An Army warning order, commonly referred to as a "WARNO," is written by commanders to provide advanced notice to their troops that events are about to take place. A WARNO can be used to notify troops about upcoming ceremonies, deployments, field training exercises, upcoming combat missions or any other event that requires troop compliance and participation. Chapter 3 of Army Field Manual 5-19 instructs soldiers on the proper use of WARNOs, and Field Manual 3-11.22 guides troops on the appropriate format and dissemination practices.

Type the security classification at the top of the WARNO. Choose between "FOUO" (For Official Use Only), "Classified," "Secret," and "Top Secret." The classification must be typed in all capital letters.

Write the WARNO number on the top left side of the document. If this is your first WARNO, type "WARNO 1." If it is your eighth WARNO, type "WARNO 8." Hit enter twice and type "References" followed by a colon. Fill in your references for the WARNO. For example, if your WARNO is based on guidance in Army Regulation 670-1, type "References: AR 670-1."

Type "1. SITUATION." two lines below where you entered your references. You must type this in all capital letters and include the period after the number and the word to stay in accordance with the guidance outlined in FM 3-11.22. Hit "Enter" twice and list the fundamentals of the situation that require the use of a WARNO. For example, if soldiers have been showing up to formation in inappropriate uniforms, you would type "Soldiers out of compliance with AR 670-1."

Hit "Enter" twice. Type "2. MISSION." You must type this in all capital letters and include the period after the number and the word to stay in accordance with the guidance outlined in FM 3-11.22. State that you have the authority to issue this WARNO by citing permission from your higher headquarters.

Hit "Enter" twice and type "3. EXECUTION." You must type this in all capital letters and include the period after the number and the word to stay in accordance with the guidance outlined in FM 3-11.22. Outline the action you will be taking, or the action you will be requiring your troops to take, because of the situation you listed above. For example, for soldiers out of compliance with AR 670-1, you would type "Uniform inspections daily at 0630, 0900 and 1430 hours" if you wanted to conduct daily uniform inspections at 6:30 and 9:00 a.m., and again at 2:30 in the afternoon.

Hit "Enter" twice and type "4. SERVICE SUPPORT." You must type this in all capital letters and include the period after the number and the word to stay in accordance with the guidance outlined in FM 3-11.22. Point 4 is optional. If you require service support for your mission, include where the support will originate and what the support will do. For example, if you have enlisted the help of drill sergeants from training companies to inspect uniforms and they require government transportation, include your plan for meeting the logistical requirements of your mission.

Hit "Enter" twice and type "5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL." You must type this in all capital letters and include the period after the number and the word to stay in accordance with the guidance outlined in FM 3-11.22. This paragraph is also optional. If your chain of command is different from that listed in your unit's Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), list your chain of command information here. If you require signal assets, such as radio channels, dedicated to your mission, list that information here as well.

Hit "Enter" three times and type "ACKNOWLEDGE." This lets readers know they must acknowledge receipt of your WARNO if asked. This is not optional.

Type your full signature block near the bottom of the document. There must be five lines between your final line of text and your signature block. Your signature block includes your first name, middle initial and last name; your rank and branch affiliation are listed directly below your name.

Type the document's classification once again at the bottom of the page.

Tip

See Resources for a sample WARNO format.