Course of Action (COA) Development

Develop a few options that are feasible, acceptable, suitable, distinguishable, and complete.

• ▸Restated mission
• ▸Commander's intent and guidance
• ▸Assumptions
• ▸IPB products
• ▸Running estimates

Screening criteria for any COA: Feasible, Acceptable, Suitable, Distinguishable, Complete.

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1. 1.Review commander's guidance and the restated mission.All
2. 2.Analyze relative combat power: friendly versus threat strengths and weaknesses.S-2/S-3
3. 3.Generate options. Seek distinct approaches, not variations.S-3/S-5
4. 4.Array forces: initial allocation of combat power to tasks across the area of operations.S-3
5. 5.Develop the broad concept: decisive, shaping, and sustaining operations or equivalents.S-3/S-5
6. 6.Assign headquarters and responsibilities for each task or area.S-3
7. 7.Prepare COA statements and sketches: a short narrative and a simple graphic per COA.S-3/S-5
8. 8.Conduct the COA briefing to the commander.S-3/S-5
9. 9.Commander selects or modifies COAs to continue into wargaming.Commander
10. 10.Issue WARNORD #3 if needed.S-3/S-5

• Two or more COA statements and sketches
• Selected COAs for analysis

• COAs that differ only in minor details.
• One "real" COA plus strawmen.
• Ignoring sustainment and protection.
• No sketch.