Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PURPOSE
To help prepare and develop your spirit of warrior ethos-standing ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemy-you will learn that one of the warrior leaders critical roles is receiving and issuing combat orders. Warriors must fight, survive, and win on the battlefield. You will have to shoot, move, communicate, secure, and sustain, and do it quickly. To accomplish this, you will receive and issue combat orders almost constantly. The way you receive, interpret, and issue these orders can determine whether you and your fellow warriors survive or die. These orders must be simple, direct, complete, and timely. You must be consistent and thorough; because the way your Soldiers execute--based on the orders you give--will have a definite impact on the success or failure of your missions and contribute to the warrior ethos.
Action: Implement a Squad Level Combat Order. Conditions: In a classroom environment, culminating in a situational training exercise, and given a platoon operation order in a simulated combat condition.
Standards: Implement a squad level combat order by- Conducting troop-leading procedures. Ensuring the conduct of precombat checks. Identifying three types of combat orders: - Operation order (OPORD) - Warning order (WARNO) - Fragmentary order (FRAGO) Interpreting the commander's intent of a combat order.
IAW FM 3-21.8
Safety Requirements Instructors act as safety monitors during the conduct of all training. Ensure students observe safe practices at all times. If conducting the practical exercise outside, take precautions dependent on the weather. Training area should be generally flat and free from debris. Risk Assessment Level Low Environmental Considerations NOTE: It is the responsibility of all Soldiers and DA civilians to protect the environment from damage. None Evaluation: During this training you will complete two Practical Exercises
AGENDA
RECEIVE THE MISSION ISSUE THE WARNING ORDER MAKE A TENTATIVE PLAN INITIATE MOVEMENT CONDUCT RECONNAISSANCE COMPLETE PLAN ISSUE THE COMPLETE PLAN SUPERVISE AND ASSESS
Conclusion
DECISION MAKING
Army leaders usually follow one of two decision making processes. Leaders at company level and below follow the troop leading procedures (TLP). The TLP are designed to help solve tactical problems. Leaders at battalion-level and above use the military decision making process (MDMP). For further discussion on the MDMP see FM 5-0 (Staff Organizations and Operations). Both TLP and MDMP are established, proven methods of problem solving and decision making. They save time and achieve parallel decision making and planning.
RECEIVE THE MISSION ISSUE THE WARNING ORDER MAKE A TENTATIVE PLAN INITIATE MOVEMENT CONDUCT RECONNAISSANCE COMPLETE PLAN ISSUE THE COMPLETE PLAN SUPERVISE AND ASSESS
INITIATE MOVEMENT
The unit may need to start movement while leaders are still planning or reconnoitering. Therefore, a delegated leader may bring the unit forward at any point during the troopleading procedure. If the mission requires movement or repositioning of any element, this movement should begin as early as possible to make best use of the time available.
RECONNAISSANCE
Reconnaissance at company-level and below is generally conducted either on the ground or on a map. The leader should include key personnel on his reconnaissance. He should focus his reconnaissance on primary unit positions, alternate locations, critical routes, and possible threat locations and routes.
There is nothing more effective than actual eyes-on reconnaissance to confirm routes and time critical movements. Nevertheless, if there isnt enough time, leaders must at least conduct a map reconnaissance.
Leaders organize the information needed for their order in a standard coherent form. This may be the format designated in the unit SOP or the standard five-paragraph operations order format below:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Situation Mission Execution (Concept of the Operation) Service Support Command and Signal
This means closing the loop to insure your subordinates understand the mission and are prepared to execute the mission through the use of conduct Pre Combat Inspections (PCI). Soldiers and their first line leaders conduct Pre Combat Checks (PCC). Commanders and other leaders conduct PCIs to insure the mission is understood and subordinate elements are prepared to conduct the mission theyve been assigned.
Finally, leaders at all levels conduct rehearsals to give everyone involved a thorough understanding of their tasks, how these tasks meet the commanders intent, and how they fit into the overall concept of the operation. Rehearsals also allow the leader to identify and examine actions or tasks that may require more coordination or preparation prior to execution of the plan.
CONCLUSION
Planning, Rehearsals, and Inspections: Sergeants Business? You Bet! There it is! The pre-combat triad of planning, rehearsing, and inspecting is Sergeants business at the platoon level. As an NCO, your parallel mission in life is to train your platoon leader for higher command. If you dont offer the platoon leader the benefit of your experience and training, the platoon leader has to learn in a vacuum. This leaves the Platoon Leader alone usually by this time mentally exhausted to plan for the operation. In combat that error will cost lives, perhaps your own.
Practical Exercise 1
Implement a squad level combat order by-Conducting troop-leading procedures. Ensuring the conduct of precombat checks. Identifying three types of combat orders: - Operation order (OPORD), - Warning order (WARNO), and - Fragmentary order (FRAGO). Interpreting the commander's intent of a combat order. IAW FM 3-21.8
PRACTICLE EXCERSICE