The linkage between strategy and operations is the greatest challenge for military leaders in today's changing world. As the nature of conflict evolves with the end of the Cold War era, United States policy to deal with conflict also evolves. This evolution causes immense challenges for all leaders as they seek to accomplish political aims by exerting the elements of power. In America's last two military conflicts, JUST CAUSE in Panama and DESERT STORM in the Persian Gulf, the termination of the military campaign did not accomplish the established political aims. This paper seeks to clarify why achieving political objectives is such a difficult proposition. As its central idea, the tension between exerting military power and exerting diplomatic, economic and political power will be explored. This clarifies why terminating military conflict while achieving the conditions which accomplish the political aims is so difficult. The concept of using military force as a last resort is explored, as well as the idea of decisive force. Also, and most importantly, the paper analyzes an approach toward the nature of disputes as a means to clarify the roles military power can take. As a result, this paper identifies the key aspects of how we must think about conflicts and their termination in the future.