text: Chapter 4
  combination of forces,choice of tactics,and arrangement of activities belong to the art of planning. Soldiers
  often gain knowledge of the science of planning through institutional training and study. They gain
  understanding of the art of planning primarily through operational training and experience. Effective planners
  are grounded in both the science and the art of planning.
  Science of Planning
  4-61. The scienceof planning encompasses aspects of operations that can be measured and analyzed. These
  aspects include the physical capabilities of friendly and enemy organizations. The science of planning
  includes a realistic appreciation for time-distance factors: an understanding of how long it takes to initiate
  certain actions,the techniques and procedures used to accomplish planning tasks,and the terms and graphics
  that compose the language of military operations. The mastery of the science of planning is necessary for
  military professionals to understand key aspects of the operation to include the physical and procedural
  constraints underwhich units operate. These constraints include the effects of terrain,weather,and time on
  friendly and enemy forces. However—because combat is an intensely human activity—the solution to
  problems cannot be reduced to a formula. This realization necessitates the study of the art of planning.
  Art of Planning
  4-62. The art of planning requires understanding the dynamic relationships among friendly forces,the threat,
  and other aspects of an operational environment during operations. It includes making decisions based on
  skilled judgment acquired from experience,training, study,imagination, and critical and creative thinking.
  Commanders apply judgment based on their knowledge and experience to select the right time and place to
  act, assign tasks, prioritize actions, accept risk, and allocate resources. The art of planning involves
  developing plans within the commander’s intent and planning guidance by choosing from interrelated
  options,including—
  (cid:122) Arrangement of activities in time,space,and purpose.
  (cid:122) Assignment of tactical mission tasks and tactical enabling tasks.
  (cid:122) Task organization of available forces and resource allocation.
  (cid:122) Choice and arrangement of control measures.
  (cid:122) Tempo.
  (cid:122) The risk the commander is willing to take.
  4-63. These interrelated options define a starting point from which planners create distinct solutions to
  particular problems. Each solution involves a range of options. Each balance competing demands and
  requires judgment. The variables of mission,enemy,terrain and weather,troops and support available,time
  available,civil considerations (METT-TC) always combine to form a different set of circumstances. There
  are no checklists that adequately apply to every situation.
  Key Components of a Plan
  4-64. The mission statement,commander’s intent,and conceptof operations are key components of a plan
  that serve as the framework for an operation. The BCT commander ensures the mission and end state nest
  with those of their higher headquarters. The commander’s intent focuses on the end state;and the concept of
  operations focuses on the method or sequence of actions by which the force will achieve the end state. Within
  the concept of operations, the commander may establish objectives—a location used to orient operations,
  phase operations,facilitate changes of direction,and provide for unity of effort (ADP 3-90)—as intermediate
  goals toward achieving the operation’s end state. When developing tasks for subordinate units, the
  commander ensures that the purpose of each task nests with the accomplishment of another task, with the
  achievement of an objective,or directly to the attainment of an end state condition. Additional components
  to the plan include the BCT’s task organization, tasks to subordinate units, coordinating instructions, risk
  acceptance,and control measures.
  Mission Statement
  4-65. The missionis the task,together with the purpose,that clearly indicates the action to be taken and the
  reason therefore (JP 3-0). The BCT commander analyzes a mission as the commander’s intent two echelons