Running Head: STRATEGIC ESTIMATE 1

DJIIM Journal: Strategic Estimate

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STRATEGIC ESTIMATES 2

How the operational variables affect strategic estimates over time and why as a future

SGM/CSM, it's vital to understand these operational variables.

For any military operation to succeed, military officers, need to be conscious of various

variable which affects the operation process and environment. These variables are those elements

within an operational environment, either military or non-military, which fluctuate from one

operational area to another and affect the operation. The Sergeant major (SGM), who is the

military rank, personnel slot, and the Command Sergeant Major (CSM) who is the senior advisor

of the commanding officer, need to be aware of various variables to achieve the desired end.

They must be able to note uncertainties and use them to predict their enemy’s reactions to certain

events. Thus in the decision-making process, they have to make decisions, come up with plans,

and also direct actions under the carrying degrees of uncertainty. During planning, the team must

commanders must frame an operational environment, which will bring out the desired end state.

The planning team recaptures this environment in visual models showing and describing the

operational variables. These variables entail political, economic, social, Information, physical

environment, military, and time. Relationships and the future goals of relevant actors for both

the current state and the future operational environments.

Thus, these variables are quite essential for any future SGM/CSM. The military variable

in obtaining various conceptual aspects and even aid in choosing the correct operational art. This

art can be defined as the approach by which the commanders develop in employing the military

forces in any operation. These physical environments help more in understanding, visualizing,

and description of the terrain and hence the necessary art to sue. Time helps able to obtain the

required conditions which, when established, produce the desired end. It also aids in mapping out

how the deployed forces would achieve the desired outcome and the actions that they need to
STRATEGIC ESTIMATES 3

attain the conditions. Again, these variables aid in coming up with meaningful resources and

various mitigation measures to tackle the risks to be encountered. They also aid in understanding

the current state of the operational environment. Time is crucial as it determines how

commanders use forces and capabilities to achieve the end goal.