What is typically the duration of military engagements?

The duration of military engagements can vary based on a number of factors, including the scale of the operation, the nature of the conflict, and the objectives being pursued. However, historical and contemporary engagements often last for a period measured in hours or days. This is especially true for tactical operations, which aim for decisive and swift outcomes to achieve specific objectives or to respond to immediate threats.

Engagements that last only seconds generally refer to specific moments of combat, such as initial fire exchanges or short-lived skirmishes, but they do not represent the broader military engagements, which involve strategy, planning, and multiple phases of combat. Domains such as counterterrorism and rapid response often see operations that are designed to be short in duration, aimed at achieving immediate goals with speed and efficiency, reinforcing the notion that many military actions today are executed to be concluded within a matter of hours or days.

Therefore, option B aligns with the operational realities of modern military engagements, where swift action is often critical for success.