Great topic. I am in an S-3 shop with two Post-CCC CPTs to include myself, with a bunch of Lieutenants. It is very difficult to get our Lieutenants to be ‘value added’ in the staff planning process , with their skill sets primarily limited to product replication. We would benefit from a dedicated long term staff planning curriculum. I tried some hip pocket training but I felt like I was talking over their heads. I might take Brock’s suggestion and bust out the manual and go step by step, and see if I can try a more methodical approach to what needs to occur and get them to key specifically in on the outcomes.

Our maneuver Lieutenants inherently have some of the skills they need. They understand their op terms and graphics, the different types of overlays and while they might not call them courses of action – they understand the big blue arrows in relation to the little red icons and what it means to maneuver. Turning that from the conceptual into the detailed is the difficulty.

I’ll reinforce Jrolli’s comments, most of the AS2 types I have met in my previous and current units seem to be thoroughly involved in the IPB process and this makes them a critical asset during Mission Analysis. The weakness occurs where Intelligence and Operations need to synchronize efforts. This is particularly apparent in CCIR and ISR Sync Matrix development during MA. A laundry list of NAIs and PIRs that don’t connect to the decision support matrix made by the 3 shop is a good indicator, to me, that Ops and Intel didn’t talk enough during planning.

In a reconnaissance Squadron this relationship is even more necessary, as the Rapid Decision Making Process (RDMP) is employed and determining the right products at the right tempo.

What I particularly worry about, @rakimball, is that this kind of staff training in my lowly opinion primarily rests on the field grades. Even institutional graduates of CCC are only neophytes in the staff planning process, let alone qualified to instruct it. We also do not own the staff’s time, a commodity guarded by the XO.

I’m not only interested in techniques, but I’m also interested in how anyone got field grade buy in other than a bloodied nose at a CTC.