The United States Armed Forces use the following principles of war:
OBJECTIVE – Direct every military operation toward a clearly
defined, decisive and attainable objective. The ultimate military
purpose of war is the destruction of the enemy's ability to fight and
will to fight.
OFFENSIVE – Seize, retain, and exploit the
initiative. Offensive action is the most effective and decisive way to
attain a clearly defined common objective. Offensive operations are the
means by which a military force seizes and holds the initiative while
maintaining freedom of action and achieving decisive results. This is
fundamentally true across all levels of war.
MASS – Mass the
effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
Synchronizing all the elements of combat power where they will have
decisive effect on an enemy force in a short period of time is to
achieve mass. Massing effects, rather than concentrating forces, can
enable numerically inferior forces to achieve decisive results, while
limiting exposure to enemy fire.
ECONOMY OF FORCE – Employ
all combat power available in the most effective way possible; allocate
minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. Economy of force is
the judicious employment and distribution of forces. No part of the
force should ever be left without purpose. The allocation of available
combat power to such tasks as limited attacks, defense, delays,
deception, or even retrograde operations is measured in order to achieve
mass elsewhere at the decisive point and time on the battlefield. ...
MANEUVER – Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through
the flexible application of combat power. Maneuver is the movement of
forces in relation to the enemy to gain positional advantage. Effective
maneuver keeps the enemy off balance and protects the force. It is used
to exploit successes, to preserve freedom of action, and to reduce
vulnerability. It continually poses new problems for the enemy by
rendering his actions ineffective, eventually leading to defeat. ...
SECURITY – Never permit the enemy to acquire unexpected advantage.
Security enhances freedom of action by reducing vulnerability to hostile
acts, influence, or surprise. Security results from the measures taken
by a commander to protect his forces. Knowledge and understanding of
enemy strategy, tactics, doctrine, and staff planning improve the
detailed planning of adequate security measures.
SURPRISE –
Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which he is
unprepared. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of combat power.
By seeking surprise, forces can achieve success well out of proportion
to the effort expended. Surprise can be in tempo, size of force,
direction or location of main effort, and timing. Deception can aid the
probability of achieving surprise.
SIMPLICITY – Prepare
clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough
understanding. Everything in war is very simple, but the simple thing is
difficult. To the uninitiated, military operations are not difficult.
Simplicity contributes to successful operations. Simple plans and clear,
concise orders minimize misunderstanding and confusion.
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