_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.”