text: FM 7-100.1________________________________________________________________________________
  friendly forces. The availability and timeliness of such friendly force data de-
  pends largely on the availability and efficiency of the necessary communica-
  tions links. On the other hand, acquiring information on the enemy involves
  collecting and reporting in a hostile environment. Operational staffs must
  analyze conflicting and incomplete data and assess and correlate intelligence
  provided by higher headquarters.
  Tactical-Level Information Requirements
  2-124. The commander and staff must bring together all available data ap-
  plicable to their mission and use the data skillfully to achieve their objec-
  tives. At a minimum, these data include information on enemy and friendly
  forces, the combat environment, and the population in the AOR.
  2-125. Enemy. Of these elements, information about the enemy is the most
  important. An OPFOR commander must have continuous, reliable informa-
  tion about the enemy’s effective combat strength and organization to conduct
  forces analysis. He must receive information concerning enemy locations, re-
  inforcing units, C2 systems, and defensive positions. Information pertaining
  to the disposition and potential use of precision weapons is important. The
  required degree of detail will vary in different situations and at various lev-
  els of command. Constant attention is given to identifying enemy deception
  efforts. The OPFOR emphasizes multi-spectral collection efforts to reduce the
  potential effects of the enemy’s deceiving a single RISTA asset.
  2-126. Friendly Forces. Information about friendly forces is necessary to
  help the commander determine how best to use them and to identify re-
  quirements for coordination. OPFOR planners consider training status when
  making qualitative calculations of relative strengths of their own and enemy
  forces. In addition, they must consider how missions of other friendly forces
  may affect the accomplishment of their own assigned tasks.
  2-127. Combat Environment. The NBC environment, terrain, weather,
  and climatic and seasonal conditions also provide OPFOR planners insight as
  to what they can and cannot do effectively during a combat action. Planners use
  this information to determine routes, use of NBC weapons, and types of camou-
  flage. This information can also help determine the effects these factors could
  have on friendly actions and on the enemy’s possible courses of action.
  2-128. Population. The economic and sociopolitical makeup of the AOR in-
  terests OPFOR military planners. Information about potentially hostile, neu-
  tral, and friendly populations in the AOR enables the OPFOR to exploit local
  resources and to plan appropriate levels of security and perception manage-
  ment strategies to manipulate the population.
  DECISION MAKING
  2-129. The military decision-making process consists of five phases: assess,
  orient, decide, act, and adapt. These phases are not completely independent
  processes or stages of thought. Each phase overlaps and relies on the others.