How many tiers are described in the tier concept?

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 4
• D. 5

Answer: (B)

The tier concept is most commonly described with three levels: strategic, operational, and tactical. At the top, the strategic level sets the overall ends, purposes, and policies—why we are acting and what we aim to achieve. The middle tier translates those strategic goals into campaigns and major operations, providing a bridge between broad aims and concrete actions. The bottom tier handles execution, detailing how forces are deployed, maneuvered, and fought in real time to accomplish the missions.

Having three tiers keeps the planning and execution aligned: strategy guides the big choices, campaigns link those choices to practical actions, and tactics carry them out on the ground or at sea. If you used only two levels, you’d miss how campaigns connect policy to battlefield actions. If you used four or five, you’d risk unnecessary complexity without adding meaningful clarity for typical doctrine. That’s why three tiers is the standard description.