Course of Action

Offensive OperationsACTION: Demonstrate an understanding of U.S. Army Offensive Doctrine.

CONDITIONS: Given FM 3-0, FM 7-10, FM 7-8, FM 101-5, FM 101-5-1, a FT Benning Map, a company level operations order, several periods of instruction, appropriate field training, resources and equipment, and training in a classroom and field environment.

STANDARDS: Demonstrate adequate understanding of U.S. Army Offensive Doctrine by scoring at least 70% (60% for ISTD) on two written exams, and by developing paragraphs I-III of a platoon operations order. Demonstrate the ability to apply U.S. Army Offensive Doctrine by successfully completing a squad live fire exercise and by successfully conducting offensive operations at platoon level in a field environment.

Mission AnalysisAnalysis of Mission-begins upon Receipt of Mission

Purpose of your missionTask - specified, implied, essentialConstraintsRestated Mission - who, what (task), when, where, why (purpose), type of

operationTerrain & Weather Analysis - significant conclusions of effects on enemy/friendlyEnemy Analysis - develop SITTEMP and para 1A (Enemy Situation)Troop Analysis-available assets, combat powerTime Analysis-planning timeline, executionCivil ConsiderationRisk assessment

Course of Action DevelopmentAnalyze Relative Combat Power - determine TTPs, helps confirm/deny decisive pointGenerate OptionsArray Initial Forces (Task Organize)Develop Scheme of Maneuver (Actions On Objective)Assign HeadquartersPrepare COA Statement and Sketch (Sandtable)

Analysis of COAHasty Wargame (mentally fight your plan from start to finish)Course of Action Comparison - only if time allowed for developing more than 1

Course of Action Selection - only if developed more than 1 *Issue additional WARNO if required

MTETTC

Troop LeadingProcedures STEPS

1. Receive Mission

2. Issue Warning Order

3. Make a Tentative Plan

4. Initiate Movement

5. Conduct Recon

6. Complete Plan

7. Issue OPORD

8. Supervise

Mission/intent 1 and 2 levels up

Concept 1 and 2 levels up

DECISION MAKINGPROCESS AT PLT/COMPANY LEVEL

AGENDA

• COA Development

• Decisive Point

• How to build a COA

• Concept Sketch and Statement

• Execution Paragraph

COA Development

- What is the Decisive Point?

- Task and Purpose for Main Effort and Supporting Efforts (nesting of purposes)

- What is the essential task?

- Task Organize (weight the Main Effort)/Assign C3

- Apply Control Measures for maneuver elements

- Prepare COA sketch/terrain model and COA statement

DECISIVE POINTDEFINED

Your MAIN EFFORT is focused at the DECISIVE POINT

FM 101-5: Where a unit will mass the effects of overwhelming combat power to achieve a result with respect to terrain, enemy, and time that will accomplish the units purpose.

FM 3-0: A geographic place, specific key event, or enabling system that allows commanders to gain a marked advantage over an enemy and greatly influence the outcome of an attack

DECISIVE POINTDEFINED

Your Decisive Point will fit one of these two types

TWO TYPES OF DECISIVE POINTS

TERRAIN BASED—Focused on the seizure, retention, control, occupation, or denial of a specified piece of terrain leading to accomplishment of the unit’s purpose

ENEMY BASED—Focused on the destruction, incapacitation, seizure, attrition, clearance, or neutralization of an enemy force that will directly or indirectly lead to the accomplishment of the unit’s purpose

DECISIVE POINT

PRACTICAL EXERCISE

DECISIVE POINT EXERCISE

T: SEIZE OBJ BEARP: PREVENT ENEMYFROM MASSING DIRECT FIRES ON Co MAIN EFFORT

OBJ BEAR

DO

A

xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxx

What is the PLT’sDecisive Point, andwhy is it decisive??

?

? ?

COA DEVELOPMENT

• DETERMINE PURPOSES OF ME & SE (Nesting Concept)

P: PREV BYPASS OF ME

P: PREV MASSING OF CBT PWR AGAINST THE ME

P: PREV ENEMY FROM MASSING IN COMPANY AO

DETERMINE DP

Remember, the decisive pointis achieved by the Main Effort.Likewise, it is tied to the purposeof the Main Effort.

