks and operations;
and, ultimately, being prepared to transition responsibility.
(a) Understanding the situation in
depth, breadth, and context. Because of
the complexity of the environment and the
Implication
Army forces must be adept at framing complex problems.
continuous interaction with adaptive enemies, understanding in armed conflict will never be
complete. While acknowledging the enduring uncertainty of war, however, Army leaders must
begin with a clear definition of the operation’s purpose and pursue an understanding of the
qualitative relationships between factors that interact in the context of armed conflict. Leaders
must be adept at applying design as a methodology for framing problems. Commanders must
―see themselves‖ (including strength, disposition, capabilities, and limitations) and strive to
understand the enemy and the populations among which their forces operate. A broad and deep
understanding of the enemy entails consideration of the nature and structure of enemy
organizations, their ideological or political philosophy, the strategy that they are pursuing, their
sources of strength, and their vulnerabilities. Commanders and staffs must strive to understand
how friendly and enemy forces interact with the populations and factors that exert an influence
on the course of events in armed conflict such as popular perceptions, local grievances, economic
and social conditions, and cultural and political dynamics. Because understanding will always
be incomplete, commanders must identify assumptions on which they base plans and operations,
consult experts, prioritize intelligence collection, and direct the conduct of continuous
reconnaissance to develop the situation further. Commanders and staffs must reexamine
assumptions as they learn more about the enemy and the environment.
(b) Surveillance, communications, and information technologies will contribute
significantly to understanding the situation, but will make only an incomplete contribution to the
estimate or assessment of the current and future situation. Because of limitations associated with
human cognition and because much of the information obtained in war is contradictory or false,
more information will not equate to better understanding. Similarly, graphic depictions of the