Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 65

P L A N N I N G D E C I S I V E O P E R AT I O N S
in which commanders communicate how
all of their forces will combine efforts to
accomplish the mission. It should cover
the type of offensive, defensive, reconnaissance, or security operation; describe forms
of maneuver; identify formations; describe
actions on contact; describe the timing of the
operation; define the cooperation between
maneuver forces at critical points in the
fight; and describe how all arms will be
coordinated. In short, the concept is important because it explains how the commander
visualizes the operation—it tells the story
of the operation or battle. A good concept
permits units to take initiative within the
intent and assists subordinate commanders
in nesting their efforts with their higher
headquarters and adjacent units.”12

3A. TF CDR’s INTENT
Expanded Purpose: Facilitate 3 ABCT

seizure of Bayji (OBJ Tiger)

Key Tasks:

?? Seize crossing sites.
?? Neutralize enemy AT [anti-tank] systems.
?? Pass friendly forces east from PL
KILLEEN to PL VIRGINIA.
?? Minimize collateral damage to bridges
across the wadi system.
?? BPT [be prepared to] to defeat enemy
CATK in zone.
Endstate: Key crossing sites seized,
enemy neutralized in zone, collateral
damage minimized, and the battalion postured for future operations.

Concept of the Operation

As stated in ADRP 5-0, the concept of the operation is a “statement that directs the manner in which
subordinate units cooperate to accomplish the
mission and establishes the sequence of actions
the force will use to achieve the end state.”13 The
concept of the operation expands the commander’s
intent by describing how the commander wants
the force to accomplish the mission. It states the
principal tasks required, the responsible subordinate
units, and how the principal tasks complement one
another.
Army leaders are responsible for clearly
articulating their visualization of operations
in time, space, purpose, and resources. An
established operational framework and associated vocabulary can assist tremendously
in this task. Army leaders are not bound by
any specific framework for conceptually
organizing operations, but three operational
frameworks have proven valuable in the
past.14
These are—
?? Deep-close security (typically used in operational or strategic level plans only).
?? Decisive, shaping, sustaining (always used in
tactical and operational level plans).
?? Mai