New and updated field manuals aid commanders, staffs

By Randi Stenson, MCCoE Public AffairsMay 16, 2022

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Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, brief a plan to use various enabling assets during a fire support coordination exercise May 2, 2019, at Fort Drum, New York. The FSCX combined various combat power elements as a decision...
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, brief a plan to use various enabling assets during a fire support coordination exercise May 2, 2019, at Fort Drum, New York. The FSCX combined various combat power elements as a decision making training exercise for commanders of 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, and 1-89 CAV. Before the rehearsal and live fire, company commanders in the two battalions prepared their own plans to seize an objective with suppressive fire support from Pennsylvania National Guard artillery, combat air support from a two AH-64 Apache helicopter air weapons team, U.S. Air Force joint tactical air controllers, and on-ground mortar systems. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Paige Behringer) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Paige Behringer) VIEW ORIGINAL
Italian soldiers assigned to 11th Bersaglieri Battalion review an operation order with Observer Coach Trainers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels Training Area on Feb. 19, 2021. Combined Resolve XV not only highlights the...
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Italian soldiers assigned to 11th Bersaglieri Battalion review an operation order with Observer Coach Trainers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels Training Area on Feb. 19, 2021. Combined Resolve XV not only highlights the relationship between the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Calvary Division and our partners and allies, but also our commitment to those same partners and allies. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Uriel Ramirez). (Photo Credit: Spc. Uriel Ramirez) VIEW ORIGINAL

(Fort Leavenworth, Kan.) Plans officers and staff sections across the Army take note: A new Field Manual (FM) 5-0, Planning and Orders Production, and FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations, are now available on the Army Publishing Directorate website.

This release marks the return of an FM 5-0 (formerly The Operations Process and rescinded in 2012) and rebrands the publication as a dedicated Army planning manual. CADD lead authors Doug Keeler and Will Rogers moved key planning resources from FM 6-0 to FM 5-0 in an effort to streamline the publications and provide readers with a more logical organization of material. The new FM 5-0 includes routinely used references like the military decision-making process, troop leading procedures, orders formats, running estimates, and more.

The authors also incorporated source material from Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 5-0.1, Army Design Methodology, and ATP 5-0.3, Operation Assessment, to create a “one-stop shop” for planners.

FM 6-0, historically one of CADD’s most downloaded publications, now focuses solely on command and control (C2) system alignment. Chapters are organized around the four components of the C2 system: people, processes, network and command posts. The manual also updates terminology and other information to align with current doctrine.

“I think anyone who uses doctrine will be pleased with these changes,” said Rich Creed, CADD director. “We’ve consolidated the key material from three manuals into two, and given commanders and their staffs the tactics and procedures they need to establish command and control.” 

Both publications are online and can be downloaded from the Army Publishing Directorate at https://armypubs.army.mil/. Hard copies may be ordered through unit publication clerks. Audiobook versions of FMs 5-0 and 6-0 will be available on Apple and Google podcasts later this year.

“Leaders at all levels need to be aware of changes in how we organize and fight. Today, we are launching the update to one of our most popular manuals and adding to that a dedicated planning FM. In June, the Army will publish the new FM 3-0, Operations, and establish multidomain operations as our operational concept. This is a very big year for Army doctrine,” said Creed.

To learn more about CADD and the Mission Command Center of Excellence, visit https://usacac.army.mil/organizations/mccoe.