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REVISITING CAMPAIGN PLAN

Commodore Mustaque Ahmed, (G), NPP, psc, BN

Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them everyone
Where have all the young girls gone?

Gone for young men everyone
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers everyone

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to the grave, one by one.
- Old Ukrainian Folk Song of War

Introduction

A theatre of war is naturally foggy and confusing. The fog of war hampers
to foresee how the sequence of war will be unfolded. The strategic decision
makers of a country decide the war and the soldiers in tactical level fight. But,
‘can what is desired at the strategic level be accomplished at the tactical level ?’
remains a big dilemma for the warplanners. The understanding of various levels
of war is thereby so pertinent.
In medieval wars, Kings were all in planning and decision making. King’s
desire whether feasible or was never questioned. But, the strategic level cannot
succeed unless all other elements are able to fulfill it. Besides, it is not only the
military but also nation’s ability, peoples’ will, media, diplomacy – every element
is vital in a campaign or war. That’s why, today the strategic level while planning
has to confirm – is the campaign plan acceptable, manageable and feasible ?
Campaign plan applies to large scale, long duration and significant
military strategy plan incorporating a series of operations forming a larger
conflict often called a war. It involves judicious deployment of forces,
identifying the right operational objectives, defence, deception, synergy,
logistics etc. Campaign planning tools are fundamental in the overall design of

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