Military Writing

Introduction ADRP 5-0 is a new publication that expands on the principles of the operations process found in ADP 5-0. Overall, the doctrine in ADRP 5-0 remains consistent with Field Manual (FM) 5-0, The Operations Process. The most significant change from FM 5-0 is the restructuring of doctrinal information. The principles of the operations process are now found in ADP 5-0 and ADRP 5-0. A new field manual (currently under development) will address the specific tactics and procedures associated with planning, preparing, executing, and assessing operations. In the interim, ATTP 5-0.1, Commander and Staff Officers Guide, contains these details.

ADRP 5-0 updates doctrine on the operations process to include incorporating the Army’s operational concept of unified land operations found in ADP 3-0 and the principles of mission command found in ADP 6-0. While the major activities of the operations process have not changed, the following is a summary of changes by chapter.

Chapter 1 describes the nature of operations in which commanders, supported by their staffs, exercise mission command. Next, this chapter defines and describes the operations process. A discussion of the principles commanders and staffs consider for the effective execution of the operations process follows. The chapter concludes with discussions of the integrating processes, continuing activities, battle rhythm, and running estimates. The following are significant changes from FM 5-0 in chapter 1. The principles of the operations process now include—

 Commanders drive the operations process.  Build and maintain situational understanding.  Apply critical and creative thinking.  Encourage collaboration and dialogue.

ADRP 5-0 adopts the joint definitions of operational approach, commander’s intent, and risk management. ADRP 5-0 replaces the continuing activity of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance with information collection.

Chapter 2 defines planning and plans and lists the values of effective planning. Next, this chapter describes integrated planning and operational art. The chapter next describes the Army’s planning methodologies: Army design methodology, the military decisionmaking process, and troop leading procedures. This chapter then describes key components of a plan or order. This chapter concludes by offering guidelines for effective planning and describes planning pitfalls that commanders and staffs guard against. The following are significant changes from FM 5-0. ADRP 5-0—

 Retitles design to Army design methodology and modifies the definition.  Associates the Army design methodology with conceptual planning and operational art.  Modifies the definition of the military decisionmaking process.  Modifies step 7 of the military decisionmaking process from “orders production” to “orders

production, dissemination, and transition.”  Reintroduces “key tasks” as a component of commander’s intent.  Modifies guidelines to effective planning.

Chapter 3 defines preparation and lists the preparation activities commonly performed within the headquarters and across the force to improve the unit’s ability to execute operations. The chapter concludes by providing guidelines for effective preparation. The following are significant changes from FM 5-0. ADRP 5-0—

 Adds the preparation activity “initiate network preparations.”  Modifies the preparation activity “initiate reconnaissance and surveillance” to “initiate

information collection.”  Modifies the guidelines to effective preparation.

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Introduction

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Chapter 4 provides guidelines for effective execution. It describes the role of the commander and staff in directing and controlling current operations. Next, this chapter describes decisionmaking in execution. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the rapid decisionmaking and synchronization process. ADRP 5-0 modifies guidelines to effective execution to seize the initiative through action and accept prudent risk to exploit opportunities.

Chapter 5 defines assessment as a continuous activity of the operations process and describes its purpose. Next, it describes an assessment process and offers guidelines commanders and staffs consider for effective assessment. This chapter concludes with a discussion of assessment working groups and assessment support from operations research and systems analysis. The following are significant changes from FM 5-0. ADRP 5-0—

 Adopts the joint definition of assessment.  Modifies guidelines to effective assessment.

The following appendixes formally found in FM 5-0 are now found in ATTP 5-0.1:  Command post organization and operations.  Military decisionmaking process.  Troop leading procedures.  Army operation plan and order format.  Task organization formats.  Running estimates.  Formal assessment plans.  Rehearsals.  Military briefings.

ADRP 5-0 provides a starting point for conducting the operations process. It establishes a common frame of reference and offers intellectual tools Army leaders use to plan, prepare for, execute, and assess operations. By establishing a common approach and language for exercising mission command, doctrine promotes mutual understanding and enhances effectiveness during operations. The doctrine in this publication is a guide for action rather than a set of fixed rules. In operations, effective leaders recognize when and where doctrine, training, or even their experience no longer fits the situation, and adapt accordingly.

ADP 5-0 and ADRP 5-0 add or modify the terms listed in introductory tables 1 and 2.

Introductory Table-1. New Army terms

Term Remarks Army design methodology Replaces design.

Introductory Table-2. Modified Army terms

Term Remarks assessment Adopts the joint definition. design Formal definition replaced by Army design methodology. direct support Modifies the definition. general support-reinforcing Modifies the definition. military decisionmaking process

Modifies the definition.

operational approach Adopts the joint definition. planning Modifies the definition modified.

Chapter 1

Fundamentals of the Operations Process The chapter describes the nature of operations in which commanders, supported by their staffs, exercise mission command. Next, this chapter defines and describes the operations process. A discussion of the principles commanders and staffs consider for the effective execution of the operations process follows. The chapter concludes with discussions of the integrating processes, continuing activities, battle rhythm, and running estimates.

