4-43. Defeat mechanisms primarily apply in combat operations against an active enemy force. A defeat mechanism is the method through which friendly forces accomplish their mission against enemy opposition (ADP 3-0). They are defined in terms of the broad operational and tactical effects they produce—physical or psychological. Commanders translate these effects into tactical tasks, formulating the most effective method to defeat enemy aims. Physical defeat deprives enemy forces of the ability to achieve those aims; psychological defeat deprives them of the will to do so. Military forces prove most successful when applying deliberate combinations of defeat mechanisms. As with stability mechanisms, this produces complementary and reinforcing effects not attainable with a single mechanism.