Tactics and Strategy

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Where you are stronger - in tactics or in strategy? And last of all, what is tactics and what is strategy? And what's the difference?

One definition to separate the two:

Tactics is knowing what to do when you have to do something.

Strategy is knowing what to do when you don't have to do anything.

(Originally in th econtext of playing chess)

Tactics would include ensuring your squad of riflemen knew what to do with their weapons.
Strategy would include ensuring that they had them, and food, and transport, and were in the part of the world they should be...

Strategy is a long-term plan of action that includes broad goals. A tactic is an action at any given time that works toward fulfilling the strategy.

Simply put, tactics is winning a battle; strategy is winning the war.
That said, I'm far better at tactics. Give me an objective and turn me loose.

I'm better at strategy

Actually that's called Logistics

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tactics

Well who knows if I'm good at either. But based on Emettman's defining the two words.

I am clearly better at tactics because of my ADHD. If a crazy situation appears I can find
a solution if I'm under real pressure. If under no pressure I would do nothing(as I have
done most my life avoiding all conflicts).

I guess the best example would be repairing oil field equipment that the boss said was
unfixable and the customer saying he will have to buy a complete new system otherwise.
I feeling sad for the rich oil companies and for the fact we did not sell the equipment
they needed took the job and fix the same systems many times. Oh the real pressure I was under here is making the boss(my father) money.

It is if the munitions, food and transport have been thought about enough to be there to be assigned. If they're not there at all, it's not just a logistics failure.

But that's been going on for centuries...
The Crimean cartoon:

"Well Jack, here's good news from home. We're to have a medal."
"That's very kind. Maybe one of these days we'll have a coat to stick it on."
http://www.historyhome.co.uk/forpol/crimea/patient.htm

I don't think soldiers are quite so polite about it these days, if they ever were.




(Or should we divide logistiscs into tactical and strategic? With a fuzzy border, naturally)







.

Well, obviously, Strategy, Tactics and Logistics all slightly overlap with fuzzy borders.

I think what you said that "ensuring food, transport and in the part of the world they should be" lies primarily within logistics. DECIDING how much how much food, ammo and transport would be strategic.

Genericly, I'd say that

Tactics.. concerned with small units up to Company size.
Grand tactical.. units up to Divisions.
Stategic.. units up to Corps.
Grand Strategy.. whole army groups.

What are your thoughts??

That works well within the pure military context. But there's a different layering of strategy,
the politico-social-industrial-economic world:
What army should we have, what equipment can we afford?
What will the public support or stand for? (And can that be manipulated?!)
Who should our allies be, what are our objectives before and during conflict?

Grand-grand strategy, down to almost tactical levels: what sort of new rifle should be developed/bought? High-tech vs reliability vs cost...

Very true!! As the Chinese Genaral Sun Tzu said "The whole purpose of the state is to create the capacity to engage in warefare" It's just as true today as it was then.

I do fine with tactics when I have a good feel for the situation

But I'm bad at strategy and absolutely terrible at logistics. As an example, I have always been bad at chess. When I say bad I mean I know how the game and all of the pieces work, obviously. But the best I can hope for is to achieve a stalemate, even if I play against somebody new that has no idea what they are doing. And I am terrible at computer games like Starcraft, Medieval: Total War, etc. Again, I can learn every mechanic in the game inside and out but I cannot apply any of that knowledge to any immediate situation effectively. My mind just doesn't click.

Of course some of that might stem from my inability to multi-task.