52 terms
- AOArea of Operations
- An area assigned to a unit for its operations.
- Assumption
- A supposition about the situation taken as true without proof. Must be logical, realistic, and necessary.
- Avenue-in-depth
- A wargame method that focuses on one avenue of approach at a time, from start to finish.
- Backbrief
- A briefing by subordinates to the commander explaining how they intend to accomplish their mission.
- Belt method
- A wargame method that divides the area into belts across its width and fights each belt in turn.
- Box method
- A wargame method that focuses on a critical area, such as an engagement area or objective.
- Branch
- A contingency option built into the plan to change the mission, orientation, or direction of movement.
- CCIRCommander's Critical Information Requirement
- Information the commander identifies as critical to timely decisions. Includes PIRs and FFIRs.
- CMOCivil-Military Operations
- Activities that establish and maintain relations with civil authorities and the population.
- COACourse of Action
- A broad potential solution to a problem; one way the unit could accomplish the mission.
- Commander's intent
- A clear, concise statement of what the force must do and the conditions it must establish to accomplish the mission.
- Confirmation brief
- A briefing by subordinates immediately after receiving an order to confirm their understanding.
- Constraint
- A restriction placed on the command by higher: a required action or a prohibition.
- COSChief of Staff
- Directs the staff at division and higher.
- CUIControlled Unclassified Information
- Unclassified information that still requires safeguarding. Never enter it in this app.
- Decision matrix
- A table comparing COAs against evaluation criteria, often with weights.
- Decision point
- A point in space and time where the commander anticipates making a key decision about a specific COA.
- Decision support template
- A graphic that shows decision points, the information needed, and the options available to the commander.
- EEFIEssential Element of Friendly Information
- A critical aspect of a friendly operation that, if known by the threat, would compromise it. Must be protected.
- Essential task
- A specified or implied task the unit must execute to accomplish the mission. Goes in the restated mission.
- Evaluation criteria
- Standards set before COAs are built, used to compare COAs objectively.
- FFIRFriendly Force Information Requirement
- Information the commander needs about friendly forces and supporting capabilities.
- FMField Manual
- An Army doctrinal publication. FM 5-0 covers planning and orders production.
- FRAGORDFragmentary Order
- An abbreviated order that changes or adds to an existing order.
- FSOFire Support Officer
- The staff officer who plans and integrates fires.
- HQHeadquarters
- The command element of a unit and its staff.
- Implied task
- A task that must be performed to accomplish a specified task but is not stated in the order.
- IPBIntelligence Preparation of the Battlefield / Operational Environment
- A systematic process to analyze the threat and environment: define, describe effects, evaluate the threat, determine threat COAs.
- ISRIntelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
- Activities that collect information to answer the commander's requirements.
- MDMPMilitary Decision-Making Process
- An iterative planning method to understand the situation and mission, develop a course of action, and produce a plan or order.
- METT-TCMission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support available, Time available, Civil considerations
- The mission variables used to analyze any situation.
- One-third / two-thirds rule
- The HQ uses about one-third of available time to plan and leaves two-thirds for subordinates.
- OPLANOperation Plan
- A plan for an operation, often executed later or on order.
- OPORDOperation Order
- A directive to subordinates for executing an operation, in five-paragraph format.
- OPSECOperations Security
- A process to identify and protect critical friendly information.
- Parallel planning
- Two or more echelons planning the same operation at nearly the same time, enabled by WARNORDs.
- PIRPriority Intelligence Requirement
- An intelligence requirement about the threat or environment the commander needs to understand.
- PMEProfessional Military Education
- Formal schooling that develops leaders.
- Problem statement
- A short description of the problem the plan must solve.
- Rehearsal
- A session where the staff or unit practices expected actions to improve execution.
- Restated mission
- The unit's mission statement after mission analysis: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Running estimate
- A staff section's continuous assessment of the situation in its area: facts, assumptions, status, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Sequel
- A major operation that follows the current one, based on its possible outcomes.
- SJAStaff Judge Advocate
- The commander's legal advisor.
- SOPStandard Operating Procedure
- A set of instructions for routine operations a unit follows unless ordered otherwise.
- Specified task
- A task assigned to the unit directly by higher headquarters.
- Synchronization matrix
- A tool that records the results of wargaming and shows how actions across functions are timed against each other.
- TOCTactical Operations Center
- The main command post facility where the staff plans and controls operations.
- Warfighting functions
- Groups of tasks and systems: command and control, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment, protection, and information.
- Wargaming
- A disciplined process of action, reaction, and counteraction to visualize the flow of an operation.
- WARNORDWarning Order
- A preliminary notice of an order or action to follow. Lets subordinates begin parallel planning.
- XOExecutive Officer
- The commander's principal assistant who directs the staff at battalion and brigade.