FM 5-0 Planning

Question 1

What are the four activities of the operations process?

Answer 1

Planning
Preparing
Executing
Accessing

Question 2

What are the commander activities

Answer 2

Understand
Visualize
Describe
Direct
Lead
Assess

Question 3

What are the principles of mission command?

Answer 3

Competence
Shared understanding
Mutual Trust
Mission Orders
Commanders Intent
Disciplined Initiative
Risk Acceptance

Question 4

What are the function of planning?

Answer 4

Build Situational Understanding
Identify and develop solutions to problems
Understand, describe, and accept risk
Direct, coordinate, and synchronize action
Task-organize the force and prioritize efforts
Anticipate Events

Question 5

What are the Army Planning Methodologies (5)?

Answer 5

Army Problem Solving
Army Design Methodology
Military Decision Making Process
Rapid Decision Making and Synchronization Process
Troop Leading Procedures

Question 6

What are the steps of Army Problem Solving?

Answer 6

Step 1 - Gather information.
Step 2 - Identify the problem.
Step 3 - Develop criteria.
Step 4 - Generate possible solutions.
Step 5 - Analyze possible solutions.
Step 6 - Compare possible solutions.
Step 7 - Make and implement the decision.

Question 7

What are ADM activities?

Answer 7

Framing an OE.
Framing problems.
Developing an operational approach.
Reframing (as required).

Question 8

What are the steps of MDMP?

Answer 8

Step 1 - Receipt of mission.
Step 2 - Mission analysis.
Step 3 - COA development.
Step 4 - COA analysis.
Step 5 - COA comparison.
Step 6 - COA approval.
Step 7 - Orders production, dissemination, and transition.

Question 9

What are the steps of RDSP?

Answer 9

Step 1 - Compare the current situation to the order.
Step 2 - Determine that a decision, and what type, is required.
Step 3 - Develop a course of action.
Step 4 - Refine and validate the course of action.
Step 5 - Issue and implement the order.

Question 10

What are the TLPs?

Answer 10

Step 1 - Receive the mission.
Step 2 - Issue a warning order.
Step 3 - Make a tentative plan.
Step 4 - Initiate movement.
Step 5 - Conduct reconnaissance.
Step 6 - Complete the plan.
Step 7 - Issue the order.
Step 8 - Supervise and refine.

Question 11

What are the five parts of the mission statement?

Answer 11

Who will execute the operation (unit or organization)?
What is the unit’s essential task (normally a tactical mission task or tactical enabling task)?
Where will the operation occur (area of operations [AO], objective, engagement areas, or grid coordinates)?
When will the operation begin (by time or event)?
Why will the force conduct the operation (for what purpose)?

Question 12

What is the commanders intent and what are the key parts?

Answer 12

The commander’s intent is a clear and concise expression of the purpose of the operation and the desired military end state that supports mission command, provides focus to the staff, and helps subordinate and supporting commanders act to achieve the commander’s desired results without further orders, even when the operation does not unfold as planned.
- Redefined purpose
- Key tasks
- End state - the desired conditions of the friendly force in relationship to desired conditions of the enemy, terrain, and civil considerations.

Question 13

What is the concept of operations framework?

Answer 13

The concept of operations is a statement that directs the manner in which subordinate units cooperate
to accomplish the mission and establishes the sequence of actions the force will use to achieve the end state. Described by:
􀁺 Area—establishing the close, deep, rear, support, and consolidation areas within an AO.
􀁺 Purpose—designating and sequencing the decisive operation, shaping operations, and sustaining
operations.
􀁺 Priority—designating the main and supporting efforts.

Question 14

What goes into a running estimate?

Answer 14

􀁺 Facts.
􀁺 Assumptions.
􀁺 Friendly status, including location, activity, and combat power of
subordinate units from two echelons down.
􀁺 Enemy status, including composition, disposition, and strength.
􀁺 Civil considerations.
􀁺 Conclusions and recommendations with associated risk.

Question 15

What strategic level documents are used to provide direction to planning?

Answer 15

National Security Strategy
National Defense Strategy
National Military Strategy
Unified Campaign Plan
Contingency Planning Guidance
Joist Strategic Campaign Plan
Global Force Management Implementation Guidance

Question 16

How are contingency plans developed? (Levels)

Answer 16

Level 1—Commander’s Estimate
Level 2—Base Plan
Level 3—Concept Plan
Level 4—OPLAN

Question 17

What is operational art?

Answer 17

Operational art is the cognitive approach by commanders and staffs—supported by their skill, knowledge,
experience, creativity, and judgment—to develop strategies, campaigns, and operations to organize and
employ military forces by integrating ends, ways, and means (JP 3-0). Operational art applies to all types
and aspects of operations, and it serves two main functions—
􀁺 To ensure that military actions are aligned with and directly support strategy.
􀁺 To ensure that tactical actions occur under the most advantageous conditions possible.

Question 18

What questions must commanders ask to determine when, where, and for what purpose to employ forces
and to determine the sequence of those forces in major operations and battles?

Answer 18

􀁺 What conditions, when established, constitute the desired end state (ends)?
􀁺 How will the force achieve these desired conditions (ways)?
􀁺 What sequence of actions helps attain these conditions (ways)?
􀁺 What resources are required to accomplish that sequence of actions (means)?
􀁺 What is the chance of failure or unacceptable consequences in performing that sequence of
actions (risk)?

Question 19

What makes up the Army elements of operational art?

Answer 19

End state conditions
Center of Gravity
Decisive Points
Lines of Operations and Lines of Effort
Temp
Phasing and Transitions
Culmination
Operational Reach
Basing
Risk

Question 20

What is a line of operation?

Answer 20

line of operations is a line that defines the directional orientation of a force in time and space in
relation to the enemy and links the force with its base of operations and objectives.

Question 21

What are interior and exterior lines?

Answer 21

Categorize Lines of Operations:
Interior lines are lines on which a force operates when its operations diverge from a central point
Exterior lines are lines on which a force operates when its operations converge on the enemy

Question 22

What is a line of effort?

Answer 22

A line of effort is a line that links multiple tasks using the logic of purpose rather than geographical
reference to focus efforts toward establishing a desired end state.

Question 23

Describe the steps of Army Problem Solving

Answer 23

Step 1 - Gather information. (Facts, assumptions, interests)
Step 2 - Identify the problem. (5Ws)
Step 3 - Develop criteria. (Screening and evaluation)
Step 4 - Generate possible solutions. (Feasible, Acceptable, Suitable, Distinguishable, Complete)
Step 5 - Analyze possible solutions. (Benchmark - does the solution achieve the desired state?)
Step 6 - Compare possible solutions. (determine the best solution)
Step 7 - Make and implement the decision. (Decide and act)
Continually Assess

Question 24

How do commanders and staff frame the Operational Environment?

Answer 24

When framing an OE, the commander and planning team seek to answer questions such as—
􀁺 What is going on in the OE?
􀁺 Why has this situation developed?
􀁺 Who are the relevant actors?
􀁺 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant actors?
􀁺 What are the relationships among relevant actors?
􀁺 What is causing conflict or tensions among relevant actors?
􀁺 Why is the situation (or the projected future situation) undesirable?
􀁺 What future conditions need to exist for success?

By using activities that help commanders and staff develop an environmental frame. Commanders
and staffs—
􀁺 Understand higher echelon guidance and direction.
􀁺 Understand the current state of an OE.
􀁺 Project how an OE may trend in the future.
􀁺 Discern desired future states of other actors.
􀁺 Envision a desired end state.