OPERATIONAL TERMS

AND
GRAPHICS
 OPERATIONAL TERMS AND
GRAPHICS
THE ARMY HAS CREATED A COMMON LANGUAGE OF
OPERATIONAL TERMS AND GRAPHICS FOR LEADERS TO ISSUE
ORDERS RAPIDLY WITH A MINIMUM RISK OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

AS 2LTs IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, YOU MUST BE PROFICIENT

IN THE USE OF MILITARY TERMS AND SYMBOLS TO COMPREHEND
GUIDANCE AND INTENT FROM HIGHER. A PROFICIENT
KNOWLEDGE BASE IS ALSO REQUIRED TO EFFECTIVELY
COMMUNICATE THE PLAN TO YOUR SUBORDINATES.

FAILURE ON YOUR PART TO SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND THE

ARMY’S COMMON LANGUAGE WILL NOT ONLY BE
PROFESSIONALLY EMBARRASSING, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
RESULT IN MEMBERS OF YOUR UNIT BEING KILLED OR INJURED.
 TERMINAL LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
ACTION: CORRECTLY CONSTRUCT AN OPERATIONS
OVERLAY.

CONDITION: IN A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT,

GIVEN FM 101-5-1, A 1:50,000 AND A TACTICAL
SITUATION BRIEF.

STANDARD: CONSTRUCT AN OPERATIONAL

OVERLAY IAW FM 101-5-1 AND ACHIEVE A
MINIMUM SCORE OF 70% ON THE EXAMINATION.
 ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

SAFETY: General

RISK: Low

ENVIRONMENTAL: None
 EVALUATION

Students are required to complete

a final examination and achieve
a passing score of at least 70%.
 REFERENCES
101-5-1
OPERATIONAL TERMS AND SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 1 - OPERATIONAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

CHAPTER 2 - OPERATIONAL ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 3 - GRAPHIC CONTROL MEASURES

CHAPTER 4 - UNIT SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 5 - EQUIPMENT SYMBOLS

 ENABLING LEARNING
OBJECTIVE

ACTION: IDENTIFY STANDARD OPERATIONAL

GRAPHICS.

CONDITION: IN A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT,

GIVEN FM 101-5-1.

STANDARD: IDENTIFY AND DRAW STANDARD

OPERATIONAL GRAPHICS IAW FM 101-5-1.
GRAPHICS INFORMATION

WHO
WHERE
WHAT
HOW

When done properly, graphic

overlays are STAND ALONE.
 COLORS
BLACK:: REPRESENTS ALL HIGHER FRIENDLY CONTROL
MEASURES AND WEAPONS (i.e., boundaries,
phase lines, machine guns, mortars, etc.)
RED: REPRESENTS ALL ENEMY INFORMATION MINUS
OBSTACLES (i.e., enemy units, axes of advance,
etc.)
GREEN: REPRESENTS ALL OBSTACLES, BOTH FRIENDLY
AND ENEMY (i.e., friendly mine fields, enemy triple-
strand concertina wire obstacle, etc.)
BLUE: REPRESENTS ALL FRIENDLY UNIT SYMBOLS AND
ADDITIONS TO HIGHER’S OVERLAY BY A
COMMANDER OR PLATOON LEADER

ANY OTHER SIGNIFICANT COLORS WILL

BE DEPICTED IN THE LEGEND
GRAPHICS PHILOSOPHY

WHO
 BASIC SYMBOL FRAMES
(WHO)

UNIT UNIT
HQ ENEMY ENEMY
UNIT HQ

FUTURE OR SUSPECTED UNIT LOCATIONS

FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
 UNIT ROLE INDICATORS

L
INFANTRY LIGHT MECHANIZED
(BASIC) INFANTRY INFANTRY
(BFV)

E
ARMOR MEDICAL ENGINEERS

FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
 UNIT ROLE INDICATORS

ANTI-ARMOR AIR DEFENSE RECON

DISMOUNTED ARTILLERY

FIELD OBSERVATION
ROTARY
ARTILLERY POST
WING

FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
 UNIT SIZE INDICATORS

TEAM SQUAD SECTION

PLATOON COMPANY OR BATALLION

BATTERY
FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
 UNIT DESIGNATORS
SIZE

HIGHER
UNIT ECHELON

1 A
UNIT ROLE
INDICATOR
FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
 ENEMY

INFANTRY ARMOR RECON

COMPANY PLATOON SQUAD

ARTILLERY ENGINEER MECHANIZED

BATTALION TEAM INFANTRY
FM 101-5-1 Appendix B
SECTION
 PRACTICAL EXERCISE
WHO & WHAT ?????
2nd PLT, A CO, 3rd BN, 1st BDE (Bradley MECH)

2 A/3/1
GRAPHICS PHILOSOPHY

WHERE
 LOCATION (WHERE)

A HQ HAS THE STAFF ON

THE SIDE, WHILE A UNIT
CENTER
HAS IT CENTERED
MASS

THE END OF THE STAFF, OR

EXTENSION, INDICATES THE EXACT
LOCATION OF THE HQ.

