Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 62

statement, commander’s intent, concept of operations, tasks to subordinate units, coordinating
instructions, and control measures are the key
components of a plan.”7 As we look at these
components, task organization and mission are
typically directed by what is available and the
leader’s immediate higher headquarters. The
commander and staff must create the commander’s intent and concept of operation through the
operations process. The remaining elements—
tasks to subordinate units, coordinating instructions, and control measures—should follow
naturally from well-developed commander’s
intent and concept of the operation paragraphs.
As a result, the development of the commander’s
intent and the concept of operation are of paramount importance and must be well developed.

To achieve this goal, Army leaders use three
planning methods: Army design methodology, the
military decision making process, and troop leading
procedures.8 During the planning process, commanders must create intent and concept based upon
their understanding of mission (task and purpose)
and the higher concept one and two levels up. Tasks
to subordinate units, coordinating instructions, and
control measures are created from course of action
development and a thorough, well-planned concept
of the operation.
For the purpose of illustration, we will reference
a fictitious battalion-level operations order used
in a practical exercise at the Maneuver Captain’s
Career Course. For the sake of brevity, the information provided below is a summary of the situation
paragraph from that operations order.

General Situation

Recent success of 4ID combat operations led to the capitulation of the Iraqi V Corps Headquarters and regular army forces in and around LUSOM. Due to the V Corps’ surrender, the Nanda and
Ramses divisions are currently repositioning to the south and east to establish defensive positions
vic [vicinity of] BAYJI and KIRKUK. The two mechanized BDEs [brigades] of the Nanda Division have
established a hasty defense vic BAYJI and have been in position for approximately 12 hours. The
armor BDE of the Nanda Division is currently moving south along HWY 1. INTEL sources indicate
that a BDE from the Ramses Division vic KIRKUK is preparing to move southwest towards BAYJI to
reinforce the Nanda Division defenses. It is estimated that CFLCC [Coalition Forces Land Component
Command] and division shaping operations have left the Nanda Division at 60-70% strength and the
Ramses Division at 55% strength. The 4ID is preparing to attack east to destroy the remaining Nanda
Division forces and fix the Ramses Division to prevent the disruption of the CFLCC DO [decisive
operation](3ID vic Baghdad) from the north.

Enemy Forces

DISPOSITION: The 114th BDE currently has 3 BNs [battalions] deployed in a disruption zone
defending key crossing sites along the Thar Thar wadi. Decisive to the Brigade Commander is the
retention of the wadi crossing sites for up to 48 hours. This is decisive because it prevents the US
from massing on the division DO (MDA vic BAYJI). He will accomplish this through a strongpoint
defense. The BN in the north (BDE DO) will destroy enemy forces in order to prevent an organized
ATK [attack] on the division DO. The BN in the middle will block enemy forces in order to prevent
envelopment of the BDE DO. The BN to the south will fix in order to prevent bypass of the BDE DO.
An armor company is the BNERES [battalion reserve]. Fedayeen forces will operate independently
of Army and will be utilized as disruption forces throughout the AO [area of operation]. Indirect fires
will be used to neutralize mounted forces then destroy dismounted infantry and engineer forces to
prevent US forces massing on the BDE DO. The purpose of engineers is counter-mobility and then
survivability. The purpose of air defense is to destroy enemy aircraft in order to prevent the massing of CAS [close air support] on the BN positions. Continued loss of combat power will result in a

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November-December 2013

• MILITARY REVIEW