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

The Staff
frank dialogue between themselves and their staff leaders. A staff gives honest, independent thoughts and
recommendations so commanders can make the best possible decisions. Once the commander has decided,
staff leaders implement decisions energetically, even if those decisions differ from their recommendations.
2-18. Teamwork within a staff and between staffs produces the staff integration essential to synchronized
operations. A staff cannot work efficiently without complete cooperation among all staff sections. A force
cannot operate effectively without cooperation among all headquarters. Commanders, chiefs of staff
(COSs), and executive officers (XOs) contribute to foster this climate during training and sustain it during
operations. However, frequent personnel changes and augmentation to the headquarters adds challenges to
building and maintaining the team.
2-19. Often, Army headquarters are augmented to assist with mission command. Commanders integrate
these teams and detachments into their command posts. For example, divisions commonly receive a civil
affairs battalion when deployed. Within that battalion is a civil affairs planning team that augments the civil
affairs staff section and plans cell in the headquarters. In other instances, commanders may request staff
augmentation. Augmentation teams include but are not limited to—
� Army space support team.
� Civil affairs planning team.
� Combat camera team.
� Human terrain analysis team.
� Legal support teams.
� Mobile public affairs team.
� Military history team.
� Military information support element.
� Individual augmentation by specialty (for example, assessment, economic development).
2-20. While all staff sections have clearly defined functional responsibilities, none can operate effectively
in isolation. Coordination among them is important. Commanders identify required interaction among staff
sections early in the process of organizing the headquarters. They equip and staff each section to work not
only with the rest of the headquarters but also with their counterparts in other headquarters. Developing the
unit’s battle rhythm to include synchronizing the various meeting, working groups and boards within the
headquarters enables staff integration (see paragraphs 3-62 through 3-64).
STAFF ORGANIZATION
2-21. Staff organization is based on the mission, each staff’s broad areas of expertise, and regulations and
laws. While staffs at every echelon and type of unit are structured differently, all staffs are similar.
CONSIDERATIONS
2-22. The mission determines which activities to accomplish. These activities determine how commanders
organize, tailor, or adapt their individual staffs to accomplish the mission. The mission also determines the
size and composition of a staff to include staff augmentation.
2-23. Regardless of mission, every Army staff has common broad areas of expertise that determine how
the commander divides duties and responsibilities. The duties and responsibilities inherent in an area of
expertise are called functional responsibilities. Grouping related activities allows an effective span of
control and unity of effort. Areas of expertise may vary slightly, depending on the echelon of command and
mission. For example, at battalion level there is no resource manager, while certain sustainment units
combine the intelligence and operations functions.
2-24. Army regulations and laws establish special relationships between certain staff officers and the
commander. For example, AR 20-1, AR 27-1, and AR 165-1 require the inspector general, Staff Judge
Advocate, and chaplain to be members of the commander’s personal staff.
2-25. Every organization requires an authorization document that states a headquarters’ approved structure
and resources. It is the basis and authority for personnel assignments and equipment requisitions. This
14 September 2011 ATTP 5-0.1 2-3