JP 3-60, page 89

Legal Considerations in Targeting A-3 the definition deals only with intentional attack and not with damage to civilian objects incidental to the lawful attack of military objectives. (2) Nature. Nature refers to the type of object, for example, equipment used as military transports, and facilities used as C2 centers or communication stations. (3) Location. Location includes areas that are militarily important because they must be captured from or denied to an enemy, or because the enemy must be made to retreat from them. An area of land, such as a mountain pass, or a like route through or around a natural or man-made obstacle, may be a military objective. A town, village, or city may become a military objective, even if it does not contain military objectives, if its seizure is necessary (e.g., to protect a vital line of communications) or for other legitimate military reasons. (4) Purpose or Use. Purpose means the future intended or possible use, while use refers to its present function. The potential dual use of a civilian object, such as a civilian airport, also may make it a military objective because of its future intended or potential military use. The connection of some objects to an enemy’s war-fighting, war-supporting, or war-sustaining effort may be direct, indirect, or even discrete. A decision as to classification of an object as a military objective and allocation of resources for its attack is dependent upon its value to an enemy states war-supporting or war-sustaining effort (including its ability to be converted to a more direct connection), and is not solely reliant on its overt or present connection or use. (5) Nature, Location, Purpose, or Use. The words nature, location, purpose, or use allow wide discretion, but are subject to qualifications stated later in the definition of effective contribution to military action and the offering of a definite military advantage through its seizure or destruction. There does not have to be a geographical connection between effective contribution and military advantage. Attacks on military objectives in the enemy rear, or diversionary attacks, away from the area of military operations as such (the contact zone), are lawful. (6) Military Action. Military action is used in the ordinary sense of the words, and is not intended to encompass a limited or specific military operation. (7) Circumstances Ruling at the Time. The phrase in the circumstances ruling at the time is essential. If, for example, enemy military forces have taken up position in a building that otherwise would be regarded as a civilian object, such as a school, retail store, or museum, the building has become a military objective. The circumstances ruling at the time that is, the military use of the building permits its attack, if attacking the building would offer a definite military advantage. If enemy military forces abandon the building, however, the change of circumstances may preclude its treatment as a military objective. (8) Definite. Definite means a concrete and perceptible military advantage, rather than one that is merely hypothetical or speculative. A military commander may regard this requirement as met in seeking to seize or destroy objects with a common purpose in order to deny their use to the enemy. An example is the attack of all bridges on lines of