text: Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
  * Economic. The economic variable encompasses individual behaviors and aggregate phenomena
  related to the production, distribution, and consumption of resources. The support area may
  include challenges associated with the production or availability of key materials and resources.
  * Social. The social variable describes the cultural, religious, and ethnic makeup within an
  operational environment and the beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors of society members.
  Societies are comprised of structured and overlapping groups and institutions, each with relative
  statuses and roles that support, enable, and provide opportunity to achieve personal or community
  expectations. Important characteristics of a social system include population demographics,
  migration trends, and diversity of religious and ethnic groups. Understanding these complex
  interrelationships in a society is vitally important for successful military missions.
  * Information. The information variable describes the nature, scope, characteristics, and effects of
  individuals, organizations, and systems that collect, process, disseminate, or act on information.
  Information involves the access, use, manipulation, distribution, and reliance on information
  technology systems, both civilian and military, by an entity (state or nonstate). Understanding
  existing communication infrastructure in an operational environment ultimately controls the flow
  of information to the population and military and/or paramilitary forces and influences local and
  international audiences. Communication availability can act as a leveling function with regard to
  mitigating military technical advantages to a surprising extent. Military units must understand and
  engage in the information environment to achieve their objectives.
  * Infrastructure. Infrastructure comprises the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for
  the functioning of a community or society. The support area may have challenges associated with
  specific deficiencies in the basic infrastructure. Opportunities in the form of improvements to
  existing infrastructure and specific new projects might be added. Units in the support area provide
  a detailed understanding of infrastructure by subcategories in the context of combat operations
  and stability. The degradation or destruction of infrastructure impacts the entire operational
  environment. This variable also reflects the infrastructure sophistication of an operational
  environment.
  * Physical environment. The defining factors are complex terrain and urban settings (super-
  surface, surface, and subsurface features), weather, topography, hydrology, and environmental
  conditions. Operations in the support area may have challenges due to natural and man-made
  obstacles. Insights into environmental considerations are also a concern (see ATP 3-34.5).
  Opportunities in the form of existing routes, installations, and resources might be added. A broad
  understanding of the physical environment can be accomplished through geospatial engineering,
  which is discussed in detail in ATP 3-34.80 and JP 2-03.
  * Time. The variable of time influences military operations within an operational environment in
  terms of the decision—cycles, operating tempo, and planning horizons. Support area operations
  might have challenges associated with completing required CA-related plan missions in the time
  allotted because of the impact on perceptions of civilians during stability tasks. Opportunities in
  the form of potential to accelerate priority projects might be added for the positive effect it would
  have on civil considerations and the perception of mission success.
  MISSION VARIABLES
  1-59. Analysis of the operational environment in terms of the operational variables provides the relevant
  information that commanders can use to frame operational problems. While such analysis improves
  situational understanding at all levels, land operations require more specific information. When commanders
  receive a mission, they require a more detailed mission analysis focused on their specific situation.