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ADP 5-0

The Operations Process

ADP 5-0 is the doctrine for how units plan, prepare, execute, and assess operations, and what commanders and staffs each owe that process. It is short, and almost every staff argument you will have traces back to it. FM 5-0 carries the detailed procedures.

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Type
ADP
Edition verified
July 2019

What to take from it

  • The operations process is plan, prepare, execute, and assess -- continuous and overlapping, not sequential.
  • Commanders drive the operations process: understand, visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess.
  • Planning produces a plan or order; preparation improves the unit's ability to execute it.
  • Assessment is continuous and informs the decision to adjust or execute a branch or sequel.

These points are our summary, written for recall. They are not a substitute for the publication and they will not cover everything a board can ask. Read the source.