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.

One of your many tasks that you will complete in order to produce your platoon level OPORD is the production of your mission statement. 

This article references ATP 3-21.8, ATP 3-21.10, FM 5-0, and the Ranger Handbook. Other specific references are called out as they appear. 

 

How the TLPs Shape Your Mission Statement

OPORDs at the platoon and company level are built using the TLPs. That planning methodology helps you prepare and plan for an upcoming operation. Building an OPORD is not a stand alone process. 

In Step 1 of the TLPs, you have received your mission from higher and begin to review what they provided. In Step 2, you form and brief your WARNO to your unit. This gets them aware of what's ahead, and begins your effort to plan and prepare as an element. 

Within Step 3, your forming your initial plan. This is where your "pen to paper" creation of the OPORD begins. Your TLP Step 3 begins with mission analysis. Mission analysis includes:

• mission variable analysis (TMT-CET)
• decisive point identification
• communication considerations
• electronic warfare considerations

The first step in your mission variable analysis would deal with analyzing time. The second step will be your mission. This article will focus on that step. 

 

It is important that this mission analysis begins at the start of your Step 3. If you instead just built your OPORD by moving from Paragraph 1 until completion (a common mistake BOLC students make), you're prone to a variety of mistakes resulting in an incomplete, infeasible, or underdeveloped plan.

The TLPs represent the correct order, and it's not necessarily more work. Follow the steps of the TLP, and place the information gathered into the right OPORD format order later. 

 

Analysis of Mission - Overview

The second step in your TMT-CET mission variable analysis is mission, and it begins with analysis of mission. This is where you begin to form the understanding needed of what higher and those operating around you are doing. This process began with your surface level analysis within TLP Step 1. Now you continue that process and review:

• higher headquarters’ mission, commander’s intent, and concept of operations
• the mission of adjacent units
• assumptions and constraints

After your analysis of mission, you will be prepared to create your mission. Let's break down those three elements that are part of your analysis of mission. 

 

Higher Headquarters Mission, Intent, and Concept:

This is information that you will pull directly from higher’s OPORD / WARNO or other information provided to you. 

Your higher headquarters is the element directly above you. If you are a platoon leader, your higher headquarters is your company. 

Reading through this information can help you understand what higher is doing, why they are doing it, and how they generally plan to go about doing it. This is vital context for you as you start to consider what you'll do. At this point, you just need to review that content and start to think about what higher is doing and why. 

 

Mission of Adjacent Units:

This is the units to the left, right, front, and rear of your unit. More generally, are there other units on the battlefield that will affect you?

If you are a platoon leader, and you are part of a company operation, or there are multiple platoon operations occurring, the other platoons are your adjacent units. 

Just like with higher, you are conducting analysis on this, considering how it will affect you. 

Sometimes you’ll have to make assumptions based on what you see in the order from higher. Details of what adjacent units are doing are typically included because your higher OPORD is presented to not just you, but your adjacent units as well. For example, if your company commander gives an OPORD, it is probably to all three platoon leaders, so information related to all three platoon missions is very likely included. 

 

Assumption and Constraints:

In Step 1 of the TLPs, you identified constraints from higher. If you didn’t ensure you determine those before moving onto forming your mission statement. Also take this opportunity to identify any assumptions you may have made. 

An assumption you have is an unanswered point about the operation overall. A constraint is is imposed by higher headquarters, telling you what you can and cannot do, which restricts the normal freedom of action you have. For example, your higher headquarters says that you must start your movement no later than 1800. Determine your constraints.

With this understanding of higher and adjacent units, along with your constraints and assumptions, you are ready to form your mission statement. This is doctrinally known as your restated mission. 

 

Building Your Mission Statement

Your mission statement has 5 parts – who, what, when, where, and why. You will build this for your platoon as part of your mission variable analysis (this is part of mission analysis, the first portion completed within TLP Step 3). 

Your mission statement will be built and inserted into your Paragraph 2 of your platoon OPORD. The previous portions of Step 3, as well as what you did in Step 1 and 2, have provided the needed context for you to begin considering your own platoon mission statement. 

We'll start this breakdown by defining what is included in a mission statement. 

 

Who - what unit (you) is conducting this mission?

