P
P Kaye
Guest
Does anybody know where I can find an official job description, or list of responsibilities and duties, for a unit (sqn/regiment) Ops O?
TangoTwoBravo
Army.ca Veteran
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P. Kaye,
The official references that I found deal with field-specific issues but I will try to give an outline of the duties.
The Operations Officer is responsible to the CO (usually through the DCO/Regt 2IC) on all matters of operations. What is "operations?" Well, it is everything that the unit does with respect to its primary role. In the field/battle this includes moving troops around and "battle plans" in general. In my unit it also includes Communications and Intelligence. In garrison it includes activities geared towards training for operations.
Specific duties can include
a. the preparation of operations orders (as stated by Eowyn)
b. tracking/management of tasks in and out of the unit
c. publishing and managing the annual training directive (under the direction of the CO)
d. coordinating all training in the unit (both indiv and collective)
e. resource control (not the details but in assigning priorities)
The Ops O has an Ops WO who normally focuses on tasks but assists with everything else. One thing I learned early in life as a junior officer was that you should never cause problems for the Ops WO! There is often a Trg O and Trg WO who focus on courses and resources. The Sig O and Int O (if you are lucky enought to have one) handle the Comms and Int piece.
The big job of the Ops O is to coord all the many details of Ops/Trg/Comms/Int to prevent the CO from getting bogged down in the details. In the field the Ops O is in the CP (usually with the Ops WO in the alternate) and controls the command net.
To give a real-world example, I was an Ops O for a reserve unit for two years. I would draft the training plan based on guidance/direction from the CO and advice from the Ops WO. Once the big picture stuff was in place (exercise dates and aims) the Ops WO would look after the all-important details such as training area requests, getting the ball rolling for stores requests, submitting external stores requests etc.
The Ops O and Adjt are a team that do the detail work on the behalf of the CO regarding their respective realms (ops/admin). Ops O's do not issue the PER instruction and Adjt's do not plan exercises. Both have a senior NCO to keep things on the rails.
Hope this helps,
2B
p.s. edited to remove double-feed
The official references that I found deal with field-specific issues but I will try to give an outline of the duties.
The Operations Officer is responsible to the CO (usually through the DCO/Regt 2IC) on all matters of operations. What is "operations?" Well, it is everything that the unit does with respect to its primary role. In the field/battle this includes moving troops around and "battle plans" in general. In my unit it also includes Communications and Intelligence. In garrison it includes activities geared towards training for operations.
Specific duties can include
a. the preparation of operations orders (as stated by Eowyn)
b. tracking/management of tasks in and out of the unit
c. publishing and managing the annual training directive (under the direction of the CO)
d. coordinating all training in the unit (both indiv and collective)
e. resource control (not the details but in assigning priorities)
The Ops O has an Ops WO who normally focuses on tasks but assists with everything else. One thing I learned early in life as a junior officer was that you should never cause problems for the Ops WO! There is often a Trg O and Trg WO who focus on courses and resources. The Sig O and Int O (if you are lucky enought to have one) handle the Comms and Int piece.
The big job of the Ops O is to coord all the many details of Ops/Trg/Comms/Int to prevent the CO from getting bogged down in the details. In the field the Ops O is in the CP (usually with the Ops WO in the alternate) and controls the command net.
To give a real-world example, I was an Ops O for a reserve unit for two years. I would draft the training plan based on guidance/direction from the CO and advice from the Ops WO. Once the big picture stuff was in place (exercise dates and aims) the Ops WO would look after the all-important details such as training area requests, getting the ball rolling for stores requests, submitting external stores requests etc.
The Ops O and Adjt are a team that do the detail work on the behalf of the CO regarding their respective realms (ops/admin). Ops O's do not issue the PER instruction and Adjt's do not plan exercises. Both have a senior NCO to keep things on the rails.
Hope this helps,
2B
p.s. edited to remove double-feed
P
P Kaye
Guest
Thanks 2B, that was very informative!
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Now that others have filled in the details I didn't have the time or patience to, I can ask the question that came to my mind. Why is an (according to your profile) untrained 2Lt inquiring about Ops O duties? 
The lowest rank at a res field sqn to hold that job should be snr Lt, preferably a Captain. The Ops O speaks in the name of the CO on ex and will often be giving direction to sub-units commanded by people of equal or higher rank.
Please tell me this info isn't for yourself.
The lowest rank at a res field sqn to hold that job should be snr Lt, preferably a Captain. The Ops O speaks in the name of the CO on ex and will often be giving direction to sub-units commanded by people of equal or higher rank.
Please tell me this info isn't for yourself.
P
P Kaye
Guest
Interesting that you didn't have the time or patience to provide me with any help, but you found the time to openly suggest that I have no place asking for this information, or trying to do as good a job as I can in a position I don't yet have the expertise to do without help.
