UNDERSTANDING TACTICS

WARFIGHTING
Winning in combat depends upon tactical leaders who can think creatively
and act decisively. This fact:
• Pertains equally to all Marine Leaders, whether their duties entail combat
service support, combat support, or combat arms
• Applies to the MAGTF commander, the fire team leader, and all leaders in
between
Throughout our history, one of the most important reasons for the success of
the United States Marine Corps has been the military skill of our NCOs.
Through their tactical skill and battlefield judgement, Marine NCOs have
consistently achieved an advantage at the decisive time and place.
PRINCIPLES OF WAR
The Marine Corps' warfighting philosophy of maneuver warfare is rooted in
the nine principles of war, commonly identified by the acronym
MOOSEMUSS. These principles:
• Are central to the understanding of tactics and are at the heart of the
practical application of tactical theory
• Lend rigor and focus to the creative aspects of tactics and provide a
crucial link between pure theory and actual application
• Assist leaders in conducting an estimate of the situation
Mass
Mass refers to the concentration of friendly capabilities at the decisive place
and time to achieve decisive results. Mass applies to fires, combat support,
combat service support, and numbers of forces. Proper use of the principle
of mass, together with the other principles of war, allow a numerically
inferior force to achieve decisive local superiority. The decision to
concentrate requires strict economy and the acceptance of risk elsewhere,
particularly in view of the lethality of modern weapons that mandate the
rapid assembly and speedy dispersal of forces.
Objective
This principle advises the direction of every military operation toward a
clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective. The objective of each
operation must contribute to the ultimate objective or purpose of the
operation. It requires a clear understanding of the overall mission and intent
of the higher command, the tasks that must be performed, and the reasons
for them. Objectives ensure all actions contribute to the higher
commander's endstate. Clearly defined objectives promote initiative.
Offensive
Seize, retain, and expsloit the initiative. Offensive action is the decisive form
of combat. It is necessary to maintain freedom of action. Offensive action
allows leaders to exploit enemy weaknesses, impose their will upon the
enemy, and determine the course of the battle.
Simplicity
Simplicity means preparing clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise
orders to ensure thorough understanding. Plans should be as simple and
direct as the situation and mission dictate. Direct, simple plans and clear,
concise orders reduce the chance for misunderstanding and confusion and
promote effective execution.
Economy of Force
The reciprocal of the principle of mass, economy of force allocates minimum
essential combat power to secondary efforts. The commander allocates the
minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts, requiring the
acceptance of prudent risks in selected areas to achieve superiority at the
decisive time and location with the main effort.
ManeuverManeuver is the flexible application of combat power to achieve a
position of advantage with respect to the enemy to accomplish the mission.
Maneuver is the employment of forces in any dimension, whether temporal
(operate at a tempo greater that the enemy's), psychological (destroy the
enemy's will to fight), technological (superior equipment), or spatial (a
positional disadvantage) to gain an advantage.
Unity of Command
Unity of command requires unity of effort for every objective under one
responsible commander. The goal of unity of command is unity of effort.
Surprise

Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner that he is unprepared for.

It is not essential that the enemy be taken when unaware, but that the
enemy becomes aware too late to react effectively.
Security
The goal of security is to never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected
advantage. Security measures are designed to prevent surprise, ensure
freedom of action, and deny the enemy information about friendly forces,
capabilities, and plans. It does not imply the over-application of caution to
eliminate risk, but rather seeks to enhance our operations through bold
maneuver and acceptance of calculated risk.
TACTICAL APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF WAR
Supporting Effort
Force is economized under the supporting effort, providing security to the
main effort that strikes at the decisive point. Under unity of command,
the supporting effort understands that its purpose is to support the main
effort.
Main Effort
The main effort is employed at the decisive point with concentrated mass
and firepower, under supporting fires from the supporting effort. The main
effort maneuvers to exploit a vulnerability in the enemy's defense,
surprising the enemy from the flank.
TACTICS
MCDP 1-3, defines tactics as "the art and science of winning engagements
and battles."
• Specifically, tactics refers to the concepts and methods we use to
accomplish a particular objective in either combat or stability operations.
• In war, tactics include the use of firepower and maneuver, the integration
of different arms, and the immediate exploitation of successes to defeat
the enemy, as well as sustainment of forces during combat.
• It also includes the technical application of combat power, which consists
of those techniques and procedures for accomplishing specific tasks
within a tactical action.
There are two commonly delineated aspects of tactics. They are:
The Art of Tactics
The art of tactics lies in how we creatively form and apply military force in a
given situation. It involves the creation, positioning, and maneuver of
combat power. For example, understanding tactics allows us to answer
questions such as "When do we attack the enemy using a frontal, flanking, or
enveloping attack?" This creativity is a developed capacity acquired through
education, practice, and experience.
The Science of Tactics
The science of tactics lies in the technical application of combat power. It
includes mastering the techniques and procedures that contribute to the
warfighting skills such as marksmanship, gunnery, land navigation, and close
air support. The execution of these techniques and procedures must
become second nature to us, requiring intensive and continuous training.
Without mastery of basic warfighting skills, artistry and creativity in their
application are impossible. We must always strive for "brilliance in the
basics" at all levels to ensure success.
TACTICAL TENETS
No fixed rules exist that can be applied automatically; every situation is
different.
• As stated in On Infantry, more than half a century ago, "The leader who
frantically strives to remember what someone else did in some slightly
similar situation has already set his feet on a well-traveled road to ruin."
• Leaders must remember that there are no fixed rules and no precise
checklists, but there are bounds. That is why successful leaders study,
train, and exercise their minds to improve tactical proficiency.
• We study examples of successes and failures, not to emulate someone
else's scheme but to increase our own tactical understanding and
competence.
TACTICAL TENETS
The successful execution of Marine Corps tactics hinges on the thoughtful
application of a number of tactical concepts. Key among these concepts are:
• Achieving a decision
• Gaining advantage
• Being faster
• Adapting
• Cooperating
• Exploiting success
Each of these concepts are discussed in detail later in this lesson. These
concepts help to provide a framework for developing a tactical mindset that
has long been a hallmark of Marine leaders, from corporal through general.
TACTICAL PROFICIENCY
Tactical excellence is the hallmark of a Marine Corps leader.
• We fight and win in combat through our mastery of both the art and
science of tactics.
The art of tactics involves the creative and innovative use of maneuver
warfare concepts.
The science of tactics requires skill in basic warfighting techniques and
procedures.
• It is the responsibility of all Marine leaders to work continuously to
develop their own tactical proficiency and that of their Marines
Tactics is defined as __________. The art and science of winning engagements
and battles

Correctly identifty the principles of war.

mass, objective, offensive, security, economy of force, maneuver, unity of
command, surprise, and simplicity
ACHIEVING A DECISION
INCREMENTAL APPROACH TO WAR
The objective of tactics is to achieve military success through a decision in
battle. Military history is littered with indecisive battles where military forces
achieved only incremental gains.
• Incremental gains may be the result of a competent enemy or the chaotic
nature of war.
• However, many times, leaders sought incremental gains as a means to
achieve victory.
World War I
An incrementalist view of war as a slow, cumulative process is best
exemplified by the grinding attrition tactics seen on the Western Front in
World War I. There the opponents were more or less evenly matched, and
their tactics resulted in indecisive action.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, where the opposing forces were quite dissimilar in their military
capabilities, an incremental approach led to the U.S.'s overreliance on
firepower and body counts. This, in turn, led to the conduct of military
operations that were often irrelevant to the outcome of the war, even though
a comparison of casualty ratios appeared favorable.
DECISIVE ACTION
The Marine Corps has embraced maneuver warfare, a more flexible,
imaginative, and effective way to wage war.
In contrast to tactics based on incremental attrition, tactics in maneuver
warfare apply mass through a weighted main effort at the decisive point to
attain the objective, or decisive action.
Maneuver Warfare
Maneuver warfare does not mean that combat should be viewed as a
bloodless ballet of movement.
• Combat will always be characterized by tough, brutal, and desperate
engagements. We must remember that war is a violent clash of two
opposing wills in which each side is trying to wrest advantage from the
other.
• Our enemies strive to not allow us to gain, maintain, or employ
technological or numerical superiority.
• Future battles will be bloody and tough, and that makes it vitally
important that Marine leaders strive to develop tactical proficiency.
UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION
How do we achieve decisions?
The first step is for the unit leader to understand the situation. The
successful tactician should:
• Study the situation to develop a picture of what is happening, how it is
happening, and how it might further develop.
• Assess the situation, thinking through all actions that determine the
desired result, and the means to achieve that result.
• Assume the role of the enemy, considering the enemy's best course of
action, and decide how to defeat it.
Making effective decisions and acting on those decisions faster than the
enemy is a crucial element of Marine Corps tactics.
Union Army Brigadier General John Buford's approach to the battle of Gettysburg
offers a good example of understanding the battle so that it leads to a decision.
• Arriving at Gettysburg with a division of cavalry on the morning of June 30,
1863, Buford saw Confederate forces approaching from the northwest.
From his position, he could see that early seizure of the high ground west
of Gettysburg was critical to giving the Army of the Potomac time to mass
its forces.
Occupation of this high ground would preserve the tactical advantage of
the high ground to Buford's rear for the Union Army once they arrived on
the battlefield.
• Quickly spreading out one brigade west of town along McPherson Ridge,
General Buford settled in to defend Gettysburg until the arrival of Union
reinforcements.
On July 1st, the following day, he held his ground against a division of
Confederate infantry supported by artillery until General John Reynolds'
Second Corps came up and reinforced the line.
General Buford's ability to foresee the coming battle, take quick action in
the disposition of his forces and hold the high ground until reinforced, is
one of the decisive actions that defeated the Army of Northern Virginia at
the battle of Gettysburg
MAKING A DECISION
The ability to understand the situation is useless if we are not prepared to
act decisively.
• Tactics requires leaders at all levels to make decisions in a constantly
changing environment of friction, uncertainty, and danger.
• Making effective decisions and acting on those decisions faster than the
enemy is a crucial element of Marine Corps tactics.
Analytical Decision-Making
If time is available to analyze situations deliberately and to consider multiple
options, leaders should make the most of it. Comparing several options and
selecting the best one is known as analytical decision- making.
Intuitive Decision-Making
Once engaged, however, the leader will find that time is short and the need
for speed paramount. In some cases, speeding up the analytical decision-
making process may be sufficient; however, in most cases intuitive decision-
making is needed to generate and maintain tempo. Intuitive decision-
making relies on a leader's intuitive ability to recognize the key elements of
a particular problem and arrive at the proper decision without having to
compare multiple options.
ACTING DECISIVELY
When opportunity arrives, it must be exploited fully and aggressively. The
keys to acting decisively are to:
Identify Enemy Critical Vulnerabilities
Identifying enemy critical vulnerabilities (or gaps) is imperative. By
identifying them, we can focus our efforts on the key weakness that will
cause the enemy to bend to our will most quickly. This may mean:
• Using fire and maneuver to take out a machine gun position that is the
backbone of an enemy defense
• Leveraging a gap in the enemy's fields of fire that allows us to get into
the rear of his position
• Exploiting the enemy's lack of air defenses by calling in close air support

There is no formula for determining critical vulnerabilities. Each situation is

different. Critical vulnerabilities will rarely be obvious. This is one of the
things that makes mastery of tactics difficult and a reason that so few
actions achieve a decisive outcome. Identifying critical vulnerabilities is an
important prerequisite to achieving a decision.
Shape the Battlefield to our Advantage
Now that the unit leader has updated the estimate of the situation and
determined a critical vulnerability to exploit, the battlefield can begin to be
shaped to our advantage. Shaping the battlefield includes both lethal and
non-lethal activities such as:
• Fixing the enemy with fires
• Using an axis of advance to facilitate movement
• Designating objectives to focus combat power
• Using deception to reinforce enemy expectations
Designate a Main Effort
Designating a main effort is one of the most critical elements of success.
• The main effort is a unit assigned the responsibility for accomplishing the
mission; it is the focal point on which we mass the combat power of the
force.
• Making effective use of mass and security for the main effort and
economy of force for those supporting efforts that complement the main
effort supports mission success at the decisive point.
Act Boldly and Ruthlessly
Forcing a successful decision requires leaders to be bold and ruthless.
• Boldness refers to daring and aggressiveness in behavior. It is a basic
requirement for achieving clear-cut outcomes. We must have a desire to
"win big," even if we realize that in many situations the conditions for
victory may not yet be present.
• Ruthlessness refers to pursuing the established goal single-mindedly.
Once we have an advantage, we should exploit it to the fullest. We
should not ease up but increase the pressure.

