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

Conduct a War-Game Briefing (Optional)
The Military Decisionmaking Process
4-170. Time permitting, the staff delivers a briefing to all affected elements to ensure everyone
understands the results of the war game. The staff uses the briefing for review and ensures that it captures
all relevant points of the war game for presentation to the commander, COS (XO), or deputy or assistant
commander. In a collaborative environment, the briefing may include selected subordinate staffs. A wargame
briefing format includes the following:
� Higher headquarters’ mission, commander’s intent, and military deception plan.
� Updated IPB.
� Friendly and enemy COAs that were war-gamed, including—
� Critical events.
� Possible enemy actions and reactions.
� Possible impact on civilians.
� Possible media impacts.
� Modifications to the COAs.
� Strengths and weaknesses.
� Results of the war game.
� Assumptions.
� War-gaming technique used.
STEP 5 – COURSE OF ACTION COMPARISON
4-171. COA comparison is an objective process to evaluate COAs independently and against set
evaluation criteria approved by the commander and staff. The goal is to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of COAs, enable selecting a COA with the highest probability of success, and further
developing it in an OPLAN or OPORD. The commander and staff perform certain actions and processes
that lead to the key outputs in Figure 4-14.
Figure 4-14. COA comparison
Conduct Advantages and Disadvantages Analysis
4-172. The COA comparison starts with all staff members analyzing and evaluating the advantages and
disadvantages of each COA from their perspectives. (See Figure 4-15, page 4-36.) Staff members each
present their findings for the others’ consideration. Using the evaluation criteria developed before the war
game, the staff outlines each COA, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages. Comparing the strengths
and weaknesses of the COAs identifies their advantages and disadvantages with respect to each other.
14 September 2011 ATTP 5-0.1 4-35