

or coalition actions.” These concepts were developed to enhance decision advantage in conflict. This could induce an operational paralysis that would “prevent our adversaries from adapting to their ever-changing surroundings and cripple their ability to react to U.S. He believed that we should follow through on our own OODA loop in a manner and speed that breaks down the adversary’s decision cycle at the orient phase. In 2001, Lt Col Shanahan matured this concept in his National War College paper, “Shock-Based Operations,” in which he advocated a focus on the opponent’s orient phase. In the 1950s, Col John Boyd embodied the concept of a decision cycle in conflict with his theory of the “OODA Loop.” He believed that the orient phase was key in gaining dominance over an opponent. If decision advantage in conflict is closing our kill chains, then decision advantage in competition is keeping adversary kill chains open. Alexander Wright, Seamus Feeley, Shelby Copenhaver, Zachary Munoz, Timothy Bjorgan, and Jacob Garret (USAF)