Boldness and ruthlessness must be accompanied by strong leadership and

tempered by sound judgment. Without these qualities, boldness can become
recklessness, and ruthlessness can be distorted into cruelty
ACHIEVING A DECISION
Marine Corps leadership traits define judgment as your ability to think about
things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly fashion so that you can make good
decisions.
Judgement and intuition are not mysterious qualities. Rather, they:
• Are developed skills, firmly grounded in experience
• Can be further developed through education and practice
All leaders must work tirelessly to develop a talent for military judgement in
themselves and their Marines.
The ability to make effective decisions and act on them faster than the
enemy is a crucial element of Marine Corps tactics. When opportunity
arrives, it must be exploited fully and aggressively. According to MCDP 1- 3,
which of the following are keys to acting decisively? Select all that apply.
Identify enemy critical vulnerabilities. Designate a main effort to focus our
combat power. Act in a bold and ruthless manner.

The ability to make effective decisions and act on them faster than the
enemy is a crucial element of Marine Corps tactics. When opportunity
arrives, it must be exploited fully and aggressively. For each phrase, select
the most closely associated key to acting decisively, as identified in MCDP 1-
3:
1. Identify enemy gaps that can focus our efforts on the key weakness
that will cause the enemy to bend to our will most quickly. C. Identify
enemy critical vulnerabilities.
2. Includes both lethal and non-lethal activities such as fixing the enemy
with fires, using an axis of advance to facilitate movement, designating
objectives to focus combat power, and using deception to reinforce
enemy expectations. D. Shape the battlefield to our advantage.
3. One of the most critical elements of success. This becomes the focal
point on which we mass the combat power of the force. F. Designate a
main effort.
4. Requires the aggressive pursuit of an established goal. Once we have
an advantage, we should exploit it to the fullest. Must be accompanied by
strong leadership and tempered by sound judgment. A. Act in a bold and
ruthless manner.

GAINING ADVANTAGE
LEVERAGE
The tactical tenet, gaining advantage, strives to exploit every aspect of a
situation in an attempt to gain victory over the enemy. The following are
significant ways of generating leverage to gain an advantage over the
enemy:
• Use of maneuver and surprise
• Employing complementary forces and combined arms
• Exploiting the environment
• Developing an ambush mentality
• Fighting asymmetrically
COMBINED ARMS
The use of combined arms is based on the idea of presenting the enemy with
a no-win situation.
• Combined arms is the integration of supporting arms, organic fires, and
maneuver in such a way that any action taken to avoid one threat makes
the enemy more vulnerable to another.
• Modern tactics is combined arms tactics. That is, it combines the effects
of various arms—infantry, armor, artillery, and aviation—to achieve the
greatest possible effect against the enemy.
• The Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) is a perfect example of a
balanced combined arms team. Combined arms tactics is standard
practice and second nature for all Marines.
MANEUVER
The Marine Corps concept for winning is based upon rapid, flexible, and
opportunistic maneuver. To maximize the effects of maneuver, leaders must
consider maneuver in multiple dimensions:
Spatial Maneuver
Traditionally, maneuver has meant moving in a way that gains positional
advantage.
For example, we maneuver by:
• Enveloping an exposed enemy flank or by denying the enemy terrain
critical to his goals
• Threatening the enemy's lines of communications and forcing a
withdrawal
• Seizing a position, which allows us to bring effective fire to bear against
the enemy but which protects us against enemy fires
Psychological Maneuver
The goal of maneuver warfare is to destroy the enemy's will to fight. The
aim is to render the enemy incapable of resistance by shattering his moral,
mental, and physical cohesion.
• Psychological maneuver remains focused on posing a series of menacing
dilemmas more quickly than the enemy can handle.
• The goal is to induce panic and paralysis, resulting in an enemy without
the ability to resist.
Temporal Maneuver
We also maneuver in time by increasing relative speed and operating at a
faster tempo than the enemy.
• We attempt to establish a pace that the enemy cannot maintain, so with
each action, enemy reactions are increasingly late.
• Temporal maneuver allows a leader to seize the initiative, dictate the
terms of the action and increase the enemy's friction.
Technological Maneuver
While we must prepare to fight and win without an over- reliance on the
technological advantages available to us, they offer a marked advantage
that we must leverage fully against our enemy.
For example, using our technological advantage of night vision devices and
command and control abilities, we can gain not only time but also a
psychological and physiological advantage on an enemy that does not
operate at night.
EXPLOITING THE ENVIRONMENT
The use of the environment offers tremendous opportunities to gain
advantage over the enemy. Leaders must understand the characteristics of
any environment where they may have to operate: jungle, desert, mountain,
arctic, riverine, or urban.
More importantly, we must understand how the environment impacts our
adversary's ability to fight as well as our own; particularly important are the
effects of:
Terrain
Employ tactics that make terrain an advantage to us and a disadvantage to
our opponent. Terrain:
• Impacts maneuver and influences our tactical dispositions
• Affects our movement, reduces our visibility, and restricts our fires
• Affects the enemy's ability to detect or engage us
• Shapes the enemy's maneuver and dispositions as well as our own
Be mindful that the enemy also seeks advantage from terrain.
Weather
Adverse weather—cold, heat, rain—impedes combat operations.
• The military unit that is best prepared to operate in these conditions will
gain an advantage over its opponent.
• If we are to use weather to our advantage, we must train and prepare
rigorously to operate in all climatic conditions.
• We must be able to operate our equipment and employ our weapons
effectively in hot, cold, or wet environments—literally, in every clime and
place.
Darkness
Units that can operate effectively during hours of darkness or periods of
reduced visibility gain a significant advantage over their opponent.
• Reduced visibility can make simple tasks difficult. Train your Marines to
operate at night.
• Night operations can produce great gains against a force that cannot or
will not operate at night.
• Operating during periods of reduced visibility creates tempo by adding
another 10 to 12 hours to the day for fighting.
• The psychological impact of night fighting is also great and can produce
significant rewards.
COMPLEMENTARY FORCES
Complementary forces—the idea of fix-and- flank—are important to gaining
advantage.
• Complementary forces seek to crush the enemy between two or more
actions.
• Sun Tzu described this concept as the cheng and the ch’i.
The cheng is the more direct, obvious action—it fixes the enemy.
The ch’i is the unexpected or extraordinary action. It is the bid for a
decision, or, as we call it today, the main effort.

