Strategic, Interagency & Intergovernmental Planning

Joint operation planning consists of planning activities associated with joint military operations by combatant commanders (CCDRs) and their subordinate joint force commanders (JFCs) in response to contingencies and crises. It transforms national strategic objectives into activities of joint forces.

The Department of Defense (DOD) conducts interorganizational coordination across a range of operations, with each type of operation involving different communities of interests and structures. This is especially pronounced for domestic and foreign operations, which are governed by different authorities and have considerably different US Government (USG) governing structures and stakeholders.

This SMARTbook is currently in development, projected for release in 2019. The Lightning Press will offer three specific Joint-Interagency related titles, plus already offers “JFODS5: The Joint Forces Operations & Doctrine SMARTbook, 5th Ed.” and more than a dozen related and supporting “military reference” and “national power” titles! (See “related titles” below.)

Planning & Conducting Multidomain Operations

BSS7-1: The Battle Staff SMARTbook, 7th Ed (w/SMARTupdate 1*) is completely updated for 2024 to include FM 5-0 w/C1, Planning and Orders Production (2022); FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (2022), FMs 1-02.1/.2, Military Terms & Symbols (2024); and more!

* SMARTupdate 1 (ATP 2-01.3 (C2)/FM 1-02.2) to BSS7 updates the first printing of the BSS7 SMARTbook (Oct ‘23) by incorporating terminology changes from ATP 2-01.3 (C2), Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (Jan ‘24) and changed material from FM 1-02.2 Military Symbols (Feb ‘24), along with minor pen-and-ink changes. An asterisk marks changed pages. (Learn more at www.thelightningpress.com/smartupdates/)

Focusing on planning and conducting multidomain operations (FM 3-0 Operations, 2022), BSS7-1 covers the operations process; commander and staff activities; the five Army planning methodologies - Army Design Methodology (ADM), Military Decision-making Process (MDMP), Troop Leading Procedures (TLP), Rapid Decision-Making and Synchronization Process (RDSP), & Army Problem Solving; integrating processes (intelligence preparation of the operational environment (IPOE), information collection, targeting, risk management, and knowledge management); plans and orders; mission command, C2 warfighting function tasks, command posts, liaison; rehearsals & after action reviews; and operational terms and military symbols.

The Army’s framework for organizing and putting command and control into action is the operations process—the major command and control activities performed during operations: planning, preparing, executing, and continuously assessing the operation. Commanders use the operations process to drive the conceptual and detailed planning necessary to understand their operational environment (OE); visualize and describe the operation’s end state and operational approach; make and articulate decisions; and direct, lead, and assess operations.

Commanders, staffs, and subordinate headquarters employ the operations process to organize efforts, integrate the warfighting functions across multiple domains, and synchronize forces to accomplish missions. This includes integrating numerous processes and activities within the headquarters and with higher, subordinate, supporting, and supported units. Key integrating processes that occur throughout the operations process include intelligence preparation of the battlefield, information collection, targeting, risk management, and knowledge management.

Planning requires the integration of both conceptual thinking and detailed analysis. Army leaders employ several methodologies for planning, determining the appropriate mix based on the scope and understanding of the problem, time available, and availability of a staff. Army planning methodologies include the Army design methodology (ADM), military decision-making process (MDMP), Troop leading procedures (TLP), rapid decision-making and synchronization process (RDSP),and Army problem solving.

Commanders and staffs integrate the warfighting functions and synchronize the force to adapt to changing circumstances throughout the operations process. They use several integrating processes to do this. An integrating process consists of a series of steps that incorporate multiple disciplines to achieve a specific end. For example, during planning, the military decision-making process (MDMP) integrates the commander and staff in a series of steps to produce a plan or order. Key integrating processes that occur throughout the operations process include intelligence preparation of the battlefield, information collection, targeting, risk management, and knowledge management.