An educated guess should be based on which combination?

• A. Both previous experience and knowledge of how the enemy operated and whatever intelligence is available
• B. Previous experience
• C. Knowledge of how the enemy operated and whatever intelligence is available
• D. The most recent order from higher command

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to form a well-supported educated guess by combining multiple sources of insight: your prior experience, an understanding of how the enemy tends to operate, and the current intelligence available. Each element adds a different layer. Past experience gives you practical intuition and a sense of what patterns tend to repeat under similar conditions. Knowing how the enemy operates helps you anticipate likely actions, constraints, and vulnerabilities that aren’t obvious from the surface. The intelligence on hand provides up-to-date context, warnings, and new indicators that can shift what you expect to happen.

Relying on just one source can leave you exposed to blind spots: experience alone might be outdated or biased; understanding the enemy without real-time context misses what’s changed; intelligence alone can be incomplete or misinterpreted. Bringing these together enables you to triangulate a more accurate assessment and make a decision with greater confidence, while still remaining adaptable as new information comes in.