AODS5: The Army Operations & Doctrine SMARTbook, 5th Ed. (w/Change 1‪)‬

AODS5: The Army Operations & Doctrine SMARTbook, 5th Ed. (with Change 1*) is the fifth edition of The Army Operations & Doctrine SMARTbook. Topics include complete discussion of the fundamentals, principles and tenets of Army operations and organization (ADP/ADRP 3-0 Operations, 2016); chapters on each of the six warfighting functions: mission command (ADP/ADRP 6-0), movement and maneuver (ADPs 3-90, 3-07, 3-28, 3-05), intelligence (ADP/ADRP 2-0), fires (ADP/ADRP 3-09), sustainment (ADP/ADRP 4-0), and protection (ADP/ADRP 3-37); Doctrine 2015 guide and glossary of terms.


* Change 1 to AODS5 (Apr 2017) incorporates additional material from ADRP 3-0 (Nov 2016), FM 6-0 (Chg 2, Apr 2016), FM 3-52 (Oct 2016) and FM 3-34 (Apr 2016). An asterisk marks changed pages.


An operation is a sequence of tactical actions with a common purpose or unifying theme. Army forces, as part of the joint force, contribute to the joint fight through the conduct of unified land operations.



Unified land operations are simultaneous offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities tasks to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative and consolidate gains to prevent conflict, shape the operational environment, and win our Nation’s wars as part of unified action.



Decisive action is the continuous, simultaneous combinations of offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities tasks. Operations conducted outside the United States and its territories simultaneously combine three elements — offense, defense, and stability. Within the United States and its territories, decisive action combines the elements of defense support of civil authorities and, as required, offense and defense to support homeland defense.


Army forces conduct multi-domain battle, as part of a joint force, to seize, retain, and exploit control over enemy forces. Army forces deter adversaries, restrict enemy freedom of action, and ensure freedom of maneuver and action in multiple domains for the joint force commander.



Combat power is the total means of destructive, constructive, and information capabilities that a military unit or formation can apply at a given time. To an Army commander, Army forces generate combat power by converting potential into effective action. Combat power has eight elements: leadership, information, mission command, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment, and protection.


The Army collectively describes the last six elements as the warfighting functions. Commanders apply combat power through the warfighting functions using leadership and information.

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