OODA Redux

by CEJames & Akira Ichinose

Note: 

Akira-san came across some interesting methods to sharpen and train SA as well as OODA for improved training and practices in the MA-SD endeavor. We broke it down a bit for ease of initial implementation into one's mentoring/Teaching efforts.

• OODA “Observe” ≈ Endsley Level 1 SA (Perception)
• OODA “Orient” ≈ Endsley Level 2 + Level 3 SA (Comprehension + Projection), plus mental models
• OODA “Decide” ≈ Endsley’s decision selection (fed by SA)
• OODA “Act” ≈ Endsley’s performance of action + feedback to the environment

1) OODA “Observe” ≈ Endsley Level 1 SA (Perception)

• Observe is about noticing features/cues in the environment.  

• Endsley Level 1 is explicitly perception of relevant elements.  

Integration takeaway: If your Level 1 SA is weak (missed cues, attentional capture, poor scanning), your OODA “Observe” is garbage-in/garbage-out.

2) OODA “Orient” ≈ Endsley Level 2 + Level 3 SA (Comprehension + Projection), plus mental models

• Endsley Level 2 is integrating cues into meaning relative to goals; Level 3 is anticipating what’s next.  

• In OODA, Orientation is the interpretive layer (mental models) that shapes what you even notice and what options feel “available.”  

Integration takeaway:

• Endsley gives you a quality test for Orientation: Do I actually understand what these cues mean (L2), and what is likely next (L3)?

• OODA reminds you Orientation is not neutral: it’s shaped by prior experience, culture, training, and assumptions (i.e., mental models).  

3) OODA “Decide” ≈ Endsley’s decision selection (fed by SA)

Endsley’s model explicitly shows SA feeding decision making, and notes SA supports decisions but doesn’t guarantee good ones.  

Integration takeaway: Treat “Decide” as the point where you turn understanding + prediction into a commitment (even if it’s a tiny commitment: “create distance,” “ask a question,” “exit line”).

4) OODA “Act” ≈ Endsley’s performance of action + feedback to the environment

Endsley includes performance of actions and feedback (the world changes; now SA must be updated again).  

Integration takeaway: In the merged model, Action is not the end—it’s a probe that changes the environment and creates new information for the next Observe/Orient.

In “Endsley SA meets OODA,” you can diagnose precisely:

• Are you failing at perception (not seeing)?

• comprehension (misreading)?

• projection (not anticipating)?

• or decision/action (hesitating, freezing, choosing poorly)?

Endsley’s levels give you trainable targets that map onto OODA:

• L1/Observe drills: scanning, cue detection, attention control under stress

• L2/Orient drills: pattern recognition, “what does this mean for my goals?”

• L3/Orient drills: “what happens next if…” branching forecasts

• Decide/Act drills: fast commitment + execution + immediate reassessment (feedback loop)  

Here’s a clean operational version:

1. Observe (L1): What are the relevant cues right now?  

2. Orient (L2): So what? How does this relate to my goal/safety?  

3. Orient (L3): Now what? What’s most likely next (and worst plausible next)?  

4. Decide: Choose the smallest action that improves position/safety/information.  

5. Act: Do it.  

6. Feedback: Re-observe immediately—your action changed the situation.  

This is “Endsley SA meets OODA” in one loop.

Why this works (traceability summary)

• Endsley gives you quality control for awareness (Levels 1–3).

• Boyd gives you motion and pressure—the necessity of acting and cycling.

• Together, they prevent:

• Mistaking data for understanding

• Waiting for certainty

• Acting without reassessment