Setting the Theater: A Definition, Framework, and Rationale for Effective Resourcing at the Theater Army Level.

The article highlights the impact of a doctrinal gap and the absence of a conceptual framework of setting the theater of military operations and explores the importance of setting the theater for the U.S. Army and joint forces. It describes the doctrinal gap reflected by Operation Enduring Freedom and the humanitarian/disaster relief operation led by U.S. Army Africa (USARAF) during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. A doctrinal definition and framework for setting the theater is proposed.