text: Chapter 2
  2-10. Military end state and termination are directly related. Termination criteria are the specified standards
  approved by the President and/or the Secretary of Defense that must be met before a military operation can
  be concluded (JP 3-0). At times, strategic-level leaders may express the standards that a JFC must meet before
  military operations can conclude explicitly. When this occurs, these termination criteria inform the military
  end state. However, many times such precision is impossible, especially early in a campaign or major
  operation. When the termination criteria are implicit, the JFC often develops proposed termination criteria
  based on the envisioned military end state. In such cases, the JFC briefs the termination criteria and military
  end state to strategic-level leaders, who then approve both elements. As operations progress and conditions
  change, the military end state and termination criteria may also change. When this occurs, commanders at
  every level must reexamine all aspects of operational design to ensure that their activities remain relevant;
  and if not, they determine what changes are necessary to achieve the updated ends. These changes may
  require consultation with, and approval from, strategic leaders.
  2-11. Army, corps, and division commanders must clearly understand the military end state and termination
  criteria when developing the end states for their supporting operations. An operation’s end state is the set of
  required conditions that defines achievement of the commander’s objectives (JP 3-0). A condition reflects
  the existing state of an OE. Thus, a desired condition is a sought-after change to an OE. Since every operation
  should focus on a clearly defined and attainable end state, accurately describing conditions that represent
  success is essential. Commanders explicitly describe end state conditions that guide the development of their
  operational approach. Commanders summarize the operation’s end state in their commander’s intent. A
  clearly defined end state promotes unity of effort, facilitates integration and synchronization of the force, and
  guides subordinates initiative during execution.
  Center of Gravity
  For Alexander, Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII, and Frederick the Great, the center of
  gravity was their army. If the army had been destroyed, they would all have gone down in
  history as failures.
  Carl von Clausewitz
  2-12. A center of gravity is the source of power that provides moral or physical strength, freedom of action,
  or will to act (JP 5-0). The loss of a center of gravity can ultimately result in defeat. Centers of gravity are
  not limited to military forces, and they can be either physical or moral. Physical centers of gravity, such as a
  capital city or military force, are tangible and typically easier to identify, assess, and target than moral centers
  of gravity. Forces can often influence physical centers of gravity solely by military means. In contrast, moral
  centers of gravity are intangible and more difficult to influence. Moral centers of gravity exist in the minds
  of the people involved in the conflict. They can include a charismatic leader, powerful ruling elite, or the will
  of a population.
  2-13. As an element of operational art, a center of gravity analysis helps commanders and staffs understand
  friendly and enemy sources of strength and weakness. This understanding helps commanders and staffs
  determine ways to undermine enemy strengths by exploiting enemy vulnerabilities while protecting friendly
  vulnerabilities from enemies attempting to do the same. Understanding friendly and enemy centers of gravity
  helps commanders and staffs identify decisive points and determine an operational approach to achieve the
  end state. (See JP 5-0 for more detailed information on center of gravity analysis.)
  Decisive Points
  2-14. A decisive point is a key terrain, key event, critical factor, or function that, when acted upon, enables
  commanders to gain a marked advantage over an enemy or contribute materially to achieving success
  (JP 5-0). Identifying decisive points helps commanders to select clear, conclusive, attainable objectives that
  directly contribute to achieving the end state. Geographic decisive points can include port facilities,
  distribution networks and nodes, and bases of operation. Specific events and elements of an enemy force may
  also be decisive points. Examples of such events include commitment of an enemy operational reserve and
  reopening a major oil refinery.
  2-15. A common characteristic of decisive points is their importance to a center of gravity. Decisive points
  are not centers of gravity; they are key to attacking or protecting centers of gravity. A decisive point’s