Welcome to Military Decision Making Process (MDMP)

1. Welcome to Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) Step 2 Mission Analysis

2. The Seven Steps of the MDMP Receipt of Mission Mission Analysis Course of Action Development Course of Action Analysis (War-Game) Course of Action Comparison Course of Action Approval Orders Production

3. Military Decision Making Process Input Output Receipt of Mission • Commander’s initial guidance • WARNO to staff • Initial IPB products Cdr’s Intent • Restated mission Initial CCIR • Updated staff estimates/products • Preliminary movement • Cdr’s planning guidance Initial ISR plan • Updated staff estimates • COA statements and sketches • Refine Cdr’s planning guidance • Wargame results • * Decisions support templates • * Task Organization • Mission to subordinate units • Decision matrix • Approve COA • Refine Cdr’s intent and guidance • Refine CCIR • OPLAN/OPORD • • Mission received from higher HQ or • deduced by the Commander and staff • •Higher HQ order/plan/IPB • •Staff estimates • •Facts & assumptions • Restated mission • •Cdr’s intent & planning guidance • •CCIR • •Staff estimates & products • •Enemy COAs • •Refined Cdr’s planning guidance • •Enemy COAs • •Friendly COAs • •Staff/BOS COAs • Wargame results • • Established criteria for comparison • Decision Matrix • •Approved COA WARNO #1 Mission Analysis WARNO #2 Course of Action Development Course of Action Analysis (War-Game) Course of Action Comparison Course of Action Approval WARNO #3 Orders Production Note 1: A star ( ) depicts Commander activities and decisions. Note 2: Rehearsals and backbriefs occur during preparation and ensure an orderly transition between planning and execution. Preparation Prepare Plan Assess Execution Execute

4. Step 2: Mission Analysis • Process • Analyze the higher HQ order • Perform Initial IPB • Determine specified, implied, and essential tasks • Review available assets • Determine constraints • Identify critical facts and assumptions • Perform risk assessment • Determine initial CCIR and EEFI • Determine the initial ISR plan • Update operational timelines • Write the restated mission • Deliver the mission analysis briefing • Approve the restated mission • Develop the initial Commander’s intent • Review facts and assumptions • Output • Updated Staff estimates and products • Initial IPB • Enemy SITTEMPs • MCOO • HVTs • Mission analysis briefing • Restated mission • Initial CDR’s intent • CDR’s planning guidance • Updated operational timeline • Warning Order • Input • Higher HQ plan or order • Higher HQ IPB • Updated staff estimates • Initial Cdr’s Guidance

5. Mission Analysis Task 1 – Analyze Higher Headquarters' Order • The Higher Headquarters: • Commander’s Intent • Mission • Available Assets • Area of Operations (AO) • Concept of Operations • Operational Timeline • Missions of Adjacent Units (Front, Rear, Supporting, and Supported – their relation to the higher headquarters plan) • The Unit Area of Operations (AO) • Mission in the context of and in relation to the higher headquarters mission and commander’s intent.

6. Mission Analysis Task 2 – Perform Initial Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield Task 3 – Determine Specified, Implied, and Essential Tasks • Specified tasksare tasks specifically assigned to a unit by its higher headquarters. • Implied tasksare tasks that must be performed to accomplish a • specified task or the mission, but are not stated in the higher headquarters • order. • Essential tasksare specified or implied tasks that must be executed to accomplish the mission. Essential tasks are always included in the unit’s mission statement. Task 4 – Review Available Assets

7. Mission Analysis Task 5 – Determine Constraints Constraintsare restrictions placed on the command by a higher command. They dictate an action or inaction, thus restricting the freedom of action a subordinate commander has for planning. Constraints can take the form of a requirement to do something. They can also prohibit action. Task 6 – Identify Critical Facts and Assumptions Factsare statements of known data concerning the situation, including enemy and friendly dispositions, available troops, unit strengths, and materiel readiness. Assumption - a supposition on the current situation or a presupposition on the future course of events. An assumption is appropriate if it meets the tests of validity and necessity. Validitymeans the assumption is likely to be true. Necessityis whether the assumption is essential for planning.

8. Mission Analysis Task 7 – Perform Risk Assessment Tactical riskis risk concerned with hazards that exist because of the presence of either the enemy or an adversary. Accidental riskincludes all operational risk considerations other than tactical risk. It includes risks to the friendly force. It also includes risks posed to civilians by an operation, as well as an operation’s impact on the environment. Task 8 – Determine Commander’s Critical Information Requirements and Essential Elements of Friendly Information The Commander alone decides what information is critical, based on his experience, the mission, the higher commander’s intent, and input from his staff. During mission analysis, the staff develops information requirements. In addition to nominating CCIR to the commander, the staff also identifies and nominates essential elements of friendly information (EEFI).

9. Mission Analysis Task 9 – Determine the initial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance To facilitate effective planning, the unit develops and issues the initial ISR plan as soon as possible. Based on the initial IPB and CCIRs, the staff, primarily the G-2/S-2, identifies gaps in the intelligence effort and determines what assets are available to collect on these gaps. The G-3/S-3 turns this into an initial ISR Plan that tasks ISR assets as soon as possible to begin the collection effort. Task 10 – Update the Operational Timeline Task 11 – Write the Restated Mission A mission statementis a short sentence or paragraph describing the unit’s essential task (or tasks) and purpose that clearly indicate the action to be taken and the reason for doing so. It contains the elements of who, what, when, where, and why, and the reasons thereof, but seldom specifies how.

