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After Action Report

Free after action report (AAR) template for reviewing what happened during an event, exercise, or incident.

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This free after action report covers Summary, Objectives, What Went Well, What Could Improve, Root Causes with 10 clearly marked [placeholder] fields to fill in — built for founders, freelancers, and small business owners formalizing a business decision or agreement without paying a lawyer to draft it from scratch. Copy it into your own word processor, fill in the placeholders, and review it — or adapt it — before use. It's part of docstoc's free document template library, alongside business, legal, real estate, finance, and HR templates. Every template here is free to copy with no signup required, and each one carries a plain disclaimer: this is a starting point for informational purposes, not a substitute for advice from a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.

Template — click to edit

After Action Report: [Event/Exercise/Incident Name]

Date: [Date] · Prepared by: [Name]

Summary

[Brief overview of what happened.]

Objectives

[What this event/exercise/response was meant to achieve.]

What Went Well

[Specific successes — be concrete.]

What Could Improve

[Specific gaps or issues — factual, not blame-focused.]

Root Causes

[Why the issues above occurred.]

Recommendations

Recommendation	Owner	Target Date
[Recommendation]	[Name]	[Date]

Participants

[Who was involved]

*An AAR that only lists "what went well" isn't doing its job — the value comes specifically from the honest gaps section and the concrete recommendations that follow it.*

Edit directly in the box above. Download PDF anytime — the docstoc.io footer is always included and cannot be removed.

What's included

Edit online — click the document, fill in placeholders, download a PDF
7 standard sections: Summary, Objectives, What Went Well, What Could Improve, Root Causes, Recommendations, …
10 clearly marked [placeholder] fields for quick personalizing
Free to use — no account or signup required
Fully editable — adjust any clause to match your actual situation
Fixed docstoc.io footer on every PDF (not removable)

Who this template is for

Freelancers & solo founders

Handling routine business paperwork without commissioning custom legal drafting for every document.

Small businesses

Standardizing recurring documents — leases, agreements, notices — across a growing operation.

Anyone reviewing before signing

Using a clear starting structure to understand what a document should cover, even if a lawyer finalizes it.

Early-stage businesses

Getting the basics documented before things get more complex.

FAQ

Is this after action report template really free?

Yes, completely free — view, edit, and download this after action report as a PDF without creating an account.

What does this after action report cover?

This business template includes Summary, Objectives, What Went Well, What Could Improve. Fill in the [bracketed] placeholders, edit any clause online, then download a PDF — the docstoc.io footer stays on every export.

Is this legal advice?

No. Templates like this cover the common ground most businesses need, but they can't anticipate your specific deal terms, jurisdiction, or industry rules. Treat it as a first draft to build from, and get a business attorney's eyes on it before signing anything that matters.

Can I edit the wording?

Yes. All 10 placeholder fields and every clause are editable right on the page — change what doesn't fit, then download an updated PDF anytime.

Where can I find more free templates like this?

Browse more free business and related document templates in the docstoc library at /document-templates/.

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Why use this instead of a generic template

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Templates are drafted for general use, not a substitute for legal advice — check the note on each page for specifics.

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Copy the subject and body directly — no form to fill in, no export step, no waiting on a download link.

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