TACTICAL PLANNING

BAMCIS OVERVIEW
The troop leading steps are meant to aid leaders in making tactically sound decisions, formulating plans,
coherently communicating those plans, and turning those decisions into action.

RECEIPT OF MISSION
The receipt of a mission triggers the troop leading steps.
•To make effective use of available time, the leader issues a warning order (an abbreviated set of
instructions to inform of an impending action) to subordinates; this allows subordinate leaders to
begin preparations while the leader conducts a detailed analysis.
•At the end of this step, leaders will emerge with an initial plan that they expect to execute, pending the
validation of the assumptions made during planning. To begin answering questions about the enemy
or environment, leaders will arrange to conduct a reconnaissance.

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION

The purpose of the estimate of the situation is to collect and analyze relevant information for developing,
within the time limits and available information, the most effective solution to a problem.
•Although normally used in solving tactical problems, it is applicable to other military activities. The
estimate is as thorough as time and circumstances permit.
•Estimates are revised continuously as factors affecting the operation change, as new facts are recognized,
as assumptions are replaced by facts or rendered invalid, or as changes to the mission are received or
indicated.
•Detailed analysis conducted before mission execution will increase the speed and accuracy of decisions
as the situation changes at the point of friction

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION (METT-T ANALYSIS)

The format, often referred to by the acronym METT-T, provides a logical sequence for analyzing all
relevant factors

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION:

MISSION ANALYSIS
The first step in the estimate is mission analysis; it is the means for the unit leader to gain an
understanding of the mission.
•Task analysis: The unit leader must identify and understand all that is required for the successful
accomplishment of the mission. This includes tasks received in the unit's task statement and
coordinating instructions from the higher commander's operations order.
•Limitations: These are restrictions on the freedom of action of the friendly force; these prohibit the
commander from doing something specific. Tactical control measures, rules of engagement (ROE),
and the statements, "Be prepared to...," "Not earlier than...," "On order...," are some examples of
limitations

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION:

ENEMY ANALYSIS
Enemy analysis is conducted to not only know what assets the enemy has, but also to understand what the
enemy is doing.
•What is the enemy trying to accomplish?
•How will the enemy use each available element of combat power?
Input comes from many sources including enemy doctrine, current enemy activities indicated in higher's
order, units that have previously operated in the area, and the unit's intelligence section. The information
used to analyze the enemy situation includes the following:

Composition, Disposition, and Strength

Answer the questions:
•What does the enemy have?
•What is the enemy trying to accomplish?
Describe your enemy:
•Identify the forces and equipment that the enemy can bring to
bear within your unit's zone or sector.
•Also considered are known and suspected enemy locations and
strength estimates in relation to personnel, equipment, and
support capabilities.
•The elements of the acronym SALUTE are helpful when
developing and organizing this information.
- Size
- Activity
- Location
- Unit
- Time
- Equipment

Capabilities and Limitations

Answer the questions:
•What can the enemy do?
•How will the enemy use each available element of combat power?
Analyze the enemy’s ability or inability to conduct various operations against your unit under any
reasonably foreseeable situation.
•The acronym DRAW-D serves as a reminder of the minimum factors to be considered. What is the
enemy's capability to:
- Defend
- Reinforce
- Attack
- Withdraw
- Delay
•For example, can the enemy effectively attack at night? Can they conduct a deliberate defense against
us, or do they lack sufficient forces and equipment? Will the enemy be reinforced by elements of
other units as a result of our attack? How long will this reinforcement take? Can it be done at night?
Is the reinforcement force transported by vehicle or will it be traveling on foot?

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION:

TERRAIN & WEATHER ANALYSIS
The analysis of terrain and weather must always be conducted from the friendly and enemy perspectives.
•The enemy perspective is arguably the more important of the two because you will use this information
in conjunction with your enemy analysis to support your estimate of the enemy's most likely course of
action.
•This is not simply a regurgitation of existing physical terrain, current weather conditions, and human
terrain, but an analysis of the effects of the military aspects of physical terrain, weather and human
terrain (civil considerations).

