C210 Point Paper
Name: _______________________________ Date: ___________
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. This assignment is due at the end of the C200 block, after you have completed all of the online C200 lessons, especially C210 Strategic Estimate. Moreover, you MUST complete your C210 strategic estimate assignment BEFORE you write your point paper. DDE will NOT accept your C210 point paper until you have submitted your C210 strategic estimate AND have received faculty feedback for the estimate. The answers you submitted for the C210 estimate, and the faculty feedback you received for the estimate, will help you to write a better point paper. The C210 point paper is worth 15% of the C200 block grade.
2. You must type your answers, using the Congressional Background Paper format provided in this document. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER FORMAT. Because you are using a specific format for this assignment, you do not have to provide citations. Also, the font and margins are already set for you. You do not have to submit a 1009w writing evaluation form for this assignment.
3. You may refer to the online C200 lessons, readings, and references if you need to review key concepts of the strategic environment block. You may not discuss this assignment with anyone other than a DDE faculty member or your academic advisor. You must complete this assignment and all Phase 1 requirements before you can progress on to TASS or ADL Phase 2.
4. This writing requirement is worth a total of 100 points. Your grade will be based on three criteria:
a. Substance (accurate depiction of information, ideas, analysis from Strategic Estimate) (70 points).
b. Organization (adherence to prescribed format and guidelines) (15 points)
c. Writing Quality (style – tone, precision; correctness – spelling, punctuation, grammar) (15 points).
Scoring
Substance (70 points): _______
Organization (15 points): _______
Quality of Writing (15 points): _______
Total Grade: ____
SCENARIO AND SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
It is December 2019. You are an Action Officer (AO) and a member of a EUCOM J5 (ECJ5) Joint Planning Group (JPG). As directed by the Chief of Staff through the J5, your JPG has completed an update of the Strategic Estimate for the Caucasus Region to get the Commander up to speed on the situation in the region and provide the basis for a commander’s estimate and, if necessary, development of plans.
Following the successful briefing of the Strategic Estimate, the Combatant Commander learned that he would have to travel to Washington to join the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at congressional hearings on the situation in the Caucasus region. The Combatant Commander will depart for Washington sometime in the next few days.
You have been tasked to prepare a paper for the Combatant Commander to use in testimony before congressional committees and in meetings in Washington.
WRITING REQUIREMENT
You will prepare a paper of no more than 3 typed pages based on the Strategic Estimate you prepared for lesson C210. The paper must follow the modified USEUCOM staff format for a Congressional Background Paper, which includes points for the Combatant Commander’s use during notional discussions in Washington and background information.
According to Headquarters USEUCOM Staff Memorandum (SM) 5-5, USEUCOM Staff Officer Reference Guide, “The Congressional Background Paper (CBP) combines the features of the bullet paper and the background paper. The first page of the CBP condenses essential information into bullet sentences for easy recall. The second and third pages provide the main body of the paper in three parts: Background/Discussion, Current Status, and Conclusions.”
The paper consists of two parts:
a. A one-page paper in bullet format; and
b. A Background Paper of no more than two pages.
The format you must follow is described below. The text in the format provides guidance on the use of the format and preparation of the paper, and also depicts the physical layout of the paper (line spacing, indentation, numbering and lettering). The subject of the Congressional Background Paper has been provided to you (Strategic Estimate of the Caucasus Region), along with the three underlined section headings for the second and third pages of the format.
CONGRESSIONAL BACKGROUND PAPER
———————————————————————————————————
ECJ5 Action Officer’s GRADE, NAME
APPROVED BY: ____________ DATE
STRATEGIC ESTIMATE OF THE CAUCASUS REGION
This page condenses ESSENTIAL information in bullet sentences for easy recall. You will use this page to place at the Combatant Commander’s fingertips (for use in his discussions in Washington) key facts, ideas or information from the Strategic Estimate that you prepared.
Each sentence will be a summary of a key fact or statement contained in the paper’s main body, which begins on page 2.
No fact, idea, or information will be on this page which is not in the main body of the Background Paper. This page is only for facts, not discussion.
No sentence will be longer than TWO lines. If sentence fragments convey ideas, use instead of full sentences.
A chart/graph MAY be used if CLEAR and if it saves space.
This condensed page will NEVER exceed one page.
Any word in sentence which can be eliminated should be.
Each sentence ends with a period, unless grouping facts, when a colon is used (as shown immediately below).
If a group of facts can be displayed best in outline form, then group them:
Some facts have a natural grouping.
Others have historical significance.
Still others are delineated regionally or by component.
Immediately following this page will be the supporting background/discussion, etc.
1. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION. Main body of the paper will not exceed two typed pages. It is designed to provide maximum information on one page whenever possible and in a manner that is easily absorbed. The format is appropriate for use whenever the need for presenting summarized information arises. You will use this page (or no more than two pages) to summarize for the Combatant Commander the Strategic Estimate that you prepared.
a. This page is number 2 to the Congressional Background Paper.
b. Within this paper, you must include key points from each section of the Strategic Estimate: Introduction, Strategic Direction, Strategic Environment, Major Strategic and Operational Challenges, Potential Opportunities, and Assessment of Risks.
c. Use complete, concise sentences and cover subpoints briefly.
(1) Use direct language. Block each paragraph and subparagraph as shown.
(2) Cover only essential information.
d. This paper is unclassified, so NO classification markings shall be used.
2. CURRENT STATUS. Contains points of particular concern to the Commander.
a. Facts and figures should be shown here if appropriate. Provide a comparative basis if helpful, e.g., this year’s data, last year’s data, and changes.
b. Before using abbreviations/acronyms, the entire title or name will be spelled out when first presented in the paper.
c. Only information on subject’s current status should be included; history belongs in paragraph 1; predictions/recommendations belong in paragraph 3.
3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. This paragraph is the opportunity for the Action Officer (you for this assignment) to apply your judgment, weigh alternatives, and make recommendations concerning HQ USEUCOM positions and/or policy.