I know you're a retired Major, Sir, but I don't find this particularly constructive.
Sometimes it is the case that junior officers are put in positions they are not qualified for, for several reasons:
1) there may not be enough qualified officers to fill all the positions
2) the junior officers can learn alot by being made to "sink or swim", under the helpful wing of a good Ops WO, for example.
I know you're a retired Major, Sir, but I don't find this particularly constructive.
Sometimes it is the case that junior officers are put in positions they are not qualified for, for several reasons:
1) there may not be enough qualified officers to fill all the positions
2) the junior officers can learn alot by being made to "sink or swim", under the helpful wing of a good Ops WO, for example.
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Calm down. It wasn't meant as a criticism of you in any way. I did note some of the things an Ops O might have to do in order to point out that it could be difficult for someone in your position to do.
If you have to do it, give it your best. Just be aware of what you may face.
And I've been out for a long time, don't call me sir.
If you have to do it, give it your best. Just be aware of what you may face.
And I've been out for a long time, don't call me sir.
P
P Kaye
Guest
Sorry for over-reacting... your message came across in a way I guess it wasn't meant to (it's happened to me before, so I understand it's very easy for the tone of a post to be mis-read).
My unit is in the middle of a big expansion from Sqn size to Reg size. I'm not Ops for the whole regiment (that is indeed a caption who is also wearing the DCO hat).
I am the Ops O for the small Fd Sqn within the regiment (only 1 troop in the sqn). The OC is a Captain.
I'm expecting this to be a huge challenge, and I'm a bit worried of making a fool of myself or dropping the ball. My Ops WO is a Sgt, so I'm hoping that he will be a good teacher to me.
On the bright side, this position will be a great way to learn the detailed workings of a Fd Sqn.
My unit is in the middle of a big expansion from Sqn size to Reg size. I'm not Ops for the whole regiment (that is indeed a caption who is also wearing the DCO hat).
I am the Ops O for the small Fd Sqn within the regiment (only 1 troop in the sqn). The OC is a Captain.
I'm expecting this to be a huge challenge, and I'm a bit worried of making a fool of myself or dropping the ball. My Ops WO is a Sgt, so I'm hoping that he will be a good teacher to me.
On the bright side, this position will be a great way to learn the detailed workings of a Fd Sqn.
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Fd sqns expanding to regt's, supersized MP pls all over the place, what's happening to the reserves since I left?
Now I understand your situation better. I was fearing that an untrained 2Lt was being thrown to the wolves as a unit ops o so maybe I overreacted a bit myself.
The terminology threw me for a bit of a loop also. I'm not used to a sqn that is part of a regimental organization having it's own "Ops O" besides the regimental one.
The scenario you described sounds like a good learning experience. Take it and run with it.
Now I understand your situation better. I was fearing that an untrained 2Lt was being thrown to the wolves as a unit ops o so maybe I overreacted a bit myself.
The terminology threw me for a bit of a loop also. I'm not used to a sqn that is part of a regimental organization having it's own "Ops O" besides the regimental one.
The scenario you described sounds like a good learning experience. Take it and run with it.
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2Bravo,
Thanks,
Although I was an NCO for allot of years this adm stuff is new to me as well. The detailed description is great!
P Kaye,
Good luck buddy. I am lucky that I have had some experience on the other side of the orders format to help me out but that does not make me and expert by any means. I have a good Trg/ Ops team behind me.
GF
Thanks,
Although I was an NCO for allot of years this adm stuff is new to me as well. The detailed description is great!
P Kaye,
Good luck buddy. I am lucky that I have had some experience on the other side of the orders format to help me out but that does not make me and expert by any means. I have a good Trg/ Ops team behind me.
GF
TangoTwoBravo
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P Kaye/RNPRN,
You're welcome! One bit of advice is that you should go to the next staff level Ops guy for guidance. If you ask for help up front they should be forthcoming. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Cheers,
2B
You're welcome! One bit of advice is that you should go to the next staff level Ops guy for guidance. If you ask for help up front they should be forthcoming. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Cheers,
2B
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2Bravo said:
This is excellent advice from 2B. When I was Ops O and then later on a G3, I worked on getting a good face-to face (or at least voice to voice) relationship with the Ops staff immediately above me. It paid huge dividends and smoothed many roads. Now that I am at Bde, I strongly encourage our COs to have their Ops/Trg folks keep in close touch with our G3 shop. It's sad how many units try to bumble along in the dark, with little idea of what is required, because they think that if they call the HQ above them they will just get blown off. If that happens in our shop I expect (and welcome) a call from the CO, so that we can engage in a little bit of attitude adjustment of the staff involved. The staff have two primary duties: to execute the will of the commander and to assist the subordinate units. Use the expertise of those above you-they've probably done your job, and they can keep you out of trouble.
Cheers
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