What is the canonical order of the five basic fundamentals?

• A. Move, Shoot, Communicate, Secure, Sustain
• B. Move, Shoot, Communicate, Sustain, Secure
• C. Move, Communicate, Shoot, Sustain, Secure
• D. Move, Shoot, Direct, Sustain, Secure

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the practical sequence used in the five fundamentals during maneuver. You start by moving to a position where you can safely and effectively influence the objective. Once you’re in a better spot, you apply firepower to control or defeat threats. After engaging, you establish and maintain communications to keep everyone aligned and informed about the evolving situation. Then you focus on sustainment—keeping your team supplied, medically ready, and capable of continuing the mission. Finally, you secure the area to prevent counter-threats and set conditions for future actions.

This order fits a real-world flow: positioning first, then initiating fire, then coordinating, then sustaining capability, and only after all that establishing a secure environment. Other sequences tend to disrupt that flow—for example, trying to secure before you’ve ensured you can sustain operations or attempting to talk to the team before you’ve delivered necessary fire can slow or jeopardize the mission. In short, the progression Move → Shoot → Communicate → Sustain → Secure best supports ongoing operations and mission resilience.