_The Director_: “All of that which we have just discussed is what we
call the ‘Estimate of the Situation.’ It is simply a sizing up of the
tactical situation in a logical and systematic manner. The commander of
troops who fails to do this fails to do everything possible to promote
the success of the military operation he is about to undertake—he does
not take advantage of all the aids at his disposal. The commander who
blunders into action without sizing up the situation as we have outlined
here is doomed to failure and disaster. It may be an operation in which
there is little to consider—where there is little choice of methods—but
you should religiously go through the process, even if only a few
minutes of time are available.
“At this point I want to invite your attention to the merits of the
simple five paragraph field order provided for in our Field Service
Regulations. The elements of it are:
“Paragraph 1. Information of the enemy and our own troops.
“Paragraph 2. The plan of the commander, stated in general terms.
“Paragraph 3. Orders for the several elements of the command.
“Paragraph 4. Administrative and communication arrangements.
“Paragraph 5. The place where messages are to be sent, or where the
commander will march.
“This form of field order has stood the test of time and, what is more
to the point, it has proved to be a suitable and effective method of
issuing orders in time of war. When we went to France we found the
long-winded, highly detailed orders that were the development of years
of trench warfare. No one read them and, if they did, they did not
understand them. We used them in order to conform with requirements from
higher headquarters. When we really got down to the business of fighting
and had to produce results we fell back on our own simple five paragraph
order, and it met all the requirements. Get the elements of this order
firmly fixed in your minds and follow them. They are applicable to any
body of troops, large or small.
“The next point I want to bring out is the necessity for letting every
man in the platoon know what the work for the day is to be. This
information is imparted to them in the form of a verbal order by the
platoon commander, which embraces the points brought out in the
‘Estimate of the Situation,’ which we have just discussed.”