COA DEVELOPMENT

Nesting Concept

Supporting Efforts are given purposes that support the ME

(horizontal nesting). The ME is given the purpose of its

Higher Unit (vertical nesting). The nesting concept facilitates

Unity of Command as well as Unity of Effort.

Remember, the driving aspect of the nesting concept is

PURPOSE, not the task. Tasks can and will frequently

change, the reason “why” you are given a mission (purpose) will seldom change!!

COA DEVELOPMENTT: clear enemy forces in zone P: to allow the establishment of a defense along Moore Rd by TF 1-15 INF.

T: destroy the AQ terrorist threat vicinity OBJ BLADEP: to allow the defense along Moore Rd to be established by TF 1-15 INF.

T: Destroy enemy mortar site on OBJ BOBCAT P: Prevent enemy indirect fire against Co ME

T: Destroy AQ terrorist elements on OBJ BEAR P: Prevent organized counterattack against the Co ME

T: Destroy enemy AQ Group CP on OBJ BULL P: Allow the establishment of a defense along

Moore by TF 1-15 INF

B 2-11

2-11

2 B

3 B1 B

COA DEVELOPMENT

• DETERMINE PURPOSES OF ME & SE• DETERMINE TASKS FOR ME & SE

T: DESTROYP: PREV BYPASS OF ME

T: SUPPRESSP: PREV MASSING OF

CBT PWR AGAINST MET: SEIZEP: PREV ENEMY FROM MASSING IN COMPANY AO

DETERMINE DP

COA DEVELOPMENT

• DETERMINE PURPOSES OF ME & SE• DETERMINE TASKS FOR ME & SE• ALLOCATE CBT PWR/TASK ORG

T: DESTROYP: PREV BYPASS OF ME

T: SUPPRESSP: PREV MASSING OF

CBT PWR AGAINST MET: SEIZEP: PREV ENEMY FROM MASSING IN COMPANY AO

DETERMINE DP

• DETERMINE TASKS FOR ME & SE• ALLOCATE CBT PWR/TASK ORG• ASSIGN C2 HEADQUARTERS

T: DESTROYP: PREV BYPASS OF ME

T: SUPPRESS P: PREV MASSING OF CBT

PWR AGAINST MET: SEIZEP: PREV ENEMY FROM MASSING

IN COMPANY AO

COA DEVELOPMENT

C2 = PLT LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

DETERMINE DP

• ALLOCATE CBT PWR/TASK ORG• ASSIGN C2 HEADQUARTERS• DEVELOP CONTROL MEASURES

T: DESTROYP: PREV BYPASS OF ME

T: SUPPRESS P: PREV MASSING OF CBT

PWR AGAINST MET: SEIZEP: PREV ENEMY FROM MASSING IN CO AO

COA DEVELOPMENT

C2 = PLT LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

Determine DP

COA DEVELOPMENT

C2 = PLT LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

A complete Course of Action consists of the following:

-Task Organization

-Mission Statement

-COA Statement

-COA Sketch

COA DEVELOPMENT

C2 = PLT LDR

C2 = SQD LDR

GENERIC TASK ORGANIZATION

SE2SE1 ME

MissionStatement

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW

Example

3/B/2-11 IN attacks to destroy enemy on OBJ

Bear (GL123456) NLT 041200JUL05 in order

to prevent enemy counterattack into

company AO

ConceptStatement

CONSISTS OF:• Purpose of Operation• Type of Attack/Form of Maneuver or Defensive Technique• Designates Decisive Point and why it is decisive• Task and Purpose of ME/SE• Purpose of Fires, Engineers, other BOS elements• Endstate with respect to enemy, friendly, terrain

PLT Mission: 3/B/2-11 IN attacks to destroy enemy on OBJ BEAR (GL123456) NLT 041200JUL05 in order to prevent enemy counterattack into company AO

The purpose of this operation is to prevent enemy counterattack into the company AO. We will accomplish this by conducting a penetration of enemy forces on OBJ BEAR. The Decisive Point of this operation is the seizure of the high ground on the southwest corner of OBJ BEAR. It is decisive because seizure of it prevents the enemy from massing combat power against the PLT/Co. SE1 destroys enemy to prevent the bypass of the ME. SE2 suppresses the enemy to prevent them from massing combat power on the ME. The ME seizes OBJ BEAR to prevent the enemy from massing in the AO. The purpose of fires is to prevent the enemy from massing squad-sized elements or larger against the ME. The purpose of engineers is to open a lane for the ME to attack OBJ BEAR. Endstate of this operation is OBJ BEAR seized, hasty defense established, and platoon prepared for follow-on operations.

