TDG Tuesday: Troop Leading Steps Part III: Complete the Plan & Issue the Order
I’m sorry for posting this so late, but life happens.
I started this series, TDG (Tactical Decision Game) Tuesdays, to get you more in the mindset of how you could potentially handle a given tactical scenario with a limited amount of resources and manpower. My goal is to get you to read these scenarios and think about what resources you have available, what sort of scenarios you might encounter, and what gaps you need to fill in your equipment/training.
Previously, I started this new mini-series on the six troop leading steps, abbreviated as BAMCIS.
Begin Planning
Arrange Recon
Make Recon
Complete the Plan
Issue the Order
Supervise
Over the course of this mini-series, the TDGs have been a successive continuation of the same exercise in which you go over the complete planning and execution of a squad-sized raid on an objective, while following the 6 troop leading steps listed above. If you haven’t already, read TDG 9 for the orientation and scenario that this week builds on, and TDG 10 for the portion on planning and conducting your preliminary reconnaissance of the objective.
TDG 11: Complete the Plan & Issue the Order
This week’s TDG covers the fourth and fifth steps, Complete the plan and Issue the Order. Two weeks ago you came up with a rough plan of attack and a list of RFIs (requests for information) that you wanted answered before finalizing your plan. Last week you planned and conducted your reconnaissance, answering some if not all of your RFIs. This week you will finalize your assault plan and draft it into a 5-paragraph order to issue to your men.
The 5-paragraph order, also known as an “Operations Order format,” is a simple and easy way to organize a mission plan to present to your subordinates. The 5 paragraphs can be easily remembered with the acronym “SMEAC”
Situation: Disposition of all friendly, hostile, and adjacent forces.
Mission: What we are trying to do.
Execution: How we are going to do it.
Admin & Logistics: Who/what is getting where and how.
Command & Signal: Who is in charge and how they are communicating.
If this looks familiar, it should. It’s the same format I’ve used in past TDGs to present the scenario to you. This is a very, very simplified description of what can go into a 5-paragraph order, but for a small group of civilian volunteers it will suffice to organize your thoughts. If you like, you can use as much detail as you want and make a full operations order. A more thorough description of the 5-paragraph order can be found here.
Feel free to post your final product below or email it to me at [email protected]. If you emailed me your recon plan and I haven’t gotten back to you yet, please be patient. I have quite a few of them to work through.
For those of you not actively participating, I will eventually post some of the recon submissions and their results for your reading pleasure.