In OPORDs, what does the Mission section specify?

• A. Mission states the task and purpose.
• B. Mission describes enemy courses of action.
• C. Mission contains the logistics details.
• D. Mission describes communications plan.

Answer: (A)

In an OPORD, the Mission section is where the unit clearly states what must be done and why it matters. It conveys the task to be accomplished and the purpose behind it, usually in one concise sentence. It identifies who is responsible, what needs to be done, where it will happen, and often the time, but it intentionally leaves out how to do it. That way, subordinates can plan the execution with their own methods while staying aligned to the intended end state.

So, the best choice is that the Mission specifies the task and the purpose. The other topics—like enemy courses of action, logistics details, or the communications plan—belong in other sections of the order. For a quick sense, a mission statement might read something like: seize Objective Alpha at a designated location by 0600 to deny the enemy use of the area and to enable the main effort.