Publication index
FM 5-0
Planning and Orders Production
FM 5-0 is the Army's reference for planning: the military decision-making process, troop leading procedures, Army design methodology, and the formats for plans and orders. If you have ever needed the five-paragraph OPORD format at midnight, this is the book. The November 2024 edition supersedes the 16 May 2022 version and the posted file incorporates change 1, dated August 2025.
Open the official record- Type
- FM
- Edition verified
- November 2024
- Used in
- Staff & AdminBoard Prep
What to take from it
- MDMP has seven steps: receipt of mission, mission analysis, course of action development, COA analysis, COA comparison, COA approval, and orders production.
- Troop leading procedures are the small-unit equivalent, in eight steps beginning with receive the mission.
- Operation orders use the standard five paragraphs: situation, mission, execution, sustainment, and command and signal.
- Contains the Army design methodology and the doctrinal formats for annexes and appendices.
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.