An essential part of both ABOLC and IBOLC, as well as several other BOLCs, is learning how to develop a platoon-level OPORD. As a future leader, you are working toward becoming an effective planner. While you will continue to learn and grow once you arrive at your unit as a platoon leader, you must arrive with a solid foundation in planning.
At BOLC, you will receive instruction and conduct practical exercises on the TLPs and the development of the associated OPORD. It is essential that you leave with a clear understanding of the TLPs, including how they are applied in an operational environment, how they enable a full team effort, how they guide the production of a complete OPORD, and how they allow you to lead the planning process. This foundation will prepare you not only for Ranger School but also for your upcoming role as a platoon leader.
Remember, at BOLC your goal is to excel as a platoon leader in the operational force, not just as a student.
Because of the importance of the TLPs to platoon leaders, the Blue / Green Team created the OPORD Blue Book.
Common TLP and OPORD Challenges for BOLC Students:
After conducting an in-depth review of BOLC and levels of understanding of new platoon leaders, the B/G Team concluded several fundamental problems that led us to create the OPORD Blue Book. The problems included:
- Students struggling to understand the TLP material taught in class and not having material to help them gain the required understanding. While frequently pointed towards doctrine, that material is often confusing and spread across countless publications. Other materials included online, including articles and YouTube videos, are often incorrect or incomplete.
- Students finishing BOLC without a strong grasp on the TLPs.
- Students finishing BOLC believe OPORD production is a standalone process, separate from the TLPs.
- Students passing the graded OPORDs at BOLC, but not having a confident grasp on the specific products produced.
- Students mastering the use of the TLPs and the associated OPORD production individually, but failing to understand how the process would be executed when they are with their unit serving as a platoon leader. This degrades their performance at Ranger School and as platoon leaders.
- Students believing OPORDs are only schoolhouse tools, and aren't actually used in the operational force. They confuse a commander backbrief with a unit internal OPORD briefing, and believe they only need to create the contents of a commander backbrief. Discussed further here.
BOLC students are smart and ambitious, and BOLC already does a great job in educating these new officers. We knew we could supplement this all with additional material to increase the quality of our future combat leaders.
How the OPORD Blue Book Helps Master the TLPs:
Based on the common problems we considered, we spent two years creating material to help new officers become great planners.
Over 275 pages, the OPORD Blue Book provides:
- Explanations on the importance of the TLPs, how they are used to create an OPORD, and the application outside the schoolhouse; this provides the framework for the remainder of the material
- A step-by-step walk through of each step of the TLPs so they are understood for use in and out of the schoolhouse
- An in-depth walk through of TLP Step 3 and 6, which is where your "pen to paper" creation of your OPORD is completed; upon completion, it will be clear how you produce your platoon level OPORD using the TLPs
- Advice for new platoon leaders, including how to train your platoon on the TLPs, how to get all elements involved, and a practical look at how TLPs, OPORD production, and company commander backbrief may play out
- A walk through for considerations in preparation for Ranger School; we provide context of what the TLPs will look like at Ranger School, and key points where the OPORD production will differ from what you did at BOLC
- Doctrinal references throughout the book so you know exactly where to look when you need additional information
The guide uses common language that we can all understand. Too often, doctrine uses difficult to understand language and poor / lack of examples, and spreads that information across dozens of different materials making it hard to review. With common language, easy to understand examples, and a logical sequence, you'll be able to learn the most important concepts.
The B/G Team worked with those from across the Army, including professionals from conventional and non-conventional forces, officers and NCOs, Ranger School, RSLC, BOLC, CCC instructors, and a variety of experienced and most qualified military leaders to ensure accuracy and relevance. When that knowledge and experience was paired with in-depth reviews of doctrine and BOLC, CCC, and Ranger School standards, the material created exceeds the standard. Our commitment to excellence is why the book was created over a two year period and not rapidly produced.
The guide is a hard-copy printed version. When students are working at a desk, it is important they have a printed copy that they can use whenever help is needed. Of course, the printed copy is spiral bound, so it lays flat. We've seen other materials in bound books that you have to prop to stay open.
