MPF-08

MPF Planning Process

Overview

Capt Jason Collins, USMC

Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific
USMC Expeditionary Logistics Branch, N57
DSN 577-2606, Commercial (619) 437-2606
jason.p.collins@navy.mil
Lesson Purpose
• Provide the student
with an
understanding of the
MPF planning
process

MPF - 08 2
 Overview

• Planning Methodologies
– Deliberate/Contingency and Crisis Action Planning

• Initiating Directive
– Specific actions required upon it issue

• Other planning considerations

MPF - 08 3
 Introduction

• MPF operation is Naval in character

– But dependent on support from Joint
Deployment Community (JDC)
• AMC
• JOPES

– Requires continuous, coordinated, timely

and concurrent planning
MPF - 08 4
 Introduction
• Cannot just focus on Deployment
Operations

– Deployment ops based on employment,

CSS and sustained operation planning

– MPF commanders must deliberately plan

for employment and sustained ops

MPF - 08 5
 Deliberate Planning
• Looks at future, hypothetical military
operations

• Involved Joint Planning and Execution

Community (JPEC)

• Planning cycle can be as long as two

years
MPF - 08 6
 Deliberate Planning
• Coordination between
– Supported Unified Commander
– Supporting Unified Commander
– Agencies
– The Services

MPF - 08 7
 Deliberate Planning
• Contingency Plans
– Operation Plan (OPLAN)
• Major Theater War (MTW)
• Detailed
– Concept Plan (CONPLAN)
• With TPFDD: Smaller scale contingency
• Without TPFDD: Non Combatant Evacuation
operation

MPF - 08 8
 Deliberate Planning
• Service component develop supporting
contingency plans
– Operations in specific geographical region
– General deployment plans

MPF - 08 9
 Deliberate Planning
• Contingency plans serve as basis for
Crisis Action and Execution Planning
– Assessment of crisis continues
– Intel and collection efforts continue to
verify/refute assumptions
– Major changes require reassessment or
reexamination

MPF - 08 10
 Crisis Action Planning
(CAP)
• Time sensitive

• JPEC uses CAP to respond to crisis or

to refine deliberate plans

• May approximate those missions

deliberately planned for
MPF - 08 11
 Crisis Action Planning
• Time Sensitive Planning Process six
phases
– Situation development
– Crisis assessment (WARNING ORDER)
– Course of action (COA) development
– COA selection (ALERT ORDER)
– Execution planning
– Execution (EXECUTION ORDER)

MPF - 08 12
 THE FIVE PHASES OF MPF OPERATIONS
FIRST FIRST MAIN LAST LAST MAIN
PLANE BODY PLANE TROOP BODY PLANE AIR
MPF INITIATING
DIRECTIVE
DEPARTS ARRIVES AT APOE ARRIVES MOVEMENT
SLRP ADVANCE MAIN FLIGHT
(O-8) PARTY BODY FERRY
GROUP
(O-4)

PLANNING
MPF MAGTF
MARSHALING COMBAT
READY
MID
MOVEMENT PLANNING
CONFERENCE
WARNING ARRIVAL AND
ORDER
ASSEMBLY
ALERT
DEPLOYMENT
ORDER RECONSTITUTION
ORDER
N-DAY
C-DAY O-DAY MAGTF OPERATIONS

O+10
SEA EXECUTE T-AVB AND T-AH
RDD
MOVEMENT ORDER ARRIVES (C+30)
OPP
GROUP MPSRON BOARDS LAST MPS
FIRST MPS FOLLOW ON
MOVES MPSRON ARRIVES
(O-4) ARRIVES SUSTAINMENT (FOS)
(O-1)
 Crisis Action Planning
• 8 decisions before MPF planning can continue:
– Mission must be defined
– Define command relationships
– Tactical CONOPS ashore
– Arrival and Assembly CONOPS
– Marshaling and Movement CONOPS
– Control measures
– Special considerations
– Security
MPF - 08 14
 Mission
• Tells us
– General area of ops
– Required tasks of the MAGTF
– General time period for deployment
– Required time for ops capability
– Time constraints on deployment ops
– Estimated duration of tactical ops

MPF - 08 15
 Command Relationships

• Minimize C2 confusion during planning,

deployment, and execution phases of
an operation
HQ

SUPPORTED SUPPORTING SUPPORTING

MPF - 08 16
 Tactical CONOPS Ashore

• Derived from MAGTF’s

mission
• MAGTF CO conducts
mission analysis
• Coordinated with
higher authority

MPF - 08 17
 Arrival and Assembly
CONOPS
• Dictated by
– Mission
– Geography
– Topography
– Available facilities
– Tactical CONOPS ashore

MPF - 08 18
 Arrival and Assembly
CONOPS
• Developed by MAGTF CO in
coordination with the CNSE and
COMPSRON
– Basic sequence for arrival and assembly
– Selection of offload and arrival sites
– Command and control procedures
– Offload/throughput priority of MPE/S

MPF - 08 19
 Deployment Concept

-Developed to support Tactical CONOPS and

Arrival and Assembly CONOPS it addresses:

• Sea movement • Air movement

– Closure estimates – Sequence of deployment
– Track – Loading
– Enroute stops – Routes
– Escort requirements – Enroute support bases
– Aerial Refueling
– RDD/EAD/LAD
MPF - 08 20
 Control Measures
• Preclude interference/delays in the
arrival and assembly of deploying
forces
• Marshaling controls
– Specify marshaling areas and APOE(s)
– Operational security
– Ground movement to the APOE
– Load procedures
MPF - 08 21
 Special Considerations
• Specify security responsibilities
• Assign areas of responsibility ashore
• Designate coordinating authorities, main
supply route
• MAGTF commander responsible for
– Prioritization and use of arrival areas and roads
– Air traffic control
– Logistics support activities

MPF - 08 22
 Force Protection
• Supported Unified Commander has
overall responsibility for security
• Defense of the MPF
– Ships enroute and in AAA
– Enroute support base/facilities
– Arrival Airfields
– MAGTF element assembly areas
– Port/beach facilities

MPF - 08 23
Questions?

