text: Chapter 1
  strategic, operational, and tactical—link tactical actions to achievement of national objectives as shown in
  figure 1-2.
  Figure 1-2. Levels of warfare
  1-55. The levels of warfare distinguish four broad overlapping activities—providing national direction and
  creating national strategy (national strategic), conducting continuous theater campaigning (theater strategic);
  planning and conducting campaigns and major operations (operational); or planning and executing
  operations, battles, engagements, and actions (tactical). Some commanders act at more than one level of war.
  For example, a combatant commander (CCDR) formulates theater strategy and designs the campaign plan.
  A land component commander assists a CCDR in campaign design and may lead a field army during major
  operations. The levels of warfare are conceptual, without finite limits or boundaries. They do, however,
  correlate to specific activities and responsibilities. They help commanders visualize the relationships and
  actions required to link strategic objectives, military operations at various echelons, and tactical actions.
  Among the levels of warfare, planning horizons, methods, and products differ greatly. Without this context,
  tactical operations become disconnected from operational end states and strategic objectives. There are skills
  and practices related to strategic, theater strategic, operational, and tactical level that differ from each other
  and are enhanced by specific training and education.
  National Strategic Level of Warfare
  1-56. The national strategic level of warfare is the level of warfare at which the U.S. government
  formulates policy goals and ways to achieve them by synchronizing action across government and
  unified action partners and employing the instruments of national power. The instruments of national
  power are all of the means available to the government in its pursuit of national objectives, expressed as
  diplomatic, economic, informational, and military. The national strategic level of warfare focuses on
  developing global strategy and providing global strategic direction. Strategic direction provides context,
  tasks, and purpose for the employment of the instruments of national power. The specifics of strategic