Terrain Analysis
The connection between the terrain and tactics should be
analyzed considering the military aspects of terrain. These
aspects are identified in the acronym OCOKA.
•O – Observation and Fields of Fire
- Observation is the ability to see friendly and enemy forces and key aspects of the terrain
to judge strength, prevent surprise, and respond to threats.
- Field of fire is an area with a direct line of sight that weapons may cover/fire upon
effectively from a given position.
•C – Cover and Concealment
- Cover is protection against enemy fire, both direct and from shelling.
- Concealment is protection from enemy observation and surveillance, including features
that protect both horizontally and vertically.
•O - Obstacles
- Obstacles are natural or manmade terrain features that prevent, restrict, divert, or delay
military movement.
•K – Key Terrain
- Key terrain is any ground that must be controlled to achieve military success.
•A – Avenues of Approach
- Avenue of approach is any relatively unobstructed ground route that leads to an
objective or key terrain.

Weather Analysis
Consideration of the weather's effects is an essential part of the
analysis. The leader determines how the weather will affect
visibility, mobility, and survivability of friendly and enemy
units by considering the military aspects of weather.
• Visibility
The leader identifies conclusions about visibility factors such as light data (begin morning
nautical twilight [BMNT], sunrise [SR], sunset [SS], end evening nautical twilight
[EENT], moonrise [MR], moonset [MS], and percentage of illumination), fog, and smog,
and about battlefield obscurants such as smoke and dust.
• Winds
Winds of sufficient speed can reduce the combat effectiveness of a force as the result of
blowing dust, smoke, sand, or precipitation. Windblown sand, dust, rain, or snow can
reduce the effectiveness of radar and other communication systems. Strong winds can also
limit aviation operations.
• Precipitation
Precipitation affects soil trafficability, visibility, and the functioning of many electro-
optical systems.
• Cloud Cover
Cloud cover affects ground operations by limiting illumination and the solar heating of
targets. Heavy cloud cover can degrade many target acquisition systems, infrared-guided
munitions, and general aviation operations.
• Temperature and Humidity
Extremes of temperature and humidity reduce personnel and equipment capabilities and
may require the use of special shelter or equipment.

Civil Considerations (Human Terrain)

Civil considerations include the influences of man-made
infrastructure; civilian institutions; and the attitudes and
activities of civilian leaders, populations, and organizations
within an AO, with regard to the conduct of military operations.
• Areas
Key civilian areas are localities or aspects of the terrain within an AO that have significance
to the local populace.
• Structures
Analyzing a structure involves determining how its location, functions, and capabilities can
support operations.
• Capabilities
Capabilities can refer to the ability of local authorities—those of the host nation or some
other body—to provide a populace with key functions or services.
• Organizations
Organizations are nonmilitary groups or institutions in the AO. They influence and interact
with the populace and each other.
• People
People is a general term describing all nonmilitary personnel that military forces encounter
in the AO. This includes those personnel outside the AO whose actions, opinions, or
political influence can affect the mission.
• Events
Events are routine, cyclical, planned, or spontaneous activities that significantly affect
organizations, people, and military operations

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION:

TROOPS & FIRE SUPPORT AVAILABLE
In the same way that we analyze the enemy's composition, disposition, and strengths along with enemy
capabilities and limitations, a unit leader must also analyze the friendly assets available and their
capabilities. The unit leader must also consider:
•Mental and physical condition of the Marines
•Level of unit and individual training
•Status of equipment and fire support assets

Organic
Identify the capabilities and limitations of the assets your organic unit will bring to bear on the enemy
during the conduct of the mission.

Attachments and Detachments

Identify:
•Assets (if any) that will detach from your unit
•Units or assets that have been attached to your unit
How will this affect your ability to achieve mission success?

Fire Support Available

Identify locations, azimuths of fire, contact information, employment (general support [GS], direct
support [DS], or attached [(ATT]), and any priority of fires of indirect fire support agencies.
In addition, identify any available air assets. What weapons will they bring to the fight? What are the
capabilities of their fires? When and how long are they on station?.

Higher and Adjacent Units

Identify higher and adjacent units' schemes of maneuver and what influence they will have on your
scheme of maneuver. Consider their effect on the following:
•Geometries of fire
•Reinforcement
•Contingency plans

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION:

TIME, SPACE, AND LOGISTICS
The ability to appreciate the aspects and effects of time and space is one of the most important qualities in
a leader. A leader must be able to identify resource shortfalls and have a plan to rectify them.

