Tasks in the 5 paragraph order, and purpose

[Koskela]

Hi!

I´m looking for information about how a commander will order his sub commander to fulfill certain tasks (platoon commander -> teamleader). That I´m especially interested in is what kind of tasks a teamleader can get in the 5 paragraph order in the US ARMY in the word of "what". IMO there must be some certain standards, like "take BP"



2. MISSION
Who, what, where, when, why (state mission twice and state all grids twice for each reading of mission statement).


My question is two folded, and the second thing is the purpose (why) with the task (what). Also there, I think there is a standard as well.

I`ve read about this for some time ago, but I can´t find the link to it, so this is my distresscall to all of you at MP.net!

Sorry for my bad english....

/Koskela

[Royal]

The 'task' or 'mission' will always be related to the higher commander's intent - which is why the wording should always finish with the phrase "in order to...".

In fact under Mission Command/Directive Control you can completely ignore your personal mission if there is a way of fulfulling the higher commander's intent.

Example: You are tasked to capture a bridge leading into a town. The higher commander's intent is to capture the town. In your recce you discover that you can ford the river and secure the route facing the enemy on the other side of town.

If you take and hold the bridge you wasted an opportunity to achieve the higher commander's intent. The enemy can reinforce the other side of town and you'll probably be killed in the assault on it.

Read up on Mission Command/Auftragstaktik. A classic example of this in practice is the capture of Belgrade in 1941.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission-type_tactics

[Koskela]

Thanks for your answer. I´m sorry if I didn´t explained myself so clearly. I understand that task and intent are in dependense of each other. What I´m looking for are the combat task that are given in a direct combat situation.

The order contents the commanders will in that single word "take" in the situation "take battlepositions in the yellow house, facing the square, you are allowed to fire between the green house and the blue house" The unit commander must then know what "take battle positions" means and take the right actions. It is that kind of standard expressions for the US Army I´m looking for. Unit commanders must so to say speak the same language!

Once again thnx!

Koskela:bash:His very bad english

[winchester_down]

Something i found by searching on google , "mission verbs"

Canadian not American but you get the idea

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,27180.0.html?PHPSESSID=7b828bebba538e80ee9aa0c96c9da775

[Koskela]

Thanks a lot! That was precisely what I was looking for. It can be hard sometimes when you dont really knows the right terms for the things you´re looking for.

/Koskela