Commander's Course of Action Guidance
Narrator: Shaping Actions set conditions for decisive actions. They influence an enemy’s capabilities or force, or the enemy commander’s decision- making process. The commander shapes the battlespace by protecting friendly critical vulnerabilities and attacking enemy critical vulnerabilities. Shaping makes the enemy vulnerable to attack and dictates the time and place for decisive actions. It forces the enemy to adopt COAs favorable to the friendly commander’s plans. The commander attempts to shape events in a way that provides him several options for achieving the decisive action.