How to Use the OPORD Blue Book Before & During BOLC:
The B/G OPORD Blue Book serves to provide a supplemental resource for you. It can serve as both a primer to review before BOLC and a reliable tool for you to have during BOLC to support your learning. You can think about it as a textbook for BOLC.
If you’re preparing for BOLC, we encourage you to review the Blue Book before BOLC. Doing so ahead of time can give you a critical head start. Being exposed to these concepts early – even in a general way – makes it easier to absorb and apply them when you encounter them in a formal education setting.
As you begin to receive structured instruction at BOLC, this guide can serve as a helpful companion to reinforce lessons or offer alternate explanations when things don’t quite click.
For example, when students are taught how to use the TLPs to produce an OPORD, that amount of information can be overwhelming. When you head home after class, you can flip to the relevant portion of the Blue Book, and use it as a textbook. We provide easy to understand explanations and examples, graphics, and doctrinal references, so you can focus on learning, not finding the right 500 page piece of doctrine to sort through.
The material is also useful for other courses that cover TLP material for officers including ROTC / West Point, Ranger School, Sapper School, Captain’s Career Course (CCC), a SOF Qualification Course, or something similar.
Improving Mission Planning Skills:
When you're in a formal military education environment, your focus should be on building sound plans and developing tactical judgment – not trying to figure out what product to create, what goes in which section of the OPORD, or what color markers to use on your graphics. Too often, students struggle with the mechanics of the process instead of concentrating on the quality of their analysis and the bigger picture. This guide exists to remove that barrier and give you a clear reference point.
Students also often leave BOLC without a firm grasp on the concepts that are vital, as discussed previously as we articulated several fundamental problems that led us to producing this guide.
After BOLC, this guide continues to provide you value. It can help you:
- Prepare for Ranger School; the TLP fundamentals at Ranger are the same, but we provide a full chapter so you can understand where those TLPs will differ from what you learned at BOLC
- Stay sharp when you're a platoon leader, and have reference material on hand to help you plan; the material advances beyond BOLC level considerations to help you once you're ready for more
- Learn how to train your unit on the TLPs, as we have a full chapter to help new platoon leaders be successful in integrating TLP training and execution into the unit
- Refresh and prepare for CCC; the guide can serve as a primer because it's written with considerations for both the platoon and company level
- Serve as a supplement for use while in CCC, just like it did at BOLC, to support what you're learning and practicing in class; the material is written to support both platoon and company level leaders
The guide is meant to provide value to you, before, during, and after BOLC.
For non-commissioned officers (NCOs), who often aren’t provided the same level of formal planning instruction, this guide offers a practical way to build familiarity with the process and strengthen your role in supporting mission success. Knowing how to plan through the use of the TLPs is the responsibility of all leaders.
Next Steps: Applying the TLPs:
During BOLC, you need to develop an in-depth understanding of the TLPs. You are preparing to become a platoon leader and must lead your element through mission preparation.
The B/G OPORD Blue Book is designed to support you. When you supplement your BOLC learning with a reliable supplement, you're able to meet and exceed the expectations you need to be a great planner and great leader.
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The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Supplemental Learning Disclaimer: This guide is intended solely as a supplemental learning resource. It is not official guidance and should never be relied upon in place of current, authoritative doctrine issued by the US Department of Defense. Nothing can or should substitute the structured instruction, mentorship, and rigor of formal military training. Official US military doctrine and professional military education programs remain the primary sources of accurate and appropriate information for all tactical, operational, and leadership-related topics. This guide is not intended to replace or conflict with official instruction. Users are encouraged to consult primary source documents and current doctrine for the most up-to-date and complete information.
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Blog related to : IBOLC, ABOLC, BOLC, Troops Leading Procedures, TLPs, OPORD, OPORDs, Ranger School, MCCC, ROTC, Mission Planning, Army Doctrine, OPORD Example, Small Unit Leadership