The two actions are inseparable and can be interchangeable in battle; the
cheng may become the ch’i.
SURPRISE
Achieving surprise can greatly increase leverage. In fact, surprise can often
prove decisive. We achieve surprise through:
Deception
Sun Tzu stated, "War is based on deception." We use deception to mislead
our opponents with regard to our real intentions and capabilities. By
employing deception we:
• Cause our opponents to act in ways that will eventually prove detrimental
to them.
• Mislead the enemy as to the time and location of our pending attack.
• Create the impression that our forces are larger or smaller than they
really are.
The goal is to maintain the deception until it is too late for the enemy to
react.
“All warfare is based on deception."
- Sun Tzu
Stealth
Surprise can be generated through stealth. Stealth is used to advantage
when maneuvering against an enemy. It provides less chance of detection
by the enemy, leaving him vulnerable to surprise action for which he may be
unprepared. Marines may also employ stealth by lying in wait for an
approaching enemy—an ambush. The ambush is perhaps the most effective
means of surprising opponents, especially at the lower tactical level where
surprise through stealth is easiest to achieve.
“Those who are skilled in producing surprises will win. Such
tacticians are as versatile as the changes in heaven and earth."
- Sun Tzu
Ambiguity
We can also achieve surprise through ambiguity. It is difficult to conceal all
our movements from the enemy, but we can confuse him as to the meaning
of what he sees. Sun Tzu said:
The enemy must not know where I intend to give battle. For if he does not
know where I intend to give battle he must prepare in a great many
places. And when he prepares in a great many places, those I have to
fight in any one place will be few.
"Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our
forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make
the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make
him believe we are near.”
- Sun Tzu
AMBUSH MENTALITY
In maneuver warfare, ambush takes on a much broader meaning, and the
development of the ambush mentality is integral to maneuver warfare
tactics. The ambush mentality tries to turn every situation into an ambush.
In this broader context, an ambush has several distinct features that are
considerations for tactical thought.
Surprise the Enemy
First, in an ambush we try to surprise the enemy. Think of a patrol that we
ambush. Our enemies are walking through the woods when suddenly, out of
nowhere, they are under fire from multiple directions. They are taking heavy
casualties. The psychological impact of surprise may paralyze their thoughts
and actions, leaving them incapable of reacting effectively. To have an
ambush mentality means we always try to surprise the enemy, to do the
unexpected. Surprise is the rule rather than the exception.
Trap the Enemy
We want to draw our enemy unknowingly into a trap. This will often involve
deception. We make one course of action appear inviting. When the enemy
takes that course of action, we are waiting for him.
Remain Invisible
An ambush is invisible. If the ambush is not invisible, it ceases to be an
ambush and instead becomes a target for the enemy. Whether we are
defending or attacking, the enemy must not detect us until it is too late for
him to react. Surprise often depends upon invisibility. That invisibility may
be provided through stealth in movement or in focusing the enemy's
attention elsewhere to allow our forces to maneuver without detection.
Shock the Enemy
We want to shock the enemy. Instead of taking him under fire gradually with
a few weapons at long range, we wait until he is within easy range of every
weapon. We then open up suddenly, all at once, with everything we have.
He is paralyzed by the shock. He cannot react. Everything was going fine,
and suddenly he is in a firestorm with people falling all around him. Often he
will panic, making his problem worse as he reacts rather than acts.
Focus on the Enemy
In the ambush mentality, we always focus on the enemy. The purpose of an
ambush is not to hold a piece of terrain. It is to destroy the enemy. We use
terrain to affect the ambush, but terrain itself is not what we are fighting for.
ASYMMETRY
We gain advantage through imbalance, pitting our strengths against enemy
weaknesses. Fighting asymmetrically means:
• Applying strength against an enemy weakness
• Using dissimilar techniques and capabilities to maximize strengths while
exploiting enemy weaknesses
• Fighting the enemy on terms of our choosing
By fighting asymmetrically, we do not have to be numerically superior to
defeat the enemy. We only have to be able to exploit enemy vulnerabilities.
The tactical tenet, gaining advantage, strives to exploit every aspect of a
situation in an attempt to gain victory over the enemy. The use of combined
arms is identified as a significant way to generate leverage and to gain an
advantage over the enemy. Which of the following best captures the tactical
advantage gained by employing combined arms? The use of combined arms
presents the enemy with a no-win situation. Any action taken to avoid one
threat makes the enemy more vulnerable to another.
SPEED IN COMBAT
Marines often overlook one of their most powerful weapons, one that creates
advantage for infantrymen, aviation Marines, and logisticians equally: speed.
Speed and Time
In a military sense, there is more to speed than simply going fast, and there
is a vital difference between acting rapidly and acting recklessly.
• In tactics, time is always of the utmost importance. Time that cannot be
spent in action must be spent thinking about how to act effectively.
• A good tactician has a constant sense of urgency. We feel guilty if we are
idle. We never waste time, and we are never content with the pace at
which events are happening. We are always saying to ourselves and to
others, “Faster! Faster!”
• If speed is a weapon, so is time.
Timing
Tempo is created using speed and time.
• Timing means knowing when to act and when not to act.
• It is impossible to operate at peak tempo all of the time. The key is to
know when to go full speed and when to recover.
• Decisive action is the goal. A decision not to act saves forces for later
engagements.
Not all activities support the mission. DO NOT dissipate your unit's
energy on constant, un-prioritized activity.
A unit's energy is not easily replenished and should be treated as a
precious resource to be expended only towards decisive goals
Relative Speed
Going fast and making efficient use of time are both parts of the answer to
the question, "What is speed?"
• As with all things in war, speed is relative; the enemy matters.
• Speed is effective if we are acting faster than the enemy.
• We can achieve that goal by slowing the enemy, increasing our own
speed, or using a combination of the two.
Continuing Speed
Superiority in relative speed must continue over time.
• It is not enough to move faster than the enemy periodically; when we are
not moving faster, the initiative passes to the enemy. The challenge is to
be consistently faster than the enemy.
• The effects of combined arms can keep pressure on the enemy while
maneuver units repair and refit.
• Logistics are critical to maintaining continuing speed.
Halts are often driven by logistics.
Logisticians can minimize loss of speed if they can deliver supplies and
perform maintenance quickly.
They enable maneuver units to maintain the initiative.
Speed and Change
To act consistently faster than the enemy, we must do more than move
quickly; a unit must transition quickly from one action to another. While
there are many types of transitions in combat, the important thing to
remember is:
• Transitions produce friction.
• Reduction of friction minimizes loss of tempo.
• A unit that can make transitions faster and smoother generates a greater
relative speed.
 Units develop proficiencies in battle drills and immediate action.
Drills allow units to rapidly transition from one formation to another,
without pausing.
Training and experience increase agility and decrease reaction times
BECOMING FASTER
Leaders of Marines have the responsibility to make things happen fast.
• A sense of the importance of time—a sense of urgency—must direct
actions.
• A leader must work to create and build that sense within themselves.
There are a number of things that can be done to increase speed:
Simplicity
Keep everything simple.
• Simplicity promotes speed; complexity slows things down.
• Simplicity should be central to:
Plans
Staffs
-
-
Command and control
Individual actions
Decentralization
Decentralization is an important concept in the execution of maneuver
warfare. How is decentralization achieved while still retaining control?
Two primary tools provide the required control of the effort and
decentralization of its execution. These tools are
Mission Tactics
Mission tactics is the assignment of a mission to a subordinate without
specifying how the mission must be accomplished. In mission tactics:
• The higher commander describes the mission and explains its purpose.
• The subordinate leader determines the tactics needed to accomplish the
task based on the mission and the higher commander's intent.
• Each leader can act quickly as the situation changes, without passing
information up the chain of command and waiting for orders to come back
down.
Commander's Intent
The commander's intent provides the overall purpose for accomplishing the
task assigned through mission tactics.
• Although the situation may change, subordinates who clearly understand
the purpose and who act to accomplish that purpose can adapt to
changing circumstances on their own without risking diffusion of effort or
loss of tempo.
• Subordinate leaders will be able to carry on this mission with their own
initiative and through lateral coordination with other subunits, rather than
running every decision through the higher commander for approval.
Experience
Experience breeds speed.
• If we are familiar with a situation, we can think, act, and move faster.
• Many Marines are likely to be combat veterans. It is our charge to
capture and leverage this experience.
• For all Marines, those that have experienced combat and those that have
not, we gain experience through field exercises, rehearsals, tactical
decision games, sand-table exercises, and war games.
• Training and education help to reduce the stress and confusion of
combat.
Experience also helps us to become faster through the use of:
Implicit Communications
Mutual understandings that require little or no actual talking; it is faster and
more reliable than explicit communication. Implicit communications must be
developed over time. This requires actions that strengthen unit cohesion and
mutual trust.
Lateral Communications
If leaders at every level communicate laterally—talk directly to other leaders
—action moves much faster. Lateral communication must be practiced. It
results from the confidence that Marines can exercise initiative based on the
assigned mission and the commander's intent
Positioning
Leaders increase speed by positioning themselves at the point of friction.
• A leader who is forward can instantly influence the battle as the situation
develops.
• For the same reason, leaders may position themselves at a crucial
crossroad during a night movement or where a unit is pushing supplies
forward.
• The key is to be where we can best influence the actions of our units.
As Marines, we believe in leading from the front since that is where most
friction points occur, but they may occur elsewhere. We must choose our
positions accordingly.
Physical and Mental Fitness
It is not only important to be fast, but to be able to maintain that speed
through time. This endurance is made possible through physical and mental
fitness.
• Physical fitness develops:
The speed, energy, and agility to move faster
The endurance to maintain that speed longer
The ability to outpace and maintain a higher tempo longer than the
enemy
• Mental fitness builds the ability to:
Concentrate for longer periods of time
Penetrate below the surface of a problem
Physical and mental fitness play important roles in the life of every Marine
Select the two tools that MCDP 1-3 identifies as primary tools to achieve
decentralization while maintaining the requisite control. Select all that
apply. Commander's intent, Mission tactics

Leaders of Marines have a responsibility to make things happen fast. One of

the tactical concepts identified in MCDP 1-3 to increase speed is through
positioning. Which of the following best captures the concept of speed
gained by positioning?
A leader can make the unit faster by trying to be at the point of friction. The
leader may be with the main effort, with a supporting effort, or in the rear. A
leader who is forward can instantly influence the battle as the situation
develops. The key is to be where we can best influence the actions of our
units.

ANTICIPATION AND IMPROVISATION

Adaptability is an important part of Marine Corps tactics. In essence,
adaptability means shortening the time it takes to adjust to each new
situation. There are two basic ways to adapt; to be fully adaptable, we must
be proficient at both.
Anticipation
Anticipation is having enough situational awareness (METT-T) to understand
a situation in advance and take preparatory action.
• All planning at all echelons is a form of anticipatory adaptation—adapting
our actions in advance.
• Another important tool for tactical adaptation is the use of immediate-
action drills or standing operating procedures. Having a collection of
these tools at our disposal allows us to react immediately in a coordinated
way to a broad variety of tactical situations
LtCol Earl 'Pete' Ellis
An excellent example of anticipation is the Marine Corps' development of
amphibious warfare techniques at Quantico during the 1920s and 1930s.
LtCol Ellis accurately forecasted the amphibious struggle for the Pacific more
than 20 years prior to World War II.
Improvisation
Improvisation is critically important to increasing speed. It requires leaders
with:
• Strong situational awareness and a firm understanding of their senior
commander's intent
• Boldness to adjust their actions in accordance with the higher
commander's desires
• An intuitive appreciation for what will and will not work based upon
creativity, intelligence, and experience

Louis Armstrong
• Improvisation is essential to jazz music. Jazz provides a framework, a
scaffolding, a skeleton, and then, within that structure, musicians make
meaning from what already exists.
• Similarly, warfighting requires a founding purpose, the commander's
intent, and within that framework, we apply creativity and experience to
adjust to the situation and achieve the desired endstate.
FLEXIBILITY AND DECENTRALIZATION
Several techniques are available to develop adaptability. Two primary
techniques are:
Flexible Plans
Flexible plans enhance adaptability by establishing a concept of operations
that provides for multiple options.
• Flexible plans avoid unnecessary detail that not only consumes time in
development but also tends to restrict subordinates' latitude.
• Flexible plans are plans that can be easily changed.
 Plans that require coordination are said to be "coupled." If all the parts
of a plan are too tightly coupled, the plan is harder to change;
changing any one part of the plan means changing all the other parts.
It is better if plans are modular or loosely coupled. If change or
modifications are required for any one part of the plan, it does not
directly affect all the other parts.
• Flexible plans are simple plans. Simple plans are easier to adapt to the
rapidly changing, complex, and fluid situations that we experience in
combat.
Decentralized Decision-making
Another technique to improve adaptability is to decentralize decision-making
authority as much as each situation allows.
• Commanders on the scene and closest to the events have the latitude to
deal with the situation as required on their own authority—but always in
accordance with the higher commander's intent.
• Decentralized execution increases responsiveness of the organization,
which in turn increases adaptability.
• Confidence and mutual respect play an important role in decentralization.
Leaders who have confidence in the capabilities of their subordinates
will grant them greater latitude in accomplishing tasks. Leaders know
that their intent will be carried out.
Marines that have confidence in their leaders and who know that their
actions will be supported can be more adaptable and aggressively
exploit opportunities.
Adaptability is an important part of Marine Corps tactics. There are two
basic ways to adapt; to be fully adaptable, we must be proficient at both.
Correctly identify the two ways to adapt. Anticipation and improvisation
CONTROL IN COMBAT
War is characterized by chaos, uncertainty, and rapid change—control
quickly breaks down.
Dilemma- How do we achieve the goal of working together in harmony while
exercising a more decentralized type of control?
Answer- The beginning of the answer lies in cooperation.
We define cooperation as the union of self-discipline and initiative in pursuit
of a common goal.

CENTRALIZED VS DECENTRALIZED CONTROL

Cooperation can be viewed as a component of control. Generally, control can be divided into two types:
Centralized Control

Centralized control tends to be in one direction and works from the top down.

• Someone at a higher level makes us conform to what higher dictates because only one person
does the thinking for the organization—the one in control.

