7. Military Decision Making and the Human Terrain

—Col. Gábor Boldizsár, Ph.D.

Abstract

Unknown environments and circumstances create the most difficult obstacles for a commander during his or her military operations. Leaders take several steps and make efforts to understand the facts that can affect operations. The fog of war is one of the biggest challenges in military life.

Besides the geographical terrain and climate, the human terrain has become more important than it was before. The behavior of smaller or larger communities can help or deeply impede military efforts. The understanding of local people’s responses and their influence on our military operations are the keys to success. Commanders need to have access to reliable information ...

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