text: Chapter 7
  police proved unreliable but in a passive-aggressive manner, demonstrating little
  initiative except in the collection of their salaries.
  The case of Dan Aw Patan displays the importance of local conditions in the
  counterinsurgent’s choice of tactics. In general, village stability operations
  represented an innovative approach to the challenge of securing the Afghan
  population at the village level. In this case, however, the counterinsurgent learned
  that what worked in one village did not work in a neighboring village only a few miles
  distant.
  Many Important Decisions Are Not Made by Generals
  7-12. Successful counterinsurgency operations require competence and judgment by Soldiers and Marines
  at all levels. Indeed, young leaders often make decisions at the tactical level that have strategic
  consequences. Senior leaders set the proper direction and climate with thorough training and clear
  guidance; they then trust their subordinates to do the right thing. Preparation for tactical-level leaders
  requires more than just mastering Service doctrine; they must also be trained and educated to adapt to their
  local situations, understand the legal and ethical implications of their actions, and exercise initiative and
  sound judgment in accordance with their senior commander’s intent.
  CONCEPTUAL PLANNING
  7-13. The complexity of insurgencies presents problems that have incomplete, contradictory, and changing
  requirements. The solutions to these challenging problems are often difficult to recognize because of
  interdependencies of the relationships of an operational environment. While attempting to solve these
  problems, the solution to one problem may reveal or create another, even more complex, problem.
  Operational design employs various elements to develop and refine the commander’s operational approach.
  Operational design involves conceptual planning. Conceptual planning establishes aims, objectives, and
  intentions, and it also involves developing broad concepts for action. It generally corresponds to the art of
  war. The commander’s activities of understanding and visualization are key aspects of conceptual planning.
  (See MCDP 5 for more information on the art of war and ADRP 5-0 for more information on
  understanding and visualization).
  7-14. Design is the conception and articulation of a framework for solving a problem, and it is critical to
  conceptual planning. The purpose of design is to achieve a greater understanding of the environment and
  the nature of the problem in order to identify an appropriate conceptual solution. While not prescriptive,
  design is based on critical thinking, conceptual planning, visualization, emergence of a hypothesis, and
  continuous activity. Design is the primary way to develop an operational approach. First, design helps
  commanders and staffs create a shared understanding of the current operational environment and visualize
  what the environment should look like. Understanding an operational environment is an essential
  foundation of counterinsurgency. Second, design enables the collaborative, conceptual planning necessary
  to understand a problem and develop broad approaches to solving it. From there, commanders can visualize
  their operational approach and describe to staffs and subordinate commanders how to move the
  environment from the current state to the desired end state. From an operational approach, the commander
  conducts detailed planning. (See figure 7-1.) (See JP 5-0 for more information on design. See ADP 5-0 for
  more information on Army design methodology and MCWP 5-1 for more information on Marine Corps
  design. See chapter 2 for an understanding of an operational environment.)