Welcome to

1
Welcome to Military Decision Making Process
(MDMP) Overview
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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
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Military Decision Making Process
Input
Output
Receipt of Mission

• Commanders initial guidance
• WARNO to staff
• Initial IPB products Cdrs Intent
• Restated mission Initial CCIR
• Updated staff estimates/products
• Preliminary movement
• Cdrs planning guidance Initial ISR plan
• Updated staff estimates
• COA statements and sketches
• Refine Cdrs planning guidance
• Wargame results
• Decisions support templates
• Task Organization
• Mission to subordinate units
• Decision matrix

• Mission received from higher HQ or
• deduced by the Commander and staff
• Higher HQ order/plan/IPB
• Staff estimates
• Facts assumptions
• Restated mission
• Cdrs intent planning guidance
• CCIR
• Staff estimates products
• Enemy COAs
• Refined Cdrs planning guidance
• Enemy COAs
• Friendly COAs
• Staff/BOS COAs
• Wargame results

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
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Role of the Commander
Visualize - process of developing a clear
understanding of the current state, with relation
to the enemy and environment, envisioning a
desired end state which represents mission
accomplishment, and then subsequently visualizing
the sequence of activity that moves the force
from its current state to the end
state. Describe Commanders describe their
visualization in the form of their Commanders
intent and planning guidance. Direct
Commanders direct throughout the operations
process by issuing plans and orders, and
establishing control measures.
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Role of the Commander
LEAD
Mission, Enemy, Terrain and Weather, Troops, Time
Available, Civil Considerations Common
Operational Picture
Principles of War Tempo Experience
VISUALIZE Art of War/Science
DESCRIBE Art of War/Science
DIRECT Art of War/Science
Nature and Design Of the Operation
Time, Space, Resources Purpose and Action
Battlefield Operating Systems
Maneuver Fire Support Intelligence Mobility /
Countermobility / Survivability Air
Defense Combat Service Support Command and Control
Decisive Operations Shaping Operations Sustainin
g Operations
Estimate
Input from other Commanders

• Plans and Orders
• Preparation
• Execution

• Planning Guidance
• Intent

• End State and Military Conditions
• Center of Gravity
• Decisive Points and Objectives
• Lines of Operation
• Culminating Point
• Operational Reach, Approach and Pauses
• Simultaneous and Sequential Operations
• Linear and Nonlinear Operations
• Tempo

ASSESS
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Visualize

• Commanders
• must understand the situation in the battlespace
• frame their battlespace during mission analysis
• use the operational framework and elements of
  operational design to assist them in visualizing
  operations

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Battlespace
Area of Influence - A geographical area wherein a
commander can influence operations by maneuver or
fire support systems normally under his command
or control.
Area of Operations - A geographical area,
including the airspace above, usually defined by
lateral, forward, and rear boundaries assigned to
a commander, by a higher commander, in which he
has responsibility and the authority to conduct
military operations.
Area of Influence
Area of Operations
Area of Interest - A geographical area from which
information and intelligence are required to
execute successful tactical operations and to
plan for future operations. It includes any
threat forces or characteristics of the
battlefield/battlespace environment that will
significantly influence accomplishment of the
commands mission.
Force Projection Base
Area of Interest
Information Environment
Information Environment - The aggregate of
individuals, organizations, and systems that
collect, process, store, display, and disseminate
information also included is the information
itself .
Home Station
Battlespace - Battlespace is the environment,
factors, and conditions commanders must
understand to successfully apply combat power,
protect the force, or complete the mission. This
includes the air and land space, and the included
enemy and friendly forces, facilities, weather,
terrain, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the
information environment within the operational
areas and areas of interest. Battlespace is
conceptual a higher commander does not assign
it.
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Elements of Operational Design

• End State and Military Conditions
• Center of Gravity
• Decisive Points and Objectives
• Lines of Operation
• Culminating Point
• Operational Reach, Approach, and Pauses
• Simultaneous and Sequential Operations
• Linear and Nonlinear Operations
• Tempo

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Describe

• Commanders
• Describe their visualization in the form of their
  Cdrs Intent and planning guidance and CCIR.
• Use operational framework and elements of
  operational design to describe the relationship
  of decisive, shaping, and sustaining operations
  in space and time.
• Emphasize how the combination of decisive,
  shaping, and sustaining operations relate to
  accomplishing the purpose of the overall
  operation.
• Commanders Intent Is a clear, concise statement
  of what the force must do and the conditions the
  force must meet to succeed with respect to the
  enemy, terrain, and the desired end state. It
  consists of end state, key tasks, and if desired,
  expanded purpose of the operation.
• Planning Guidance Cdr develops from his
  visualization initially focuses on COA
  development and on ISR operations Cdr identifies
  expected decisive operation how he sees shaping
  and sustaining operations contributing to it.