Time
A solid understanding of time required versus time available is vital to all operations; it drives planning
and execution. The unit leader gets an indication of time available from the commander.
•The amount of time a unit has to prepare for an operation determines the plan’s level of detail. Reverse
planning is the method by which leaders should establish a successful and accurate timeline that will
uphold the assigned mission.
•Critical times to consider include planning time, time to cross the line of departure (LD), movement time
(helo, vehicular, foot-mobile, etc.; both opposed and unopposed rates of movement should be
considered), defend-no-later-than time, time to receive higher's order, time to issue your order, time
available to prepare and rehearse the attack or defense, and time available for reconnaissance

Space
A leader must know and understand the area of operations (AO).
•Identify tactical control measures (TCM) and fire support coordination measures (FSCM) within your
AO as applicable.
•Consider the geometry of fires and develop a plan to de-conflict converging forces

Logistics
Logistics sustain operations. Without appropriate logistical planning, units will reach their culminating
point before ever reaching a decisive point. A leader must be able to identify:
•Required resources to accomplish the mission from crossing the LD through consolidation
•Critical resource shortfalls
•A realistic plan to fulfill shortfalls that is formulated, prioritized, and built into the timeline before
departure

TACTICAL THOUGHT PROCESS

By the end of the first troop leading step, the leader should have a tentative scheme of maneuver that has
been developed specifically to defeat the thinking enemy that you are facing. As more information
becomes available, this initial plan will be refined or changed based upon updates to the leader's estimate
of the situation.

ARRANGE FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND

COORDINATION
Based on the detailed analysis and tactical thought process
performed during the previous step, "Begin Planning," the leader
should ask:
"What information am I lacking to achieve success?"
To get this information and reduce risk, the leader must arrange
for a reconnaissance of the enemy and terrain.
•First, the leader determines the most effective means of
available reconnaissance. Ideally, this is a physical
reconnaissance in which the leader visits or observes the
ground on which the unit will fight.
•Second, the leader determines the priority of reconnaissance.
- Priority one should be to validate or correct assumptions regarding the
enemy location, orientation, or current tactical activity.
- Priority two is to identify elements of the friendly scheme of maneuver
such as the route, assault position, or defensive positions.
- Finally, if a physical reconnaissance is feasible, the leader must
determine which subordinate leaders will participate in a leader's recon.
The personnel will vary according to the tactical situation, but the leader
should take only as many subordinate leaders as necessary; others remain
behind to supervise mission preparation

RECONNAISSANCE AND COORDINATION

Whether conducting a deliberate attack, establishing a refueling point, conducting a convoy, or any other
similar task, every effort should be made to conduct a reconnaissance of the objective and enemy forces
in the vicinity. Whenever possible, the leader makes a physical reconnaissance of the objective area and
route. For certain missions, the unit may move closer to the objective area and conduct a leader's
reconnaissance from there.
• Leaders should leverage all available assets to gather information to support planning.
•In addition to a physical recon, leaders should use other assets (imagery, air reconnaissance, etc.)
available to help fill information gaps.
•A successful reconnaissance should answer questions and validate assumptions made during your
planning.

COMPLETE YOUR PLAN

After conducting coordination and completing a reconnaissance, it is time to complete the plan.
•Update your estimate of the situation (METT-T analysis) and revisit the tactical thought process using
the new information you have gained. Do not fall in love with your plan. If your scheme of
maneuver must be changed because the EMLCOA and exploitation plan were incorrect, change the
plan.
•Review your mission, as it was received from higher; ensure that your plan meets the requirements of the
mission and stays within the framework of the commander's intent.
•Prepare your five-paragraph order. If done properly, the preponderance of your order has been written
through your execution of the tactical thought process.
•Finally, do not forget the nine Principles of War, which are useful tools to evaluate the strength of your
plan, lend rigor and focus to the purely creative aspects of tactics, and provide a crucial link between
theory and application of the tactical tenets.

ISSUE YOUR ORDER

The order converts your decision into a plan of action and conveys the method of execution. Oral orders
are the most direct method of communicating an order to subordinate units and is the most common
method of issuing orders at the company level and below.
When issuing a five-paragraph order, it is important to consider:

Technique
Clarity, simplicity, and timeliness are essentials of an operation order. Clear, concise sentences are most
easily understood.
•In the interest of simplicity, commanders and leaders at each echelon should closely evaluate and issue
only those facts received from higher headquarters that are pertinent to their own subordinate unit
leaders.
•If possible, the leader issues the order to subordinate leaders from a vantage point overlooking the
objective or on the defensive terrain. When this is not possible, they should use a terrain model or
sketch.
•The order must be issued in a timely fashion, sufficiently in advance of the time of execution to permit
subordinate planning.
•Oral orders should be delivered in positive, direct, and confident tones using forceful and aggressive
language

