Cyberwarfare: Information Operations in a Connected World, 2nd Edition

Military Doctrine

In the words of General George H. Decker, who served as army chief of staff from 1960 until 1962, “Doctrine provides a military organization with a common philosophy, a common language, a common purpose, and a unity of effort.” Doctrine provides commanders with a way to share thousands of years of accumulated military knowledge with their fellow officers in a consolidated format. Doctrine describes the manner in which a military will operate and provides commanders with guidance and advice on issues of strategic, operational, and tactical importance.

Doctrine is only advice, however. It provides a general philosophy for military operations, but it does not provide all of the answers. It remains the role of the military commander ...