Operational Art and the Sustainment Warfighting Function

摘要

With the rapidly changing and unfamiliar global environment, the U.S. Army must require its planners to have an understanding of operational art within the context of their warfighting function and combat power. How can an operational planner ensure that the six warfighting functions are integrated and contribute to the planning team's mutual understanding of the environment. More specifically, what must a planner do to increase his or her contribution to the planning team. This monograph asserts that knowledge of operational art is necessary for the six warfighting functions to integrate effectively during the planning process. Section 1 discusses operational art and the sustainment warfighting function beginning with definitions from U.S. Army Field Manuals 'FM 3-0 Operations' and 'FM 4-0 Sustainment.' Section 2 describes combat power as a message that each warfighting function planner must communicate to the rest of the planning team. This section also discusses how operational art is the common language connecting the warfighting functions. Section 3 is a case study that illustrates the deployment, sustainment, arrangement, and application of combat power during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Section 4 is a case study that illustrates the deployment, sustainment, arrangement, and application of humanitarian aid to the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. These case studies exemplify the application of combat power across the full spectrum of military operations. Section 5 concludes that operational art, within the context of combat power, is necessary for providing and maintaining mutual understanding within the planning team.