THE OPERATIONS PROCESS

1 FM 5-0 THE OPERATIONS PROCESSMARCH 2010 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is OF THE ARMY FM 5-0, C1 Change No. 1 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 18 March 2011 The OPERATIONS PROCESS 1. Change 1 to FM 5-0, 26 March 2010, is updated to align with Change 1 to FM 3-0. 2. This change modifies the Army operational concept to emphasize mission command. 3. This change replaces the command and control element of combat power and warfighting function with mission command. 4. Significant changes are marked with a plus-minus sign at the beginning of the discussion ( ). Remove Old Pages Insert New Pages Foreword n/a pages i through ix pages i through viii pages 1-1 through 1-13 pages 1-1 through 1-11 pages 2-1 through 2-10 pages 2-1 through 2-10 pages 3-1 through 3-6 pages 3-1 through 3-6 pages 3-11 through 3-13

2 Pages 3-11 through 3-13 pages 4-1 through 4-10 pages 4-1 through 4-10 pages 5-1 through 5-4 pages 5-1 through 5-4 pages 5-9 through 5-14 pages 5-9 through 5-14 pages 6-1 through 6-2 pages 6-1 through 6-2 pages 6-5 through 6-8 pages 6-5 through 6-8 pages A-1through A-10 pages A-1through A-10 pages B-1 through B-39 pages B-1 through B-40 pages C-7 through C-10 pages C-7 through C-10 pages D-1 through

3 D-4 pages D-1 through D-4 pages E-1 through E-6 pages E-1 through E-6 pages E-11 through E-27 pages E-11 through E-24 pages F-1 through F-2 pages F-1 through F-2 pages F-5 through F-8 pages F-5 through F-8 pages G-1 through G-2 pages G-1 through G-2 pages Glossary-1 through Glossary-9 pages Glossary-1 through Glossary-9 pages References-1 thru References-4 pages References-1 thru References-4 pages Index-1 through Index-10 pages Index-1 through Index-10 PIN: 082115-001 5.

4 File this transmittal sheet in front of the publication for reference purposes. DISTRUBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. By order of the Secretary of the Army: GEORGE W. CASEY, JR. General, United States Army Chief of Staff Official: JOYCE E. MORROW Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army 1104903 DISTRIBUTION: Active Army, Army National Guard, and United States Army Reserve: Not to be distributed. Electronic media only. This page intentionally left blank.

5 *FM 5-0, C1 Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. *This publication supersedes FM 5-0, 20 January 2005, and FMI , 31 March 2006. 18 March 2011 FM 5-0, C1 i Field Manual No. 5-0 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 26 March 2010 The OPERATIONS PROCESS Contents Page v INTRODUCTION .. vi Chapter 1 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE OPERATIONS PROCESS .. 1-1 The Nature of OPERATIONS .. 1-1 Mission Command .. 1-2 The OPERATIONS PROCESS .. 1-3 Integrating Processes and Continuing Activities .. 1-6 Running Estimates .. 1-7 Fundamentals .. 1-7 Chapter 2 PLANNING .. 2-1 Planning and Plans.

6 2-1 Planning and the Levels of War .. 2-1 The Value of Planning .. 2-2 Conceptual and Detailed Planning .. 2-6 Fundamentals of Planning .. 2-8 Key Components of a Plan .. 2-14 Chapter 3 DESIGN .. 3-1 Design Defined .. 3-1 Design Goals .. 3-2 Design in Context .. 3-3 Leading Design .. 3-6 Design Methodology .. 3-7 Chapter 4 PREPARATION .. 4-1 Preparation Functions .. 4-1 Preparation and the OPERATIONS PROCESS .. 4-2 Preparation Activities .. 4-3 Chapter 5 EXECUTION .. 5-1 Fundamentals of Execution .. 5-1 Contents ii FM 5-0, C1 18 March 2011 Responsibilities During Execution .. 5-3 Decisionmaking During Execution .. 5-5 Rapid Decisionmaking and Synchronization PROCESS .. 5-8 Chapter 6 ASSESSMENT .. 6-1 Assessment Fundamentals .. 6-1 Assessment 6-1 Assessment and the Levels of War.

