management process. Environmental considerations will usually be most prominent in meeting the
criteria of suitability and acceptability. The staff develops the COAs to accomplish the mission and meet
the commander's guidance with respect to environmental considerations.
(3) Course of Action (COA) Analysis. The war game helps the commander and his staff to focus
on each stage of the operation in a logical sequence. Every staff member must determine the force
requirements for external support, risks, and each COA's strengths and weaknesses. Determining
evaluation criteria is probably the most important step of war-gaming for environmental consideration. If
environmental considerations are prominent enough, they are included in the commander's guidance and
intent, as well as in the specified criteria for the level or residual risk for accident hazards in the COA. It
is a requirement for staff officers to conduct risk management for each COA. Every COA must clearly
identify the level of risk that the commander is willing to accept to include those associated with
(4) Course of Action (COA) Comparison. Environmental considerations will normally be
included in the general criterion of "residual risk," or if significant enough, may even be a separate
criterion. If any environmental consideration was important enough to be in the commander's guidance
or intent, it will be listed here as well.
(5) Commander's Decision Briefing. After completing its analysis and comparison, the staff
identifies its preferred COA and makes a recommendation. If the staff cannot reach a decision, the XO
decides which COA to recommend at the commander's decision briefing. The staff then briefs the
commander. Critical environmental considerations have become one of the criteria in the decision matrix.
(6) Course of Action (COA) Approval. Critical environmental considerations listed in the
commander's guidance or intent will be a factor in the commander's approval of a particular COA.
(7) Orders Production. Environmental concerns are addressed by every staff officer, as
applicable, in respective annexes and appendices.
4-2. Environmental-Specific Planning. Environmental-specific planning focuses on providing units
with the additional environmental-related resources and information necessary to accomplish their
missions. Operational and support planning also includes environmental-protection objectives. In
operational situations, whether for training, contingency operations, or combat, environmental planning
focuses on the mission requirements of a military unit. This planning includes identifying environmental
risks posed by an operation and considering ways to reduce those risks during long-, short-, and near-term
planning. Units require facilities, training areas, and support systems that must be managed to secure
long-term availability. Environmental-support planning is, by nature, long-term.
a. Operational Planning. Operational planning usually begins with a formal staff estimate as a
part of the MDMP. However, operational planning may entail a separate study on the characteristics of
the area of operation (AO) or an informal review of the environmental considerations and issues
contained in the higher HQ OPLAN or OPORD.
b. Staff Planning. Staffs conduct environmental planning within the context of the mission. Their
efforts produce information that helps units understand the mission's environmental requirements. Most
often, staffs develop this information in the form of staff estimates, environmental-protection levels, and
an environmental-baseline survey (EBS).
(1) Individual staff officers incorporate environmental considerations into their staff
estimates. The staff estimate may include the following: