What is A9?

• A. Strategic plans
• B. Analysis, studies, and assessments
• C. Strategic deterrence
• D. Geographic vs a Functional Combatant Commander

Answer: (B)

A9 is the part of the staff that turns information into decision-ready insights through analysis, studies, and assessments. This area focuses on gathering data, conducting analyses, running studies, and evaluating risks and outcomes to support planning and operations with evidence-based conclusions. By producing trend analyses, performance metrics, risk assessments, and wargaming results, A9 translates complex information into actionable recommendations for senior leaders, helping them compare options and gauge likely effects before decisions are made.

Strategic plans describe long-term objectives and how to achieve them; strategic deterrence is about maintaining the ability to deter adversaries at a strategic level; and geographic versus functional Combatant Commanders relates to how command authorities are organized, not how information is analyzed and evaluated.