4-30. Lines of effort combine the complementary, long-term effects of stability operations with the cyclic, short-term events typical of offensive or defensive operations. Commanders at all levels use lines of effort to develop tasks, identify complementary and reinforcing actions, and allocate resources appropriately. Commanders may designate actions on one line of effort as the decisive operation and others as shaping operations. They synchronize sequence-related actions across multiple lines of effort. Lines of effort are interdependent and often a specific line cannot begin until forces meet certain intermediate objectives. Similarly, lines of effort do not necessarily progress nor achieve the desired objectives simultaneously.