Doctrinal Inflexibility Afforded a Branch: How to Break the Paradigm from Risk Avoidance to Opportunity Exploitation

摘要

Branches and sequels, as defined in U.S. joint doctrine, are designed to allow the commander to plan adequately for the 'what if' and 'what's next' respectively. These doctrinal terms have specific, distinct meaning in application within the operational idea and design process. However, as the dynamic nature of warfare continues to evolve in a subsequently asymmetrical manner, our enemies continue to challenge our doctrinal approaches toward war fighting. The Joint Force Commander (JFC) must be offered correspondingly dynamic methods of implementing operational design. This does not specifically entail a radical new approach toward doctrine development; we have seen that development of new doctrine is intensive in both time and application. Current operations should drive both the development of new doctrine while correspondingly searching for innovative adaptation of current methods. Re-examining our own framework in operational development, as well as historical precedents has the potential of offering the Joint Force Commander the flexibility demanded within established doctrinal structure. Development of branches and sequels have always allowed the commander to look forward on the battlefield to answer those age old questions of 'what if' and 'what's next.' The further development of branches and how they possibly couple with direct sequel transition could allow those two questions to be answered concurrently in a method that offers acceleration of tempo, creation of depth and space, as well as employing the application of economy of force.