Format
Use of the standard five-paragraph order format:
•Promotes clarity and brevity
•Presents information and instruction in a logical, easily assimilated manner
•Serves as a checklist to help ensure that no important information has been overlooked

SUPERVISE
Supervision is continuous and occurs throughout the entire combat orders process.
•The unit leader for that mission is ultimately responsible and accountable for mission accomplishment.
•“Inspect what you expect.”
PURPOSE OF COMBAT ORDERS
The essential purpose of the combat order is to convey a mission and a plan to accomplish that mission.
All combat orders are derived from the five-paragraph order which is structured to meet the needs of a
small unit leader. The five-paragraph order is:
•Structured for verbal presentation and can be used at all levels of command
•Primarily used at the company level and below
As an NCO, you will primarily use three
types of combat orders:

Warning Order
A warning order is a preliminary notice of an impending order or action. A warning order is:
•Issued by the leader upon receipt of an order from higher. It is issued at the outset of the troop leading
steps (i.e., the "B" in BAMCIS) to allow subordinate leaders and Marines to maximize their
preparation time.
•At the conclusion of your initial planning, a warning order can be re-issued or updated.
•Don't delay issuing a warning order because you don't have all the information you would like to have.
Once more information is received, you can publish a second warning order or update the previously
issued warning order.

Operation Order
An operation order is a directive issued by a leader to
subordinate leaders for the purpose of coordinating execution of
an operation.
•Operation orders are used by leaders at every level and can be
issued orally or in writing.
•Small unit operation orders are often referred to by the action
they intend to produce. For example:
- Squad attack order
- Team patrol order
- Platoon attack order
- Platoon defense order
- Convoy order

Fragmentary Order
A fragmentary order, or frag-o, is an abbreviated form of an operation order, usually issued on a daily
basis, eliminating the need to restate information contained in a base operation order. A frag-o is issued
after an operation order to change or modify that order, or to execute a branch or sequel to that order.
•Fragmentary orders are often necessary due to enemy action. Remember: "No plan survives contact with
the enemy." Frequently, the information changed pertains to enemy situation, mission, and execution
of the plan.
•Fragmentary orders can only be issued if a complete combat order (known as a base order) has been
previously issued. Fragmentary orders should only cover the information that has changed since the
issuance of the base order.

DECIDE, COMMUNICATE, ACT

Delivering combat orders, like decision- making, is an art. To be effective, leaders must frequently
practice making decisions and articulating orders.
•Combat orders express the will of the leader.
•A decision, however promising, will fail if the leader cannot effectively communicate it to subordinates.
•Effective orders allow the leader to effectively communicate and act

SPEED OVER TECHNIQUE

According to MCDP 5, Planning, "The more urgent the situation, the greater need for brevity and
simplicity."
•Ensure that your orders reach your Marines in time to affect their actions.
•Orders must be executed in a timely manner. General Patton observed, “…that a good plan violently
executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
•Do not develop long, complicated orders. Speed is more important than technique

TRANSFER OF INFORMATION
Team leaders must generate an order primarily from the information provided by the squad leader's order.
•While some items transfer directly (e.g., orientation), other elements need to be modified to make them
relevant to a particular team.
•For example, the task to first team in the squad leader's order becomes that team's mission.
•The arrows indicate the manner in which elements of information generally transfer.

CONTENT, CLARITY, AND CONCISENESS

Combat orders used by all U.S. armed forces and NATO allies are based on the five-paragraph format.
The five paragraphs can be remembered by using the acronym SMEAC, where each letter is the first
letter in each of the five paragraphs:
1. Situation
2. Mission
3. Execution
4. Administration and Logistics
5. Command and Signal
One of the Principles of War is “Simplicity.”
•A short, simple order that efficiently conveys your will is superior to a lengthy, complicated order that
invites ambiguity.
•Do not allow your decision to become lost in a series of paragraphs, subparagraphs, alpha-numerics, and
acronyms.
•As it clearly states in Planning (MCDP 5), “…content, clarity, and conciseness are more important than
format.”

