text: PART TWO
  Offensive Operations
  Commanders use offensive operations to defeat and destroy enemy forces as well as
  to seize terrain, resources, and population centers. Part Two consists of five chapters
  that describe the fundamentals of the offense and the four types of offensive
  operations—movement to contact, attack, exploitation, and pursuit.
  Chapter 3
  The Offense
  Offensive actions are combat operations conducted to defeat and destroy forces and
  seize terrain, resources, and population centers. They impose the commander’s will on
  the enemy. The basics discussed in this chapter apply to the conduct of all types of
  offensive operations.
  PURPOSES OF THE OFFENSE
  3-1. The offense is the decisive form of war. The offense is the ultimate means commanders have of
  imposing their will on enemy forces. The main purposes of the offense are to defeat enemy forces, destroy
  enemy forces, and gain control of terrain, resources, and population centers. Additionally, units conduct the
  offense to—
  * Secure decisive terrain.
  * Deprive the enemy of resources.
  * Gain information.
  * Fix an enemy force in position.
  * Disrupt an enemy force’s attack.
  * Set the conditions for successful future operations.
  CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE
  3-2. Successful offenses share these characteristics:
  * Audacity.
  * Concentration.
  * Surprise.
  * Tempo.
  See ADP 3-90 for more information on the purposes and characteristics of the offense.