text: Fundamentals of Operations
  RISK
  3-115. Commanders accept risk on their own terms to create opportunities and apply judgment to manage
  those hazards they do not control. Risk is an inherent part of every operation and cannot be avoided.
  Commanders analyze risk in collaboration with subordinates to help determine what level and type of risk
  exists and how to mitigate it. When considering how much risk to accept with a course of action, commanders
  consider risk to the force against the probability of mission success during current and future operations.
  They assess options in terms of weighting the main effort, economy of force, and physical loss in the context
  of what they have been tasked to do.
  3-116. Leaders consider risk across all domains. Accepting risk in one domain may create opportunities in
  other domains. For example, the risk of seizing an airfield puts ground forces at risk, but it creates an
  opportunity to receive reinforcements and supplies that extend operational reach. During combat against an
  enemy with capabilities comparable to that of the United States, the greatest opportunity may come from the
  course of action with the most risk. An example of this is committing significant forces to a potentially costly
  frontal attack that fixes the bulk of enemy forces in place to set the conditions for their envelopment by other
  forces. Another is taking a difficult but unexpected route to achieve surprise. Accepting significant risk is
  necessary when seeking to create an advantage where none exists otherwise.
  3-117. The unrealistic expectation of avoiding all risk is detrimental to mission accomplishment. While
  each situation is different, commanders avoid undue caution or commitment of resources to guard against
  every perceived threat. Waiting for perfect intelligence and synchronization may increase risk or close a
  window of opportunity. Mission command requires that commanders and subordinates accept risk, exercise
  initiative, and act decisively, particularly when the outcome is uncertain.
  3-118. Commanders determine how to impose risk on enemy forces. Viewing the situation through the
  enemy’s perspective, commanders seek to create multiple dilemmas and increase the number and severity of
  hazards with which enemy forces must contend. Leaders consider the human and information factors that
  govern the manner in which enemy forces assess costs and benefits and calculate risk. Commanders disrupt
  this risk calculation when they increase perceived costs to enemy forces and reduce the perception of potential
  benefits. Commanders do this by imposing dilemmas on enemy forces, not based on what a U.S. or allied
  leader views as a problem, but on what an enemy commander views as detrimental. Some dilemmas are
  universally accepted as costly, but others are cultural or personal. Commanders rely on military intelligence
  and experience to develop this level of situational understanding.
  STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
  3-119. The strategic framework accounts for factors in the strategic environment and the connection of
  strategic capabilities to operational- and tactical-level operations. The strategic framework includes four
  areas:
  (cid:122) Strategic support area.
  (cid:122) Joint security area.
  (cid:122) Extended deep area.
  (cid:122) Assigned operational area.
  (See figure 3-2 on page 3-23 for a depiction of the operational framework in the context of the strategic
  framework.)
  STRATEGIC SUPPORT AREA
  3-120. The strategic support area describes the area extending from a theater of operations to a base in the
  United States or another CCDR’s area of responsibility. It contains those organizations, lines of
  communications, and other agencies required to support deployed forces. It also includes the airports and
  seaports supporting the flow of forces and sustainment into a theater. Finally, a strategic support area may
  contain key operational capabilities, such as cyberspace assets, that are employed from outside an operational
  area but create effects inside it. Most friendly nuclear, space, and cyberspace capabilities and important
  network infrastructure are controlled and located in the strategic support area.