What is Doctrine?

Army doctrine is defined as the fundamental principles, with supporting tactics, techniques, procedures and terms and symbols, used for the conduct of operations and as a guide for actions of operating forces, and elements of the institutional force that directly support operations in support of national objectives.

In simpler terms, every profession develops a unique body of knowledge. For the Army Profession, this body of professional knowledge is doctrine. U.S. Army doctrine is about the conduct of operations by Army forces in the field (and to a limited extent the guidelines for training for operations). Doctrine establishes the language of the profession. Just as physicians must remain proficient and current regarding the body of medical knowledge, Army professionals must remain proficient and current in doctrine.

The Role of Doctrine

Doctrine serves as a starting point for thinking about and conducting operations. When leaders and Soldiers allow it to fulfill this role, doctrine makes six basic contributions to the conduct of operations and the development of military professionals. Each is vitally and equally important. Each contributes directly to the conduct of operations and mission effectiveness. Doctrine’s contributions:

• Provide a coherent vision of warfare.
• Enhance operational effectiveness.
• Provide a common frame of reference and cultural perspective.
• Provide a common professional language.
• Discuss Army contributions to unified action.
• State and foster desirable traits in leaders and Soldiers

The Structure of Doctrine

To understand doctrine, it is necessary to understand the structure of doctrine. Three taxonomies make up the body of knowledge called doctrine:

• Elements of information.
• Types of doctrine.
• Types of Army doctrine and their hierarchy.

Elements of Information

Five basic elements of information are included in Army doctrine:

• Principles
• Tactics
• Techniques
• Procedures
• Terms and symbols

Where can I find Army Doctrine and other publications?

Doctrine fits into a larger body of Army knowledge. Each organization develops specific ways to do things—policies about the conduct of its tasks. Large, complex organizations often require more than one body of knowledge to address the variety of tasks they perform. The Army is such an organization. Some policies are prescriptive and include penalties for failure to follow a procedure while others are simply accepted, descriptive ways to do things. Some organizations call these operating procedures, rulebooks, or some other term for organizational guidelines. For the Army, this larger body of knowledge includes, but is not limited, to the following:

• Army regulations and pamphlets, which address the administration of the Army.
• Doctrine, which addresses the conduct of operations.
• Training publications, which address specific training tasks and procedures.
• Technical manuals, which address specific equipment-related topics.

The Army Publishing Directorate Website (https://armypubs.army.mil/) is the repository for this body of knowledge.