• Centralized control decreases speed/tempo.

Decentralized Control

Decentralized control works from the bottom up, supporting intent from the top down.

• Command is the exercise of authority and guidance.

• Control is feedback about the effects of action taken; thinking and initiative is expected at all
levels.

This feedback allows the unit leader to adapt to changing circumstances and to command the
subsequent action.

• Cooperation is required in decentralized control.

• Subordinates work together laterally and from the bottom up to accomplish tasks that fulfill the
commander's intent.

• Decentralized control increases speed/tempo

COOPERATING

DISCIPLINE

In the face of adversity and difficulty, discipline enables individuals to pursue what is best for those
around them, their unit, and the Marine Corps. The discipline needed for cooperation comes from two
sources

Imposed Discipline

Imposed discipline is characterized by instant obedience to orders.

External in nature, imposed discipline:

• Ensures compliance with established procedures, rules, or guidance and direction from above

• Is a means to achieve efficiency in accomplishment of routine duties or drills

In its most extreme form, imposed discipline can:

• Be rigid, paralyzing, and can destroy initiative

• Make units vulnerable to the effects of chaos and uncertainty, and unable to cooperate with one
another

Self-discipline

The common bond that ensures cooperation between Marines is self-discipline.

• Self-discipline will not allow us to shirk responsibility or blame others.

• A discipline failure—often a failure to act—is a personal failure.

• Regardless of who is in charge, we are responsible to do everything we can to achieve the

common goal.

• We cooperate with fellow Marines in our unit and beyond.

Self-discipline is a mindset, a way of thinking and behaving.

• Individuals and units might have the desire, but without discipline they will be unable to
accomplish the most difficult tasks in combat.

• The Marine Corps is known as a highly disciplined fighting force. Discipline is one of the strengths
that make Marines equally effective:

Assaulting a beach

Conducting counterinsurgency

Evacuating noncombatants

-
Providing disaster relief

Guarding our embassies

Fighting fires

SET THE EXAMPLE

Leaders of Marines must create a climate in which self- discipline and a high level of initiative can
flourish within the boundaries of military discipline.

• Marines judge actions, not words, and respond positively to leadership by example.

• If the leader creates a climate where perfect discipline is expected and demonstrated,
cooperation will follow.

GySgt John Basilone, USMC

• Received the Medal of Honor for actions on Guadalcanal

• Received the Navy Cross for actions on Iwo Jima

Which tactical tenet is defined as the union of self-discipline and initiative in pursuit of a common goal?
Cooperating

This is a mindset, a way of thinking and behaving; it is the common bond that ensures cooperation
between Marines. It will not allow us to shirk responsibility or blame others. Regardless of who is in
charge, we are responsible to do everything we can to achieve the common goal. We cooperate with
fellow Marines in our unit and beyond. Self-discipline

Identify the two sources that provide the needed discipline for successful cooperation. Select all that
apply. Self-discipline, Imposed discipline

EXPLOITING SUCCESS AND FINISHING

DECISIVE STROKE

The application of Marine Corps tactics does not mean that we expect to win effortlessly or bloodlessly
or that we expect the enemy to collapse just because he has been outmaneuvered.
• It means we look for and make the most out of every advantage and apply the decisive stroke
when the opportunity presents itself.

• Once we have gained an advantage, we exploit it. We use it to create new opportunities. We
then exploit those opportunities to create others, shaping the flow of action to our advantage.

• The advantages do not necessarily have to be large; even small favoring circumstances exploited
repeatedly and aggressively can quickly multiply into decisive advantages.

CONSOLIDATION, EXPLOITATION, AND PURSUIT

We can take several specific types of actions to press an advantage that we have created or discovered.

Consolidation

Consolidation is the re-organization of our forces after seizing an objective we intend to hold against the
enemy.

• Here our aims are limited to protecting what we have already gained.

• This may seem contradictory to maintaining an offensive mindset; however, any number of
reasons may direct us to choose this course. For instance:

If we lack the strength or logistics to continue to advance

If our new gain is of critical importance, and the risk of losing it outweighs the advantages of any further
gains

If the new gain by itself grants a significant advantage

Exploitation

Exploitation is an offensive tactic designed to disorganize the enemy in depth.

• Exploitation usually follows a successful attack that has created or exposed some enemy
vulnerability. For example, an attack that has torn a gap in enemy defenses allows us to attack vital
enemy rear areas.

• The object of exploitation is not to destroy the combat forces directly opposing us, even though
they may be weakened. Instead, the object is to disrupt the entire enemy system by attacking
important activities and functions

Pursuit

Pursuit is an offensive tactic designed to catch or cut off a hostile force, which has lost cohesion and is
attempting to escape, to destroy it.
• If the intent is to deliver the final blow or capture of the enemy's forces, then pursuit should be
pushed with the utmost vigor.

• Pursuit is what turns operations into routs and how overwhelming victories often occur.

FINISHING THE ENEMY

Ultimately, we want to cultivate opportunities into a decisive advantage. Marine Corps tactics call for
leaders who are "strong finishers."

• Constantly strive to find or create the opportunity to deliver the decisive blow.

• Do not act prematurely. Tactical patience is required so as not to make the decisive move before
the conditions are right.

• An ability to finish the enemy once and for all derives from:

Possessing an aggressive mentality

Understanding the commander's intent

A keen situational awareness to recognize opportunities as they present themselves and understand
when the conditions are right for action
Question 1
Which of the tactical tenets best applies to the following statement?

The application of this tenet means we look for and make the most of every advantage and apply the
decisive stroke when the opportunity presents itself.
Correct answer: Exploiting success
Question 2
The ______________ lies in how we creatively form and apply military force in a given situation. It
involves the creation, positioning, and maneuver of combat power. For example, understanding tactics
allows us to answer questions such as when do we attack the enemy using a frontal, flanking, or
enveloping attack. This creativity is a developed capacity acquired through education, practice, and
experience.
Correct answer: Art of tactics

Question 3
Select the principle of war best defined as:
The reciprocal of the principle of mass; the leader allocates the minimum essential combat power to
secondary efforts, requiring the acceptance of prudent risks in selected areas to achieve superiority at
the decisive time and location with the main effort.
Your answer (correct): Economy of force

Question 4
The ability to make effective decisions and act on them faster than the enemy is a crucial element of
Marine Corps tactics. When opportunity arrives, it must be exploited fully and aggressively. According to
MCDP 1-3, which of the following are keys to acting decisively? Select all that apply.
Correct answer: Designate a main effort to focus our combat power.,Shape the battlefield to our
advantage.

Question 5
Leaders of Marines have a responsibility to make things happen fast. As identified in MCDP 1-3, one of
the tactical concepts used to increase speed is decentralization. Which of the following best captures
the concept of speed gained by decentralization?
Correct answer: Decentralization is an important concept in the execution of maneuver warfare. To
achieve this concept, while still maintaining control, a unit must use commander’s intent and mission
tactics.

SIX TROOP LEADING STEPS

PLANNING PROCESS

Planning is an essential part of the broader field of command and control with the goal of enhancing a
leader's ability to make sound and timely decisions.

• Effective decision-making requires the situational understanding to recognize the essence of a

problem and the creative ability to develop a practical solution.

• An essential function of planning is to promote understanding of the problem and solutions.

• Planning requires analysis and calculation with intuition, inspiration,and creativity.

The Marine Corps employs several planning processes:

Troop Leading Steps

Troop leading steps are principally used by small unit leaders without staffs as an introduction to
planning. This is your planning process as a sergeant of Marines.

Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP)

The Marine Corps planning process is a six step process used by units with staffs.

Rapid Response Planning Process

If time does not allow use of the full, six-step MCPP, the commander and the planners may use the rapid
response planning process (R2P2) which is a time- constrained version of the MCPP. R2P2 enables the
Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) to plan and begin execution of certain tasks within six hours and is
highly dependent on the use of standing operating procedures (SOPs).

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.

Begin Planning

The receipt of a mission triggers the BAMCIS cycle.

• 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.

• During the analysis, unit leaders will have to make assumptions about the enemy to continue
planning. The level of risk the leader will have to assume is directly related to the depth of analysis
performed.

• 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.

Arrange for a Reconnaissance & Coordination

Based on the detailed analysis and tactical thought process performed during "Begin Planning," the
leader should ask:

What information am I lacking in order 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, the leader must determine which subordinate leaders will accompany them during the collection
of information. 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

Make the Reconnaissance

The leader now acts to answer questions and validate any assumptions based on priorities of
reconnaissance and the time available.

• Whether conducting a deliberate attack, establishing a refueling point, or other similar tasks,
every effort should be made to conduct a physical reconnaissance of the objective and enemy forces in
the vicinity.

• In addition to a physical recon, the leader should use other assets (imagery, air reconnaissance,
etc.) available to help fill information gaps.

• A successful reconnaissance answers those questions needed to accomplish the mission

Complete the Plan

The unit leader updates the initial plan made earlier in the process.

• Update the original estimate of the situation and make adjustments to the tactical thought
process based upon the new information.

• Ensure necessary changes are ultimately reflected in the plan given to subordinates.

A common problem occurs when leaders receive updated information that conflicts with a previous
analysis or established plan and fail to update their analysis or amend their concept of operations.

Do not fall in love with your plan.

• After updating your analysis and amending the plan as needed, write an order to communicate
the plan to your Marines.

Issue the Order

Without coherent communication, the leader's decisions will never successfully be turned into action.

• Leaders verbally communicate their analysis and concept of the operation using proper order-
issuing techniques.

• Format is important, mainly as a tool to issue clear, concise, confident orders to your Marines

Supervise

The leader ensures compliance with the details of the plan until the mission is accomplished. The leader
ensures compliance by:

• Listening to subordinate leaders as they issue orders

• Inspecting Marines and their equipment

• Observing Marines as they conduct rehearsals

• Providing guidance and direction through pre-combat actions, execution, and consolidation

Delegation to subordinate unit leaders is necessary and encouraged, but check—do not assume—that
your plan is being executed by subordinates. Supervision is not micromanagement; it is an important
part of leadership

TACTICAL THOUGHT PROCESS OVERVIEW

The tactical thought process is critical to the tactical application of maneuver warfare. This process
results in the development of a tactically sound plan that can decisively defeat a thinking enemy.

• The process begins with a detailed analysis, or estimate, of the situation (METT-T analysis).

• Using the details of that estimate, the leader determines the enemy's most likely course of action
(EMLCOA). Related to the EMLCOA, the leader identifies:

The key strength of the enemy

The enemy's key weakness or gap associated with the identified key strength

The best way to strike this weakness, known as the exploitation plan (EXP)

• The exploitation plan determines the development of the scheme of maneuver (SOM), a fire
support plan (FSP) that supports the SOM, and tasks given to subordinates to execute the SOM.
METT-T Analysis (Estimate of the Situation)

The key is for the leader to conduct a detailed analysis to mitigate risk and to drive decisions that
support development of a tactically sound plan.

• Mission Analysis - The leader must understand specified and implied tasks of the mission issued by
higher.
• Enemy Analysis - The leader evaluates the enemy's combat power and the conditions under which
enemy assets can be employed.

