MISSION REPORT: FORT FUBAR
(CLASSIFICATION: DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL)
SITREP: Why everyone asks you things you already briefed in the OPORDER and why your brief sucked
OPORD briefs usually suck, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE TO! The Army has created a fantastic system of delivering information known as the operations order (OPORD). In it, the OPORD gives you a background of what’s going on, tells you the mission that you have to accomplish, lays out the plan for accomplishing the mission, and ends with detailed information about how that mission will be logistically supported. So, what could go wrong? The issue is that OPORD briefs are BORING! We focus so much on saying every detail, whether we think it’s important, or we just want the boss to think we did a good job.
The problem with that, is the OPORD brief is not for the boss. He or she should already know what’s going on. The OPORD brief is for everyone else. It needs to be understood by the dumbest private, SGM, or even field grade in the formation. So, to make this brief more relevant and easier to be understood, I propose a suggestion…let us engage in the timeless endeavor of storytelling. Imagine, if you will, a concept of the operation, briefed in a fancy British storytelling voice, that goes something like this…
“Once upon a time… there was a mean old squad of infantrymen guarding a hill overlooking the whole valley. This hill was very important because whoever controlled it, could call for fire and destroy any troops or equipment that they saw. The hill was heavily guarded by mortars and some small arms. But even more challenging were the obstacles that had been placed all around the bottom, leading to the top of the hill.
The Company Commander was very distressed about these villainous foes, for he had been charged with taking this hill in order to allow for an isolated platoon on the other side of the valley to be brought valuable logistics for them to sustain their fight. But fear not, for here enters our heroes! An infantry platoon of riflemen from Bravo company, 3rd platoon.
The Company Commander said to the brave Platoon Leader, “go with your platoon and take this hill so that we may relive our brethren and be rid of this nasty foe.” So, the brave PL and his platoon set forth on the journey. The crossed the line of departure into enemy territory. They choose to go through a densely vegetated forest so as to not be seen. Upon arriving within several hundred meters of the hill, they choose to rest and to conduct a reconnaissance, looking for the best way to attack. There, a small group of scout soldiers from the platoon spotted a road which led to the top, but the road was guarded by a triple strand of concertina wire. The scouts went back and told the PL everything that they had seen.
The PL pondered how he could get past this obstacle, when suddenly he realized that he had been given the “Bangalores of Breach” by his friends, the Sappers. He instructed a squad of his finest men to prepare the Bangalores and to be ready to breach the obstacle. The PL placed two groups of men on either side of the obstacle to act as security and early warning for the breach team. The PL then placed his machine guns in a support by fire position for which they could support the breach and then inflict maximum damage upon the objective. Finally, the PL designated two squads to assault through the breach and vanquish the foes upon the hill.
The PL knew that enemy would be watching the road, so he decided to create a distraction and to begin his attack by mortaring the hilltop, causing confusion. The mortars were sent, the machine guns opened fire, and the brave mean of squad breach set forth to remove the cursed obstacle. Many of the foes appeared, taking shots at the heroes, but each was met with a blizzard of machine gun fire from the support by fire position. After a short time, the wire was blown up, cut, and removed, and the obstacle had been cleared. Immediately, the assault team went through, destroying all in their path until there were none left to contest the hill. The hill had been taken!
The platoon quickly formed a perimeter preparing for a counterattack, but none came. They sent word to the company commander that the objective had been taken and all in the center of tactical operations rejoiced!”
If you read this far, then that means you must have enjoyed this story. Much better than having each staff weenie read off their role during the operation, by phase. Talk about a snooze fest! So, keeping things professional, what lessons can we take away from this and how can we incorporate this into everyday army life?
First, let’s make sure that when we are briefing, we convey the big picture and large concepts. Soldiers can read the details in the actual order. Understanding the broader picture helps give true shared understanding to the mission. Understanding the broader picture also allows for quicker planning and more mission command. Mission command allows for more flexibility, allowing leaders to more rapidly adapt to ever changing situations.
Second, being more dynamic in your presenting (not to the point of showmanship but maintaining professionalism) keeps people engaged and allows for you to get your concepts across better. Think of it as effective communication.
In this brief story, we hit on almost all of the key elements of a good order. We know the situation, enemy composition, disposition, and strength. We know the mission and execution. We know the special equipment available for the mission and we did a brief terrain analysis. Not bad for a two-minute short story!
Always remember that good orders kill bad people, and bad orders kill good people. Quality over quantity wins the day with OPORDs. Hopefully, you can incorporate a little story telling into your day and make the army that much more of a brighter place.
“Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor. Rangers, lead the way!”
Love this article? Great! Let me know and I’ll produce more. Hate this article? Well, it’s probably ‘cause you’re boring and suck at storytelling. Why don’t you go ahead, respond, and let me know why I am wrong.
*This article was written by FUBAR 6. All opinions expressed in this article are that of the author. This article is not endorsed by the Department of Defense, the United States Army, or any other state or government agency. Comments to the author can be submitted below.
