User talk:Poffor1/sandbox

System Thinking: A non-mechanical view

Transference of the System Thinking Concept. An operation order (OPORD) is a good example of a system from a non-mechanical perspective. An OPORD is a system with five paragraphs (FM 6-0, 2014), and the paragraphs could be seen as the components or subsystems in this scenario. A typical OPORD has five paragraphs and attachments. Attachments are annexes, appendixes, tabs, and exhibits and are information management tool for clarity and brevity (FM 6-0, 2014). However, the system thinking analogous inference here was focused on the five paragraphs. Paragraphs 1-5 contains information on the situation, mission, execution, sustainment, and command and signal respectively. The situation paragraph provides information concerning the area of interest, area of operations, enemy and friendly forces, interagency, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental organizations, civil considerations, attachments and detachments, and assumptions. The mission states the objectives of the operation based on the 5Ws: who, what (task), when, where, and why (purpose). The execution paragraph contains the application plan and use of the national power: diplomatic/political, information, military, and economic (DIME), including the humanitarian effort. In other words, it has information on the commander’s intent, concept or operation, scheme of movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, and protection, cyber electromagnetic activities, stability tasks, assessment, tasks to subordinate units, and coordinating instructions. The sustainment is concerned with the logistics capabilities, personnel, and health service supports. Finally, the command and signal deals with the command and control or the mission command, as well as the communication channel. Based on this conceptual description, the followings are detailed illustrations of the concept with an operation order.

With the OPORD example, the paragraphs are interacting, interrelated, and interdependent (Durland & Fredericks, 2005), and any change in the property of any of the directives or instructions in any of the paragraphs would cause a change in one or more of the other paragraphs (change to OPORD is communicated via a fragmented order—FRAGORD), and a removal of any of the paragraphs would alter the effectiveness of the OPORD system itself. In addition, the objective is achieved based on the various information, directive or cause of actions, the paragraphs provide, which are usually algometric and heuristic, or holistic in nature.

The interacting characteristic of an OPORD system refers to the harmonization of information, resources, directives, and activities in each paragraph or subsystem for the success of a mission. The situation section or paragraph describes the battlefield. The mission describes the objectives or goal to be achieved on the battlefield. The execution describes how to accomplish the mission on the battlefield. The sustainment describes how to manage resources on the battlefield in order to accomplish the mission. Finally, the command and signal or mission command describes the chain of command, the employment of the command post on the battlefield, and the concept of signal support. The synergy is that the probability of success is greater when the activities described in the operation order or the paragraphs are synchronized and are working in concert.

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Patrick I. Offor, Ph.D. 11:42, 6 October 2017 (UTC)