FM 101-5-1 Ch 4
GRAPHICS PHILOSOPHY

WHAT
 WEAPON SYMBOLS

LIGHT MG MEDIUM MG HEAVY MG

(SAW) (7.62mm) (50.CAL)

ANTI-TANK
WEAPON
(AT-4)

LIGHT MEDIUM HEAVY

MORTAR (60mm) MORTAR (81mm) MORTAR (120mm)

FM 101-5-1 Ch 5
 OBSTACLES (WIRE)
SINGLE-STRAND CONCERTINA

DOUBLE-STRAND CONCERTINA

TRIPLE-STRAND CONCERTINA

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 OBSTACLES (MINES)

AP AT

UNSPECIFIED DIRECTIONAL
(CLAYMORE)
 OBSTACLES (MINEFIELDS)

COMPLETED MINEFIELD PLANNED OR

(UNSPECIFIED MINES) SUSPECTED
MINEFIELD (AT MINES)

MIXED MINEFIELD
(AP & AT)
FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
GRAPHICS PHILOSOPHY

HOW
 CONTROL MEASURES
(POINTS)

SP RP 8 PP

START RELEASE CHECK PASSAGE

POINT POINT POINT POINT

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 BOUNDARIES

1 1

2 2

A A

B B

1-11 1-11

2-502 2-502

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 LINES

FORWARD LINE OF OWN TROOPS

FLOT FLOT

LIMIT OF ADVANCE
LOA
LOA

LINE OF CONTACT
LC LC

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 LINES
LINE OF DEPARTURE

LD
LD
PHASE LINE
PL
PL DOG
DOG
PROBABLE LINE OF DEPLOYMENT

PLD PLD

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 AREAS
AREA OF OPERATION ENGAGEMENT
AREA

AO SNAKE A
EA SNAKE L 2/1

PREPARED BUT NOT OCCUPIED

(i.e., alternate and supplemental
BATTLE POSITION positions, etc.)
BP ALPHA
(P) BP SCARED

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 AREAS
ATTACK POSITION ASSAULT POSITION

ATK ASLT
DEXTER PSN 3

ASSEMBLY AREA KNOWN ENEMY LOCATION

AA DEXTER ENY ENY

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 ROUTES
FRIENDLY AXIS OF ADVANCE (FRIENDLY GROUND
AXIS OF SUPPORTING ATTACK) [SE]

AA BLACK

FRIENDLY AXIS OF ADVANCE (FRIENDLY GROUND

AXIS OF MAIN ATTACK) [ME]

AA BLACK

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 ROUTES
ENEMY AXIS OF ADVANCE (SUPPORTING EFFORT)

ENY

ENY

ENEMY AXIS OF ADVANCE (MAIN EFFORT)

ENY

ENY

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 ROUTES

DOA BLACK

DIRECTION OF ATTACK (FRIENDLY DIRECTION OF

SUPPORTING ATTACK) [SE]

DOA BLACK

DIRECTION OF ATTACK (FRIENDLY DIRECTION OF

MAIN ATTACK) [ME]

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 FIRE PLANNING

LINEAR TARGET
AB0020

SMOKE

TARGET REFERENCE TARGET

POINT
1 AB0020

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 OTHER ACTIONS

SUPPORT BY FIRE AMBUSH

FM 101-5-1 Ch 3
 TERMINAL LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
ACTION: CONSTRUCT AN OPERATIONAL OVERLAY.

CONDITION: IN A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT,

GIVEN FM 101-5-1, A 1:50,000 AND 1:25,000 MAP,
AND A TACTICAL SITUATION BRIEF.

STANDARD: CONSTRUCT AN OPERATIONAL

OVERLAY IAW FM 101-5-1 AND ACHIEVE A 70%
PASS ON THE OVERALL TESTING.
 CHECK ON LEARNING
#1) What manual governs Operational Terms &
Graphics?
#2) What MUST an operational overlay BE?
#3) What do the colors BLACK and GREEN represent?
#4) What is the symbol for Infantry? Armor?
Engineers?
#5) What is the symbol for Team? Squad? Platoon?
#6) What is the symbol for heavy MG? Medium
Mortar? Triple-strand Concertina?
 13
PL ELM PL BIRCH
AA 85
BLUE LD/LC
FLOT
3

BP
1

BP
ATK RED

2
DO
3 L C AB BP
FG2310
LA 2

BP1

BP1

AB0020
C L 5-87 CK

BP1
2
BP
3 3

BP
3

BP
2

3
C L 5-87
C L 5-87
FG2320
C 5/87 3
B 5/87

B L 5-87 FEBA
FLOT
81

16

LD/LC PL BIRCH
PL ELM
QUESTIONS??