8-12. When required to achieve national, strategic objectives or to protect national interests, the national command authority may decide to conduct a major operation involving large-scale combat, placing the United States in a wartime state. In such cases, the general goal is to prevail against the enemy as quickly as possible, to conclude hostilities, and to establish conditions favorable to the United States, its multinational allies, and partners. Large-scale combat operations are usually a blend of traditional and irregular warfare activities relying on offensive, defensive, and stability tasks and activities. Army special operations forces efforts to consolidate gains during the activities that preceded the decision to conduct large-scale combat operations prepare the environment for successful combat operations. The integration of special operations discreet, precise, and scalable principles into unified land operations enables the Army to conduct large-scale combat operations.