Position assessment
Situation assessment is the name of the first phase of the military command process . It is an ongoing complex process of information acquisition, evaluation, linking, evaluation, presentation, forwarding and storage. If planned or unscheduled changes are identified as part of the situation assessment, the first part of the second phase of the management process, the assessment of the situation, is automatically passed. If it is determined that there is no fundamental change in the situation that requires renewed planning and a new decision, the management process is terminated at this point and continues with the assessment of the situation. Basically, both one's own forces and those of the enemy are considered when assessing the situation.
When armed forces are deployed, the assessment of the situation begins before the deployment to the deployment rooms. For this purpose, all available sources of information (including management principles, military documents and specialist literature) are used and the troops to be deployed are informed and involved at an early stage. This existing information is continuously supplemented by detailed information. These include
- Commands (contain information that determine how to think and act further)
- Orientations (from top to bottom, between neighbors, from civil authorities and organizations)
- Data (from technical reconnaissance equipment / satellites, drones)
- Reports and applications (from subordinate units)
- Findings of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance as well
- Findings from the media.
The reports and applications of the subordinate troops are of particular importance, as these usually collect the most immediate impressions. For the same reason, however, these reports should be carefully assessed, as the lack of distance also leads to assumptions and exaggerations. Messages retain their value only if they are submitted and forwarded quickly. In particular, reports about first contact with the enemy, attacks with NBC weapons, enemies who endanger the execution of their own orders or those of neighbors and reports about new enemy forces must always be passed on with particular urgency. Subordinate units try to obtain additional forces, resources and measures to carry out their own orders through applications. In exceptional cases, changes to a received order will also be requested. Important information is also obtained from these applications as part of the assessment of the situation.
If the existing and incoming information is insufficient to obtain a comprehensive and accurate picture of the situation, additional information can be obtained through requests for intelligence gathering, targeted clarification and exploration, requests for further reports, requests for additional orientations, additional controls and surveys.
All information collected is saved or displayed. For this purpose, management information systems are mainly used, which automatically convert messages into a graphical representation of the situation and update them by overwriting them. Important information is forwarded to the relevant consumer as a message or orientation or used in commands or applications. Certain information can also be passed on directly as data. Often, additional information is only required in connection with the creation of the situation report, which has to be supplemented.
The situation picture is made available to the military leaders in a situation representation in the form of situation maps , plans, tables, statistics, organization charts and other overviews. Each cell or department carries out its own technical or task-related situation assessment at the command post and contributes to the situation report of the operations center.
literature
- Army Service Regulation 100/200 Command Support (not public)
- Paperback for military training