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Cdrs Intent and COA Development
Key tasks are not tied to a specific COA they
identify requirements fundamental to success of
the force as a whole. When significant
opportunities arise or the concept of operations
no longer applies, subordinates use key tasks to
keep their efforts supporting the Commanders
intent.
End State
COA 1
COA 2
COA 3
Key Tasks
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Commanders Critical Information
Requirements (CCIR)

• Supports the Commanders battlefield
  visualization
• Identifies information Cdr needs to make critical
  decisions
• Assists in determining or validating COAs
• Filter information available to the Commander
• Focuses the efforts of subordinates and staff
• Assists in the allocation of resources
• Assists staff officers in making recommendations
• Limit to 10 or less information items
• Directly affects the success or failure of the
  mission

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Commanders Critical Information
Requirements (CCIR)

• PIR Priority Information Requirements are those
  intelligence requirements for which a commander
  has an anticipated and stated priority in his
  task of planning and decision-making.
• FFIR Friendly Forces Information Requirements
  are information the commander and staff need
  about the forces available for the operation.

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Commanders Critical Information
Requirements (CCIR)
EEFI Essential Elements of Friendly Information
are the critical aspects of a friendly operation
that, if known by the enemy, would subsequently
compromise, lead to failure, or limit success of
the operation, and therefore, must be protected
from enemy detection.
In addition to nominating CCIR to the commander,
the staff also identifies and nominates essential
elements of friendly information (EEFI).
Although EEFI are not part of the CCIR, they are
a commanders priority.
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Direct

• Commanders direct throughout the operation by
  issuing plans and orders, and establishing
  control measures.
• Must strike a balance between necessary but
  minimum direction and overly detailed direction.
• Control measures help Commanders direct action
  by establishing responsibilities and limits to
  prevent units from impeding one another and to
  impose necessary coordination. They may be
  permissive or restrictive.

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The Role of the Staff During Planning

• Helps the Commander make decisions
• Develops effective plans and orders
• Integrates information with sound doctrine and
  technical competence
• Initially focused on Mission Analysis, to help
  the Commander understand the situation and the
  mission
• During COA Development and COA Comparison, the
  staff provides sound recommendations to support
  the Commander in selecting a COA

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Critical Staff Tasks

• Develop and maintain their Staff Estimates
• Identifying specified and implied tasks
• Identifying constraints
• Identifying key facts and assumptions
• Performing IPB
• Formulating the concept of operations and concept
  of support in line with Commanders intent
• Developing the scheme of maneuver to support the
  COA
• Preparing, authenticating, and distributing
  plans, orders, annexes, estimates, appendixes,
  and supporting plans

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Commander, Staff, and Subordinate Interaction

• MDMP is designed to facilitate interaction
  between Cdr, Staff, Lateral, Higher and
  Subordinate HQs.
• allows for coordinated, concurrent effort that
  maintains flexibility, efficiently uses time, and
  facilitates continuous information sharing.
• provides a structure for the staff to work
  collectively to produce coordinated plan
• staff interacts and shares with subordinate HQs.
  As decisions, information, and products become
  available, higher HQs send them to lower in WARNOs

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The Role of the Commander and Staff in the MDMP
Receipt of Mission

• Visualize
• Issue initial guidance
• Describe
• Approve Restated Mission
• Issue Initial Commanders
• Intent
• Issue Cdrs Planning Guidance
• Approve Initial CCIR
• Refine planning guidance

WARNO 1
Mission Analysis
Mission Analysis Briefing COA
Briefing Wargame Briefing (Optional) COA
Decision Briefing OPORD Briefing
WARNO 2
Course of Action Development
Staff Estimates
Course of Action Analysis (War-Game)
Commanders Visualization
Course of Action Comparison
Course of Action Approval
WARNO 3
Orders Production
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PARALLEL TRAINING FLOW CHART
Brigade
Battalion Company
Receipt of the Mission
Receipt of the Mission
Receive the Mission
5
1
Warning Order
Warning Order
Issue a Warning Order
Mission Analysis
10
Mission Analysis
2
Warning Order
Warning Order
COA Development
Make a Tentative Plan
20
COA Development
35
COA Analysis
COA Analysis
Initiate Movement
COA Comparison
COA Comparison
Conduct Recon
10
(One COA Comp App Brief)
COA Approval
Complete the Plan
COA Approval
3
Warning Order
Warning Order
Orders Production
Orders Production
Issue the Order
20
OPORD
OPORD
Generic Time Blocks from overall time
Supervise and Refine
20
Questions