Policy Updates / Policies and Procedures
Policy Update: ORBAT Standards

Major Korean Falcon

Commanding Officer
UNITAF

The following policies have been published:

• FM/G-307 – ORBAT Construction – Element-Specific Standards
  Formalises existing Operations Command policy and precedent into the Force Manual
• FM/G-309 – ORBAT Construction – Slot-Specific Standards
  Formalises existing Operations Command policy and precedent into the Force Manual
• FM/BG-1509 – Interpreting ORBAT Construction Standards
  Provides guidance on how ORBAT construction standards are to be interpreted and applied

The relevant changes are:

• The policies contained within FM/G-307 – ORBAT Construction – Element-Specific Standards and FM/G-309 – ORBAT Construction – Slot-Specific Standards have been published to formally define the expected structure, composition and constraints of operational elements and individual slots within the ORBAT.
• The accompanying guidance in FM/BG-1509 – Interpreting ORBAT Construction Standards clarifies how these standards are to be applied in practice, including how to resolve ambiguity and how these standards interact with operational judgement and planning requirements.
• These policies consolidate long-standing unit policy, precedent and established practice, which were previously applied consistently but not fully codified within the Force Manual.
• This ensures that expectations around element composition, leadership structure, specialist roles, and slot-level requirements are now transparent, referenceable and consistently applied across all operations.

It is important to emphasise that these publications do not introduce new policy or change how ORBATs are constructed or approved. Rather, they formalise existing standards, precedent and long-standing Operations Command practice into written doctrine, as requested by the unit.

The intent of codifying these standards is to improve clarity, transparency and consistency. By clearly documenting established practice, planners can construct ORBATs with confidence and without uncertainty, and all members can reference a shared, authoritative standard that applies equally to everyone.

Operations Command and J3 staff are responsible for applying these standards, not redefining them. Their role is to ensure doctrine and precedent are applied consistently and fairly across all operations. These publications support that process by ensuring expectations are clear, reducing ambiguity and removing reliance on unwritten precedent or individual interpretation.

As with all doctrine, these standards exist to support the operational effectiveness, fairness and long-term health of the unit. Doctrine reflects the collective experience and decisions of the unit over time, and formalising it ensures that all members operate under the same clearly understood framework. Where requirements evolve, established doctrine change processes exist to review and refine policy in a structured and transparent manner.

The intent of these publications is to ensure that ORBAT construction standards are clearly defined, accessible and consistently applied. By codifying established Operations Command practice into doctrine, and providing clear guidance on interpretation, these policies improve transparency, reduce ambiguity, and ensure that operational planning is guided by clearly articulated structural principles rather than implicit precedent.

These standards are not intended to stifle creativity or prevent innovation in operational design. UNITAF has always evolved through the initiative and creativity of its members, and Operations Command remains open to new ideas, structures and approaches where there is clear operational value. The purpose of defining standards is to establish a consistent and fair baseline, so that creativity can be applied deliberately and constructively, rather than requiring fundamental standards to be reinterpreted or reconsidered on a case-by-case basis. Where genuinely new approaches are proposed, established review and doctrine processes exist to evaluate and incorporate them appropriately.

These policies are effective immediately and are now reflected in the Force Manual under FM/G-307, FM/G-309 and FM/BG-1509, within the Deployment Planning chapter.