SITREP Style Guide for AI Agents

March 5, 2026 · View on GitHub

This style guide codifies the conventions and patterns observed across military SITREPs, intelligence situation reports, daily briefs, and open-source analytical products. It is intended as a reference for AI agents tasked with producing situational reports.

1. Core Principles

Clarity over elegance. Every sentence must convey actionable information. Avoid filler, hedging language, or rhetorical flourishes. The reader is a decision-maker under time pressure.

Objectivity and sourcing. Distinguish clearly between confirmed facts, assessed judgments, and unverified reporting. Always attribute claims to their source or basis.

Structured consistency. Use a fixed format for every report in a series. Readers rely on positional memory — they know where to find what they need.

2. Document Structure

2.1 Header Block

Every SITREP begins with a metadata header. Include all of:

Report title/series name (e.g., "Israel SitRep," "Iran Update," "Maritime Intelligence Daily")
Date and time of publication (use DD MMM YYYY format: 6 AUG 2001, 2 MAR 2026)
Period covered if different from publication date (e.g., "Covering events of 25 Feb – 4 Mar 2026")
Classification or sensitivity marking (even if unclassified, state it)
Originating organization and author/editor if applicable
Report number in a series (e.g., "043-26")

2.2 Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) / Key Takeaways

Open with 3–7 numbered or bulleted key takeaways. These must:

Be self-contained — each takeaway is understandable without reading the full report
Lead with the most significant or time-sensitive development
Use definitive language where the assessment is confident; qualify where it is not
Avoid simply restating section headings — synthesize and assess

Example pattern:

IDF strikes degraded approximately 60% of IRGC missile infrastructure in southeastern Iran.

Iran shifted retaliatory strategy from ballistic missiles to drone swarms following launcher attrition.

Strait of Hormuz traffic effectively ceased; only 5 commercial crossings recorded in 24 hours.

2.3 Body Sections

Organize by topic or theater, not chronology. Standard section types include:

Situation Overview — Current state of the operating environment
Operations — Friendly force actions, missions conducted, results
Enemy/Adversary Activity — Opposing force actions, capabilities, intent
Regional/Proxy Activity — Actions by allied or affiliated actors
Logistics/Sustainment — Supply, equipment, infrastructure status
Assessment/Outlook — Analyst judgment on trajectory and implications

Each section should open with a one-sentence summary before expanding into detail.

2.4 Closing / Commander's Assessment

End with a forward-looking assessment. This is where the analyst's judgment is most explicitly stated. Use expressions of likelihood (see Section 5).

3. Writing Conventions

3.1 Sentence Structure

Lead with the subject and action: "IDF forces struck three IRGC compounds" not "Three IRGC compounds were struck by IDF forces"
Standard pattern: Timeframe → Subject → Verb → Object → Source/Qualifier
- "On March 2, Hezbollah launched rockets toward Mishmar HaCarmel, according to IDF spokesperson statements."
Keep sentences under 40 words
One idea per sentence

3.2 Terminology

Use precise military/technical terms; do not simplify for a general audience
Spell out acronyms on first use, then use the acronym consistently
Use proper names and designations: "IRGC Quds Force" not "Iranian special forces abroad"
For weapons systems, include the designation: "Kornet ATGM (5,500m range, laser beam-riding)"

3.3 Numbers and Quantities

Use numerals for all quantities: "3 compounds," "70 investigations," "5 crossings"
Provide specific figures where available; use "approximately" only when the figure is genuinely estimated
For casualty figures, distinguish confirmed from reported: "approximately 170 killed (per local media reports)"

3.4 Time References

Use DD MMM YYYY format in headers: 6 AUG 2001
In running text, use full dates on first mention, then abbreviated: "On March 2, 2026... Later on March 2..."
Use 24-hour Zulu time for military reports: 1000Z, 2000Z
When covering a period, state it explicitly: "During the reporting period (25 Feb – 4 Mar)..."

