FM 100-5 Operations - Survival Ebooks Military Manuals Survival ...

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMFM 100-5TROOPSThe number and type of friendly troops availableaffect the tactical plan. Choosing which units for whichtypes of actions is vital to success and is influenced bythe status of the units’ training and the experience oftheir leaders. Commanders consider relative mobility,protection, and firepower as they design a planthat makes full use of the reinforcing effects of combinedarms. Commanders employ units according totheir capabilities. Dismounted infantry can open approachesfor armor and mechanized forces by attackingthrough heavy cover or by penetrating anti-armordefenses. Air assault or airborne units can seize objectivesin depth to block enemy reserves or securechoke points.Armor units can move rapidly through gaps to disorganizethe defense in depth. Field artillery, ADA,engineer, and chemical units perform critical functionsto support all elements of an attacking force. Aviationunits engage the full range of enemy ground targets aswell as enemy helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Theextent of possible combinations of forces enhancesagility.TIME AVAILABLEOffensive operations become harder to conductwhen the defender has more time to organize theground and bring up more troops. The attacker takestime to assure that he can concentrate his forces togenerate all available combat power for the attack. Thepresence of space-age telecommunications and theelectronic media also limit available time. Electronicmedia can report news of engagements on internationaland national news broadcasts before higher and adjacentcommands are informed of the battle. In an austereenvironment, commanders may have limitedawareness of media reporting and its effect on publicopinion. Operational and higher-level tactical commandersneed to recognize and plan for the presenceand effects of news media.Commanders acquire speed by making the necessaryreconnaissance and providing the proper artilleryand other tactical support, including air support. Theyalso acquire speed by bringing up forces and thenlaunching the attack with a predetermined plan to reducethe time under fire to a minimum. Once an attackis underway, time remains critical. The attackcan succeed only if it achieves its objective before theenemy recovers his balance, identifies the threat to hisdefense, and masses forces and fires against the attack.Time is therefore vital to the attacker; he mustprolong the enemy’s surprise, confusion, and disorganizationas long as possible and maintain the momentumof the attack. The aim is to conduct the attack ata tempo of operations and a degree of lethality—bothapplied simultaneously throughout the battle area—that the enemy cannot handle.PREPARING FOR ATTACKSCommanders maximize time available for planningand issuing orders. They give subordinates ampletime to conduct necessary reconnaissance and coordinationand to follow troop-leading procedures throughoutthe force. Commanders discuss possible coursesof action with their subordinates and staffs; when sureof the course of action, commanders issue warningorders. Warning orders are vital in preparing for attacks;time is critical. Failure to provide ample time toexecuting forces creates great risk and threatens successfulexecution. Commanders carefully budget availabletime; they discipline themselves and their battlestaffs to get information to the executing forces.Attack orders embody the commander’s intent andconcept of operation. Commanders select only thecontrol measures necessary to avoid unduly slowingthe tempo of the attack and over-centralizing control.They include measures for coordinating and controllingoperations. Control measures graphically illustratethe concept, assign zones, maintain separation offorces, concentrate effort, assist the C2 of forces, andadd flexibility to the maneuver plan.Whenever possible, commanders issue orders andreview subordinates’ planning concepts face-to-face.They attempt to issue orders that will last some timeor from which adjustments can easily be made. Theyemploy techniques to achieve clarity and synchronizeoperations between echelons. Immediately after issuingthe order, for example, commanders have theirsubordinate commanders restate their missions in theirown words. In this way, a commander ensures thathis subordinate commanders understand his expectationsbefore they begin their own planning activities.As part of the preparation process (during the deliberateplanning process for lower echelons beforethey issue their orders), commanders gather their subordinatecommanders and battle staffs to review andadjust the synchronization of the battle plan. This briefbackis normally conducted over a map or terrainmodel. It begins with the subordinate commanders’descriptions8-3