What - what is the essential task your unit must execute to accomplish the mission?

• This should include the tactical task, and you may choose to also include the form of offense / defense. This is commonly heard as “attack to seize” for example. The form of offense / defense is not doctrinally required. The form of maneuver should not appear here (it will later appear in the COA statement).
• Each tactical task has a specific doctrinal meaning and is tied to a clearly defined effect on the enemy, terrain, or friendly forces. Your unit may be assigned one directly by higher, or you may derive it based on the mission’s intent.
• Tactical mission task (FM 3-90-1) - a specific activity a unit performs during a tactical operation or form of maneuver. Tactical tasks are used in mission statements and when assigning tasks to subordinate units. Each task has a defined purpose, and most have an associated symbol.
• During many schoolhouse field environments, the raid and ambush are executed repeatedly to develop essential fundamentals. However, raid and ambush are not tactical tasks. Instead, you should consider what tactical task you are trying to accomplish by executing a raid or ambush. This is most likely destroy.

When - when is this all happening?

• Use the date-time group format (DDHHMMZMONYYYY) for times. This can be defined in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:
  • A no later than (NLT) time to begin actions on
  • A no earlier than (NET) time to begin actions on
  • An exact time to SP, to begin actions on the objective, or something else
  • Time to complete actions-on
  • Or some combination of the above
• The importance here is that you understand the timing associated with what higher is asking you to do, and that you create the precision in time to create a shared understanding across echelons.

Where - where is the objective?

• Give as precise a MGRS (military grid reference system) as appropriate. MGRS grids don’t have spaces within them (FM 1-02.2). 

Why - what is the purpose of doing all of this?

• You may be provided this when you are given your task and purpose from higher; more on this to follow.
• Common purposes to use include allow, cause, create, deceive, deny, divert, enable, envelop, influence, open, protect, prevent, support, and surprise. These serve as the verbs, which you can then add details to (as seen in our previous example with enable).
• Your purpose must be nested, either vertically or horizontally; more on this to follow. 

Mission Statement Example:

Bravo Company, 2-7 Infantry, attacks to seize OBJECTIVE MCKENNA, IVO 17SPZ12345678, at 150130ZAUG2026 IOT ENABLE coalition forces to regain power in AO.

 

Taking a Step Back

You understand what should be in the mission statement, but let’s take a step back. You are deriving your mission statement after reviewing the mission order given to you from higher. You already conducted your analysis of mission, where you reviewed higher headquarters’ mission, commander’s intent, and concept of operations, the mission of adjacent units, and assumptions and constraints.

You now need to determine what specifically your higher headquarters has asked you to do. Let’s review types of tasks, where you can find them in higher’s order, and how they help you form the “what” in your mission statement. We’ll then indicate how you can form the other portions of your mission statement. 

 

Specified Task:

This is a task explicitly assigned to your unit by higher headquarters. Your primary task should be found in higher’s COA statement, and other specific tasks may be found in their tasks to subordinate units, and throughout their order. 

Example: Higher gives Bravo Company the specified task, “Allow Alpha Company the freedom of maneuver to seize OBJECTIVE MCKENNA.” 

This is a broad, purpose-driven directive - it tells Bravo what outcome is required but does not spell out exactly how to achieve it (mission command in action).

 

Implied Task:

This is a task not explicitly stated in higher’s order but necessary to accomplish specified tasks. You derive implied tasks by analyzing the situation, understanding the enemy, terrain, and operational context (just read through higher’s order).

Example: Bravo analyzes the mission and determines they will likely need to:

• Suppress or destroy enemy overwatch positions along Alpha’s approach
• Breach an obstacle blocking Alpha’s axis of advance
• Clear a flank or secure a support-by-fire position

None of these tasks were handed directly to Bravo; they come from understanding what actions are necessary to meet the specified task’s purpose.

You can also consider if higher tells you to conduct a raid. You know that is not a tactical task, and upon consideration, you realize the implied tactical task is destroy. 

 

Essential Task:

These are specified or implied tasks that must be executed to accomplish the mission. This is usually stated by higher in their COA statement, or tasks to subordinate units (or you use a specified task found there to develop a different implied task, which can form an essential task). If this task is not accomplished, the mission fails. Essential tasks form the “what” of your mission statement.

