AFTER ACTION REPORT (AAR) — STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

1. PURPOSE#

The After Action Report is the unit's primary tool for operational learning. Every mission, training event, and unit activity requires a completed AAR submitted to the J3 operations forum within 48 hours of completion. The AAR creates a permanent record of what happened, what worked, what didn't, and what the unit should carry forward. Over time the AAR record becomes the unit's institutional memory.

2. WHO SUBMITS#

The Ground Force Commander or senior element leader present is responsible for submitting the AAR. If the GFC is unavailable, they may delegate to a squad leader or element chief. Delegation does not remove the GFC's accountability — if no AAR is submitted, J3 will follow up with the GFC directly.

For training events run by a specific shop (Green Team, Dive School, JTAC training etc.), the course or training lead submits the AAR.

3. WHEN TO SUBMIT#

Late AARs must be flagged to J3 with a reason. Repeated late submission is a leadership accountability issue and will be noted in J3 records.

4. WHERE TO SUBMIT#

Post the completed AAR as a new topic in the designated AAR forum on the Bronze Squadron site. Title format:

AAR — [Operation Name] — [Date]

Example: AAR — Operation Shadow Hammer Phase 05 — 16 May 2026

5. AAR FORMAT#

Use the standard Bronze Squadron AAR template for all submissions. Do not modify the section structure. All eight sections are required — if a section does not apply, write N/A rather than leaving it blank.

HEADER#

OPERATION: [Name of the operation or training event] DATE: [Date conducted — DD MON YYYY] MAP: [Map or AO used] ELEMENT(S): [Which elements participated — Anvil-1, SPARTAN, RAVEN etc.] GROUND FORCE COMMANDER: [Name and billet]

Section 1 — Mission#

One or two sentences only. State what the element was tasked to do, not what happened. This should read like a mission statement — clear, direct, no outcome information.

Example: Anvil-1 was tasked to raid the insurgent command node at grid 047-221, capture or eliminate the HVT designated KINGPIN, and extract via LZ BRAVO.

Section 2 — Outcome#

Mark one: Success / Partial Success / Failure. Follow with a brief summary of how the operation ended — two to four sentences maximum. Save the details for Section 3.

Definitions:

• Success — all primary objectives achieved, element extracted intact
• Partial Success — primary objective achieved with significant compromise, or secondary objectives failed
• Failure — primary objective not achieved

Section 3 — What Happened#

A short narrative of the operation from insertion to exfil. Bullet points are acceptable and preferred for longer operations. Cover the key events in sequence — insertion method, first contact, objectives engaged, any significant decisions made, exfil. This section should give someone who wasn't on the op a clear picture of what occurred.

Keep it factual. Save analysis for Sections 4 and 5.

Section 4 — What Went Well#

Minimum two entries. Be specific — "comms were good" is not useful. "Element maintained net discipline throughout and SPARTAN responded to CAS requests within 90 seconds on both calls" is useful. Recognize specific individuals, calls, or drills that performed above standard.

Section 5 — What Needs Work#

Minimum two entries. Same standard as Section 4 — specific and honest. This section is not punitive. It exists to improve the unit. Common areas: insertion timing, security at OBJ, communication breakdowns, ROE adherence, equipment issues.

Do not name individuals in Section 5 in a way that singles them out for criticism. Address the issue, not the person. If individual performance requires direct feedback, handle that through the chain of command separately.

Section 6 — Casualties and Losses#

State KIA count, WIA count, and any vehicles or assets lost. If none, write "No casualties. No assets lost." Do not leave this section blank.

Section 7 — Notable Mentions#

Recognize operators who performed above standard. New members who showed up well, clutch plays, solid leadership under pressure, good comms discipline. This section matters — recognition is part of unit culture. If nobody earned a mention, write "None this op" — do not skip the section.

Section 8 — Recommendations for Next Op#

One or two concrete takeaways to carry into the next operation. These should be actionable — something the element can actually do differently next time. J3 reviews these and tracks recurring themes across multiple AARs to identify unit-wide training gaps.

FOOTER#

SUBMITTED BY: [Name / Billet]

6. J3 RESPONSIBILITIES#

J3 reviews all submitted AARs within 72 hours of submission. J3 is responsible for:

• Confirming AARs are submitted on time and following up on missing reports
• Flagging recurring issues from Section 5 and Section 8 across multiple AARs to command
• Identifying training gaps based on AAR patterns and recommending corrective training to the relevant shop
• Maintaining the AAR forum as an organized, searchable record
• Briefing command on AAR trends at regular intervals

J3 does not edit or modify submitted AARs. The submitting GFC owns the content. If J3 identifies a factual error or missing section, they contact the GFC directly to request an amendment.

7. COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID#

• Do not submit an AAR that is a single paragraph covering all eight sections. Each section exists for a reason. An underdeveloped AAR provides no learning value and will be returned to the submitter by J3 for revision.
• Section 1 should describe the mission, not the outcome
• Section 2 should be brief — save detail for Section 3
• Sections 4 and 5 must be specific, not generic
• Section 6 must always be completed — "none" is a valid answer but blank is not
• The AAR should be submitted by the GFC, not delegated to the newest member of the element