Issue an Oral Operation Order
071-326-5505
Conditions: Having received the unit commander’s oral operation order (OPORD), map and map overlay
of the operational area, given a platoon size unit, pencil and paper.
Standards: Within the time allotted, develop a clear and concise order and issue it to your subordinate
leaders. The order must be issued so that all subordinate leaders understand their missions and any
coordinating instructions. The OPORD should follow the standard OPORD format.
Training and Evaluation Guide
Performance Steps:
1. Apply troop leading procedures to develop an order that supports the commander’s plan and allows
you to accomplish your mission.
Note: Troop-leading procedures are a series of eight inter-related overlapping processes that are often
accomplished concurrently and do not follow a rigid sequence. Leaders must use the procedure as
outlined, if only in abbreviated form, to ensure that nothing is left out of planning and preparation and that
soldiers understand the mission and prepare adequately. The detail of the order varies with the time
available to prepare it. Standing operating procedures (SOP) complement the order and allow the leader
to refer to them for reoccurring tasks. The sequence is used to help organize the order, however, leaders
extract mission essential information from higher unit orders rather than parrot the order.
Troop-Leading Procedure:
Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 3.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Step 6.
Step 7.
Step 8.
Receive the mission.
Issue the warning order.
Make tentative plan.
Start necessary movement.
Reconnoiter.
Complete the plan.
Issue the order.
Supervise.
2. Issue the Situation Paragraph.
a. Enemy forces: Provide available information on disposition, composition, strength, capabilities, and
most probable course of action.
b. Friendly forces: Give available information concerning the missions of next higher and adjacent
units.
c. Attachments and detachments: Give information concerning any units that have been attached or
detached.
3. Issue the Mission Paragraph. Issue a clear, concise statement of the task to be accomplished and the
purpose for doing it.
4. Issue the Execution Paragraph.
a. Give the concept of the operation. Explain in general terms how the platoon, as a whole will
accomplish the mission.
b. Address all squads and attachments by name and assign specific tasks that they are to accomplish.
c. Describe the plan for fire support to synchronize and complement the scheme of maneuver.
Address priority of fires, priority of targets, and any restrictive control measures on the use of fires.
d. State the concept of employment of any combat support attachments or who gets priority of their
use, how they are to be used, and how they will be controlled.
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5. Issue the Service Support Paragraph.
a. Provide instructions and arrangements supporting the operation that are of primary interest to the
platoon (location of and routes to company trains, casualty/prisoner of war collection points), including
changes to established SOPs or a previously issued order.
b. Provide information on classes of supply that are of interest to the platoon.
c. Provide any administrative instructions that impact on the platoon such as maintenance, or
destruction of supplies.
6. Issue the Command and Signal paragraph.
a. Give locations of the higher unit commander and command post, Platoon Leader and CP, and
Platoon Sergeant or alternate CP. Designate the succession of command if it differs from unit SOP.
b. Provide communications instructions to include visual signals, radio frequencies and call signs.
Performance Evaluation Guide
Evaluation Preparation: Provide the soldier a complete written company OPORD, pencil or pin, and
paper.
Brief Soldier: Tell the soldier that by using the written company order, he or she will develop a platoon
OPORD. Tell the soldier that upon completion of the order he or she will orally give it to you.
Performance Measures
1. Develop a clear and concise OPORD in the following standard OPORD format
a. Situation.
b. Mission
c. Execution.
d. Service support.
e. Command and signal.
Results
GO / NO-GO
2. Issue the order in a clear and concise manner and clarify questions
GO / NO-GO
Evaluation Guidance: Score the soldier GO if all performance measures are passed. Score the
soldier NO GO if any performance measure is failed. If the soldier scores NO GO, show the soldier
what was done wrong and how to do it correctly.
Required Reference:
FM 7-8
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