Example: Bravo determines the essential task is to suppress

In this context, they will have to suppress enemy overwatch positions to allow Alpha Company to maneuver and seize OBJECTIVE MCKENNA.

This is the concrete, mission-critical action Bravo must accomplish. That essential task - suppress - is “the what” in your mission statement. 

 

Sometimes higher headquarters will hand you a specified task that is already concrete. For example, they may simply assign your element a task of breach, and a purpose of allowing the company main effort to have freedom of maneuver. In that case, you are lucky: they have effectively handed you your essential task, even if it’s not labeled that way. But when higher only gives you a broad, purpose-based specified task, you must carefully analyze the situation to identify what becomes your essential task - whether that’s breaching, suppressing, or something else.

You may also be provided on-order tasks and be prepared to tasks. These can either be added to the end of your mission statement or listed within your key tasks (key tasks are not part of your mission statement but will come up elsewhere in your OPORD).

 

On-Order (O/O) Task:

An O/O is something that a unit will execute at an unspecified time in the future, once ordered by the commander. O/O tasks are definite - they will happen, just not yet - so they require full planning and resource allocation.

Commanders may envision a task execution in their concept, but may not yet know the time or place. Once certain criteria or decision points are met, you may be ordered to execute that task. 

Where It Appears in Higher Order:

O/O tasks are usually found in the higher headquarters’ “Task to Subordinate Units” section or explicitly called out elsewhere in the order (potentially in their COA statement). They are often labeled as “on-order” tasks or written in a way that makes it clear they will be triggered later by a commander’s decision.

Implication:

Because O/O tasks will be executed, time TBD, subordinate units must develop full plans, allocate resources, and be ready to shift to this task as soon as the order comes down.

Because these will be conducted, these types of tasks will take priority over BPT tasks.

Mission Statement Placement:

O/O tasks may be included in your mission statement, stated at the conclusion of the 5 W’s. Because they are inevitable to happen, which implies you must prepare for them to happen, we recommend including them at the end of your mission statement. 

Regardless of whether you include it as part of your mission statement, it should be included as a key task and critical task and it should be fully planned to be executed. 

 

Be Prepared To (BPT) Task:

A BPT task is something that a unit might execute, depending on how the situation develops. BPT tasks are contingency-based - they may or may not happen - so they require flexible planning and preparation but do not get the same level of resourcing priority as O/O tasks.

This could occur when a commander envisions a possible opportunity to exploit an enemy vulnerability, should it arise, for example.

Where It Appears in Higher Order:

BPT tasks are also typically found in the higher headquarters’ “Task to Subordinate Units” section or called out elsewhere in the order (potentially in their COA statement). They will be labeled as “be prepared to” tasks.

Implication:

Because BPT tasks are conditional, subordinate units must develop flexible plans and be mentally and logistically prepared to execute them. However, they do not dedicate the same level of resources or priority as O/O tasks until (and unless) they are activated.

Mission Statement Placement:

BPT tasks are usually not stated at the end of the mission statement, but you have the discretion to state them. 

Your discretion can be based on a number of factors. You are trying to balance a short and memorable mission statement that clearly articulates the high level of what’s about to happen. If the statement becomes longer and longer as all BPT tasks are added (which may not be executed, and which you are only allocated resources towards as able, after you have allocated resources towards your O/O tasks), the purpose of the mission statement may be defeated. If you have no O/O tasks, you should feel more empowered to include it at the end of the mission statement. 

Although O/O tasks are included within key tasks and critical tasks (because an O/O task will happen and is thus critical to mission success), a BPT may not occur, so it may not be critical to mission success. 

 

Other Types of Tasks

Key Tasks:

These will be defined later at your level within your commander’s intent . These will certainly be influenced by what is listed above but aren’t directly stated within the mission statement. These are important non-COA specific tasks your element will execute. 

Critical Tasks:

These are not part of your mission statement and will be defined later at your level within your concept of operation. These will certainly be influenced by what is listed above but aren’t directly stated within the mission statement. These are specific COA specific tasks your element will execute.

 

Purpose, Your Why

By reviewing tasks provided in your mission order from higher, you determined your "what" for your mission statement, as well as other critical factors that you must plan for an include in other parts of your OPORD. What about your "why" for your mission statement?