ORIENTATION
The orientation is a general overview that serves two purposes.
•To define and describe the battlespace where the unit will operate. Much of this information comes from
the analysis of terrain and weather gleaned from the leader's estimate of the situation.
•To orient Marines to the medium by which the order will be issued—whether it is a terrain model, a
whiteboard, a sand table, etc. This facilitates subordinate understanding during delivery of the order.
To accomplish these goals, there are several critical elements of information included in the orientation:
current location, direction of north, key terrain, tactical control measures within the area of operation,
weather, illumination, visibility, a local history of the area/population, enemy positions, and direction of
attack

FIVE-PARAGRAPH ORDERS
Each paragraph serves to structure the issuance of orders so that required information is included and
delivered clearly

SITUATION
Briefly provide the general picture so that your Marines will understand the current situation under the
following subheadings:

Enemy Situation
This subparagraph provides information concerning the enemy's composition, estimated strengths,
identification, disposition, current location, anticipated movement, and capabilities, along with an
assessment of intentions.
If you are a fireteam leader issuing an order to your Marines, include the following in this paragraph:
•The assets that the enemy brings to the fight and what they are currently doing
•The enemy capabilities and the conditions needed to achieve these actions
•Most importantly, the enemy's most likely current course of action and their action upon contact with
your unit

Attachments/Detachments
This subparagraph identifies any unit that a higher command has attached to your unit or direction to
detach a part of your unit to some other function. Attached personnel must be included in your
administrative reports and supported with chow, water, etc. Attached units should be tasked by you in
paragraph three: execution.
Since the fireteam is the smallest unit in the Marine Corps, units will rarely be attached to, or detached
from, a fireteam.

MISSION
A mission statement is composed of two parts: a task and its purpose.
•This mission statement must include the answers to the “5 W's”: Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
•The “Why” provides the purpose and is the most important part of the statement because it informs
subordinates of the reason the task must be accomplished.
As a team leader issuing an order to your Marines, the mission statement will normally be identical to the
task statement issued to you by your squad leader.
Example: At 0330 (WHEN?), 3rd fireteam (WHO?) will attack to clear (WHAT?) enemy LP at 862779
(WHERE?) in order to prevent interference with the squad attack on Platoon Objective 2 (WHY?).

EXECUTION
The execution paragraph contains the leader's plan for accomplishing the unit's mission. It includes four
main subparagraphs

Commander's Intent
Commander's intent is a clear, concise statement of what the unit must do and the conditions the unit must
meet to succeed; it is a vision provided to subordinates that enables them to act in a changing environment
and in the absence of additional orders.
•Commander's intent endures beyond first contact with the enemy.
•This subparagraph is described in terms of three components:

As a team leader, your commander's intent will typically be a simple restatement of the purpose (Why?)
from your mission statement. For example, "My intent is to ensure the enemy LP does not interfere with
the squad's attack on Platoon Obj 2."
“Understanding the intent of our commander allows us to exercise initiative in harmony with the
commander's desires…. A clear expression and understanding of intent is essential to unity of effort.”
—MCDP 1

Concept of Operations
The concept of the operations describes how the leader
visualizes the execution of the operation from beginning to end.
The two components within this subparagraph are:
•Scheme of maneuver - Describes the plan by which the unit
leader has decided to exploit the enemy's key weakness. This
plan should be:
- Anonymous - To prevent the potential for subordinate leaders to isolate their attention to
solely their role rather than an understanding of the entire plan
- Sequential - To create a chronological structure to the operation which translates into
clarity among subordinates and order recipients
- Thorough - To provide all required information but not to belabor details
•Fire support plan - Identifies how fires will integrate with
maneuver to accomplish the unit's mission. It should include:
- Task (suppress, neutralize, or destroy) and purpose ("in order to…") of the fire support
plan
- Indirect fire asset(s) that will support the operation
- Targets that support the operation by target number, the target description, the respective
fire support agency

Tasks
A leader provides specific direction to each subordinate unit in this subparagraph.
•Subordinate leaders use their task from higher as the primary input for their mission analysis when they
are conducting their estimate of the situation.
•A tasking statement should include all the same criteria as for a mission statement, including the answers
to the "5 W's": Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
As a team leader, you typically don't have any subordinate units. Your tasks will consist of any special
assignments to your individual Marines

Coordinating Instructions
Any instructions that are not included in tasks and that pertain to
two or more subordinate units are included in this subparagraph.
•List the details of coordination and control applicable to two or
more units.
•Some items may include:
- Timeline
- Reporting requirements
- Priority of rehearsals
- Go/No go criteria

ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

In this paragraph, the unit leader identifies the administrative and logistical information necessary for the
operation to be successful. Within this paragraph, provide information to your unit specifying the
required information addressing:
•Beans (chow and water)
•Bullets (ammunition)
•Band-aids (CASEVAC information, locations and points of contact for WIA and KIA)
•Bad guys (locations and points of contact for collecting EPWs during the operation)
•Batteries (plan to meet power requirements, battery management and sustainment)
There are two subparagraphs in Paragraph IV:

Administration
The unit leader will explain the plan for all administrative issues in this subparagraph that are not covered
in SOPs. The leader will specify locations and points of contact for all wounded in action (WIA), killed in
action (KIA), and enemy prisoners of war (EPWs) during the operation.

