and
uses them in his comparison.

However, he defers, until the next subsection, his choice of the
course to be finally selected, or his conclusion that none can
justifiably be adopted. The process of comparison is confined to
deduction, rearrangement, and justified rejection, preliminary to
weighing and selecting in the next subsection.

B. Determination of the Best Course of Action.

The commander is now ready to ponder over his retained courses of
action as further analyzed in the light of enemy opposition. All of
these courses, if carried out, are presumably competent, in varying
extent, to attain the appropriate effect desired. He will now examine
and consider them with the specific intent of coming to a conclusion
as to which one, or which combination, he will select as the best. The
analysis of each course of action in comparison with each enemy course
has made possible a comparison, to this end, of the commander's
retained courses with each other.

At this point, therefore, the commander again assembles his retained
courses of action.

He includes the combinations which the preceding analysis has
indicated belong properly together. He then considers the final
tabulation in the light of the considerations now to be noted.

The conclusive tests are now made for suitability, for feasibility,
and for acceptability as to consequences. Because of the importance of
this terminal analysis, it is desirable that the tests be as precise
as possible.

The commander now has, in addition to his list of the retained courses
of action, a summarized comparison of each with the others, under the
several pertinent headings. He next examines this all-inclusive
summary, with the intent of selecting the best course of action.

It may be found that one, or another, or a combination, is best.
Again, there is the possibility of considering, as best, a course of
action which, if carried out, will only complete an initial stage
toward the accomplishment of the motivating task.

If the result of the analysis has demonstrated that there is no
satisfactory course of action, this fact is here stated, with a
notation as to the reasons for such opinion. In this case the
commander faces a dilemma.

Usually a task imposed on the commander by higher authority will be a
carefully considered assignment of part of the superior's planned
effort. The commander may expect normally to find that his own
estimate of the situation will yield