Operational Enviroment: Understanding Political Variable

Operational Environment
Name
Institution of affiliation
Date
Operational Environment
An operational environment can be defined as the set of circumstances, conditions and influences that affect how a commander makes any given decision in a given environment. In an increasingly complex world it is essential that decisions are not only made, but are made at the requisite time and in the correct manner. The need for good decisions increases exponentially in a military campaign. The odds include the loss of life and the potential for destruction of property. Commanders and military units must have the ability to analyze, dissect and synthesize operational environments and the inherent variables. An understanding of these variable is critical to the overall achievement of mission objectives. The paper will therefore two (PMESII-PT) operational variables and their importance within an operational environment. The paper will further construct a lateral scenario and apply knowledge of the PMESII-PT variables in a given field. The variables will include political and military variables.
Question 1
Political Variable
The political variable looks into the dissipation of power throughout the levels of governance within the formal and informal spheres of power. The political variable requires
That commanders have an in-depth understanding of the political facet of the operational environment. This allows the commanders to understand which body or individual has influence over what aspect of the OE. It ensures that as commanders carry out their mandate, they do not unnecessarily create conflict due to their actions. As demonstrated in Iraq and Afghanistan, tribal chiefs often have greater power over their regions than the formal government. Thus, commanders would benefit from ensuring that these political figures are aligned to the commander’s operational mandate rather than at odds with it. The political variable allows the commanders leeway to create partnerships that reduce the level of dissonance in the OE. The result of this would be greater support from the civilian populace, lower incidences of attack from the enemy as they cannot effectively integrate into the pro-American population. The cost of running the campaign is further reduced as the FoB can purchase supplies from the population rather than shipping it in.
The understanding of the political variable will allow commanders to build alliances that are the bedrock of a successful campaign.
Military Variable
The military variable explores the capabilities of state and non-state actors with regard to their military capacity. This information is critical to commanders especially in a hostile ope...