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Thread: Battle Update Brief template

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    Council Member jcustis's Avatar
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    Default Battle Update Brief template

    Folks, I'm looking for a few examples of BUB slides to refer to. I need to build a comparable product and am looking for a bit of rudder steer.

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    First off, my bona fides. As someone who has ETS'd, I no longer wear my PowerPoint Ranger Tab. However, my slidesmanship has not dulled significantly. Part of my CV is here.

    Now, specifically to your question. Do BUBs occur at the unclass level? I only ask because none of mine did, so I have no unclass examples to send you. Are you looking specifically for a .ppt file or just a template for the format (the order that people present in and the information)?

    What echelon? What type of unit? What type of operation?

    The only deployment where I slogged through a staph position was my third one in Iraq, so my experience is narrow, but our BUB (I think we called it a "CUB" or "Commander's Update Brief") was tailored to our mission. Going purely off of memory from about two years ago, I outlined it below. I don't expect that it answers your question, but it provides some starting point (I hope) from which to add or delete (or to clarify what is sought). I would also add that there was no graphic template, as each staff member presented in whatever way helped him to convey the information - methods also shifted over the course of the deployment according to what information the commander wanted. My slides alone went through about five or six evolutions. Most people simply had bullet statements on the slide and maybe appropriate imagery or data. There were no gumdrop charts or color-coded assessments.

    Start off with Chaplain, S1, and PA
    - morale/health issues (trends Chaplain is seeing, where Chaplain plans on going, types of services, etc)
    - tracking personnel (subordinate units should give information, in the same format, to the S-1 prior to the brief; he briefs it, which implies that he has verified it); should include how many individuals, by unit, are in each location, when and where they are scheduled to move (if applicable) and by what means; same info for attachments
    - administrative issues, such as awards, OERs/NCOERs, schools
    - updates on wounded Soldiers who are at a CSH or have redeployed (non-confidential medical status, location, etc)
    - sick call trends, any upcoming vaccinations or screening that needs to occur

    Battle Captain (one of the off-duty ones)
    - operations and SIGACTs over the past 24 hours; significant events in adjacent sectors
    - status of planned operations not yet executed

    Subordinate unit reps, if applicable (LNOs, company reps, etc)
    - last 24 hours (we usually viewed Secret-level storyboards from each operation here and the brief went into a little more detail)
    - next 24 hours
    - anything else the subordinate commander wanted to relay

    S2
    - Big-picture stuff, trends, latest intel/analysis, etc

    Intel and Ops folks
    - I'll omit specifics, but ISR, IO (or break it down into EW, PSYOP, OPSEC, etc, if you have the personnel), PA, CA, SIGINT, etc all brief status of support laid on in support of upcoming ops; any related admin issues that impact the ability to perform those missions
    - JAG briefs updates to detained individuals (where are they in the legal system), updates metrics regarding conviction rates and similar data, highlights any issues that could impact future prosecutions of folks we captured

    S4/Trans/BMT/other logistics
    - supply/accountability issues
    - movement of supplies (what is scheduled to go where/ what means / when) and personnel
    - maintenance status (current, recent changes, expected changes)

    HHC/S6
    - Status, by subordinate unit, of networks, radio/satellite comms, phones, NIPR/SIPR, planned maintenance that will impact any of those, steps being taken to expand those to subordinate units if applicable
    - life support issues

    Then S3, XO, CSM, and Commander

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    Council Member jcustis's Avatar
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    or just a template for the format (the order that people present in and the information)?
    I'm looking for a template, and yes, it would ride on the high side. What I am trying to do at our battalion level is to paint a picture of what is going on with our sister battalion in Afghanistan, utilizing raw and analyzed data from their sigacts, intel products, opords, etc. My boss does not need an intsum. he can read thoe pretty easily if he so desires. I am trying to tie, however, our staff section leads to the staff from that battalion task force,

    I think what you've provided off the top of your head is a solid framework that I can work within and use as a starting point..

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    Council Member Cavguy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
    I'm looking for a template, and yes, it would ride on the high side. What I am trying to do at our battalion level is to paint a picture of what is going on with our sister battalion in Afghanistan, utilizing raw and analyzed data from their sigacts, intel products, opords, etc. My boss does not need an intsum. he can read thoe pretty easily if he so desires. I am trying to tie, however, our staff section leads to the staff from that battalion task force,

    I think what you've provided off the top of your head is a solid framework that I can work within and use as a starting point..
    Head to SIPR, go to CALL-S. Alternately, surf around to some of the MNF-I unit's SIPR SharePoint sites, there should be a plethora of BUBs at all levels. Use intellink search.

    A BUB is really a commander's morning update, a standard update includes Last 24, Current 24, Next 24 for each Function - S2, Ops, etc. I know of no "standard" except what the CDR wants to see each AM or shift change in the TOC.
    "A Sherman can give you a very nice... edge."- Oddball, Kelly's Heroes
    Who is Cavguy?

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    Council Member jcustis's Avatar
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    We don't use a BUB so much in the USMC as our Army brothers do, but perhaps we should. I recall drafting BUB inputs for our task force when we worked for 2 BCT outside of Ramadi.

    My boss used that term for a weekly event he wants, so we'll be using combat actions, CSS issues, and intelligence of the past 7 days, vice the shorter window of a daily brief.

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