NFTCTC - The Pareto Principle in Combat Operations

The Pareto principle simply stated is that 80% of the desired results are derived from 20% of the input (also known as the 80/20 rule in which roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes). This principle has been proven in business and finance, in addition to military implications. This article focuses on key components that produce the greatest impact across the brigade combat team (BCT). The Army's focus on decisive action is suffering from a decade of counterinsurgency operations, necessitating a much more rapid evolution in preparing for a near-peer threat across multiple domains. Inability to adapt the military's current training to fit the current threat increases the probability of a deadly learning curve in the next war or conflict. According to the Pareto principle, marked improvement is achieved through increasing focus on the best 20% of processes related to combat training; specifically, reconnaissance, command and control nodes, the common operational picture, and sustainment. Each of these focal points tie in and support each other in a highly complex battlefield.