THE NATURE OF OPERATIONS 1-1. To understand doctrine on mission command and the operations process, Soldiers must have an appreciation for the general nature of operations. Military operations are human endeavors, contests of wills characterized by continuous and mutual adaptation among all participants. In operations, Army forces face thinking and adaptive enemies, differing agendas of various actors (organizations and individuals), and changing perceptions of civilians in an operational area. As all sides take actions, each side reacts, learns, and adapts. Appreciating these relationships among human wills is essential to understanding the fundamental nature of operations.

1-2. In operations, friendly forces fiercely engage a multifaceted enemy force. Each side consists of numerous diverse and connected parts, each interdependent and adapting to changes within and between each other. In addition, an operational environment is not static. It continually evolves. This evolution results, in part, from humans interacting within an operational environment as well as from their ability to learn and adapt. The dynamic nature of an operational environment makes determining the relationship between cause and effect difficult and contributes to the uncertainty of military operations.

1-3. Uncertainty pervades operations in the form of unknowns about the enemy, the people, and the surroundings. Even the behavior of friendly forces is often uncertain because of human mistakes and the effects of stress on Soldiers. Chance and friction contribute to the uncertain nature of operations. The sudden death of a local leader that causes an eruption of violence illustrates chance. The combinations of countless factors that impinge on the conduct of operations, from broken equipment that slows movement to complicated plans that confuse subordinates, are examples of friction.

1-4. During operations leaders make decisions, develop plans, and direct actions under varying degrees of uncertainty. Commanders seek to counter the uncertainty of operations by empowering subordinates at the scene to make decisions, act, and quickly adapt to changing circumstances. As such, the philosophy of mission command guides commanders, staffs, and subordinates throughout the conduct of operations.

MISSION COMMAND 1-5. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations (ADP 6-0). This philosophy of command fosters an environment of mutual trust and shared understanding among commanders, staffs, and subordinates. It requires a command climate in which commanders encourage subordinates to accept prudent risk and exercise disciplined initiative to seize opportunities and counter threats within the commander’s intent. Through mission orders, commanders focus their orders on the purpose of the operation rather than on the details of how to perform assigned tasks. Doing this minimizes detailed control and allows subordinates the greatest possible freedom of action. Finally, when delegating authority to subordinates, commanders set the necessary conditions for success by allocating appropriate resources to subordinates based on assigned tasks.

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Chapter 1

1-6. Mission command is also a warfighting function. The mission command warfighting function is the related tasks and systems that develop and integrate those activities enabling a commander to balance the art of command and the science of control in order to integrate the other warfighting functions (ADRP 3-0). Through the mission command warfighting function, commanders and staffs integrate the other warfighting functions into a coherent whole to mass the effects of combat power at the decisive place and time. (See ADRP 6-0 for a detailed discussion of mission command and the mission command warfighting function.)

THE OPERATIONS PROCESS 1-7. The Army’s framework for exercising mission command is the operations process—the major mission command activities performed during operations: planning, preparing, executing, and continuously assessing the operation (ADP 5-0). (See figure 1-1.) Commanders, supported by their staffs, use the operations process to drive the conceptual and detailed planning necessary to understand, visualize, and describe their operational environment; make and articulate decisions; and direct, lead, and assess military operations.

Figure 1-1. The operations process 1-8. The activities of the operations process are not discrete; they overlap and recur as circumstances demand. Planning starts an iteration of the operations process (see chapter 2). Upon completion of the initial order, planning continues as leaders revise the plan based on changing circumstances. Preparing begins during planning and continues through execution (see chapter 3). Execution puts a plan into action by applying combat power to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative to gain a position of relative advantage (see chapter 4). Assessing is continuous and influences the other three activities (see chapter 5).

1-9. Both the commander and staff have important roles within the operations process. The commander’s role is to drive the operations process through the activities of understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing operations as depicted in figure 1-1. The staff’s role is to assist commanders with understanding situations, making and implementing decisions, controlling operations, and assessing progress. In addition, the staff assists subordinate units (commanders and staffs), and keeps units and organizations outside the headquarters informed throughout the conduct of operations. (See ATTP 5-0.1 for a detailed discussion of the duties and responsibilities of the staff.)

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Fundamentals of the Operations Process

PRINCIPLES OF THE OPERATIONS PROCESS 1-10. The operations process, while simple in concept (plan, Principles of missionprepare, execute, and assess), is dynamic in execution. Commanders and staffs use the operations process to integrate command numerous tasks executed throughout the headquarters and with • Build cohesive teams through subordinate units. Commanders must organize and train their mutual trust. staffs and subordinates as an integrated team to simultaneously • Create shared understanding. plan, prepare, execute, and assess operations. In addition to the • Provide a clear commander’s principles of mission command, commanders and staffs consider intent. the following principles for the effective use of the operations • Exercise disciplined initiative. process: • Use mission orders.

 Commanders drive the operations process. • Accept prudent risk.  Build and maintain situational understanding.  Apply critical and creative thinking.  Encourage collaboration and dialogue.