ATTP 5-0.1 Commander and Staff Officer Guide - Army Electronic ...

Chapter 6
1. SITUATION AND CONSIDERATIONS.
a. Area of Interest. Identify and describe those factors of the area of interest that affect functional
area considerations.
b. Characteristics of the Area of Operations.
(1) Terrain. State how terrain affects staff functional area’s capabilities.
(2) Weather. State how weather affects staff functional area’s capabilities.
(3) Enemy Forces. Describe enemy disposition, composition, strength, and systems within a
functional area as well as enemy capabilities and possible courses of action (COAs) with
respect to their effects on a functional area.
(4) Friendly Forces. List current functional area resources in terms of equipment, personnel,
and systems. Identify additional resources available for the functional area located at higher,
adjacent, or other units. List those capabilities from other military and civilian partners that may
be available to provide support within the functional area. Compare requirements to current
capabilities and suggest solutions for satisfying discrepancies.
(5) Civilian Considerations. Describe civil considerations that may affect the functional area
to include possible support needed by civil authorities from the functional area as well as
possible interference from civil aspects.
c. Assumptions. List all assumptions that affect the functional area.
2. MISSION. Show the restated mission resulting from mission analysis.
3. COURSES OF ACTION.
a. List friendly COAs that were war-gamed.
b. List enemy actions or COAs that were templated that impact the functional area.
c. List the evaluation criteria identified during COA analysis. All staffs use the same criteria.
4. ANALYSIS. Analyze each COA using the evaluation criteria from COA analysis. Review enemy
actions that impact the functional area as they relate to COAs. Identify issues, risks, and
deficiencies these enemy actions may create with respect to the functional area.
5. COMPARISON. Compare COAs. Rank order COAs for each key consideration. Use a decision
matrix to aid the comparison process.
6. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.
a. Recommend the most supportable COAs from the perspective of the functional area.
b. Prioritize and list issues, deficiencies, and risks and make recommendations on how to mitigate
them.
Figure 6-1. Generic base running estimate format
6-6. The base running estimate addresses information unique to each functional area. It serves as the staff
section’s initial assessment of the current readiness of equipment and personnel and of how the factors
considered in the running estimate affect the staff’s ability to accomplish the mission. Each staff section
identifies functional area friendly and enemy strengths, systems, training, morale, leadership, and weather
and terrain effects, and how all these factors impact both the operational environment and area of
operations. Because the running estimate is a picture relative to time, facts, and assumptions, each staff
section constantly updates the estimate as new information arises, as assumptions become facts or are
invalidated, when the mission changes, or when the commander requires additional input. Running
estimates can be presented verbally or in writing.
RUNNING ESTIMATES IN THE OPERATIONS PROCESS
6-7. Commanders and staff sections immediately begin updating their running estimates upon receipt of
mission. They continue to build and maintain their running estimates throughout out the operations process
in planning, preparation, execution, and assessment as discussed in paragraphs 6-8 through 6-11.
RUNNING ESTIMATES IN PLANNING
6-8. During planning, running estimates are key sources of information during mission analysis.
Following mission analysis, commanders and staff sections update their running estimates throughout the
rest of the military decisionmaking process. Based on the mission and the initial commander’s intent, the
staff develops one or more proposed courses of action (COAs) and continually refines its running estimates
6-2 ATTP 5-0.1 14 September 2011