Not that hard, once you know how.
That's a great proposition, but "knowing how" is where we (at least in the American military) fall short at times.

We have too many leaders who simply want to live in a base, push a patrol out to a specific point to conduct a specific task like an ambush or raid(that can be measured), then go back to base calling it a day and mission accomplished. This mind set has contaminated both conventional and special operations forces.
Yes, a big problem...I don't want to go to a specific point and come back though. I want to go to another specific point and perform a task, then another point. Stay afield and perform a rest cycle, then begin anew. With very few exceptions, we don't do that, but it's been proven as recently as this year that we can.

Our response was always, "okay, if the task of 'presence patrol' or 'administrative movement' is an improper 'tactical task,' then please tell us whether raid, ambush, or movement to contact is more appropriate for my 'patrol' to meet with the local police chief."
As denoted below from the Marine Corps publication "Marine Rifle Squad" MCWP 3-11.2 (the acronym we use for combat patrols is RACES), that could appropriately be categorized as a contact patrol because the chief is supposed to be friend. It could also, in a sense of splitting hairs, be categorized as a basic security patrol.

a. Raid Patrols. Raid patrols destroy or capture enemy personnel or
equipment, destroy installations, or free friendly personnel who have been
captured by the enemy.
b. Contact Patrols. Contact patrols establish and/or maintain contact
with friendly or enemy forces.
c. Economy of Force Patrols. Economy of force patrols perform
limited objective missions such as seizing and holding key terrain to allow
maximum forces to be used elsewhere.
d. Ambush Patrols. Ambush patrols conduct ambushes of enemy
patrols, carrying parties, foot columns, and convoys.
e. Security Patrols. Security patrols detect infiltration by the enemy, kill
or capture infiltrators, and protect against surprise or ambush.

I don't think we get hung up on the actual task as much as we struggle with the PURPOSE, based on what higher headquarters wants us to do, what our personal protective equipment posture is supposed to be, what the enemy situation is (another area we tend to be terrible at at times), what the terrain and weather look like, what conveyance we intend to use to get to those specific points we outline, what the civilian situation is, and on and on. And sometimes, figuring that out amongst the rest of the white noise, requires lot more than just common sense.