• Terrain and Weather Analysis - The leader analyzes the effects of Observation, Cover and
Concealment, Obstacles, Key terrain, Avenues of approach, and Weather (OCOKA-W) on possible
friendly and enemy plans.

• Troops and Fire Support Available - The leader must understand the combat power available to
bring to the fight and how adjacent and supporting units will support mission success.

• Time/Space/Logistics Analysis - The leader must identify the time available for each phase of the
mission, time constraints and restraints from higher, time/space considerations for enemy and friendly
movement, logistics required, and gaps.

Enemy Most Likely Course of Action (EMLCOA)

Based on an increased understanding of the situation through the detailed analysis (METT-T), turn the
map around, and ask yourself: "What would I do if I were the enemy?"

• Predict the EMLCOA or enemy scheme of maneuver. The detail required for an EMLCOA is based
on the tactical situation. However, there are two things that must be considered when developing the
EMLCOA.

The enemy's current tactical activity, which includes patrolling, location and orientation of crew-served
weapons, composition and orientation of his engagement area, LP/Ops, etc.

The enemy's actions on contact; this is the enemy reaction when we impose our combat power upon
him.

Exploitation Plan

As learned in MCDP-1, Warfighting, we aim to gain an advantage over the enemy through exploitation of
an enemy vulnerability. Leaders seek to avoid surfaces (strengths) and exploit gaps (weaknesses) to gain
an unfair advantage. The careful consideration of enemy key strengths and weaknesses is a critical
aspect of scheme of maneuver development.

• The enemy's key strength is the element or capability that allows them to execute their mission
successfully. The enemy typically has many strengths; we must focus our planning on one. The key
strength is critical to the enemy successfully executing the EMLCOA.

• After identifying the enemy's key strength, attempt to identify an enemy key weakness that, if
attacked, will render the key strength ineffective.

• This analysis of the enemy key strength and weakness is critical to the development of a plan that
directly counters the EMLCOA. If the weakness is not targetable at the leader's level, or if the strength is
not directly tied to the EMLCOA, it is likely that the plan will not decisively counter the enemy.
• The leader must now develop a method to directly target the enemy's key weakness. This
exploitation plan (EXP) may be a form of maneuver or employment of a particular tactic, technique, or
procedure. Whatever the method of exploitation, it will drive the rest of the planning process.

Scheme of Maneuver and Fire Support Plan Development

Keeping in mind the nine principles of war and the six tactical tenets, the leader develops a concept to
achieve the exploitation plan with available combat power.

• In this way, the exploitation plan is used to achieve unity of effort when developing the scheme of
maneuver and associated fire support plan.

• The scheme of maneuver and fire support plan are developed concurrently to ensure all assets are
fully integrated to achieve the exploitation plan.

Tasks

The leader must succinctly and effectively communicate the task that his subordinate elements MUST
accomplish to allow the mission to be a success.

• Tasks are developed to execute the scheme of maneuver.

• Leaders use standard language, known as tactical tasks, to ensure that the correct action is taken.

• Tasks to subordinates answer the five Ws.

Who

What

When

Where

Why

BEGIN PLANNING

RECEIPT OF MISSION

The leader may receive the mission in a warning order, an operation order (OPORD), or a fragmentary
order (FRAGO). The leader provides initial instructions to the unit in a warning order.

• The warning order contains enough information to begin preparation as soon as possible. Unit
SOPs should prescribe who will attend all warning orders and the actions they must take upon receipt:
for example, drawing ammunition, rations and water, and checking communications equipment.
• The warning order has no specific format. One technique is to use the five-paragraph OPORD
format. The leader issues the warning order with all the information available at the time.

• The leader never waits for information to fill a format. If available, the following information may
be included in a warning order.

The mission or nature of the operation

Who is participating in the operation

Time of the operation

Time and place for issuance of the operation order

ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION

METT-T is a mnemonic device that identifies the factors to be considered when conducting an estimate
of the situation. While much of the information can be derived from higher's order, the process is an
analysis of that information, not simply regurgitation. An estimate of the situation is conducted in as
much detail as time allows, and the process is executed as often as the situation changes throughout
execution. Detailed analysis in the initial tactical thought process will increase the speed and accuracy
of decisions as the situation changes at the point of friction.

MISSION ANALYSIS

The first step in the estimate is mission analysis. This is what the unit leader uses to gain an
understanding of the mission. The information used in this analysis is taken directly from higher's:

• Mission and intent

• Scheme of maneuver

• Tasking statement

• Coordinating instructions

A mission consists of task and purpose.

Task Analysis

Each mission statement contains specified tasks. The unit leader must understand those explicitly
stated tasks as well as the implications of those tasks required for the success of the mission. The leader
must analyze the unit's specified tasks, the purpose of the mission, and higher's coordinating
instructions to identify all of the specified and implied tasks.

Purpose Analysis
Having an understanding of 'why' a task has been assigned will directly impact the development of
implied tasks. Furthermore, understanding the purpose will ultimately allow unit leaders to make
adjustments to the plan as the situation changes while still accomplishing the mission.

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

Typically, this is identified in the most general terms by:

• Size

• Activity

• Location

• Unit

• Time

• Equipment

• These are facts that we know about the enemy; they are usually identified by higher. In
conducting this part of the enemy analysis, we need to make sure we focus primarily on the specific
enemy our unit is tasked with encountering. However, it is important to consider how our piece of the
enemy relates to the greater enemy threat two-levels higher.

• Finally, ensure that you conduct an analysis. Do not simply regurgitate facts. For example, simply
stating, "The enemy has AK-47s and RPGs," lacks analysis. However, stating, "The enemy has AK-47s
capable of accurate fires at 400 meters and RPG-7s capable of accurate fires at 300 meters," is far more
meaningful during your analysis.

Capabilities and Limitations

Answers the question, “Under what conditions can the enemy…?”

• The information and initial analysis conducted during Composition, Disposition, and Strength is
further examined to determine the enemy's ability to conduct operations against your unit.

• The enemy's force is analyzed with respect to its ability or inability to conduct various operations
against your unit and under what conditions.

• Determine the specific conditions where the enemy has the ability to:

- Defend

- Reinforce

- Attack

- Withdraw

- Delay

This is where we begin to make our first assumptions about the enemy based on the facts at hand.

TERRAIN AND 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 info in
conjunction with your enemy analysis to support your estimate of the enemy's most likely course of
action (COA).

• This is not simply a regurgitation of existing terrain and current weather conditions but an analysis
of the effects of the five military aspects of terrain and weather.

Terrain Analysis

This is not simply a regurgitation of existing terrain but an analysis of the effects of the five military
aspects of terrain.

Observation and Fields of Fire

Observation is the influence of terrain on visual recon and target acquisition—what can be seen or not
seen and from where. Fields of fire are how terrain affects the use of weapons systems. Both are
important in determining how the enemy can identify and engage you and vice versa.

Cover and Concealment

Cover is protection from the effects of fires. Concealment is protection from observation or target
acquisition.

• The analysis of cover and concealment is often related to the consideration of observation and
fields of fire.

• Again, both enemy and friendly aspects must be considered.

Obstacles

Obstacles are any natural or man-made obstructions that canalize, delay, restrict, or divert the
maneuver or movement of a force.

It is important not just to identify the obstacles but to understand what effect they will have on the
friendly and enemy schemes of maneuver.

Key Terrain

Key terrain is any area that affords a marked tactical advantage to either combatant when seized,
retained, or controlled.

Key terrain does not need to be occupied to be controlled, but it must have the potential to affect
mission success for either combatant.

Avenues of Approach

Avenues of approach are movement routes to an objective. A viable avenue of approach usually offers
mobility corridors that permit movement and maneuver. They permit friendly and enemy forces to
advance or withdraw and to capitalize on the principles of mass, momentum, shock, and speed. When
friendly forces are attacking, friendly avenues of approach to the objective must be identified. Enemy
avenues of approach that could affect friendly movement—counterattack avenues—must be identified.

Weather Analysis

This is not simply a regurgitation of current weather conditions but an analysis of the effects of the five
military aspects of weather.

Visibility

The leader identifies critical conclusions about visibility factors (e.g., fog, smog, and humidity) and
battlefield obscurants (e.g., smoke and dust). Some visibility considerations are:

• Will fog affect friendly and enemy target acquisition?

• Light data:

Beginning morning nautical twilight (BMNT) and end of evening nautical twilight (EENT)
Sunrise (SR) and sunset (SS)

Moonrise (MR) and moonset (MS)

Percentage of illumination

Winds

The leader identifies critical conclusions about wind factors (e.g., direction and speed). Some wind
considerations are:

• Will wind speed cause smoke to dissipate quickly?

• Will wind speed and direction favor enemy use of smoke?

• Will wind speed hamper the availability of close air support?

Precipitation

The leader identifies critical conclusions about precipitation factors (e.g., type, amount, and duration).
Some precipitation considerations are:

• How will precipitation affect mobility?

• How can precipitation add to achieving surprise?

Temperature/Humidity

The leader identifies critical conclusions about temperature factors (e.g., high and low temperatures and
infrared crossover times) and battlefield factors (e.g., use of smoke or chemicals). Some temperature
considerations are:

• How will temperature (hot or cold) and humidity affect rate of movement for the unit?

• How will temperature (hot or cold) and humidity affect your Marines and equipment?

• Will temperature and humidity favor the use of smoke or nonpersistent chemicals?

Cloud Cover

The leader identifies critical conclusions about cloud cover (e.g., target acquisition degradation, aircraft
approach, and radar effectiveness). Some cloud cover considerations include:

• Will cloud cover limit availability of CAS?

• Will cloud cover limit illumination and solar heating of targets?

• Will cloud cover degrade the use of infrared-guided artillery?

• Will cloud cover affect ground surveillance radar coverage of the AO?

Temperature/Humidity

The leader identifies critical conclusions about temperature factors (e.g., high and low temperatures and
infrared crossover times) and battlefield factors (e.g., use of smoke or chemicals). Some temperature
considerations are:

• How will temperature (hot or cold) and humidity affect rate of movement for the unit?

• How will temperature (hot or cold) and humidity affect your Marines and equipment?

• Will temperature and humidity favor the use of smoke or nonpersistent chemicals?

Cloud Cover

The leader identifies critical conclusions about cloud cover (e.g., target acquisition degradation, aircraft
approach, and radar effectiveness). Some cloud cover considerations include:

• Will cloud cover limit availability of CAS?

• Will cloud cover limit illumination and solar heating of targets?

• Will cloud cover degrade the use of infrared-guided artillery?

• Will cloud cover affect ground surveillance radar coverage of the AO?ivilian:

Areas

Key civilian areas are localities or aspects of the terrain within an AO that have significance to the local
populace. This characteristic approaches terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Leaders analyze
key civilian areas in terms of how they affect the missions of individual units as well as how military
operations affect these areas. For example:

• Local boundaries between districts, neighborhoods, tribes, or ethnic groups

• Centers of government

• Areas of high economic value: industrial centers, farming regions, and mines

Structures

Analyzing a structure involves determining how its location, functions, and capabilities can support
operations. Leaders also consider the consequences of using it. Using a structure for military purposes
often competes with civilian requirements. Commanders carefully weigh the expected military benefits
against costs to the community that will have to be addressed in the future.

