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Tactical Fundamentals 31 July 2019 ADP 3-90 1-3 capabilities requires friendly forces effectively integrating information operations, cyberspace operations, and electronic warfare capabilities, as appropriate, to the lowest possible echelons. Decision Making Under Conditions of Uncertainty 1-15. The second aspect of the art of tactics is decision making under conditions of uncertainty in a time-constrained environment. Leaders need a high degree of creativity and clarity of thought to understand the implications and opportunities afforded in chaotic and ambiguous situations. In this environment, the Army requires leaders who act decisively (based on their experiences), accurate running estimates, and leaders with good judgment. While detailed planning provides a level of awareness before a battle, leaders who develop situational understanding through action are the ones most likely to seize the initiative and exploit fleeting positions of relative advantage. Situational understanding is the product of applying analysis and judgment to relevant information to determine the relationships among the operational and mission variables (ADP 6-0). 1-16. Decision making in an uncertain environment demands leader involvement. Commanders and staffs need to master the fundamentals of the military decision-making process before they can abbreviate the process. When time does not allow for developing multiple COAs, commanders apply staff input and their experiences to direct a suitable solution. Units use warning orders to maximize parallel planning and share information with subordinates as early as possible. The use of liaison officers and collaborative systems accelerate the process. Understanding of the Effects of Combat on Soldiers 1-17. The third and final aspect of the art of tactics is the understanding of the effects of combat on Soldiers. This understanding is what differentiates actual combat from the circumstances encountered during training. Friction resulting from violence, death, and chance characterize combat. Continuous combat operations—the conduct of the offense and defense—take a toll on Soldiers, severely straining their physical and mental stamina. The emotional responses resulting from combat influence human behavior. Loss of stamina degrades courage, confidence, and discipline. If left unchecked, these effects can result in decreased vigilance, slowed perception, inability to concentrate, poor decision making, and an inability to perform routine tasks. 1-18. Success in combat depends on understanding the emotional and physical aspects of combat as well as understanding the aspects of numerical and technological superiority. Tacticians account for these aspects of combat. They seek to cause and exploit fear and physical weakness to erode and ultimately defeat enemy forces. 1-19. Leaders must be alert to indicators of fatigue, fear, lapses in discipline or ethical standards, and reduced morale among both friendly and enemy forces. Effective leaders counter these effects on friendly forces while exploiting the effects on enemy forces. Maintaining tactical pressure causes enemy forces to react continuously and affords them no chance to recover. Pressure provides friendly forces opportunities to exploit while enemy forces become increasingly unable to mount effective resistance, which can lead to their collapse. Leaders factor the negative effects of combat on human endurance into their plans, and they understand the subtle difference between pushing Soldiers to their limits to exploit success and risking the collapse of unit cohesion. 1-20. Artful tactics require commanders to accept risk when formulating and executing plans. Success during operations depends on a willingness to embrace risk as opportunity rather than treating it as something to avoid. The best COA may be the one with the greatest risk. Successful commanders balance the tension between protecting their force and accepting risks to accomplish their mission. THE SCIENCE OF TACTICS 1-21. The science of tactics is the understanding of those military aspects of tactics—capabilities, techniques, and procedures—that can be measured and codified. The science of tactics includes the physical capabilities of friendly and enemy organizations and systems. It also includes techniques and procedures used to accomplish specific tasks. The science of tactics is straightforward. Much of what subordinate doctrine publications contain are the science of tactics—techniques and procedures for