Which order increases posture?

• A. PLANORD
• B. OPORD
• C. PTDO (Prepare to deploy order)
• D. JOA

Answer: (C)

Increasing readiness means moving from planning or general direction toward actions that prepare you to move and operate quickly. A Prepare to Deploy Order is exactly about that shift: it directs units to start the steps needed to deploy. That includes verifying personnel, checking and packing equipment, coordinating transportation, securing supplies, rehearsing movements, and aligning communications and procedures. These actions raise the unit’s readiness posture because they convert planning into tangible, predeployment actions.

In contrast, a planning order starts the planning phase but doesn’t push immediate deployment actions. An operations order directs execution of an operation once teams are ready, but it presupposes that the preparation and deployment posture are already in place. A Joint Operations Area is a geographic term, not an order, so it doesn’t by itself increase readiness.