National Strategy

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to

•    Illustrate the relationship between the National Security Strategy (NSS), National Military Strategy (NMS), and National Defense Strategy (NDS).
•    Explain how the instruments of national power (diplomatic, informational, military, economic, etc.) are employed and their effectiveness in achieving specific national goals and objectives.
•    Describe the relationships among the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war.
•    Summarize the competition continuum with its three states of relations: armed conflict, competition below armed conflict, and cooperation.
•    Distinguish the complexities of operations below the threshold of armed conflict as manifested by constant competition in the Information Environment (IE).

Lesson Intent

The intent of this lesson is for the students to gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. National Defense Strategy and how the strategy is used to maintain national security and to achieve national objectives.  This lesson meets the National Strategic Overview objectives from CJCSI 1805.01C, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy.  

Note: There is no student preparation for this lesson. 

Lesson References:

• CJCSI 1805.01C, 1 November 2021, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy. 

• 2022 National Security Strategy.

• 2022 National Defense Strategy.

• 2022 National Military Strategy.

• Joint Doctrine Note 1-18, 25 April 2018, Strategy.

• Joint Doctrine Note 1-19, 3 June 2019, Competition Continuum.

• Rodriguez, Cesar Augusto; Walton, Timothy Charles; & Chu, Hyong. April 2020. Putting the “FIL” into “DIME” Growing Joint Understanding of the Instruments of Power. Joint Force Quarterly (97).

• The Joint Staff, Description of the National Military Strategy 2018.

• Air Force Doctrine Publication 1: Air Force Basic Doctrine