National Security Strategy (NSS) - A comprehensive report issued by the President for Congress outlining the major national security concerns of the United States and how the administration plans to address them using all instruments of national power.
National Defense Strategy (NDS) - The Secretary of Defense uses the NDS to address how the Armed Forces of the United States will fight and win America's wars and describes how DOD will support the objectives outlined in the NSS. The NDS also provides a framework for other DOD strategic guidance, specifically on deliberate planning, force development, and intelligence.
National Military Strategy (NMS)- The NMS, derived from the NSS and NDS, prioritizes and focuses the efforts of the Armed Forces of the United States while conveying the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's advice with regard to the security environment and the necessary military actions to protect vital U.S. interests.
Unified Command Plan (UCP) - The UCP is a biennial strategic document prepared by the Joint Staff and recommended to the President through the Secretary of Defense. It establishes combatant commander missions and responsibilities; addresses assignment of forces; delineates geographic areas of responsibility for geographic combatant commanders; and specifies responsibilities for functional combatant commanders.
Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The QDR articulates a national defense strategy consistent with the most recent NSS by defining force structure, modernization plans, and a budget plan allowing the military to successfully execute the full range of missions within that strategy.
Guidance for Employment of the Force (GEF) - The classified GEF provides two-year direction to combatant commanders for operational planning, force management, security cooperation, and posture planning. The GEF is the method through which the Secretary of Defense translates strategic priorities set in the NSS, NDS, and QDR into implementable direction for operational activities.
Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP) - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff uses the classified JSCP to provide military strategic and operational guidance to combatant commanders, service chiefs, combat support agencies, and other DOD organizations for preparation of campaign plans and contingency plans based on current military capabilities.
Global Campaign Plans - strategic plans developed by functional combatant commanders at the direction of the CJCS through the JSCP.
Contingency Plans - branches to the Theater Campaign Plan developed by geographic combatant commanders (GCC). The GCC's will prepare these plans as specified in the JSCP and the GEF or may direct internal planning to address emerging requirements in their own theater. There are four levels of planning detail for contingency plans, with an associated planning product for each level.
Theater Campaign Plans (TCP) - The comprehensive plans prepared by geographic combatant commanders to provide guidance to coordinate Phase Zero 'Shaping' and steady-state activities across their area of responsibility to achieve strategic effects.
Joint Strategy Review (JSR) - A classified process led by the Joint Staff J-5 that assesses the strategic environment, national security objectives, and strategic priorities over a designated time frame.
Comprehensive Joint Assessment (CJA) - An annual, web-based survey which allows combatant commanders and service chiefs to provide feedback to the Joint Staff on their environment and requirements.
Chairman's Risk Assessment (CRA) - An element of the Joint Strategy Review process led by the Joint Staff J-5 that delineates the Chairman's assessment of DOD's ability to meet near-term strategic requirements.
Defense Planning Guidance (DPG) - An overarching document which outlines DOD's force development planning and resource priorities to meet future contingencies.
Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) - The senior defense advisory board to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is composed of the service Vice Chiefs and chaired by the Vice CJCS.
Integrated Priority Lists (IPL) - Annual submission by the combatant commanders which identifies capability gaps within their area of responsibility and associated levels of risk
Chairman's Program Recommendation (CPR) - The CJCS uses the CPR to advocate for critical programs to the SecDef in the programming and budgeting process and inform publication of the Defense Planning Guidance.
Chairman's Program Assessment (CPA) - Provides the CJCS's personal assessment and advice on the conformance of Service and agency Program Objective Memoranda to the priorities established in strategic guidance and plans, and by combatant commanders.
Capstone Concept of Joint Operations (CCJO) - The CJCS uses the CCJO to broadly describe how the joint force is expected to operate across the range of military operations 8-20 years in the future in support of strategic objectives.
DOTMLPF - Domains within a military service's life cycle management process: Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, and Facilities.
Additional Strategic Guidance - Supplementary guidance by the President, Secretary of Defense, or the CJCS which updates or modifies national strategic objectives. An example would be Secretary Panetta's January 2012 'Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for the 21st Century Defense,' which outlines a rebalance of forces and resources to the Asia-Pacific region.