The first item is to set an operational period or shift. While you need to staff you TOC, there are also other requirements like available staff, rest periods (CRITICAL ITEM) and other duties. At a minimum, you need a shift leader (CO/XO/IC, etc.) and a radio operator/scribe. If you have multiple nets, or multiple duties, that could increase. Do you need Intel or a Planning Team? Are Logistics too complicated for one person to manage while doing other things? That will increase your staffing requirements. It is completely based on needs.
For our notional battalion TOC, we will have 12-hour work periods from 1200-2400 and 2400-1200. I like that schedule as opposed to a day/night schedule because it lets your people still see daylight and have some time to deal with personal issues. Each shift has the following:
Shift Leader (Battle Captain/IC) from the Sherriff’s Department
Operations Chief
ACE Element (Intelligence)
Plans Chief
Logistics Chief
Admin Chief
Radio operators and scribes
Medical liaison
Engineer liaison
We use the Planning P to run our operations.
This gives us our structure for ongoing operations. Our companies will be responsible for manning vehicle checkpoints (VCP), security patrols and having a reaction force to respond to any incidents that occur within the county. The Sherriff’s deputies provide manpower for vehicle patrols, arrests, and other regular duties. At least one deputy is at each VCP to support the rule of law, while a deputy is stationed with each company TOC to support operations of each company. The 12-hour operational period allows us predictive staffing and to set a schedule for the troops.

Section Responsibilities

Operations Section
The Operations Section is responsible for development and conduct of operations and the Incident Action Plan, and training for the unit. In the realm of NIMS/ICS, the Operations Section makes stuff happen NOW.
Plans Section
The Plans Section is responsible for the development of the Incident Action Plan for the Operations Section and subordinate elements to execute. They plan for what happens Next.
Analysis and Control Element (ACE)
The ACE is section or subsection that gathers information, like SALUTE/SPOT reports and other information from field elements, evaluates it and turns it into actionable intelligence for the commander to base his decisions and objectives on.
Logistics Section
The Logistics Section collects requests for:

• all categories of supply
  • Class I Food, rations, water
  • Class II Clothing, uniforms, footwear
  • Class III Petroleum products, fuel, oil, lubricants
  • Class IV Fortification and barrier materials
  • Class V Ammunition
  • Class VI Personal items
  • Class VII Major end items
  • Class VIII Medical supplies
  • Class IX Repair parts
  • Class X Miscellaneous supplies

Admin Section
So how does the Planning P schedule work?

1. The shift commander sets objectives and benchmarks for the work period and the following work period during the planning meeting.
2. During the tactics meeting, the nuts and bolts of how to execute the plan based on Commander’s Intent are worked out.
3. The Plans Section develops a plan (an ACTION PLAN of ACTIONABLE ITEMS, see what I did there?) for the following shift based on:
   1. Objectives
   2. Resources available
   3. Resources needed
   4. Previous actions and AARs, Lessons Learned
4. The Plan should be developed according to the PACE concept
   1. Primary (what we’re going to do)
   2. Alternate (what we do if something doesn’t work)
   3. Contingency (if the first two plans don’t work, or something goes wrong)
   4. Emergency (GO-To-Hell plan)
5. Meanwhile, the Operations Section is briefing the plan, developed by the previous shift, coordinating, and executing that plan. This is happening concurrently with plan development by the Plans Section.
6. There is constant assessment of the operational period and tasks underway/completed, to see if there is room for improvement or need for adjustment.

 
Planning is ongoing and honestly exhausting. This method operation works at any level of organization despite its size. The methods used are the same whether it’s a BN TOC, a company TOC, or a county EOC. The next addition is specific mission planning, such as a security patrol, recon, VCP, or whatever else. The leadership involved in the mission will use the Military Decision Making Process and Troop Leading Procedures once assigned the mission by Command.
Military Decision-Making Process

• Receive the mission – Who? What? Where? When? How?
  • Issue the Warning Order to subordinates
• Mission Analysis – What do we exactly need to do? How?
  • Update/add more details to the Warning Order
• Course of Action Development – Most likely/Least Likely/Best COA, for the enemy and us
• Course of Action Analysis – Are these accurate? Likely? Effective? Doable?
• Course of Action Comparison – Which is the best COA for the mission?
• Course of Action Approval – Which one are we going with?
  • Update Warning order
• Orders Production – Write the Operations Order and Annexes
• • Issue the Operations Order and brief back
• Rehearsal – Map rehearsal, walk through, full scale rehearsal
• Execution and Assessment – Conduct the mission and conduct a debrief/hotwash post mission
  • What worked? What didn’t? What can improve? Lessons learned?

Troop Leading Procedures

• Receive the mission
• Issue a Warning order
• Make a tentative plan
• Start necessary movement
• Reconnoiter
• Complete the plan
• Issue the complete order
• Supervise

This process occurs simultaneously with the Planning P cycle for the unit headquarters but is specific to the individual missions. The teams and sections that execute missions will not necessarily be on the 12-hour duty cycle other elements are on. A recon team or liaison team may be out in the field away from home for days at a time, so that is also something to consider in the planning process regarding logistics, family support, security, and communications.
I want to reinforce the point that the TOC’s main reason for being is coordination. Lots of moving parts in an operation demand someone ensure they are not stepping on each other or conducting counterproductive operations, are supporting the Commander’s Intent, and are properly supported to be able to carry out their missions.
The next article will be about supporting the logistics needs of missions.
If you have a direct question, email at [email protected] and I will answer it as I can.