What is an OPORD and what are the essential components a Maritime Warfare Officer must extract for ship-level execution?

• A. OPORD is a maintenance request form.
• B. OPORD provides weather and sea-state data only.
• C. OPORD contains only enemy disposition.
• D. OPORD is an operational order detailing mission, intent, concept of operations, assignment of tasks, coordinating instructions, timing, and sustainment; essential for ship-level execution includes mission, tasks, timing, and coordination.

Answer: (D)

An OPORD is the operational directive that tells a ship how to execute a mission, turning a plan into actionable guidance at the unit level. It outlines the mission, the commander’s intent, the concept of operations, the assignment of tasks, coordinating instructions, timing, and sustainment, so everyone knows what to do, why, and when. For ship-level execution, the essential pieces to extract are the mission, the specific tasks assigned, the timing or sequence of actions, and the coordination requirements that synchronize actions across the ship and with others. This combination ensures the ship can align its actions with the overall plan, allocate responsibilities, and maintain the necessary logistics and support. The other options are too narrow or incorrect—a maintenance form is unrelated, weather data alone doesn’t capture the full directive, and enemy disposition is only one element within a broader order.