What are the three principal risk categories that the CDM helps CCs balance?

• A. Risk to mission, Risk to forces, Risk of collateral damage
• B. Risk to civilians, Risk to mission, Risk to equipment
• C. Risk to schedule, Risk to budget, Risk to morale
• D. Risk to personnel, Risk to policy, Risk to command

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that effective CDM requires weighing three broad risk areas: risk to the mission (will the plan achieve the objective?), risk to forces (could our own personnel and equipment be harmed or lost?), and risk of collateral damage (the potential harm to civilians or unintended consequences outside the target area). These three domains capture the essential trade-offs commanders must manage to accomplish the mission while keeping people and noncombatant harm in check. The option that lists risk to mission, risk to forces, and risk of collateral damage aligns exactly with this operating framework. Other choices mix in concerns like civilians alone without the broader collateral-harm category, or shift focus to scheduling, budget, morale, policy, or command, which are not the three principal risk categories CDM emphasizes.