10. Mission Analysis Task 12 – Deliver a Mission Analysis Briefing The mission analysis briefing is given to both the commander and the Staff. The briefing focuses on relevant conclusions reached as a result of the mission analysis. It is neither a readiness briefing nor a briefing of compiled data. It is a decision briefing that results in an approved restated mission, commander’s intent, and commander’s planning guidance Task 13 – Approve the Restated Mission Once approved, the restated mission becomes the unit mission.

11. Mission Analysis Brief Format • Time permitting, the staff briefs the commander on its mission • analysis using the following outline: • Mission and commander’s intent of the headquarters two levels up. • Mission, commander’s intent, concept of operations, and military deception plan or deception objectives of the headquarters one level up. • Review of the commander’s initial guidance. • Initial IPB products, including MCOO and SITTEMPs. • Pertinent facts and assumptions. • Specified, implied, and essential tasks. • Constraints. • Forces available. • Initial risk assessment. • Recommended initial CCIR and EEFI. • Recommended time lines. • Recommended collaborative planning sessions. • Recommended restated mission.

12. Mission Analysis Task 14 – Develop the Initial Commander’s Intent The Commander’s Intent focuses planning and gives the commander a means of indirect control of subordinate elements during execution. It must be understood and remembered by subordinates two echelons down. In the absence of orders, the commander’s intent, coupled with the mission statement, directs subordinates toward mission accomplishment. When opportunities appear, subordinates use the commander’s intent to decide whether and how to exploit them. Therefore, brevity and clarity in writing the commander’s intent is key. The commander’s intent can be in narrative or bullet form; it normally does not exceed five sentences • Commander’s Intent statement should state the following: • Key tasks • End state • Expanded purpose of the operation, if desired

13. Mission Analysis Task 14 – Develop the Initial Commander’s Intent (EXAMPLE) • Commander’s Intent • The purpose of this attack is to prevent enemy forces in AO LION from interfering with SANG decisive operation • Key tasks – • Simultaneous attacks in the north and south of AO. • Destroy the southern infantry battalion. • Seize OBJ FALCON by 181800 MAR 03. • Defeat enemy tank battalion vicinity EAST TOWN. • At end state, the HICON right flank is secure with two battalions consolidated in defensive positions vicinity OBJ FALCON. The brigade is prepared to conduct follow-on operations to clear AO to PL CAMEL.

14. Mission Analysis Task 15 – Issue the Commander’s Planning Guidance The commander’s planning guidance focuses on COA development, analysis, and comparison. • As a minimum, the Commander’s Guidance addresses - - • The decisive operation. • Identification of a decisive point or points. • Potential key decisions. • Specific COAs to consider or not, both friendly and enemy, and the priority for addressing them. • Initial CCIR. • Surveillance and reconnaissance guidance. • Risk. • Military deception.

15. Mission Analysis Task 15 – Issue the Commander’s Planning Guidance • As a minimum, the Commander’s Guidance addresses - - (continued) • Fires. • Mobility and counter-mobility. • Security operations. • Priorities for the Battlefield Operating Systems. • The operational time-line. • The type of order to issue. • Collaborative planning sessions to be conducted. • Movements to initiate (including command and control nodes). • The type of rehearsal to conduct. • Any other information the commander wants the staff to consider.

16. Mission Analysis Task 16 – Issue a Warning Order (WARNO #2) Copy __ of __ Copies Issuing headquarters WARNING ORDER #__ Place of issue References: Date/time group of signature 1. SITUATION Message reference no. a. Enemy forces. b. Friendly forces. (1) Mission (2) Commander’s Intent c. Attachments and detachments. 2. MISSION 3. EXECUTION Intent (when available). a. Concept of operation (when available). Assembly area locations (If applicable, when available). b. Tasks to maneuver units (when available). (1) Reconnaissance. (2) Surveillance (3) Security c. Tasks to combat support units (when available). d. Coordinating instructions. (1) Earliest movement time and degree of notice. (2) Orders group meeting (attendees, location, and time) (when applicable). 4. SERVICE SUPPORT a. Special equipment. b. Transportation. 5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL ACKNOWLEDGE: NAME (Commander’s last name) OFFICIAL: RANK (Commander’s rank) ANNEXES: DISTRIBUTION: • WARNO #2 includes, as a minimum • The approved unit mission statement. • The commander’s intent. • Task organization changes. • Attachments/detachments. • The unit AO (sketch, overlay, or some other description). • The CCIR and EEFI. • Risk guidance. • Surveillance and reconnaissance instructions. • Initial movement instructions. • Security measures. • Military deception guidance. • Mobility and countermobility guidance. • Specific priorities. • The updated operational time line. • Guidance on collaborative events and rehearsals. SMFM 101-5-2

17. Mission Analysis Task 17 – Review Facts and Assumptions During the rest of the MDMP, the commander and staff periodically review all facts and assumptions. New facts may alter requirements and require a reanalysis of the mission. Assumptions may have become facts or may have even become invalid. Whenever the facts or assumptions change, the commander and staff assess the impact of these changes on the plan and make the necessary adjustments, including changing the CCIR, if necessary.

18. Questions