Logistics
In this subparagraph, the unit leader presents the plan for all logistics issues. In addition, any required
preparations for receiving equipment for the operation are identified. Future resupply issues are also
briefed, such as time/location and priority of units.

COMMAND AND SIGNAL

This paragraph concentrates on the unit commander's plan for command and control during the operation.
There are two subparagraphs in this section:

Signal
This subparagraph clarifies the signal plan.
Using what is available and considering the desired effect, signals should be:
•Original - This avoids confusion with other signals.
•Appropriate - This is the ability to convey the desired action to the receiving unit within the environment
(For example, the maneuver element's use of a whistle blast to shift or cease machine gun support by
fire would not be appropriate because it is too likely that the blast could not be heard from the support
by fire position over the sound of the machine guns.).
•Redundant - Always have a back-up to account for Murphy's Law (Remember: Friction makes the
seemingly easy, become difficult.).
The location of a copy of the Communications/Electronic Operational Instructions (CEOI) should also be
briefed.

Command
Within this subparagraph, there are two sections:
•Location of key personnel - The unit leader specifies the location of each key individual throughout the
operation. If the location of various key personnel is to change due to the determined scheme of
maneuver, identify this and disseminate the information to the subordinate units.
•Succession of command - The unit leader determines the succession of command among subordinate
unit leaders. This should be somewhat dependent upon the scheme of maneuver. (For example, the
first squad leader is normally your senior squad leader and will be higher in the succession of
command than the other squad leaders; however, for a specific scheme of maneuver, if the third squad
leader is the main effort squad, he may be higher in the succession of command.)

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE COMBAT ORDERS

Clarity
The order must be thoroughly understandable. To achieve clarity:
•Use doctrinally established military terminology and symbols that clearly convey identical meaning to all
subordinate elements that receive the order.
•Train your Marines to recognize doctrinally established terminology

Completeness
The order should contain all the information and instruction necessary to coordinate and execute the
operation. The order must:
•Convey the purpose or intent of the leader so that subordinates and subordinate leaders will be able to
accomplish their mission without further instructions.
•Include sufficient detail so that all subordinate leaders know what adjacent and supporting units are
doing.

Brevity
In the disorder of combat, simplicity is strength. Avoid unnecessary detail, but clarity and completeness
should not be sacrificed in the interest of brevity.
•Communicate key ideas in concise phrases.
•Avoid adjectives and adverbs.
•Issue single-sentence mission and tasks.
•Use precise doctrinal terms.
“An order should contain everything a subordinate must know...and only that."

Authoritative Expression
The order reflects the commander’s intention and will.
•Indecisive, vague, and ambiguous language indicate indecision and lead to uncertainty and lack of
confidence by subordinates.
•Effective leaders tell subordinates in direct and unmistakable terms exactly what is desired

Use of the Affirmative Form

In the interest of simplicity and clarity, the affirmative form of expression is used throughout all combat
orders.
•Phrasing such as, “the assault section will not accompany the company” is improper for two reasons:
first, the intent of the order depends on the word “not”; second, the actual location of the assault
section is not indicated.
•The proper affirmative form is, “assault team will follow in trace of first fireteam.”

Avoidance of Qualified Directives

Limit information to what is necessary. Ensure your words have meaning.
•Avoid meaningless expressions and clichés such as “attack vigorously” and self-evident information like
"avoid casualties."
•Remove expressions such as “try to hold” and “as far as possible” that lessen responsibility.
•Avoid micromanagement—train your Marines prior to issuing your order. The order is not the place to
tell your radio operator to carry a spare battery

Recognition of Subordinate Leader’s Prerogative

Issue mission type orders. Orders should not limit the initiative of subordinate leaders.
•Mission orders assign what must be done without saying how it will be done.
•Assume competence; train yourself and your Marines to operate with mission orders.
•Do not trespass on subordinate independence.
– Respect their authority and prerogatives.
– The ability to act on one’s own initiative creates enthusiasm for the task and joy of responsibility

Timeliness
Timely issuance of orders allows subordinate leaders sufficient time for planning and preparation.
•Timely orders help generate tempo.
•Concurrent planning saves time.

