I confess that I know more about the concept of OODA loop than about its use in battle field.
I went to search more about it to answer this question and to refresh my memories since it is being some time since I have read about it with more details. OODA concept was created originally to describe a combat flight pilot decision process in middle of a dogfight. Then it was expanded to include other situations and higher level of strategic decision.
In concept OODA loop is a mental process that everyone goes through while deciding about something. Let’s consider as an example the original scenario of the OODA concept, a dogfight.
A pilot receives the information about an enemy airplane coming in his direction. This information can be received by radar or visually. From this moment the pilot will observe all possible information he cans, like speedy of the enemy airplane, the type of its airplane, nationality of the enemy pilot, cultural traditions of the other pilot and so on. This is the phase of observation.
The pilot will then interpret this information according to his own traditions, level of training and other conditions. This is that phase of orientation. According to Colonel John Boyd this is the most important phase because this is the one who influences the other three.
Based on the interpretation of the information, the pilot will take an action like speed its airplane, or shoot the enemy airplane or something. This is the decision phase.
Then the pilot will act: do what he decided to do.
All of this is a decision make process. The point is that the enemy pilot will go through the same process in middle of the combat many times. The use of it as a strategy tool is to understand this cycle, to understand that this cycle happens and then how to take advantage from this.
The first point is that the faster pilot will have advantage over the other. This means the first use of it as a strategy tool is to be trained to have a faster OODA loop than your opponent. This can be done with training and having most of the actions automated in our brain. This we can refer to another concept in psychology called Dual process theory. I remember about theory called Dual Process Theory
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_process_theory. Basically the theory says we have two psychological process when taking decisions. Process 1 is the automatic one, like reflections. The process 1 is unconscious, faster but less precious. Process 2 is the conscious one, controlled. When we stop to analyse and think we are using process 2. Actually while taking decisions we use both process.
The second point in strategy is how can we enter in the enemies OODA loop and break it or make the enemy take wrong decisions. The pilot, for example, can suddenly change its airplane speed to confuse the enemy or change the direction forcing the enemy pilot to restart the OODA loop.
I am thinking in how to apply this concept to the scenario you described. We must remember OODA loop is about decision making and that this happens several times. I think the question is how USA strategy would impact Russia decisions about going faster with an attack or slow down if the American plan of holding Russians back for 30 days works?
I will have to burn some hair in this ...
