Quote Originally Posted by Rifleman View Post
Unfortunately, in struggling to articulate my thought I chose a phrase from a source that comes under much scrutiny from board members here. Bear with me, I'll see if I can explain myself a little better.

It seems to me that at a tactical level sometimes an operation needs to be conducted based on recent information. This might need to happen even if the operation does not contribute to a strategic objective.

For example, a drug strategy might center around prevention and treatment, not interdiction. Still, at a local level, you may get a tip about a meth lab in your jurisdiction. Taking down the lab is a tactical operation that will probably contribute little to the strategy. You need to take it down anyway.

So intelligence pulled you to a tactical course of action different than the strategic course of action that the policy makers were pushing.

Am I making sense or just rambling away? It seems like this would relevant to small wars. Am I wrong on that?
I think what your referring to ties in very much to what the overall Intelligence led Operations attempts to accomplish, at least in my understanding. If tactical awareness and experience become drivers for WM's which question's to ask, then the long term result might be a better awarenes at all levels of what the big and small pictures are and when shifts take place therein.

It's sort of like having a beat cop who had thirty five on the force most of which were on the streets with the people but some of which were in the jailhouses, and then some in the more political management arena.

The greatest part of what that person can accomplish as the police chief would be their ability to know which questions to ask in order to understand whats happening. Then they are at the same time mentoring both their law enforcement side partners and their political side partners. The ultimate end one would hope would equal a much more effective and reliable path to success, much of which would have been determined through good application and understanding of intelligence from all levels and sides.

I don't know if that made sense or just added to the confusion but I gave it a shot