7 6-4 Considerations for Effective Assessment .. 6-5 Assessment Working Groups .. 6-9 Assessment Support .. 6-10 Appendix A COMMAND POST ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS .. A-1 Appendix B THE MILITARY DECISIONMAKING PROCESS .. B-1 Appendix C TROOP LEADING PROCEDURES .. C-1 Appendix D GUIDELINES FOR COMMANDER S PLANNING D-1 Appendix E ARMY OPERATION PLAN AND ORDER FORMAT .. E-1 Appendix F TASK ORGANIZATION .. F-1 Appendix G RUNNING ESTIMATES .. G-1 Appendix H FORMAL ASSESSMENT PLANS .. H-1 Appendix I REHEARSALS .. I-1 Appendix J MILITARY BRIEFINGS .. J-1 GLOSSARY .. Glossary-1 REFERENCES .. References-1 INDEX .. Index-1 Figures Figure 1-1.

8 The OPERATIONS PROCESS .. 1-3 Figure 2-1. The Army problem solving model .. 2-3 Figure 2-2. The planning construct .. 2-7 Figure 2-3. Commander s visualization .. 2-9 Figure 3-1. The design methodology .. 3-7 Figure 5-1. Decisions in execution .. 5-6 Figure 5-2. Rapid decisionmaking and synchronization PROCESS .. 5-8 Figure A-1. Functional and integrating A-3 Figure A-2. Integration of plans, future OPERATIONS , and current OPERATIONS .. A-5 Figure B-1. The steps of the military decisionmaking PROCESS .. B-3 Figure B-2. Mission analysis .. B-6 Figure B-3. COA development .. B-16 Figure B-4. Sample brigade COA sketch .. B-21 Figure B-5. COA analysis and B-22 Contents 18 March 2011 FM 5-0, C1 iii Figure B-6. Sample belt method ..B-27 Figure B-7. Sample modified belt method using lines of effort.

9 B-27 Figure B-8. Sample avenue-in-depth method ..B-28 Figure B-9. Sample modified avenue-in-depth method using lines of effort ..B-28 Figure B-10. Sample box method ..B-29 Figure B-11. Sample modified box method using lines of effort ..B-29 Figure B-13. Sample sketch note technique ..B-31 Figure B-14. COA comparison ..B-34 Figure B-15. Sample advantages and disadvantages ..B-35 Figure B-16. Sample decision matrix ..B-35 Figure C-1. Parallel planning .. C-2 Figure C-2. Planning at company and below .. C-3 Figure C-3. Sample schedule .. C-4 Figure C-4. Sample mission and COA statements .. C-9 Figure E-1. Paragraph layout for plans and orders .. E-4 Figure E-2. Annotated Army OPLAN/OPORD format .. E-9 Figure E-3. Annotated attachment format (general) ..E-18 Figure E-4.

10 Annotated WARNO format ..E-20 Figure E-5. Annotated sample FRAGO ..E-22 Figure E-6. Example of overlay order graphic ..E-23 Figure F-1. Sample outline format for a task organization (52d Infantry Division) .. F-5 Figure G-1. Generic base running estimate format .. G-2 Figure H-1. Sample of end state conditions for defensive OPERATIONS .. H-3 Figure H-2. Sample of end state conditions for stability OPERATIONS .. H-4 Figure H-3. Sample assessment framework .. H-6 Figure I-1. Rehearsal techniques .. I-3 Figure J-1. Information briefing format .. J-1 Figure J-2. Decision briefing format .. J-2 Figure J-3. Considerations during planning .. J-4 Figure J-4. Considerations during preparation .. J-5 Tables Table 2-1. Types of problems and solution strategies .. 2-4 Table 5-1.