Which statement best distinguishes tactics from techniques in military doctrine?

• A. Techniques are the overall management of forces to achieve a mission.
• B. Tactics are the overall employment and sequencing of forces to achieve a mission; techniques are the specific methods applied to execute tactics.
• C. Techniques define missions and priorities; tactics describe how to carry them out.
• D. Tactics and techniques refer to the same concept.

Answer: (B)

The distinction hinges on scope: tactics cover the overall employment and sequencing of forces to achieve a mission, while techniques are the specific methods used to execute those tactics. In practice, a tactic defines how forces coordinate, maneuver, and time their actions to apply combat power and reach the objective. Techniques are the concrete procedures used to implement those tactics—the exact ways you breach a doorway, establish a blocking position, or conduct reconnaissance and suppressive fire to enable the maneuver.

For example, the plan to seize a fortified position involves a tactic that coordinates movement, timing, and force application across different arms. The techniques would be the particular methods used to carry out that plan, such as breaching procedures, the use of specific signaling methods, or the step-by-step formation changes during the assault. This alignment shows why the statement that tactics describe the employment and sequencing to achieve a mission, while techniques are the methods applied to execute those tactics, is the best fit. The other options mix up roles or equate the two concepts, which doesn’t reflect how these terms are used in doctrine.