Military Critical and Creative Thinking 2 Parts

Commander’s Critical Information Requirements

1-40. A commander’s critical information requirement is an information requirement identified by the

commander as being critical to facilitating timely decision making (JP 3-0). Commanders decide to designate

an information requirement as a CCIR based on likely decisions during the conduct of an operation. A CCIR

may support one or more decision points. During planning, staffs recommend information requirements for

commanders to designate as CCIRs. During preparation and execution, they recommend changes to CCIRs

based on their assessments of the operation.

1-41. Always promulgated by a plan or order, commanders limit the number of CCIRs to focus their staff

and subordinate unit information collection and assessment efforts. The fewer the CCIRs, the easier it is for

staffs to remember, recognize, and act on each one. As such, the rapid reporting of CCIRs to the commander

is essential to adjusting operations. CCIR falls into one of two categories: priority intelligence requirements

(known as PIRs) and friendly force information requirements (known as FFIRs).

1-42. A priority intelligence requirement is an intelligence requirement that the commander and staff need

to understand the threat and other aspects of the operational environment (JP 2-01). Priority intelligence

requirements identify the information about the enemy and other aspects of an OE that the commander

considers most important. Intelligence about civil considerations may be as critical as intelligence about the

enemy. In coordination with the staff, the intelligence officer manages priority intelligence requirements for

the commander as part of the intelligence process.

THE SCIENCE AND ART OF PLANNING

Logistics comprises the means and arrangements which work out the plans of strategy and

tactics. Strategy decides where to act; logistics brings the troops to this point.

Antoine Henri de Jomini

2-8. Planning is both a science and an art. Many aspects of military operations, such as movement rates,

fuel consumption, and weapons effects, are quantifiable. They are part of the science of planning. The

combination of forces, choice of tactics, and arrangement of activities belong to the art of planning. Soldiers

often gain knowledge of the science of planning through institutional training and study. They gain

understanding of the art of planning primarily through operational training and experience. Effective planners

are grounded in both the science and the art of planning.

2-9. The science of planning encompasses aspects of operations that can be measured and analyzed. These

aspects include the physical capabilities of friendly and enemy organizations. The science of planning

includes a realistic appreciation for time-distance factors; an understanding of how long it takes to initiate

certain actions; the techniques and procedures used to accomplish planning tasks; and the terms and graphics

that compose the language of military operations. While not easy, the science of planning is fairly

straightforward.

2-10. Mastery of the science of planning is necessary for military professionals to understand the physical

and procedural constraints under which units operate. These constraints include the effects of terrain, weather,

and time on friendly and enemy forces. However—because combat is an intensely human activity—the

solution to problems cannot be reduced to a formula. This realization necessitates the study of the art of

planning.