How to Create an After Action Report

In the heading, if not already prefilled, include:

• Date of report
• Addressee(s)
• Sender(s)
• Subject
• Reference(s), if applicable  

SAMPLE AAR:

DATE: 02 March 20XX
TO: Director, Communication Strategy and Operations
FROM: Chief Warrant Officer John Smith, Visual Information Officer, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA, USA
SUBJECT: AFTER ACTION REPORT FOR MEFEX 18

The BLUF should include a description of the commander's mission and intent.

SAMPLE AAR:

1. GENERAL INFORMATION/INTRODUCTION 

This after action report outlines key observations of Communication Strategy and Operations planning, integration and gaps during MEFEX 18. The ensuing points follow the Observation-Discussion-Recommendation format.  

In this part of the report, briefly summarize operations for all mission phases and include key dates. Details provided should include the following information: 

• Deployed location
• Deployed personnel 
  • List CCOs' names and ranks, if applicable 
• Duration of deployment 
  • List start date to end date
• Contingency purpose
  • Start with, "In support of ..."
• Scope of the operation 

SAMPLE AAR:

2. SUMMARY 

The following is information regarding the contingency itself: 

• Deployed Location: Camp Pendleton, CA, USA
• Deployed Personnel: CWO John Smith, I MEF CE COMMSTRAT section, Major Subordinate Command COMMSTRAT sections
• Duration of Deployment: Began 26 Jan 20XX and ended 05 Feb 20XX (10 days)
• Contingency Purpose: In support of MEFEX 18 at Camp Pendleton, CA, USA
• Scope of Operation: COMMSTRAT focus of effort for MEFEX 18 was integration into the targeting process, responsive media operations and refinement of the information environment assessment process  

Sustainments are strengths to repeat, while improvements are weaknesses to fix. Both should be relevant to public affairs or the visual information function just completed. Here are some things to consider during this step:

• Consider the mission phases, such as pre-deployment, deployment and redeployment.
• Examine both positive and negative issues.
• Think about the execution of planning, logistics and resources throughout the mission.

NOTE: Depending on the unit and template, you may be asked to organize sustainments and improvements by topic.  

Address each issue using the observation-discussion-recommendation format in a bulleted list. Using this format means:

• Describe your observations.
  • What was supposed to happen?
  • What actually happened?
• Discuss the impact on the mission, your evaluation and provide a thorough, detailed and concise explanation of the issue (who, what, why, when, where and how). The discussion should include logistics, planning and resources, including personnel. 
• Make recommendations for future missions based on the lessons learned.

SAMPLE AAR:

3. INTEGRATION

• Observation: COMMSTRAT in support of Collections. During MEFEX 18, I MEF COMMSTRAT made a concerted effort to inject ourselves into the collections process, both as capability and customer. One issue immediately identified was that commanders/staff were not leveraging COMMSTRAT as a collection plan.
• Discussion: Across the MEF, collections managers were not tracking/depicting COMMSTRAT forces available or employing COMMSTRAT capabilities within the greater plan. While COMMSTRAT has certain limitations (e.g., live-feed, video), we possess other limited asset capabilities (e.g., low/no-light imagery), which can be leveraged to fill collection gaps. With the OccFld merger, COMMSTRAT personnel must be cognitive of legacy COMCAM collections missions in support of battle damage assets, sensitive site exploitation, operational and situation assessment, etc. as outlined in CJCSI 3205.01D and coordinate employment of COMMSTRAT capabilities accordingly. 

Additionally, COMMSTRAT personnel must explore methods of employing traditional collections platforms to collect on messaging effectiveness and atmospherics to inform the non-kinetic BDA assessment (i.e., How are we winning (or losing) in the information environment?). To this vein, I MEF COMMSTRAT leveraged the existing Request for Information process to conduct messaging surveys with the local populace; assess local political officers' influencing ability; to acquire imagery of potential enemy actions in order to help develop our understanding of the ever-changing information environment; refine messaging themes and techniques and to prepare preemptive press releases. All these things allowed COMMSTRAT to exploit enemy gaps, promulgate our command's narrative and help 1 MEF sustain its operational tempo. 

• Recommendation: COMMSTRAT planners should educate and coordinate with their respective G-2/collection managers to ensure they are sufficiently leveraging COMMSTRAT assets as a collection platform. COMMSTRAT assets should be included in the larger collections plan and incorporated (depicted) within the collections working group briefs. Ideally, collections managers are briefing the capabilities and employment of COMMSTRAT assets in support of objectives. 

Summarize key points identified during pre-deployment, deployment and re-deployment. Be sure to link the conclusion to ways to improve future training.

SAMPLE AAR:

Throughout MEFEX 18, I MEF COMMSTRAT learned some valuable lessons regarding proper staff processes (orders cross-walk) and integration (collections processes). I MEF COMMSTRAT made significant steps in educating the staff on the capabilities and value of COMMSTRAT personnel as a collections platform. Additionally, I MEF COMMSTRAT revalidated the need for both primary and alternate imagery transmission capabilities and training, along with the requirement of river city exemptions to effectively interface with external audiences during reduced/restricted communications. 

Provide the point of contact information for the addressee to reach out for further information. The POC information should include the following: 

• Rank, first and last name
• Email address
• Phone number(s)

SAMPLE AAR:

4. POINT OF CONTACT

CWO John Smith 
Jsmith@XXX.mil
(555) 555-5555 

Add a digital or manual signature at the end of your report. Your signature should include the following: 

• Signature  
• Name in all caps
• Rank, title 

Convert your final report into a PDF before distribution. 

Don't keep these valuable lessons to yourself. Upload them to the CAC-enabled Joint Lessons Learned Information System website and/or other applicable locations, depending on the classification of the operation.