Tactics

Tactics, the art of arranging military forces to defeat an opposing force, is at the heart of the unique military experience. A true understanding of tactics distinguishes them clearly from the catch-all military phrase “tactics, techniques, and procedures,” or TTPs. These are best practices often found in military doctrine, but tactics signifies a broader undertaking; it is the creative combination of tools and assets during combat. This chapter provides an overview of structured thinking about tactics, or tactical theory, throughout history, from the fifth century BC to the present. It gives special attention to the concepts that service members today use when considering how to approach a battle. These “tactical tenets” (typically called principles of war within the U.S. military) are mass, maneuver, firepower, tempo, surprise, shock, confusion, and moral cohesion. This basic understanding of tactics allows for an informed consideration of the key but often forgotten fact that tactics should always support strategic goals or the ultimate ends of warfare.