Examples of important structures include government centers; police stations, courthouses, and jails;
communications and media infrastructure; places of worship; and sources of water.

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. Leaders analyze capabilities from different
perspectives but generally put priority on understanding the capability of the HN government to support
the mission. The most essential capabilities are those required to save, sustain, or enhance life, in that
order.

Some of the more important capabilities are: public administration, public safety, emergency services,
public health, food, water, and sanitation.

Organizations

Organizations are nonmilitary groups or institutions in the AO. They influence and interact with the
populace and each other. They generally have a hierarchical structure, defined goals, established
operations, fixed facilities or meeting places, and a means of financial or logistic support.

• Some organizations may be indigenous to the area. These may include: religious organizations,
political parties, labor unions, or criminal organizations.
• Other organizations may come from outside the AO. These may include: multinational
corporations and nongovernmental organizations.

People

Key civilian areas are localities or aspects of the terrain within an AO that have significance to the local
populace. This characteristic approaches terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Leaders analyze
key civilian areas in terms of how they affect the missions of individual units as well as how military
operations affect these areas. For example:

• Local boundaries between districts, neighborhoods, tribes, or ethnic groups

• Centers of government

• Areas of high economic value: industrial centers, farming regions, and mines

Events

Events are routine, cyclical, planned, or spontaneous activities that significantly affect organizations,
people, and military operations. Examples include the following:

• National and religious holidays

• Agricultural crop, livestock, and market cycles

• Elections

• Civil disturbances

• Celebrations

People

Key civilian areas are localities or aspects of the terrain within an AO that have significance to the local
populace. This characteristic approaches terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Leaders analyze
key civilian areas in terms of how they affect the missions of individual units as well as how military
operations affect these areas. For example:

• Local boundaries between districts, neighborhoods, tribes, or ethnic groups

• Centers of government

• Areas of high economic value: industrial centers, farming regions, and mines

Organizations
Organizations are nonmilitary groups or institutions in the AO. They influence and interact with the
populace and each other. They generally have a hierarchical structure, defined goals, established
operations, fixed facilities or meeting places, and a means of financial or logistic support.

• Some organizations may be indigenous to the area. These may include: religious organizations,
political parties, labor unions, or criminal organizations.

• Other organizations may come from outside the AO. These may include: multinational
corporations and nongovernmental organizations.

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. Leaders analyze capabilities from different
perspectives but generally put priority on understanding the capability of the HN government to support
the mission. The most essential capabilities are those required to save, sustain, or enhance life, in that
order.

Some of the more important capabilities are: public administration, public safety, emergency services,
public health, food, water, and sanitation.

Structures

Analyzing a structure involves determining how its location, functions, and capabilities can support
operations. Leaders also consider the consequences of using it. Using a structure for military purposes
often competes with civilian requirements. Commanders carefully weigh the expected military benefits
against costs to the community that will have to be addressed in the future.

Examples of important structures include government centers; police stations, courthouses, and jails;
communications and media infrastructure; places of worship; and sources of water.

People

Key civilian areas are localities or aspects of the terrain within an AO that have significance to the local
populace. This characteristic approaches terrain analysis from a civilian perspective. Leaders analyze
key civilian areas in terms of how they affect the missions of individual units as well as how military
operations affect these areas. For example:

• Local boundaries between districts, neighborhoods, tribes, or ethnic groups

• Centers of government

• Areas of high economic value: industrial centers, farming regions, and mines

Events
Events are routine, cyclical, planned, or spontaneous activities that significantly affect organizations,
people, and military operations. Examples include the following:

• National and religious holidays

• Agricultural crop, livestock, and market cycles

• Elections

• Civil disturbances

• Celebrations

TROOPS AND 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, and any priority of fires of indirect
fire support agencies.

What are the effects of the supporting units' locations on your ability to employ their assets? What are
the effects of their priority of fires on the same?
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 effects on:

• Geometries of fire

• Reinforcement

• Contingency plans

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 also 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 must first identify constraints and restraints which are often given by higher.

• Reverse planning is the method by which leaders should identify realistic timelines to complete
each task that is required for mission success. Together with the time constraints, an accurate timeline
can be developed and supervised that will uphold and drive the assigned mission.

• Critical times can include planning time, LD time, movement time, realistic times to fill logistic
shortfalls, defend-no-later-than time, time available to prepare and rehearse the attack or defense, and
time available for reconnaissance.

• Whenever possible, unit leaders should use the One-Third, Two-Thirds Rule when building the
time- line. This is the idea that the leader devotes 1/3 of the available time to those tasks he must
directly supervise, leaving 2/3 of the time to his subordinate leaders to accomplish tasks of which he
does not need to have direct supervision.

Space

A leader must know and understand the area of operation (AO). Recognize the effects that the
environment will have on movement rates based upon distances to be covered. Identify the following
within your AO:

• Tactical control measures (TCM)

• Fire support coordination measures (FSCM)

• Airspace control measures (ACM)

Ensure your plan deconflicts converging forces and accounts for geometry of fires.

Logistics

Logistics sustains 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

• Shortfalls

• A realistic plan to fulfill shortfalls that is formulated, prioritized, and built into the timeline before
departure

ENEMY MOST LIKELY COURSE OF ACTION (EMLCOA)

Enemy's Current Actions

What the enemy is doing now is best summarized as a tactical task. For example: If the enemy is in a
defensive position, what is the enemy attempting to accomplish? Block, delay, disrupt?

• In determining the enemy's mission, while the focus needs to be on the enemy at your level,
ensure you are thinking about your enemy's relation to the enemy two-levels up.

• For example: If you are a squad leader, how does the enemy you are facing integrate with the
enemy the platoon and company are facing?

• Meaningful detail in this regard is key as the EMLCOA is the key factor that will determine your
scheme of maneuver.

Enemy's Actions on Contact

Once we engage the enemy, the enemy's action will change.

• We must define what the enemy will do on contact.

• Any scheme of maneuver that we develop must account for expected enemy action on contact.

• For example: If we assess that the enemy is in a defensive position, oriented south, and blocking
movement along a main supply route, and we assume that on contact the enemy will withdraw north,
we may opt to flank the enemy from the northwest to not only defeat what the enemy is doing now but
to defeat what the enemy will do on contact.

EXPLOITATION PLAN

Key Strength
The enemy's key strength is the element or capability that allows the enemy to execute his mission or
scheme of maneuver successfully.

• The key strength is critical to the enemy successfully executing what we have identified as the
enemy's most likely course of action.

• We want to attack the enemy's source of strength, but we don't want to attack directly into that
strength.

• The enemy may have several strengths; we must focus our planning on one that is clearly
associated to the EMLCOA

Key Weakness

Once a key strength has been identified, consideration must be given to identify an associated key
enemy weakness or vulnerability that can be exploited.

• Ideally, a key weakness is one against which combat power can be applied to avoid the enemy's
key strength or even render it ineffectual.

We should generally avoid the enemy's front, where attention is focused and the enemy is strongest; we
should seek out the flanks and rear, where we are unexpected and can cause the most damage.

We must strike at a moment in time when the enemy is most vulnerable.

• We must focus our intent on the key weakness to render the key strength ineffective.

I am the second squad leader of 2nd Platoon, K 3/5.

• I have been tasked to attack to clear enemy at Plt Obj A IOT prevent enemy interference with host
nation relief convoys across the Aral River along Route Blue.

• The remainder of my platoon will be attacking Co Obj 1 IOT destroy the enemy platoon interfering
with host nation relief convoys from the Cretan Depot.

EMLCOA

Based upon the order that I received by my platoon commander and my own estimate of the situation, I
have determined that the enemy's most likely COA is to block our movement north along Route Blue at
the Aral River. Upon contact, the enemy team will likely remain and fight due to well-prepared
positions. If pressed, the enemy at Plt Obj A will attempt to withdraw to link up with its parent unit at
Co Obj 1.

Exploitation Plan

Key Strength. The key strength of the enemy on my objective is well- prepared positions with good
observation and fields of fire along the high-speed avenue of approach and across a natural obstacle.
Key Weakness. His key weakness is his fixed unprotected flanks.

Exploitation. I am going to exploit this weakness by crossing the river at a fording site further east and
conduct a flanking attack on Plt Obj A.

SCHEME OF MANEUVER

During tactical planning, it is imperative that your scheme of maneuver is linked to the rest of your
tactical thought process.

• Scheme of maneuver is the detailed plan developed to conduct your exploitation plan.

• Remember: At this point we are still in the "Begin Planning" step of BAMCIS, so this is an initial
scheme of maneuver. Once you have arranged for and made reconnaissance, you will seek to validate
your assumptions about the enemy and your scheme of maneuver.

• New information will trigger another cycle of the tactical thought process

Identify the mnemonic device that identifies the factors to be considered when conducting an estimate
of the situation. METT-T

After completing an estimate of the situation, you identify the enemy's most likely course of action
(EMLCOA) to be:

The enemy has established a strong battle position oriented south, blocking the high-speed avenue of
approach. I believe that on contact the enemy will remain and fight from this battle position.

Given this EMLCOA, which of the following is not an appropriate key strength for this enemy? The ability
to rapidly withdraw to the north and reinforce its parent unit

RECONNAISSANCE

ARRANGE FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND COORDINATION

At this stage of the troop leading steps, you must:

1. Identify what questions you need answered and prioritize them. Validating enemy position,
orientation, and activity is always the top priority.

2. Identify assets available to conduct reconnaissance.

3. Determine the most effective means available for reconnaissance.

A. If available, a physical reconnaissance patrol is generally the most effective means of "getting eyes
on the enemy."

B. In the case of a physical reconnaissance patrol, identify the leadership you will bring with you and
build and brief a plan for the reconnaissance.

MAKE RECONNAISSANCE

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.

• If a physical reconnaissance is not available, rely on your map reconnaissance and information you
are able to gather from other sources.

• Conduct reconnaissance to answer questions and validate assumptions made during your
planning

When arranging for a reconnaissance, the leader must prioritize any remaining questions that need to
be answered or assumptions that need to be verified. Which of the following activities would be the
highest priority?

Validating enemy position, orientation, and activity

COMPLETE PLANNING

COMPLETE THE 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 THE 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.
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

The leader supervises subordinate unit planning and preparation. Supervision is continuous throughout
the conduct of the operation and is a key means of making the leader's presence felt throughout the
operational environment. Key actions for supervising your unit's preparation for combat include
conducting:

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are the primary tools used to supervise your unit's preparations for combat.

• Use rehearsals to:

Practice essential tasks (improve performance).

Reveal weaknesses or problems in the plan.

Coordinate the actions of subordinate elements.

Improve understanding of the concept of the operation (foster confidence in Marines).

• Have team leaders brief their planned actions in execution sequence to the squad leader.

• Conduct rehearsals on terrain that resembles the actual ground and in similar light conditions.

