FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations, is intended to serve several purposes. First, it provides commanders and staffs specific information they will need in the exercise of mission command. Second, the manual provides multiple templates and examples of products that commanders and staffs routinely use in the conduct of operations. Finally, FM 6-0 discusses roles and responsibilities that should be understood to facilitate ease of communication among various members of different organizations. It should be noted that although FM 6-0 provides tactics and procedures, commanders may modify products as necessary to meet mission requirements.
FM 6-0 provides commanders and staffs with many of the tactics and procedures associated with exercising mission command. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations (ADP 6-0). Mission command is both a philosophy and a warfighting function. As the Army’s philosophy of command, mission command emphasizes that command is essentially a human endeavor.
FM 6-0 was first published 5 May 2014 and superseded ATTP 5-01.1, dated 14 September 2011. The latest edition is Change 2, dated 22 Apr 16. Change 2 to FM 6-0, 5 May 2014, updates discussion of evaluation criteria, corrects errors in how to weight evaluation criteria, and makes administrative changes. It is approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
FM 6-0 (including change 2) is referenced extensively in BSS6: The Battle Staff SMARTbook, 6th Ed. (Plan, Prepare, Execute, & Assess Military Operations). Material referenced from FM 6-0 includes 62 pages of step-by-step discussion and examination of the military decisionmaking process (MDMP) and troop leading procedures (TLP) in chapter two, 32 pages of discussion of plans and orders (chap four), 12 pages on command posts (CP) organization/operations, 6 pages on liaison, 12 pages on rehearsals, and 10 pages on after action reviews (AARs).
BSS6: The Battle Staff SMARTbook, 6th Ed. covers the operations process (ADP 5-0); commander’s activities; Army planning methodologies; the military decisionmaking process and troop leading procedures (FM 6-0 w/Chg 2: MDMP & TLP); integrating processes (intelligence preparation of the battlefield, information collection, targeting, risk management, and knowledge management); plans and orders (WARNORDs/FRAGORDs/OPORDs); mission command, C2 warfighting function tasks, command posts, liaison (ADP 6-0); rehearsals & after action reviews; and operational terms and military symbols (ADP 1-02).
This article is an extract from “BSS6: The Battle Staff SMARTbook, 6th Ed. (Plan, Prepare, Execute, & Assess Military Operations)” by The Lightning Press. Download a free PDF sample and learn more at: BSS6: The Battle Staff SMARTbook, 6th Ed. (Plan, Prepare, Execute, & Assess Military Operations).
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