EXAMPLE CONCEPT STATEMENT

Concept Sketch Requirements

• Enemy (crew served wpns, ops, battle positions)

• Friendly Depict Terrain (contour lines, roads, streams, vegetation, obstacles)

• Maneuver (your squad icons)

• Task and purpose for ME and SE

• Any Control Measures to help your subordinates visualize your concept (TRPs, IDF targets, ORP, SBF, etc.)

• Decisive Point and why

• North arrow for orientation

EXAMPLE CONCEPT SKETCH

OBJ BEAR

ATKPSN

N

LUMPKIN TRAIL

WARE TRAIL

DOABOB

T: SEIZE OBJ BEARP: PREVENT ENEMYFROM MASSINGT: DESTROY ENEMY

P: PREVENT BYPASSOF ME

T: SUPPRESSP: PREVENT ENEMY FROM MASSING AGAINST ME

1 2

prevents the enemy from massing combat power against the PLT/Co

Execution Paragraph

III. EXECUTION

-- Key Tasks (Key tasks your subordinates need to accomplish. Include Mission Essential Task.)

-- Concept of the Operation (incorporate the COA statement and sketch/terrain model)

-- Maneuver (assign task/purpose to each element)Scheme of Maneuver

Execution Paragraph

III. EXECUTION (cont’d)

-- Scheme of Maneuver Write out step by step how actions are going

to occur from the beginning of the mission to completion. Focus your attention on Actions

On the Objective!!

(Use Sketch/Terrain Model to Brief Maneuver!!)

Execution Paragraph

SCHEME OF MANEUVERCan be done in several ways:

- By phase (a narrative broken into parts--see your Company OPORD)

- Shown strictly on sand table/sketch (field planning)

- Execution Matrix (hard at first, best method after you get the hang of it b/c it ensures you cover all BOS elements)

Phase I Phase II Phase III

Enemy

Maneuver

Fires

Intel

Engineers

ADA

CSS

C3

PLATOON

Example Execution Matrix Shell

Execution Paragraph

SCHEME OF MANEUVER

• Must be complete from crossing LD to C/R with primary focus being on Action on OBJ (ORP through to Consolidation/Reorganization)

• No detail is too small (azimuths, distances, orientations, method for crossing LDA, positioning of MGs, sectors of fire, location of key leaders, critical times, signals, location of CCP/supplies, IDF targets/types, movement formations/techniques, etc… )

• Be mindful not to micromanage

• Again—details, details, details…

Execution Paragraph

-- Fires

Task (Destroy, Disrupt, Delay, Limit)

Purpose

Method (Priority, Allocation, Restrictions)

Effects

-- Engineers (Task, Purpose, Method, Effects)

-- Tasks to Maneuver Units

-- Tasks to Combat Support Units

-- Coordinating Instructions (Including Timeline)

Summary

- Determine Decisive Point (DP)

- Determine Tasks and Purposes

- Determine Essential Task

- Task Organize (weight the Main Effort)/Assign C3

- Implement Control Measures

- Prepare sketch/terrain model and statement

Homework• Typed, Buddy Team OPORD (to include the following)

Terrain and Weather Analysis (with GTO on blowup)

Paragraph 1A (Enemy) with SITTEMP (on blowup)

Paragraph 1B

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3 (Key Tasks, Concept Statement and Sketch, Maneuver [with scheme of maneuver and graphics on blowup], Fires, Tasks to Maneuver Units, Tasks to Combat Support Units, Coordinating Instructions)

DUE: 07MAR05 at first formation!!!