• Begin rehearsals of battle drills and other SOP items before the receipt of the operation order.
Once the order has been issued, rehearse mission specific tasks.
Rehearsals

Rehearsals are the primary tools used to supervise your unit's preparations for combat.

• Use rehearsals to:

Practice essential tasks (improve performance).

Reveal weaknesses or problems in the plan.

Coordinate the actions of subordinate elements.

Improve understanding of the concept of the operation (foster confidence in Marines).

• Have team leaders brief their planned actions in execution sequence to the squad leader.

• Conduct rehearsals on terrain that resembles the actual ground and in similar light conditions.

• Begin rehearsals of battle drills and other SOP items before the receipt of the operation order.
Once the order has been issued, rehearse mission specific tasks.

Inspections
Squad leaders should conduct initial inspections shortly after receipt of the warning order and spot
checks throughout the unit's preparation for combat. Final inspections include:

• Weapons and ammunition

• Uniforms and equipment

• Mission-essential equipment

• Understanding of the mission and specific responsibilities

• Communications

• Rations and water

• Camouflage

• Deficiencies noted during earlier inspections

Identify the key actions available to squad leaders for supervising their unit's preparation for combat.
Select all that apply. Rehearsals, Inspections

Question 1
Identify the primary planning processes employed by different organizations within the Marine Corps.
Select all that apply.
Correct answer: Troop leading steps,Rapid response planning process,Marine Corps planning process

Question 2
Upon completion of this Marine Corps troop leading step, leaders will emerge with an initial plan that
they expect to execute, pending the validation of the assumptions made during planning.
Correct answer: Begin the planning.

Question 3
While conducting tactical planning, the leader will identify the enemy's most likely course of action as
part of the enemy analysis during the estimate of the situation.
Your answer (correct): False

Question 4
When conducting an estimate of the situation, identify the factor that includes analysis of the friendly
assets available and their capabilities; this includes the mental and physical condition of the Marines and
the level of unit and individual training.
Your answer (correct): Troops and fire support considerations
Question 5
When conducting an estimate of the situation, identify the factor that includes analysis that identifies
resource shortfalls and development of plans to rectify them.
Correct answer: Time, space, and logistics analysis

FUNDAMENTALS

DECIDE-COMMUNICATE-ACT

A leader's ability to deliver orders corresponds directly to tactical skill.

• A leader that conducts an accurate estimate of the situation and arrives at a definitive tactical
decision, typically issues an effective order.

• Conversely, a leader who cannot make a decision often will not produce an effective order.

• Delivering combat orders, like tactical decision- making, is an art that requires practice.

• Often, a leader must individualize orders to best match the abilities of those who receive them. A
leader will issue a more detailed order to inexperienced or unfamiliar subordinates than to those with
whom he/she knows and trusts.

SPEED OVER TECHNIQUE

According to MCDP 5, Planning, "The more urgent the situation, the greater need for brevity and
simplicity."

• An effective combat order involves more than just passing information. You must convey your
will.

• A good order contains as much inspiration as information. The confidence and enthusiasm in
which you deliver your order is as important as the order itself.

• Ensure that your orders reach your Marines in time to affect their actions.

"Our troops suffered much from the delays involved in preparing long and complicated orders due to
the failure of the staff…to recognize that speed was more important than technique."

-GEN George C. Marshall

TYPES OF ORDERS

Combat orders are distinguished from administrative orders by their purpose and tactical action. The
purpose of a combat order is to communicate a mission and the plan to accomplish that mission. There
are several types of combat orders; the most common are:
Warning Order

A warning order is a preliminary notice of an order or action which is to follow. 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 units 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

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 day-to-
day basis that eliminates the need for restating information contained in a base operations 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 cover only the information that has changed since
the issuance of the base order
TACTICAL THOUGHT PROCESS
The purpose of a combat order is to communicate __________.

A mission and the plan to accomplish that mission

ORDERS FORMAT

CONTENT, CLARITY, AND CONCISENESS

Several nations have agreed to use the format contained in standard agreement (STANAG) 2014.

• Marines will recognize this as the five-paragraph order format.

• Nearly all combat orders used by the U.S. Armed Forces and NATO allies are based on the five-
paragraph format.

• Remember: 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."

O-SMEAC

There are six main sections to the five-paragraph order. They are as follows and are often recalled by
the memory aid O-SMEAC.

ORIENTATION

The orientation is a general overview that serves two purposes.

• First, it is an opportunity for the leader to orient subordinates to the medium by which the order
is issued, whether it is a terrain model, a whiteboard, a sand table, etc. This allows appropriate
subordinate understanding on delivery of the order.

• Second (and perhaps most important) it defines and describes the battlespace in which 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 accomplish these two goals, there are several critical elements of information included in the
orientation such as current location, direction of north, key terrain, tactical control measures within the
area of operation (AO), weather, illumination, visibility, a local history of the area/population, enemy
positions, and direction of attack.

SITUATION

The first paragraph is the situation paragraph, which encompasses three subparagraphs:

Enemy Situation
Enemy Situation

The enemy situation sub- paragraph is divided into the following three sections:

Enemy Composition, Disposition, and Strength

This section answers the questions:

• "Who is the enemy?"

• "What do they bring to the fight?"

• "What are they doing?"

These are facts or assumptions about the enemy provided after our analysis of the information provided
from higher, other sources, and our personal experience. An acronym used to describe the enemy
forces is SALUTE which stands for:

• Size

• Activity

• Location

• Unit

• Time

• Equipment

Enemy Capabilities/Limitations

This section answers the questions:

• "What can the enemy do?"

• "What conditions are required for the enemy to achieve these actions?"

• An acronym used to describe the enemy's capabilities is DRAW-D, which stands for the enemy's
capability and likelihood to:

Defend

Reinforce

Attack

Withdraw

Delay

The leader uses the facts listed in composition, disposition and strength to estimate the enemy's ability
to, and likelihood of, committing each action

Enemy's Most Likely Course of Action

Following a thorough estimate of the situation (METT-T analysis), the leader determines the enemy's
most likely course of action. Consider this the leader's prediction of the enemy's scheme of maneuver.
In general, the EMLCOA should contain two pieces of information:

1. A detailed description of what the enemy is doing now.

2. A detailed description of what the enemy will do upon contact

Friendly Situation

The friendly situation sub-paragraph is divided into the following three sections:

Higher’s Mission/Intent

Leaders must be aware of operations two-levels higher to ensure their plan is "nested" with higher.

• This means that a squad leader must be apprised of the company's plan, a platoon commander
must be appraised of the battalion's plan, and so on.

• Within an order, the mission and intent of the leader one-level higher than the leader issuing the
order is communicated to subordinates.

• At a minimum, higher's complete mission statement and endstate is communicated

Adjacent Units

This information is included in orders to provide subordinates with sufficient information to understand
the operational environment around them.

• At a minimum, adjacent unit movement and effects of fires are important considerations that
must be disseminated to subordinates.

• The seasoned leader will communicate the mission of each adjacent unit in addition to location.
This allows the unit to execute the mission of an adjacent unit should they be called upon from higher to
do so.

Supporting Units

Information on units supporting the operation is provided to inform all subordinates of these assets.

• Any fire support assets should be identified with their locations, azimuths of fire, contact
information, employment (General support [GS] or direct support [DS]), and any priority of fires.

• Any available air assets should also be listed (whether they are capable of CAS or extraction
assistance).

Attachments/Detachments
Any unit that a higher command has attached to your unit will be listed here. This includes any of the
following:

• Machine gun (MG) squads

• Assault teams

• Forward observer teams

• Sniper teams

• Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel

• Military working dog (MWD) teams

• Civilian journalists

• Any other personnel not organic to your unit

These personnel must be included in your administrative reports and supported (chow, water, etc.).
Attachments must receive tasking in the task portion of the execution paragraph.

MISSION

The second paragraph in the order is the mission statement. A mission statement is composed of two
parts:

• A task

• A purpose

The mission statement is normally identical to the tasking statement issued to you by your higher
command. This mission statement must include the answers to the "5 W's":

• Who?

• What?

• When?

• Where?

• Why?

Example: At 2200, (When will the task occur?) 2nd Squad (Who performs the task?) attacks to seize
(What is the task?) Plt Obj A (Where do they perform the task?) in order to establish a support by fire
position supporting the platoon's attack onto Co Obj 1. (Why must they perform the task?)

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

Commander's Intent

This subparagraph is described in terms of three components:

Purpose

Statement of the purpose for conducting the operation. At the squad level, this should include the "in
order to" portion of the mission statement (i.e., the "why"). It is re-communicated for emphasis and to
ensure comprehension.

Method

This is a statement of the commander's over-arching plan for exploitation of the enemy's key weakness
and mission success. The method should include:

• Enemy key strength - The unit leader should identify the enemy's key strength that corresponds to
the enemy's most likely course of action as described in paragraph I. The key strength, if eliminated, will
bend the enemy most quickly to our will.

• Enemy key weakness - As with the enemy's key strength, the unit leader should identify the
enemy's key weakness that, if exploited, will significantly damage the enemy's ability to resist us.

• Exploitation plan - Is the identified plan of how the enemy's critical vulnerability will be exploited
by the unit's scheme of maneuver. For example: If the enemy's key gap is an exposed flank, then an
exploitation plan may be to mass firepower on the enemy's flank

Endstate

The leader will describe the vision after the dust of the battle has settled. This endstate is relative to
enemy units, friendly units, and terrain.

• Ensuring that the desired endstate is pushed to all subordinates provides for flexibility on the
battlefield.

• If all subordinates clearly understand the desired endstate, they are capable of independently
driving that goal, even if the original proposed plan goes awry.

Concept of Operations

The unit leader will explain the detailed plan in the concept of operations. The two components within
this subparagraph are the:

Scheme of Maneuver
This section describes the plan by which the unit leader has decided to exploit the enemy's key
weakness. The plan must 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.

• The components for the scheme of maneuver are customized:

SCHEME OF MANEUVER: OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

The components of an offensive scheme of maneuver include:

form of maneuver
 distrubution
of forces
directions of attack
 tactical control
measures
 consolidation

SCHEME OF MANEUVER: DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS

The components of a defensive scheme of maneuver include:

Defensive Technique

This is a type of protective action characterized at the small unit level by a specific location (battle
position or strong point) or a defined area (sector defense) and the defensive organization on the
ground (linear, perimeter, or reverse slope).

Distribution of Forces

Plan to locate your subordinate elements in relation to the defensive techniques. The main effort is
weighted to counter the enemy's most likely course of action.
Orientation of the Defense

This is the cardinal direction where the defensive position will be oriented. This direction should
indicate the general direction where the enemy attack is suspected.

Tactical Control Measures

Tactical control measures are easily recognizable terrain features that help coordinate the actions of
maneuver units. For defensive operations, these usually include: AA, boundaries, lateral limits, forward
line of troops (FLOT), target reference points (TRP), final protective lines (FPL), principle directions of fire
(PDF), and the final protective fires (FPF).