MPF - 08 24
 Initiating Directive
• Order for commander to plan for and
prepare to conduct an MPF operation
– Commences MPF crisis action planning
– Issued by Unified, Sub-unified, Service
Component Commanders or CJTF
• Sometimes not issued
– Warning order

MPF - 08 25
 THE FIVE PHASES OF MPF OPERATIONS
FIRST FIRST MAIN LAST LAST MAIN
PLANE BODY PLANE TROOP BODY PLANE AIR
MPF INITIATING
DIRECTIVE
DEPARTS ARRIVES AT APOE ARRIVES MOVEMENT
SLRP ADVANCE MAIN FLIGHT
(O-8) PARTY BODY FERRY
GROUP
(O-4)

PLANNING
MPF MAGTF
MARSHALING COMBAT
READY
MID
MOVEMENT PLANNING
CONFERENCE
WARNING ARRIVAL AND
ORDER
ASSEMBLY
ALERT
DEPLOYMENT
ORDER RECONSTITUTION
ORDER
N-DAY
C-DAY O-DAY MAGTF OPERATIONS

O+10
SEA EXECUTE T-AVB AND T-AH
RDD
MOVEMENT ORDER ARRIVES (C+30)
OPP
GROUP MPSRON BOARDS LAST MPS
FIRST MPS FOLLOW ON
MOVES MPSRON ARRIVES
(O-4) ARRIVES SUSTAINMENT (FOS)
(O-1)
 Initiating Directive
• Should include
– Summary
• Gives purpose and references
– Mission
• Includes purpose for which MPF is deployed
and MAGTF is employed
– Task organization
– Concept and specific tasks

MPF - 08 27
 Initiating Directive
• Should include (cont)
– Operation areas
• Defines control measures

• Define time, place, and duration of support

• Designate Arrival and Assembly Area (AAA)

MPF - 08 28
 Initiating Directive
• Should include (cont)
– Coordinating instructions
• Target date for MAGTF deployment
• Offload Preparation Party (OPP) deployment
• Survey, Liaison and Reconnaissance Party
(SLRP) deployment
• C-Day/O-Day
• MPSRON arrival date
• Anticipated duration of MPF operation
MPF - 08 29
 Initiating Directive
• Should include (cont)
– Special instructions
• CBR defense/employment
• Rules of Engagement (ROE)
• Special Operations
• Security
• Safety
• Communications
• Logistic instructions

MPF - 08 30
 Specific MPF Actions
• Actions taken after initiating directive
(WARNING ORDER) issued
– Refine Naval COA
– Review and update force lists for availability,
readiness
– Prepare to deploy SLRP and OPP
– Reposition the MPSRON
– Mobilize selected reserves
– Activate support & augmentation shipping
– Provide refined TPFDD to USTRANSCOM
MPF - 08 31
MPF - 08 32
 Other Planning Considerations

• Deployment of the ACE

• Transition from deployment to

employment

• Disposition of Components of the MPF

MPF - 08 33
 Deployment of the ACE

• Major Tasks during Planning Phase

-Mission Analysis
-Force List Development
-APOE Identification
-F/W, R/W, and radar employment sites
-T-AVB employment
-USAF Tanker Training
-Flight Ferry Planning
MPF - 08 34
 Deployment of the ACE

C-5 LOAD PLANNING

TYPE AIRCRAFT NUMBER CONFIGURATION

AH-1W 6 REDUCED
UH-1N 5 REDUCED
CH-46E 2 REDUCED
CH-53D 2 REDUCED
CH-53E 2 REDUCED

MPF - 08 35
 Deployment of the ACE

• Major Tasks during Planning Phase

-Mission Analysis
-Force List Development
-APOE Identification
-F/W, R/W, and radar employment sites
-T-AVB employment
-USAF Tanker Training
-Flight Ferry Planning
MPF - 08 36
 Deployment to
Employment
• Plans should include
– Clear command relationship
– Interoperability issues addressed
– Exchange of information
– Responsibility for local security
– Assembly area used for other operations
– Response to hostile action
– Allocation of planning time

MPF - 08 37
 Disposition of Components
• MAGTF
- On termination of MPF operation, MAGTF operate
as MARFOR or subsumed into existing MARFOR
- Expected command relationship changes

• NSE
- Determine what components are necessary
- Remain in place if backload & redeployment is
imminent
MPF - 08 38
Questions?

MPF - 08 39
 Summary

• Deliberate planning
• Crisis Action planning
– Eight basic decisions
• Initiating directive
– Specific actions required upon it issue
• Other planning considerations

MPF - 08 40
 References

• MCWP 3-32/NTTP 3-02.3, Maritime

Prepositioning Force (MPF) Operations
• JP 5-0, Joint Operation Planning
• MCWP 5-1, Marine Corps Planning
Process
• NDP5-01/NWP 11 Navy Planning

MPF - 08 41
Questions?