Managing the Battle Rhythm

Military personnel understand the concept of the battle rhythm the cycle the Commander and his staff use to make decisions. The battle rhythm takes in to account sensor and intelligence inputs, battle damage assessments, the effects of fires, logistics and weather concerns, the stated mission of the campaign or operation, direction from higher authority, and the Commanders intent to accomplish the stated mission, and combines these elements to create a series of decisions that impact the actions of units reporting to the Commander. The battle rhythm is the heart of the militarys operational knowledge management process. Effectively managing the battle rhythm means effectively processing inputs and intent to allow the Commander to make decisive decisions. The battle rhythm process can be boiled down to four basic phases receiving input from multiple sources, integrating input to create useable information, shaping useable information to make it actionable, and reaching a decision point. These steps can be adapted to all levels of command from the strategic down to the tactical, with adjustments made for the rapidity of information flow using technology and processes. Understanding these four phases is the key to mastering the battle rhythm.