Means Towards Understanding: Reconnaissance and the Practice of Operational Art (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781288288403)

This monograph examines the relationship between reconnaissance and the application of operational art. The operational artist requires reconnaissance to arrange tactical actions in time, space, and purpose to achieve an overarching strategic objective effectively. The artist uses reconnaissance as a means to gain relevant information and mitigate uncertainty by identifying potential risks and opportunities yet unknown, clarifying ambiguous situations, and providing the time and space to react to unforeseen circumstances. A lack of reconnaissance minimizes the amount of available relevant information and invites surprise increasing the probability that any given tactical action will not achieve the intended object. The paper reviews the academic literature and doctrine regarding reconnaissance from 1860 through the present and evaluates the Vicksburg and Normandy campaigns to determine how reconnaissance shaped the arrangement of tactical actions in time, space, and purpose. It concludes that the operational artist requires reconnaissance to practice operational art effectively. Relevant information gathered by reconnaissance facilitates understanding and thus enhances planning and informs decision-making. The failure to utilize reconnaissance, however, leaves commanders and staffs without the relevant information necessary to make informed decisions and invites surprise.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.