FM 101-5 Staff Officers' Field Manual The Staff and Combat Orders

59-62 COMBAT ORDERSmander Intends to do with his force to meet the requirementsof the Immediate situation.• 60. SUPPLEMENTARY DECISIONS.—a. Following the decisioncertain supplementary decisions must generally be made asto the details of its execution. The more important of thesemay be announced by the commander as a directive to hisstaff.b. A commander may authorize his subordinate commanders and general staff officers to make supplementarydecisions and to issue in his name the orders necessary tocarry them out. He may prescribe this method in whole orin part as standing operating procedure.• 61. PLAN.—a. The plan consists of the decision, the supplementary decisions, and elaborated tactical, intelligence,and administrative details pertaining to the operation, prescribing the employment of each subordinate unit in carrying out the decision.b. With the commander's directive as a basis, the staffprepares the plan in detail.c. Since the commander is responsible for all instructionsissued to the command, the entire plan must have his approval or his authorization.(J. In an emergency, the authorization may be given inadvance, the staff being directed to formulate the plan andissue'in the name of the commander the orders necessaryto put it into effect.e. The commander should require his staff to preparecontingent plans for future operations. The greater themobility of the unit the greater becomes the necessity foranticipating its probable future action.• 62. ISSUANCE OF ORDERS.—a. When time permits, the commander's decision is translated into orders as follows:(1) Each general staff section prepares its appropriateportion of the plan. The parts of the plan are coordinatedby the chief of staff who presents them to the commanderfor approval.(2) Each general staff section prepares its appropriateportion of the field and administrative orders, based on the38