Laminated Weatherproof OPORD Shell for Platoons and Squads

What you will receive:

• Weatherproof, Full-Sized 8.5×11 in Five Paragraph OPORD Shell (5 Double Sided Cards)
• 1 Black Ultra Fine Permanent Sharpie

This product is also available for sale on Ebay and Amazon.

This is a US Army OPORD shell for an infantry platoon leader or squad leader. This OPORD shell is based off of the US Army’s Infantry School smart card for small unit infantry leaders which covers operations orders at the platoon and squad level. This information is current as of 2025. Here is a link to the US Army’s Infantry Reference Card for Small Unit Leaders on which this OPORD shell is based.

This product is completely waterproof except for the hole punch. We fully submerged our product in a creek for 1 minute and the product remained 100% useable without smearing or losing any of the written order. However, you will see some wet spots near the hole punch where water will seep in—after a few hours this will dry. We have used this product in extreme rain all over the US and have never had an issue. Please follow our TTPs and you will defeat the weather!

5 Doubled Sided Full 8.5 x 11 Sheets allows maximum room for writing your order. While small orders that fit into a cargo pocket sound nice, in practice they often simply dont have enough space or level of detail to maximize your order. In addition, I have never been in a field environment where I did not have at least an assault pack at all times, except during AOO (you arent pitching orders there).

Our OPORD shell comes with 1 Ultra Fine Black Permanent Sharpie so you are ready to write the second you receive it. We highly recommend purchasing additional PERMANENT markers so you dont have to sweat a dry or lost marker. The surface must be dry when writing or the marker will smear. If you wrote on a dry surface, the marker will remain unless removed with hand sanitizer, agent, extreme hand pressure or exposed to a significant amount of pressurized water (such as a hose or faucet). You are smarter than this shell! If you want to smear it, you can, but if you want to keep your writing, you also can!

This is a sample front-back of our shell. We incorporated 7 years of feedback into this product, to include demands for more writing room, additional detail on how to fill out some sections, and true weatherproofing.

Last, but not least, easily readable under red/green lens!

Other TTPs for Use:

*Always store your product in a ziploc bag or other covered source when not in use for additional protection.

*Carry hand sanitizer and cloth to remove writing. You can also use tan t shirts or socks in the field.

*Carry backup and multi color ultra fine markers for additional detail. 

*If you need to use the product while raining, cover the product, yourself, and light source in a poncho/parka/wet weather top or other Army issued water proof material.

*We recommend carrying a role of clear scotch tape in your kit for any field repairs (just tape over any damage in the lamination if on the surface or around the edges).

Check out our sample SQUAD OPORD and our guide to flipping an order.

If you have any questions, please contact me!

Is an Army OPORD Shell the Right Choice for You?

An Army OPORD Shell is the right choice for you if you are a ROTC Cadet, Soldier, IBOLC student, Ranger candidate, or Army leader of any kind. An Army OPORD Shell is a field friendly way to take relevant information from the operation order and communicate it to your subordinates.

How to Use an Army OPORD Shell

The OPORD Shell should be utilized when receiving an order from your leader. Utilizing the open space, examples, and five paragraph format enables you to sync with your higher HQ’s order, but make enough notes to “flip” the order to what your subordinates need to know. Our Shell has blank space for note taking so that you do not need to erase and redo existing portions of your order. In addition, it allows you to draw out a terrain model of your operation.

Army Operations Order Skeleton Styles

There are many style of Army OPORD Skeletons. Almost all feature some sort of lamination that enables them to be weatherproof and written on with permanent marker. Ours is completely weatherproof and will not come off in water, but a dab of hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol will make it good as new. Many leaders choose larger, more comprehensive OPORD skeletons, but for the platoon level and below, much of the space is wasted. Carrying larger OPORD skeletons is bulky and inconvenient, which is why we designed this specifically for platoon, squad, and team leaders. Our OPORD shell is designed to conveniently fit into your cargo pocket, assault pack, or front flap/sustainment pouch of your rucksack for easy reference.