Understanding Military Variables

Variables play a significant role in military operations, particularly within the Army. This paper seeks to examine mission variables alongside operational variables. Hence, variables initiate a paradigm shift toward change within the nature and scope of the military’s operational environment and related outcomes.

Mission Variables

Mission variables are measured in accordance with a given military order. Once an order is received, mission analysis occurs (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019). During mission analysis, data and other information from operational variables are filtered into mission variables (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019).

Mission variables are then used to gain more insight into the current state of things. Hence, mission variables encompass “mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, and civil considerations (METT-TC)” within the safeguard of mission command (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019, p. 1-3). METT-TC in conjunction with the analysis of operational variables safeguards an Army leaders’ ability to make the most effective information about a mission into consideration (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019).

Operational Variables

In the Army, its environment is based on operational variables. An operation variable is therefore characterized as either a military or nonmilitary operational environment that differs from other operational areas and impact operations (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019). Such findings further posit that operational variables also examines the population’s influence on the military’s operational environment (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019).

Army planners assess the operational environment in accordance with eight operational variables inclusive of economic, information, infrastructure, military, political, logistics, social, and time (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019). Once the Army commander and military personnel demonstrate where operations will be conducted, operation variables are analyzed with that particular region (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019). During its operations, the commander and staff continuously modify the analysis of location-oriented operational variables (“Distribution Restriction,” 2019).

Reference

Distribution restriction. (2019). Headquarters, Department of the Army. Retrieved fromhttps://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN18377_ADP%203-90%20FINAL%20WEB.pdf