FM 3-34.22 - Army Electronic Publications & Forms - U.S. Army

Chapter 6
Engineer Support to Combat Operations
The tactician determines his solution by a thorough mastery of doctrine and existing TTP, tempered
and honed by experience gained through training and operations. He uses his creativity to develop
solutions for which the enemy is neither prepared, nor able to cope.
—FM 3-90
The modular engineer force provides mission-tailored capabilities to the BCT and
ACR in all combat operations. The organic engineer company in the BCT and ACR
and the organic geospatial engineering team within the BCT (or supporting the ACR)
provide the minimum combat and geospatial engineering capability and some very
limited and selected general engineering capability to support BCT and ACR combat
operations. Based on the maneuver commander’s essential tasks for M/CM/S
identified early in the planning phase, the BCT and ACR are augmented by EAB
modular engineer units to provide the necessary combat, general, and other
specialized engineering capabilities to fulfill mission requirements. This chapter
provides an overview of BCT offensive and defensive operations and discusses
engineer considerations for the associated tactical requirements of each. (See
FM 3-90, FM 3-90.5, and FM 3-90.6 for detailed information on offensive and
defensive operations.)
TACTICAL ENABLING OPERATIONS
6-1. Tactical-enabling operations are specialized missions that units plan and conduct to achieve or
sustain a tactical advantage. Units execute these operations as part of an offensive, defensive, stability, or
civil support mission. Alone, enabling operations cannot assure success; however, neglecting them can
result in mission failure. The fluid nature of the OE likely increases the frequency with which engineers, as
part of a combined arms team, must execute tactical enabling operations.
BREACHING
6-2. Obstacle breaching is the employment of tactics and techniques to project combat power to the far
side of an obstacle. Breaching is a synchronized, combined arms operation under the control of a maneuver
commander. Combined arms forces apply the breaching fundamentals of suppress, obscure, secure, reduce,
and assault (SOSRA) when breaching against a defending enemy.
6-3. Breaching operations begin when friendly forces employ suppressive fires and end when battle
handover has occurred between a unit conducting the breaching operation and follow-on forces. Breaching
is an inherent part of maneuver. Effective breaching operations allow friendly maneuver in the face of
obstacles. (See FM 3-34.2 for more information on combined arms breaching operations. See appendix C
for potential augmentation to this type of operation.)
GAP CROSSING
6-4. The purpose of any gap crossing is to project combat power across an obstacle to accomplish a
mission. There are a number of similarities to combined arms breaching operations. A river crossing is a
special type of gap-crossing operation that requires specific procedures for success because a significant
amount of water is part of the obstacle that prevents normal ground maneuver. Gap crossing typically
requires unique technical support and more detailed planning and control measures than normal tactical
11 February 2009 FM 3-34.22 6-1