Military Operations is a concept and application of military science

Military science

Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...

 that involves planning the operations for the projected maneuvering

Maneuver warfare

Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare , is the term used by military theorists for a concept of warfare that advocates attempting to defeat an adversary by incapacitating their decision-making through shock and disruption brought about by movement...

 forces's provisions, services, training, and administrative functions—to allow them to commence, insert, then egress from combat

Combat

Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....

. The operations staff plays a major role in the projection of military forces in any wide spectrum of conflict; terrestrial

Ground warfare

Ground warfare or land warfare is the process of military operations eventuating in combat that take place predominantly on the land surface of the planet....

, aerial

Aerial warfare

Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...

, or naval warfare

Naval warfare

Naval warfare is combat in and on seas, oceans, or any other major bodies of water such as large lakes and wide rivers.-History:Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Land warfare would seem, initially, to be irrelevant and entirely removed from warfare on the open ocean,...

 needed to achieve operational objectives in a theater of war.

The general staff of military operations deals with the planning, process

Military intelligence

Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....

, collection

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

, and analyzing of information. Its major function is responsible in the allocating of resources and determining time requirements. It is combined with other military staff sections to achieve its primary principles in employment of the military forces and matériel

Materiel

Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....

s to meet specific missions.

The Operations staff have distinct cyclic process features that are essential for military operation

Military operation

Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...

s to progress:

• Conception through identification of specific goals or objectives
• Intelligence gathering and analysis to identify enemy capability to resist
• Planning of military force and its use
• Administration of mobilization, equipping, training and staging of forces
• Commencement of the operation, and achieving of initial tactical mission objectives
• Defeating the larger enemy forces in their operational depth
• Ending the operation whether the strategic goals have been achieved or not

United States

The general staff of operations designation is "3" to its corresponding section—e.g. G-3 (Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

), S-3 (Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

), N-3 (Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

), and A-3 (Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

).