ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the thought processes of military commanders faced with traditional battle planning tasks and required to plan a course of action (COA). One key issue was to explore the strategies used to merge new information with knowledge in the COA planning process. Another key issue was to study whether there were differences in the thought processes of experienced and less experienced officers. The goal of the project of which this study was one part was to develop new planning models and supporting technology, and for that reason, it was important to study how planning is done by military commanders without restricting them to following a formal process.
