Military Review English Edition January-February 2015 | Page 74

2.0, but it is a way of thinking about a complex operational
environment.4
To highlight these aspects of design, this article applies
a framework of environmental framing, problem framing,
and operational approach. This framework, derived from
Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 5-0, The
Operations Process, will clarify the approach SAMS uses
to teach design, convey the value of design for military
planners, and illustrate the pitfalls of allowing the practical
aspects of the ADM to overtake the spirit of design.5

Environmental Framing
The obvious question when trying to appreciate design
is, “why design?” The answer comes from the difficulty of
understanding the confusing sociopolitical environments
in which humans live and the need to explore these spaces
for understanding. An operational environment is an
open system characterized by complexity, uncertainty,
and interdependence.6 During operations, Army forces
are not an external audience viewing the environment but
an integral part of a system; their actions will affect the
system in indeterminate ways.7
Although there is purposefulness within a system (i.e.,
all the parts that make up an environment), we cannot
achieve complete understanding of it. Moreover, we often
are incapable of determining cause and effect due to their
separation in time and space.8 While we would like to
bask in the comfortable warmth of certainty, our overconfidence is a symptom of hubris that could lead to tragic
failure. Even when we believe we know the problem and
respond appropriately to our understanding, we often are
reacting to superficial symptoms and not to the underlying problem. As we improve our understanding, we slowly
uncloak the veil of ignorance that has rested comfortably
upon us.9 Although our understanding increases and our
confidence grows, changes in the environment can make
our understanding fleeting and ca