TERRAIN MODEL
A terrain model is a scaled-down model of the battlespace that the unit leader uses while issuing an order.
An effective terrain model will allow your Marines to visualize:
•The battlespace in which they will be operating
•The enemy they are engaging
•The scheme of maneuver being executed

SHORTHAND
Shorthand is a method of abbreviating orders that makes quickly recording key information relatively
easy.
•Use common shorthand abbreviations or develop your own system.
•All that matters is that you understand your shorthand and that you can effectively communicate it to
others.

Orders Shorthand
In order to receive and issue orders rapidly and concisely,
leaders need to
develop an orders shorthand technique.
• “Co E: RES. OCC BP21. BPT CATK(ABF) vic CP32C IOT
deny EN
WTH RTE. ME(POF) on CATK.”
• “Co F: DEF BP20 NLT 1200 IOT DES EN MRB in EA FOX.”
1. Amounts are numerals in parentheses.
(12) veh (21) EN soldiers (3) days (4) MREs
2. Cardinal Directions are capital letters in parentheses.
(N) North (E) East
(NW) Northwest (SE) Southeast
(N)-(S) North-South is the orientation of a road, river, or other
linear
terrain feature. (L) Left and (R) Right should be avoided, but are
sometimes needed.
Azimuths are degrees or mils, grid or magnetic.
317° 317° mag 3200mils 3200mils grid
3. Distances are metric abbreviations.
1100m 125m 17km 225km
4. Place Names are capitalized. Control Measure Names are
capitalized.
SAN RAFAEL BIR EL GUBI HUE CITY NAKTONG River
PL GOLD EA LION AP ASP RTE LINCOLN
5. Locations are MGRS six- or eight-digit coordinates, with a
space between
the easting and northing, either with or without the prefix.
876 678 8756 9837 QR 8757 6786 SU 4576 9273
Horizontal datum, if not well defined, is included in
parentheses.
876 678 (WGS-84) 8756 9837 (NAD-27)
GS 3617 is “Grid Square 3617” a 1k grid square defined by the
lower lefthand
corner.
vic 876 678 is “Vicinity of 876 678” @ 876 678 is “at 876 678”
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6. Unit Sizes are abbreviated. Key Billets or Teams are
acronyms.
Tm Sqd Sect Plat
Co Bn Regt Det
FiST FO FAC OCD
7. Specific units are abbreviated.
“K” with or without “Co” is Company “K” or Kilo Co (or Kilo
Btry)
3/5 is 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
8. Time is four digits, with or without a colon.
0600 1201 18:30 22:00
NLT 1200 No Later Than… NET 0100 No Earlier Than…
@ 0610 At 0610 ~0500 Around 0500
H+2:00 is two hours. D-3 is three days.
L-Hour is boots on deck, not take-off time.
H+0:30 is thirty min
9. Tactical Missions and Terms are capitalized acronyms and
abbreviations.
ABF Attack By Fire FS Fire Support
A/C Aircraft GS General Support
A/F Airfield HHQ Higher Headquarters
AIZ Attack In Zone IOT In Order To
AOA Avenue of Approach LOC Line of Communication
AP Attack Position ME Main Effort
ATK Attack MTC Move To Contact
BOF Base of Fire O/C On Call
BPT Be Prepared To O/O On Order
CATK Counterattack OOM Order Of Movement
CG Center of Gravity O/W Overwatch
CIZ Clear In Zone POF Priority of Fire
CV Critical Vulnerability PoL Passage of Lines
DEF Defend POS Position
DIZ Defend In Zone REIN Reinforced
DS Direct Support RES Reserve
EN Enemy RIP Relief In Place
FIT Follow In Trace SBF Support By Fire
FOF Follow-On Forces WTH Withdraw
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10. Tactical Control Measures and FSCM are capitalized
acronyms and
abbreviations.
AA Assembly Area OBJ Objective
BP Battle Position ORP OBJ Rally Point
CP Check Point PL Phase Line
EA Engagement Area RP Release Point
LD Line of Departure SP Start Point
LOA Limit Of Advance TGT Target
11. Common Words are abbreviated.
prev Prevent hwy Highway
est Establish rd Road
fm From prot Protect
rte Route bldg Building
mvmnt Movement alt Alternate
12. Generic Weapons and Equipment are capitalized
acronyms.
AA Anti-Aircraft HF High-Frequency
AT Anti-Tank MG Machinegun
13. Ammunition sizes and Amounts are abbreviated.
81mm .50 cal 3.5 in (62) rds
14. Friendly Weapons and Equipment are referred to by
nomenclature.
M-203 M-240G SMAW AT-4
AV-8B CH-46 PRC-113 PVS-14
HMMWV M-1A1 LAV M-198
15. Enemy Weapons and Equipment are referred to by
nomenclature or
NATO designator.
AK-47 BTR-60 BMP-2 BRDM
SAGGER HIND SPIGOT HIP
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16. Orders Headings are abbreviated and followed by a colon.
S: Situation EN: Enemy
Fr: Friendly
M: Mission IOT In Order To
E: Execution CoO: Concept of Ops
FS: Fire Support Plan
Tasks: Tasks
Coord: Coordinating Instructions
A: Admin & Logistics
C: Command & Signal
17. Task Organizations are specified.
+ Attached “K” + HMG + CEB
- Detached 3/5 – “K”
att Attached
det Detached
COMMAND PRESENCE
Command presence is the demonstration of confidence, assertiveness, expertise, and overall leadership
capability. Establishing command presence helps to establish confidence in your plan and in you as a
leader