Security Plan

The security plan should identify tentative locations of any LP/OPs, the tentative barrier plans (to include
wire, obstacles, ditches, and minefields), alternate and supplementary positions, planned patrolling
effort, and proposed readiness conditions (25% security, etc.).

Fire Support Plan

Includes the task (suppress, neutralize, or destroy) and purpose ("in order to…") of the fire support plan.
The fire support plan:

• Indicates the indirect fire asset(s) that will support the operation. The assets discussed here must
either be organic to the unit or must have been discussed earlier in the order in Paragraph I,
Subparagraph B, Section 2 (situation, friendly, supporting).

• Identifies any targets that support the operation by target number, the target description, the
respective fire support agency, and the primary and alternate observers for the fires

FIRE SUPPORT PLAN

The components of a fire support plan include:

Task/Purpose of Fire Support

This tells subordinate leaders how you will use fire support to complement the scheme of maneuver. It
clearly states what fires will do to help your unit accomplish the mission.

Location, Description, and Target Designation

This provides specific information regarding the location and description of known, likely, or suspected
positions and assets. Each target is provided a unique identifier so maneuver elements and firing
agencies can quickly identify and communicate the targets to be fired upon.

Priority of Fires
This provides the precedence for fire support provided across units. The unit with priority will have their
requests for fire support addressed before all others. Priority of fires is one method a unit leader may
use to weight (or strengthen) the main effort.

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.

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.

• List the details of coordination and control applicable to two or more units.

• Some items may include:

Timeline

Reporting requirements

Priority of rehearsals

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 is 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 - To avoid confusion with other signals

• Appropriate - Able 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.)

Select the elements that are included in the execution paragraph of an operation order. Select all that
apply. Commander's intent and concept of the operation, Tasks and coordination instructions
ISSUING TECHNIQUES

TERRAIN MODEL

Use of the terrain model is the gold-standard in communicating an order.

• It 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.

• You can either use commonly used shorthand abbreviations or develop your own system.

Mission: On order, first platoon seizes Company Objective A in order to prevent the enemy from
interfering with the main attack on Battalion Objective 2.

PREPARE YOUR AUDIENCE In combat, time is crucial. You will never have enough time to create and
issue as thorough an order as desired. It is important that you issue the best order in the time available
to the right people with enough time for your orders to be communicated to those that must execute.

Prioritization

As you execute the troop leading steps and begin the planning:

• Issue a warning order to allow your unit the maximum amount of preparation time.

• Then, analyze the situation, mission, and execution.

• Leave the less critical portions of your order until the order completion phase

Verbal Communication

When possible, issue your order in person.

• Much communication is nonverbal; you can better communicate to your subordinate leaders
when you present them the order using aids such as terrain models, sand tables, white boards, etc.
(Remember: "A picture is worth a thousand words.")
• Attentive leaders can accurately gauge a subordinate's comprehension when issuing the order
orally.

• A verbally presented order flows naturally into back- briefs.

• Written orders are best reserved for larger units whose size preclude oral orders

1/3, 2/3 Rule

Give subordinate leaders enough time to prepare and issue their own orders.

• Divide your available time in thirds.

• Use one-third yourself, and give the remaining two-thirds of the time to subordinate leaders

All Hands

When the tactical situation permits, issue your order to all your Marines.

• At the squad level you may have the opportunity to issue orders to the entire squad.

• This is a good method of communicating your will to all- hands.

• However, the tactical situation may not permit the use of this technique.

ESTABLISH 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.

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.

• If your understanding of the enemy situation or your scheme of maneuver is so involved that you
can't brief without reading, you probably need to rethink your decision; it may be too complex

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 a casual dialogue.

• Your order should convey confidence and authority, leaving all who hear little doubt that you are
giving an order.

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.

• What is most important is that you 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 beginning to brief 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 with asking questions of subordinates and require back-briefs from key
subordinate leaders to ensure full comprehension

Question 1
Which of the following acronyms are most helpful to remember when developing the enemy sub-
paragraph of the Situation paragraph in your order? Select all that apply.

Correct answer: DRAW-D,SALUTE

Question 2
What are the two elements that must be expressed in the mission statement? Select the best answer.
Correct answer: Task and purpose

Question 3
Select the components that are included in the Tasks section of an operation order.
Select the best answer:
Correct answer: Who, what, when, where, and why

Question 4
Which of the following choices is a vision provided to subordinates that enables them to act in a
changing environment and in the absence of additional orders? Select the best answer:
Correct answer: Commander's intent

Question 5
Which of the following statements about using shorthand is true when recording and writing orders?
Correct answer: You must understand your shorthand and be able to effectively communicate it to
others.

1 of 35
What military aspect of weather is being considered when analyzing natural and man-made battlefield
obscurants and light data?
Visibility (day & night)

2 of 35
Which of the following defines the concept of the operation?

It is how the leader visualizes the execution of the operation from start to completion.

3 of 35
Select the term best associated with the following definition: This is a mindset, a way of thinking and
behaving; it is the common bond that ensures cooperation between Marines. It will not allow us to shirk
responsibility or blame others. Regardless of who is in charge, we are responsible to do everything we
can to achieve the common goal. We cooperate with fellow Marines in our unit and beyond.
Self-discipline

4 of 35
An excellent way to improve adaptability is to decentralize decision-making. Which two tools are
necessary to achieving decentralization while maintaining the requisite control?

Commander's intent and mission tactics

5 of 35
"We will conduct a flanking attack on the squad minus position." This statement best describes which
component of the scheme of maneuver?

Direction of attack

6 of 35
Match each of the 5 Ws to their corresponding explanation.

Why purpose of the mission

Where grid on map

Who unit accomplishing the mission

When time of mission

What mission task

7 of 35
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.

Begin the planning.

8 of 35
A(n) __________ is described as "Your estimation of the enemy's strength, which if removed, will most
quickly bend the enemy to your will."

Enemy's key strength

9 of 35
Tactics refers to: __________.

The concepts and methods we use to accomplish a particular objective in either combat or stability
operations.
10 of 35
According to MCDP 1-3, which of the following are keys to acting decisively? Select all that apply.

Designate a main effort to focus combat power.

11 of 35
Which of the following best describes the concept of speed gained by employing simplicity?

Achieving simplicity while maintaining control requires units to use commander's intent and mission
tactics.

12 of 35

Select the elements commonly addressed in the coordinating instructions section of an operation order.
Select all that apply.

Execution timeline

Priority of rehearsals

13 of 35
Select the principle of war defined as the concentration of friendly capabilities at the decisive place and
time.

Mass

14 of 35
__________ requires leaders with a strong situational awareness and a firm understanding of their
senior commander's intent, boldness to adjust their actions in accordance with the higher commander's
desires, and an intuitive appreciation for what will and will not work based upon creativity, intelligence,
and experience.
 Improvisation

15 of 35
When conducting the troop-leading steps, when does the leader determine the priority of
reconnaissance?

Arrange for reconnaissance and coordination.

16 of 35
The __________ lies in how we creatively form and apply military force in a given situation. It involves
the creation, positioning, and maneuver of combat power.
Art of tactics

17 of 35
Which actions, as identified by MCDP 1-3, allow Marines to find or create an opportunity to deliver the
decisive blow? Select all that apply.
Pursuit

18 of 35
Which of the following examples describe the tactical advantage gained by exploiting the environment?
Select all that apply.

Ensure your Marines can operate equipment and employ weapons effectively in hot, cold, and
wet environments.

Use terrain to support our maneuver and influence our tactical dispositions.

19 of 35
You have previously issued an operation order. The enemy situation has changed, but your mission
remains the same. You've decided to change your scheme of maneuver to attack a new enemy
vulnerability. What is the best type of order to issue in this situation?

Warning order

20 of 35
Select the decision-making process that is most often used by the identified unit.

Army infantry battalion military

Marine combat logistics battalion assigned as LCE of a MEU rapid response

Marine helicopter squadron marine corps planning

Marine rifle squad troop-leading steps

21 of 35
You have just received a combat order from your platoon commander, from which section of the
higher's order would you get your mission?

Mission

22 of 35
Which principle of war is designed to prevent surprise, ensure freedom of action, and deny the enemy
information about friendly forces, capabilities, and plans?

Security

23 of 35
Which tactical tenet strives to exploit every aspect of a situation in an attempt to achieve victory over
the enemy?

Gaining an advantage

24 of 35
Which mnemonic device identifies the factors to be considered when conducting an estimate of the
situation?

BAMCIS

25 of 35
Which of the following best defines the task and purpose of fire support?

It provides a vision for how fires support the overall scheme of maneuver.

26 of 35
Which of the following are advantages of issuing orders in a standard five-paragraph format? Select all
that apply.
 Nearly all combat orders used by U.S. Armed Forces are based on the five-paragraph format,
adding to clarity in a joint environment.

27 of 35
Identify the two sources that provide the needed discipline for successful cooperation. Select all that
apply.
Self-discipline

Imposed discipline

28 of 35
Match each technique for developing and issuing a combat order with its correct description.

When possible, issue your order in person. Oral communication

Execute this to give subordinate leaders enough time to prepare and issue their own orders. 1/3, 2/3
rule

When the tactical situation permits, issue the five-paragraph order to all of your Marines. All-hands

As you execute the troop leading steps and begin the planning, it is constructive to issue a warning
order. Then analyze the situation, mission, and execution. Leave the less critical portions of your
order until the order completion phase prioritization

29 of 35
Which of the following best describes the concept of speed gained by physical and mental fitness?

Endurance is required to develop the speed, energy, and agility to move faster and the ability to
maintain that speed for longer durations. With endurance we not only outpace the enemy, but also
maintain a higher tempo for longer. We build the ability to concentrate for longer periods of time and
to penetrate below the surface of a problem.

30 of 35
After completing an estimate of the situation, you identify the enemy's most likely course of action
(EMLCOA) to be: The enemy has established a strong battle position oriented south, blocking the high-
speed avenue of approach. I believe that on contact the enemy will remain and fight from this battle
position. Furthermore, you identify the enemy's strength as: Well dug-in position allowing the enemy to
mass fires to the south along the high-speed avenue of approach from cover and concealment. The
enemy's key weakness is: A static, fixed position with a vulnerable left flank open to attack. Given the
above analysis, which of the following is a reasonable exploitation plan?
We will exploit the enemy's weakness by conducting a flanking attack on the enemy's right flank with
supporting direct and indirect fires fixing the enemy's position.

31 of 35

Select the location for each action that depicts a flow chart that accurately reflects the “tactical thought
process.”

Consider enemy key strength, associated key weakness and develop an exploitation plan III.

Develop subordinate tasks to accomplish concept of operation. IV

Develop a concept of operation (scheme of maneuver and fire support plan). V

Identify the enemy’s most likely course of action (EMLCOA). II

33 of 35
This principle of war is best defined as the decisive form of combat.

Exploitation

34 of 35
Which of the following is an analysis of assigned and implied tasks as well as analysis of the purpose of
the operation?
 Mission analysis

35 of 35
Which aspect of terrain evaluates influence on visual recon and target acquisition and their effects on
weapons systems?

Observation and fields of fire