Which is the second step of the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP)?

Which is the second step of the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP)?

• A. Mission analysis
• B. Receipt of mission
• C. COA development
• D. COA analysis

Answer: (A)

The second step is Mission Analysis, and it focuses on turning the received mission into a clear, solvable problem. After you’ve received the mission, you dive into Mission Analysis to understand exactly what must be accomplished, identify higher command intent and specified tasks, and recognize constraints, assumptions, and initial facts about the environment, forces, and resources. This step also involves identifying unknowns, risks, and critical tasks that will drive planning decisions. By thoroughly analyzing the mission, you establish a solid foundation for developing feasible Courses of Action. Only after you’ve grounded the problem in solid understanding do you move on to creating COAs, then analyzing those COAs, and so forth. The other steps—for example, the initial receipt of the mission or the later development and analysis of COAs—fit later in the process, not as the second step.

The second step is Mission Analysis, and it focuses on turning the received mission into a clear, solvable problem. After you’ve received the mission, you dive into Mission Analysis to understand exactly what must be accomplished, identify higher command intent and specified tasks, and recognize constraints, assumptions, and initial facts about the environment, forces, and resources. This step also involves identifying unknowns, risks, and critical tasks that will drive planning decisions. By thoroughly analyzing the mission, you establish a solid foundation for developing feasible Courses of Action. Only after you’ve grounded the problem in solid understanding do you move on to creating COAs, then analyzing those COAs, and so forth. The other steps—for example, the initial receipt of the mission or the later development and analysis of COAs—fit later in the process, not as the second step.