text: Army Operations Overview
  OPERATIONAL APPROACH AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK
  2-22. Through operational art, commanders develop their operational approach—a broad description of the
  mission, operational concepts, tasks, and actions required to accomplish the mission (JP 5-0). An operational
  approach is the result of the commander’s visualization of what needs to be done in broad terms to solve
  identified problems. It is the main idea that informs detailed planning. When describing an operational
  approach, commanders—
  (cid:122) Consider ways to defeat enemy forces in detail and potential decisive points.
  (cid:122) Employ combinations of defeat mechanisms to isolate and defeat enemy forces, functions, and
  capabilities.
  (cid:122) Assess options for assuming risk.
  (See ADP 3-0 for more information on operational art. See ADP 5-0 for more information on planning).
  2-23. The operational framework is a cognitive tool used to assist commanders and staffs in clearly
  visualizing and describing the application of combat power in time, space, purpose, and resources in the
  concept of operations (ADP 1-01). Commanders build their operational framework on their assessment of
  the operational environment, including all domains and dimensions. They may create new models to fit the
  circumstances, but they generally apply a combination of common models according to doctrine. The three
  models commonly used to build an operational framework are—
  (cid:122) Assigned areas.
  (cid:122) Deep, close, and rear operations.
  (cid:122) Main effort, supporting effort, and reserve.
  (See FM 3-0 for more information on the operational framework.)
  Note. Commanders may use any operational framework models they find useful, but they must
  remain synchronized with their higher echelon headquarters’ operational framework.
  DEEP,CLOSE,ANDREAR OPERATIONS
  2-24. Within assigned areas, commanders organize their operations in terms of time, space, and purpose by
  synchronizing close, deep, and rear operations. The focus of operations in time, space, and purpose—not
  necessarily their physical location—determines whether they are deep, close, or rear operations. This model
  assists commanders and staffs in synchronizing capabilities that reside outside of their unit’s assigned area,
  from the air, space, and cyberspace domains, for example, with operations inside their assigned areas. The
  degree of convergence that a corps can achieve to set conditions for its subordinate divisions depends on its
  ability to synchronize close, deep, and rear operations among its subordinate echelons and with the joint force
  (See FM 3-0 for more information on dividing an area of operations. See figure 2-3 on page 2-7 for an
  example of notional corps deep, close, and rear areas.)
  Deep Operations
  2-25. Deep operationsare tactical actions against enemy forces, typically out of direct contact with friendly
  forces, intended to shape future close operations and protect rear operations (FM 3-0). At the operational
  level, deep operations influence the timing, location, and enemy forces involved in future battles. At the
  tactical level, deep operations set conditions for success during close operations and subsequent
  engagements. At both the operational and tactical levels, the principal effects of deep operations focus on the
  enemy forces’ freedom of action and the coherence and tempo of their operations. Deep operations strike
  enemy forces throughout their depth and prevent the effective employment of reserves, command and control
  nodes, logistics, and long-range fires. Deep operations are inherently joint, since many of the capabilities
  employed by or in support of Army formations are provided by a joint headquarters or Service component.
  (See FM 3-0 for more information on deep operations.)