TROOP LEADING PROCEDURES

1
TROOP LEADING PROCEDURES
2
REFERENCES

• FM 7-8
• FM 25-101

3
AGENDA

• Decision making
• TLP eight steps
• RECEIVE THE MISSION
• ISSUE THE WARNING ORDER
• MAKE A TENTATIVE PLAN
• START NECESSARY MOVEMENT
• RECONNOITER
• COMPLETE PLAN
• ISSUE THE COMPLETE PLAN
• SUPERVISE
• Conclusion

4
DECISION MAKING

• Army leaders usually follow one of two decision
  making processes. Leaders at company level and
  below follow the troop leading procedures (TLP).
  The TLP are designed to help solve tactical
  problems. Leaders at battalion-level and above
  use the military decision making process (MDMP).
  For further discussion on the MDMP see FM 101-5
  (Staff Organizations and Operations). Both TLP
  and MDMP are established, proven methods of
  problem solving and decision making. They save
  time and achieve parallel decision making and
  planning.

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TLP EIGHT STEPS

• RECEIVE THE MISSION
• ISSUE THE WARNING ORDER
• MAKE A TENTATIVE PLAN
• START NECESSARY MOVEMENT
• RECONNOITER
• COMPLETE PLAN
• ISSUE THE COMPLETE PLAN
• SUPERVISE

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RECEIVE THE MISSION

• The leader must understand the order and most
  importantly the commanders intent. Analyze the
  order to determine what tasks must be
  accomplished whether they are specified in the
  order or implied by the mission.
• Also determine what resources, including time,
  are available to prepare and execute the mission.
  
• Receive the mission to be completed from command,
  whether it be a new mission or a change to a
  mission in progress. Leader must analyze the
  mission based on the factors of the Mission,
  Enemy, Terrain, Troops available, and Time
  available (METT-T).
• For the factor of time, the leader should use
  less than 1/3 of the time to the beginning of the
  mission to plan and issue the order so that his
  subordinates have 2/3 of that time to prepare
  (1/3 - 2/3 Rule).

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ISSUE THE WARNING ORDER

• Provide a brief order outlining upcoming events
  to prepare subordinates for movement. This order
  provides initial instructions to allow
  preparation to begin as soon as possible (i.e.
  draw ammunition, rations, water, supplies. etc.).
  The warning order has no specific format.
• The leader must let his subordinates know that
  they are about to receive an order based on the
  order received from higher. Tell the
  subordinates what the expected mission is and any
  implementing and planning instructions they need
  to begin their preparations.
• Include a timeline in the warning order that
  covers all critical events (including OPORD issue
  time) prior to mission execution.

8
MAKE A TENTATIVE PLAN

• The leader develops an estimate of the situation
  to form the basis of a tentative plan. The
  military decision making process involved uses
  five steps mission analysis, situation / course
  of action development, analysis of possible
  courses of action, comparison of each course of
  action, and the decision or tentative plan.
• Based on information supplied in the order that
  was received and the leaders analysis of that
  order along with the units current situation
  using METT-T, the leader must first clearly
  determine his units mission.
• The unit mission simply answers the five Ws Who,
  What, Where, When, and Why. Then the leader
  determines the concept or How his unit will
  accomplish the mission.

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START NECESSARY MOVEMENT

• The unit may need to start movement while leaders
  are still planning or reconnoitering. Therefore,
  a delegated leader may bring the unit forward at
  any point during the troop-leading procedure.
• If the mission requires movement or repositioning
  of any element, this movement should begin as
  early as possible to make best use of the time
  available.

10
RECONNOITER

• Reconnaissance at company-level and below is
  generally conducted either on the ground or on a
  map. The leader should include key personnel on
  his reconnaissance. He should focus his
  reconnaissance on primary unit positions,
  alternate locations, critical routes, and
  possible threat locations and routes.
• There is nothing more effective than actual
  eyes-on reconnaissance to confirm routes and
  time critical movements. Nevertheless, if there
  isnt enough time, leaders must at least conduct
  a map reconnaissance.

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COMPLETE THE PLAN

• Make necessary changes to the plan and prepare
  order. Leaders should review the mission to
  ensure that their plan is in compliance with the
  commander's intent.
• Leaders organize the information needed for their
  order in a standard coherent form. This may be
  the format designated in the unit SOP or the
  standard five-paragraph operations order format
  below
• 1.  Situation
• 2.  Mission
• 3.  Concept of the Operation
• 4.  Service Support
• 5. Command and Signal

• Platoon leaders already have a good format in
  place.

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ISSUE THE COMPLETE ORDER

• Provide a five paragraph Operations Order (OPORD)
  outlining the mission and how it will be
  completed. Subordinates should know who, what,
  when, where, and why of the mission so they
  understand their own tasks and how they fit into
  the entire mission.
• Leaders issue their order either on the ground
  they plan on operating, which is preferred, or
  with a map of the area of operations. They make
  sure all key subordinates are present to receive
  the order.
• If the order is issued verbally, leaders must
  present it clearly and deliberately enough to
  allow key subordinates time to write the
  important points down.
• Once the order is issued, leaders should use
  brief-back techniques to make sure the
  subordinate leaders understand the tasks and
  priorities assigned to them.

13
SUPERVISE

• The most important step but often the most
  overlooked is supervision.
• This means closing the loop to insure your
  subordinates understand the mission and are
  prepared to execute the mission through the use
  of conduct Pre Combat Inspections (PCI).
  Soldiers and their first line leaders conduct Pre
  Combat Checks (PCC). Commanders and other
  leaders conduct PCIs to insure the mission is
  understood and subordinate elements are prepared
  to conduct the mission theyve been assigned.
• Finally, leaders at all levels conduct rehearsals
  to give everyone involved a thorough
  understanding of their tasks, how these tasks
  meet the commanders intent, and how they fit into
  the overall concept of the operation.
• Rehearsals also allow the leader to identify and
  examine actions or tasks that may require more
  coordination or preparation prior to execution of
  the plan.

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Conclusion

• Planning, Rehearsals, and Inspections Sergeants
  Business? You Bet!
• There it is! The pre-combat triad of planning,
  rehearsing, and inspecting is Sergeants business
  at the platoon level. As an NCO, your parallel
  mission in life is to train your platoon leader
  for higher command.
• If you dont offer the platoon leader the benefit
  of your experience and training, the platoon
  leader has to learn in a vacuum. This leaves the
  Platoon Leader alone usually by this time
  mentally exhausted to plan for the operation.
  In combat that error will cost lives, perhaps
  your own.