COA Development Steps

1
COA Development Steps

• Analyze available forces.
• Generate options (brainstorming)
• - determine decisive point and main effort
• - determine supporting efforts
• - determine purposes for main and supporting
  efforts
• - determine essential tasks for efforts
• Array initial forces (2 levels down)
• Develop the scheme of maneuver (details to
  accomplish mission)
• Assign headquarters
• Prepare a COA statement and sketch (Decisive
  point, form of maneuver,
• and statement of each task to be
  accomplished)
• Write your mission statement using the 5Ws.
• 8. Write your commanders intent to address key
  tasks or conditions that
• must be met to achieve the stated purpose
  and end state.
• Notes
• COA statement must clearly portray how the unit
  will accomplish mission.
• Sketch provides a picture of the COA with control
  measures,
• prominent features and legend if required

2
COA Sketch
Rope Bridge Team
SE Far side Team T-Tie round turn w/two half
hitches P Secure rope on far side
x Wireman's x Two
links x One link
x - Far side man
x
x x x x x
ME Transport Team T-Tie wireman's knot
round turn w/two half hitches P Secure rope
tightly on near side
CDRs Intent Purpose of the rope bridge team is
to construct a bridge to cross the obstacle as
quickly as possible. The end state of this
operation is when everyone has crossed the site
and no knots or snap links remain on the rope.
COA Statement We will utilize three teams to
accomplish this task. The Transport team is the
ME responsible for tying the wireman's knot,
nearside knot and controlling the crossing. Far
Side and Pull Teams are supporting efforts to
assist the ME. Decisive to this operation is the
proper securing of the rope bridge to both the
far and near side anchor points.
SE Pull Team T-Pull the rope P Tighten near
side rope
Mission The Raider Team will execute one rope
bridge crossings on Friday at 1500hrs during
practice at the Raider Site in order to learn how
to quickly and efficiently cross a given
obstacle.
3
COA Development and Briefing Technique

• Designate the following for developing and
  briefing your COA TM Leader,
• Briefer, Recorder, Timer and Pointer.
• 2. Updated Intelligence (Situation to include
  available forces, enemy forces,
• weather and terrain)
• 3. Restated Mission (who, what, when, where and
  why)
• 4. Commanders Intent (Addresses key tasks or
  conditions that must be met
• to achieve the stated purpose or end state)
• 5. Cover the COA sketch while paraphrasing the
  COA Statement.
• - Use a pointer to explain the sketch (should be
  a separate person)
• - If necessary read the COA statement, so as to
  not leave out details

4
OPERATION ORDER FORMAT

• Task Organization (States how the unit is
  organized for the operation)
• I. Situation
• A. Enemy Forces (Light and Weather Data,
  Terrain and
• Enemy Most Probably Course of Action)
• B. Friendly Forces (Higher Mission 2 levels up
  and location of adjacent units
• II. Mission (who, what, when, where and why)
• III. Execution CDRS Intent, A. Concept of
  Operation (COA Statement), B.
• Maneuver (Task and Purpose of subordinate
  units), C. Task to subordinate
• units (specified tasks), D. Coordinating
  Instructions (Applies to 2 or more
• units, i.e. order of movement, formations
  and timeline)
• IV. Service and Support A. Materials
  (equipment, food and water, supplies)
• B. Medical (Medics or First Aide equipment)
  
• V. Command and Signal A. Command (Location of
  key personnel and
• succession of command), B. Signal (Method of
  communication and