Your purpose (your "why") explains why you are doing that task (your "what"). If you were not provided a purpose, you need to create one, and can consider main and supporting efforts, and nesting, to create one. This breakdown will be relevant here, as well as later when you create your own task organization. 

Main and Supporting Efforts (ADP 3-0):

At the squad and above echelon, a main and supporting effort is defined. When you receive your mission order from higher, your unit and your adjacent units will have that defined. At your level, you need to define it for your subordinate elements (fire teams don’t need this, but every echelon above that does).

At this point in the order, you may not know this yet. You can define this later and return and annotate that. That is annotated by placing two chevrons above the unit modifier for the main effort, and one chevron above the unit modifier for the several supporting efforts. 

Main Effort:

One defined designated subordinate unit whose mission at a given point in time is most critical to overall mission success is your main effort. It is usually weighted with additional combat power. When commanders designate a unit as the main effort, it receives priority of support and resources to maximize combat power. Commanders establish clear priorities of support, and they shift resources and priorities to the main effort as circumstances and the commander’s intent require.

It will be determined later in your TLP Step 3, but you will establish a special point during your operation in which success becomes inevitable. This is known as the decisive point. Your main effort will be the force that helps you achieve this point.

Supporting Effort:

The designated subordinate units (it is typically all the units aside from the main effort) with a mission that supports the success of the main effort. Commander’s resource supporting efforts with the minimum assets necessary to accomplish the mission, accepting risk to weight the main effort. 

As stated, this is important to define to help with organization and generally to ensure economy of force – you only have so many resources, so some units must get more resources.

In recent doctrine updates, main effort has replaced decisive operation, and supporting effort has replaced shaping operation. Decisive and shaping operations are listed as “no longer a defined term.” Be aware as you still may hear these used.

 

Nesting

Nesting means ensuring that subordinate unit plans and objectives align with and support the higher commander’s operation. There is vertical and horizontal nesting. It creates unity of purpose across all echelons, making sure everyone works in the same direction to maximize the desired effects. This concept will arise throughout your planning. Although referenced here, keep this in mind throughout the TLPs.

Here’s a simple example to detail vertical nesting (the nesting that occurs up and down different echelons). Imagine your battalion’s purpose is to enable freedom of maneuver for 1ABCT armored formations. You would see this purpose within the battalion mission statement. 

• The main effort company (which is identified in the battalion order) will carry that same purpose, seen in that company’s mission statement. 
• The main effort platoon (identified in the company order) will carry that same purpose, seen in the platoon’s mission statement.
• The main effort squad (identified in the platoon order) will carry that same purpose, seen in that squad’s mission statement. 
• Nesting runs top to bottom, and the main effort at every level nests under the higher mission.
• Now flip the perspective. Imagine you are 1st Platoon, and the company has made 2nd Platoon the main effort. Your mission as a supporting effort will still nest under the company’s mission - but your purpose (seen in your platoon mission statement) focuses on enabling the company’s main effort, not duplicating its purpose. Even if you’re not leading the attack, you are playing your role in the bigger picture, supporting the main effort and helping the unit succeed.
• Looking up and down echelons is vertical nesting. Looking within the same echelon is horizontal nesting. In the previous example, your 1st Platoon mission horizontally nests with the rest of the company by supporting the company’s main effort, 2nd Platoon.

Nesting ensures that from battalion to squad, every element pulls in the same direction, amplifying the unit’s collective power.

 

Given all this, first, determine if you are a main effort, or supporting effort. If you are a main effort, match your purpose with that of higher. If you are a supporting effort, your purpose should support your adjacent unit’s effort. This forms the "why" in your mission statement. 

You already know the "who" for your mission statement - it's you. For your "when" and "where," those details are likely included somewhere within the tasks provided by higher. Together, you have all the information you need to form your own platoon level mission statement. 

 

Learning More: Applying TLPs and OPORDs at BOLC & Beyond

This article was created from a selected portion of the B/G OPORD Blue Book. 

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. 

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. The contents of the guide exceed the standards of BOLC, and speak to both the platoon and company levels. They can similarly be used to increase your understanding within those courses. 

Over 275 pages, the guide specifically includes:

• 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. 

 

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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