3.5 Geographic References

Use the place name most recognizable to the target audience
Provide geographic context on first mention: "Dahiyeh al-Janoubia (southern Beirut suburbs)"
For maritime reports, include coordinates or sea area designations

4. Sourcing and Attribution

4.1 Source Descriptors

Attribute every non-obvious claim. Standard source descriptors:

Official statements: "according to the IDF spokesperson," "per CENTCOM press release"
Named media: "Al Jazeera reported," "as reported by Reuters"
Social media / OSINT: "Telegram channels affiliated with [group] claimed," "satellite imagery reviewed by [org] shows"
Intelligence sources: "clandestine reporting indicates," "a [REDACTED] service reported"
Analyst judgment: "we assess," "ISW assesses," "this likely indicates"

4.2 Confidence and Reliability

When citing information of uncertain reliability:

Qualify the source: "unconfirmed reports suggest," "a single-source report indicates"
Do not present speculation as fact
If multiple sources corroborate, say so: "multiple media outlets and Telegram channels confirm"

5. Expressions of Likelihood

Use a standardized probability scale when making assessments. The intelligence community standard (ICD 203):

Expression	Probability
Almost No Chance	1–5%
Very Unlikely	5–20%
Unlikely	20–45%
Roughly Even Chance	45–55%
Likely	55–80%
Very Likely	80–95%
Almost Certain	95–99%

Use these terms precisely. "Likely" means 55–80% confidence, not "probably" in the colloquial sense.

6. Visual and Structural Formatting

6.1 Bullet Points

Use bullet points for:

Lists of events, strikes, or actions
Key takeaways and summaries
Equipment catalogs and order-of-battle entries

Keep each bullet to 1–3 lines. Start each with an action or subject, not a gerund.

6.2 Bold and Emphasis

Bold section headings and sub-headings
Bold the names of key actors, operations, or events on first mention in a section
Use bold sparingly in body text — only for the most critical facts a scanning reader must not miss

6.3 Tables

Use tables for structured comparisons:

Weapons systems (type, range, generation, capability)
Force dispositions (unit, location, status)
Event timelines (date, event, source)

Published on a fixed schedule (daily or twice-daily)
Covers a defined reporting period
Follows a rigid paragraph structure (see CJCSM 3150.05F for the 10-paragraph military format)
Focuses on changes since the last report

7.2 Intelligence Summary (INTSUM / GRINTSUM)

Synthesizes intelligence from multiple sources
Includes analyst assessments with confidence levels
May include graphical elements (maps, satellite imagery annotations)
Article types: SIGACTs, Intelligence Highlights, Storyboards, Profiles, Historical Background Notes

7.3 Presidential Daily Brief (PDB)

Extremely concise (typically 1–2 pages per topic)
Written for a single consumer (head of state)
Synthesizes the most critical intelligence across all domains
No jargon — clarity for a non-specialist decision-maker
Historical context woven into current reporting

7.4 Special / Crisis Report

Published outside normal cycles in response to a significant event
Opens with immediate situation, then expands to context and implications
May combine elements of SITREP and INTSUM formats

7.5 Domain-Specific Reports (e.g., Maritime Intelligence Daily)

Follow domain conventions (AIS data, shipping lanes, port activity)
"At a Glance" summary followed by operational detail
Quantitative data emphasized (vessel counts, traffic volumes, disruption metrics)

8. Common Pitfalls

Burying the lead. The most important development goes first, not last.
Passive voice. "Strikes were conducted" obscures who acted. Name the actor.
Vague attribution. "Reports indicate" — which reports? From whom?
Overqualification. If the evidence is strong, state the assessment directly. Reserve hedging for genuinely uncertain judgments.
Chronological narration. Organize by significance and topic, not by the order events occurred.
Mixing fact and assessment. Keep reporting (what happened) and analysis (what it means) clearly separated or explicitly labeled.
Inconsistent formatting. Every report in a series must use the same structure. Readers depend on it.

9. Checklist for AI Agents

Before finalizing a SITREP, verify: