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There are various analytical mechanisms and tools in the military sphere. According to Scott (2017), the strategic estimate is a tool available to commanders as they develop plans (p. 3). One of the things that affect strategic estimates, in particular, is operational variables. Operational variables are aspects of both military and non-military environments. Army Doctrine Publication (2019) tells that as soon as the commander and staff have an indication of where their unit may deploy, they begin analyzing that locations operational environment using the operational variables (2-1). Joint planners analyze the operating environment in terms of six interrelated operational variables:
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Political understanding political circumstances helps commanders and staff recognize key organizations and determine their goals and capabilities. Understanding the political implications requires an analysis of all relevant partnerships political, economic, military, religious and cultural.
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Military military analysis tests the capabilities of the enemy, adversary, host nation, and multinational military organizations. Such features include equipment; personnel power; doctrine; learning levels; resource constraints; leadership; organizational culture; history; the nature of civil-military relations. Understanding these factors helps commanders calculate the actual capabilities of each armed force. The analysis focuses on the capabilities of each organization in the field and takes advantage of opportunities at the country, regional and global levels.
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Economic while the global economy continues to grow more interdependently, the local economy is different. These differences significantly affect political decisions, including the decisions of individuals to support or undermine the existing order. Many factors create incentives or obstacles for individuals and groups to change the economic status quo. These factors may include technical knowledge, investments, debts, financial instruments, etc. These indicators can improve commanders understanding of the social and behavioral dynamics of their allies and enemies.
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Social cultural awareness helps identify friction points within populations, build relationships, and reduce misunderstandings. This can improve the commanders insight into individual and group intentions and increase the effectiveness of the unit. This aspect allows them to understand how their actions affect the population and prepare them to meet local leaders face to face.
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Informational broadcasts and Internet media sources are the quickest way to spread competing views on military operations around the world. Opponents often use media coverage to achieve their goals by controlling and manipulating how viewers perceive them and the context of the situation. Commanders need to understand the nature of the information flows within the area of their operations and apply the best available methods of communication with the local population.
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Infrastructural the infrastructure contains the basic facilities and services necessary for society to function. Infrastructure degradation affects the entire operating environment, therefore, commanders need to understand that their actions affect infrastructure and thoroughly analyze the possible consequences.
Two operation variables have recently been added to the list: physical environment and time. Operators trim these operating variables to the abbreviation PMESII-PT.
Variables humanize the operating environment. As ground forces operate among populations, understanding human variables is crucial. They help describe the context of each operation for commanders and other leaders. Understanding these variables helps commanders to appreciate how much a military instrument complements other instruments of national power. A comprehensive analysis of variables usually takes place at a collaborative level. Whenever possible, commanders and staff use specialists for each variable to improve analysis. It is important for army leaders to analyze the operational variables to improve their understanding of their environment.
References
Scott, K. D. (2017). Joint Publication (JP) 5-0, Joint Planning. Washington, DC: The Joint Staff.
Army Doctrine Publication (2019). ADP-30, Offence and Defence. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army.
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