Be Succinct
Keep orders short and to the point. Planning (MCDP 5) states, "Directives should be as clear, simple, and
concise as each situation permits. Elaborateness and extreme detail are not generally characteristics of
effective plans and orders.... Short sentences are easily understood. Superfluous, trite, or trivial phrases
weaken an order and create ambiguity."
•Keep in mind that combat is extremely stressful, and your Marines will be exhausted, anxious, and
uncomfortable. Their attention span will be short; they will not listen to orders that are too long or
complicated.
•Avoid excessive formality or informality when issuing orders. Use a natural conversational tone;
however, do not allow your orders to degenerate into casual dialogue.
•Your order should convey confidence and authority, leaving all who hear little doubt that you are giving
an order

Take Charge
Never permit sleeping, talking, eating, or any other distraction during your order.
•Ensure that key personnel are present before beginning the order, and position your subordinate leaders.
•Require note-taking among order recipients. When issuing an order, the leader must remember, you may
be ordering your Marines to engage in violent actions which are inherently dangerous and filled with
chaos and confusion.
•The unit leader must inspire confidence and motivation. The leader that fails to do so puts their Marines
at an immediate mental disadvantage.

Know Your Order

In issuing your order, you are ordering your Marines to execute your scheme of maneuver.
•While they will execute because they are good Marines, you must sell your Marines to not just execute
the plan, but also to believe in the plan.
•It is common to refer to notes while issuing your order, but do not read it to your Marines. This
undermines the confidence your Marines will have in your plan.
Interact with Recipients
Interact with the order recipients.
•While notes are often needed for referral, do not read your order.
•Focus on the Marines, for they are to be sent into harm's way to execute your decisions.
•You must present the order as if you have absolute confidence in its success.
•You will experience difficulty inspiring confidence in your decision if you convey uncertainty, lack of
familiarity, or doubt.

DELIVER THE ORDER

Writing and issuing good combat orders is as much art as it is science. Not only must you concisely
convey your mission and your plan to accomplish the mission, but you must also inspire your Marines
who will be evaluating your competence and confidence in the plan.

Active Voice & Direct Language

Use active voice and direct language that conveys confidence. In the disorder of combat, simplicity is
strength. Avoid vague terms, qualifiers, or gratuitous phrases. Terms such as "conduct a rehearsal, if you
can manage it," "attack vigorously," and "radiomen shall maintain radio communication" only serve to
dilute the clarity and energy of your order.
•Use inclusive language: "You are moving with me."
•Avoid qualified statements: "As far as possible..."
•Avoid conditional statements: "If you make it..."
•Avoid needless adverbs: "Attack vigorously..."
•Avoid non-doctrinal statements: "Crush in a vice of fire..."
•Use precise doctrinal terms, avoid micromanagement and restating the obvious.

Visual Aids
A terrain model is generally the best means by which to issue an order to your Marines.
•If it is not possible to construct a terrain model, then make use of any other available assets, like a sand
table or whiteboard.
•It is most important to visually convey your plan to your unit, regardless of what method is used.

Questions
You will want the order recipients to be clear on the orientation, so allow them the opportunity to ask
questions before you begin your actual order.
•Before briefing the situation, instruct the group to hold all their questions until the end of the order. This
will eliminate questions that interrupt the flow of your order or may be answered later in the order.
•Once you finish delivering your order, field questions from the audience.
•As time allows, conclude by asking questions of subordinates and require back-briefs from key
subordinate leaders to ensure full comprehension