Field Order Follow-on

Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one thinks of changing himself
--Leo Tolstoy
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Ranger has also been thinking about operations orders at higher levels -- Battalion and above, leading to some speculation.

Since he was a pre-computer era soldier, all operations orders at all levels of command were hand-written by the operations officer. Often, they were cut-and-paste operations, but every order was given the consideration of human thought. He guesses (stress, guesses) that computer-generated orders may short-circuit these troop leading considerations, leaving glitches in the planning process.

If this is true (and even if not), all orders should be war-gamed before they are finalized and issued. War-gaming orders was a SOP advocated in Command and General Staff College in the 1980's. Ranger reckons this is still a truism.

When one understands the troop leading procedures that spawn an operation order, it is a simple matter to dissect and military action. For the sake of Ranger-simplicity, I used to use a simplifier for planning activities.

All activity would be divided into the following categories:

• Before

• During

• After

This simplicity put everything into clear perspective for all members of the action. Simply Movement To -- Actions On -- Actions After. This says it all. Being Ranger Simple can make things fun and easy.

Ranger hopes the Field Order exercise helped. It was a little trip down memory lane.

Five Paragraph Field Order

I think that with your IQ,
you're unarmed and still VERY dangerous
-- Tango & Cash (1989)

In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet
and say to us, "Make us your slaves, but feed us"
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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The Five Paragraph Field order is being presented to the uninitiated to show that all military operations should be represented by a clear operations order. The Order follows a format which rarely varies, so the plan should be understood by all parties involved prior to setting out on operations.

Based on the seeming helter-skelter nature of too many operations in the past eight years, civilians may have the notion that these things are undertaken on the fly. They should not be.

Most Platoon and Company-level operations will encompass the details listed here. Let's refine them slightly for easier consumption. Note that before the order is issued, the METT-T analysis (Mission, Enemy, Terrain and Weather, Troop & Fire Support, and Time) is completed, using the BAMCIS process (Begin the Planning, Arrange Recon, Make Recon, Complete Planning. Issue Order, Supervise). (The Army loves it some acronyms!)

So both METT-T and BAMCIS will prepare for the creation of the operation order, which includes:

[1] Situation: as described.

[2] Mission: To be clearly stated and have a "be prepared" statement for when the operation is successful. For example, "1/B/2/47/ will attack hill 0881 @ 0530 hrs 29Jul08 and will be prepared to continue the attack on order to achieve objective X."

[3] Execution: The coordinating instructions should be clear, concise and easily understood. KISS -- Keep it Simple, Sir.

[4] Administration/Logistics: This is an area of concern because the admin/log types are on a different radio net and are often unresponsive to lower echelon leaders. These taskings must be clearly delineated and administered by the appropriate staff function of the unit involved. Often, the problem arises that the shooters shoot for the Commander and the admin/log types work directly under the XO's (Executive Officer's staff) supervision. All work for the Commander, but this is always a weak point in most combat operations. The failure to have coordination on this paragraph can unwind an operation in a New York minute.

[5] Command and Signal: This is where all the signal instructions and electronic communications are clearly delineated. In the Infantry Battalion, Brigade and Regiment these are usually SOP, but it is beneficial to clearly identify all areas of potential confusion. All radio nets must mesh before the operation, not after it is in progress.

Under friendly forces -- attached units should be addressed here with a clear delineation of command structure. Aviation, Artillery and Engineer assets should be identified and their mission, as well as their Command and Signal instructions.

When all of these functions are check-listed, planned and briefed, any operation should have a great chance of success.

A parting thought: Military operations can only achieve the achievable. Following the operations order format allows a leader to assess and delineate the achievable, thereby converting the intention into a practicable effort and hopeful military success.