1963 US Army Vietnam War Armor Operations ... - Survival Books

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COM(5) Strength in men and equipment. (8) State of maintenance and supply.(6) Previous, present, and contemplated (9) Adequacy of combat support and comemployment.bat service support.(7) Location and disposition. (10) Personalities of commanders.Section V. ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT34. General c. A task force organized around a mechanizedinfantry battalion headquarters is nor-The term organization for combat describesmally infantry-heavy or balanced. Likewise, aa concept of forming an appropriate combat sup- task force using a tank battalion headquarterstion of various types of combat and combat supportunits for a specific mission or task. For s normally tank-heavy or balanced. (A bat-the use of the use concept of by the armor cornmander,paragraph see 45. Tank and mecha-rifle companies and tank companies in equalom talion task force is balanced when it containsmander, seenized infantry battalions are normally attached number, infant-heavy when it contains a preponderanceof infantry companies, and tankheavywhen it contains preponderance of tankploy the attached battalions without attach- heavy when it contains a preponderance of tankment, or he may organize them for combat bycross-attachment. Similarly, tank and rifle 36. Company Teamcompanies normally operate directly under controlof one of the battalions. The battalion a. A company team is a tactical grouping ofcommander may employ his companies without combat units under one company commanderattachment, or he may organize them for com- formed for a specific operation of mission. Thebat by cross-attachment. The armored cavalry company team normally consists of a completesquadron normally operates under the control company with 1 or more nonorganic combatunits attached, or a company minus 1 or moreorganic units with 1 or more nonorganic unitsattached.35. Battalion Task Force b. In the battalion task force, the task forceof division or its parent armored cavalryregiment.a. A battalion task force is a temporary commander may organize company teams. Thegrouping of combat units, formed to provide ratio of tanks to infantry in a company teamthe battalion commander with the number and varies with the factors of METT. Tank andtype of units necessary to accomplish a specific infantry units are usually employed together;mission or task. A battalion task force nor- if they are not together, they should be mutumallyconsists of a tank or mechanized infantry ally supporting by fire or maneuver.battalion headquarters and headquarters com- c. Platoons normally are employed as a partpany and one or more organic and attached of the company team. Typical exceptions wouldcompanies. Combat support units are attached be patrol, reconnaissance, or direct-fire supportor placed in support of the battalion task force missions. The platoon usually is the smallestas required.armor units to be attached to another organizab.There is no definite rule to determine the tion.size and composition of a battalion task force;it is based on a consideration of the factors of 37 Command of Battalion Task ForcesMETT. In this regard, the battalion task force and Company Teamsis similar to the brigade. Units required are In the formation of combined arms forces, aattached, or placed in support, in sufficient unit attached to another becomes subordinatenumbers to carry out the assigned missions. to the unit to which attached. In the determina-The composition of a battalion task force can tion of the attachment and the extent of thebe readily changed to meet varying tactical command relationship, the commander ordersituations.ing the attachment considers-AGO 9139A 15