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The purpose of this appendix is to discuss AA operations for the utility and cargo helicopter unit. An AA is a location where the utility and cargo helicopter unit prepares for future operations, issues orders, accomplishes maintenance, and completes resupply activities. The AA for the utility and cargo helicopter unit will be as varied as these organizations are, from fixed based airfields to remote field sites. Regardless of the type of AA the unit will occupy, certain principles must be adhered to by the commander and staff to ensure the survivability of the unit. AAs are usually located in the corps or division rear area and in or near the aviation brigade AA. Aviation AAs are usually located out of the range of enemy artillery and should be large enough to ensure adequate dispersion of units. An AA must provide--

• Security.

• Concealment.

• Accessibility to MSRs.

• Air avenues of approach.

• Proximity to friendly units.

• Suitable ingress and egress routes.

In all cases, the commander must designate who is responsible for the selection, occupation, and securing of the unit AA. Responsibilities for the AA are listed below. The commander may decide to assign these responsibilities to other people.

a. Battalion S3. The responsibilities of the battalion S3 are to--

(1) Select future main CP sites.

(2) Select site for the TOC within the main CP.

(3) Develop an R&S plan in conjunction with the S2.

(4) Establishes a jump, or temporary, TOC, if necessary, until the TOC is established at the main CP site.

(5) Develop plans and orders for moving the AA, if directed by the commander.

(6) Plan for air routes and conduct airspace management for the air routes to the new AA.

(7) Plan for fires to support the AA move.

(8) Develop a plan for reconnaissance of the movement routes and new AA location.

(9) Plan, and request support if necessary, for MEDEVAC assets to assist during the move.

(10) Coordinate with higher headquarters or adjacent units for land to establish an AA.

(11) Request engineer support to assist in AA improvement.

(12) Coordinate and request air defense support for the AA.

b. Battalion Executive Officer. The responsibilities of the battalion XO are to--

(1) Establish timelines for AA moves.

(2) Develop triggers, based upon a decision support template (developed by the S2), for displacement of the AA.

(3) Conduct a rehearsal of AA moves and occupations.

c. Command Sergeant Major. The responsibilities of the battalion CSM are to--

(1) Assist the S3 and S4 in the development of movement orders.

(2) Supervise the break down of the AA.

(3) Lead the quartering/advanced party, as directed by the commander.

(4) Supervises the establishment of the new AA.

d. Battalion S4. The responsibilities of the battalion S4 are to--

(1) Develop plans and orders for moving the AA, if directed by the commander.

(2) Develop march tables for the vehicle convoy to the new AA.

(3) Select the location for the ALOC within the main CP.

e. Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander/First Sergeant. The responsibilities of the HHC commander/1SG are to--

(1) Organize the march serials, designates serial commanders, and conducts convoy briefings.

(2) Lead the quartering/advanced party, as directed by the commander.

(3) Select locations for future AAs in conjunction with the S3.

(4) Conduct a reconnaissance of proposed AA sites.

(5) Select emergency displacement AAs.

f. Battalion S2. The responsibilities of the battalion S2 are to--

(1) Develop an event template and DST for the AA, which results in DPs necessary for planning and executing AA displacement.

(2) Develop NAIs in the vicinity of the AA and assists the S3 in developing an R&S plan for the AA.

(3) Track the enemy situation in relation to the displacement decision points and inform the commander when the enemy reaches the selected DPs.

(4) Assist the HHC commander and S3 in selecting new AAs by conducting a threat and terrain analysis of the proposed AA location.

g. Communications-Electronics Officer. The responsibilities of the communications-electronics officer are to--

(1) Analyze potential AA sites and determines their suitability in terms of providing communications for the battalion

(2) Establish a retransmission, if required to assist during unit moves.

(3) Analyze potential AAs for their proximity to MSE nodes.

The AA is a battalion position. It is chosen based upon the mission of the battalion, a map reconnaissance, and a physical reconnaissance of the selected area. Once an AA has been selected and coordinated, it is occupied when the unit receives the order to move to and occupy the new AA. Occupation of the AA should be well planned and rehearsed. Occupation of an AA is a four phase operation--

• Phase 1: Reconnaissance.

• Phase 2: Quartering party/advanced party operations.

• Phase 3: Main body arrival (air and ground).

• Phase 4: AA improvement.

a. Reconnaissance.

(1) Area reconnaissance. An area reconnaissance of the AA location and the surrounding terrain should be accomplished as soon as possible after the AA site has been selected. This area reconnaissance may be conducted by air or ground. If the reconnaissance is conducted by air, the aircraft should land and allow the reconnaissance party to physically walk and observe the layout of the terrain. Items to be looked for during the AA reconnaissance include suitability of the area, NBC contamination (if in a suspected NBC area), enemy activity, and concealment.

(2) Route reconnaissance. A route reconnaissance of the convoy routes should be conducted prior to the movement to the new AA location. The commander may elect to use battalion aircraft to conduct this reconnaissance. The purpose of this reconnaissance is to verify the suitability of the convoy route, locate any areas along the route that will cause delays for the convoy, determine if there is traffic on the route, and look for enemy in the area that can influence the convoy. The route reconnaissance should be conducted prior to the quartering

party movement. The commander may elect to conduct continuous reconnaissance along the route during the duration of the convoy.

b. Quartering Party/Advanced Party Operations. The quartering party consists of the quartering party and the advanced party. The quartering party conducts to initial occupation of the AA, which includes a reconnaissance for security and NBC contamination if it is suspected. The advanced party conducts an initial set up of the AA and prepares the site for the arrival of the main body. The quartering party and advanced party may move together or be separated by a time interval. If they move together, the advanced party will stop at a designated point outside the new AA and wait for the quartering party to finish their operations, and the advanced party will occupy the new AA. The quartering party and advanced party are normally led by the CSM, HHC Commander, HHC 1SG, or others as designated by the commander. Specific responsibilities are listed below.

(1) Quartering party. The responsibilities of the quartering party are to--

(a) Conduct reconnaissance. (NBC reconnaissance should be conducted if NBC contamination is suspected or likely. Prior to movement, the S2 should be consulted to determine the likelihood of NBC contamination in the new AA.)

(b) Establish security. Security at this point may consist of establishing OPs along the most likely enemy avenues of approach.

(2) Advanced Party. The advanced party conducts their operations after completion of the quartering party reconnaissance. The advanced party--

(a) Establishes security.

(b) Establishes communications with the TOC in the AA.

(c) Determines the locations of the TOC, ALOC, company elements, and FARP.

(d) Confirms suitability of the area.

(e) Clears any safety hazards from the area.

(f) Establishes internal wire communications to the company areas.

(g) Clears and marks aircraft parking positions.

(h) Establishes LP/OPs and dismount point.

(i) Emplaces M8 alarms.

c. Main Body Arrival (Air And Ground). The main body of the battalion should arrive in two parts, beginning with the ground vehicles and followed by the aircraft.

(1) Ground arrival. When the ground vehicles arrive, they are met by members of the advanced party who guide them along a selected route to each company's position. The priority of tasks upon closure of the main body is to--

(a) Establish security. The type and amount of security are dependent on the factors of METT-T, and may range from establishing LP/OPs along the most likely enemy avenues of approach to full perimeter security. The CSM must consult with the S2 to determine the threat and establish security that will meet that threat.

(b) Reestablish the TOC. Communications should be established with higher headquarters as soon as possible after occupation of the AA. Note: Communications with higher headquarters must never be lost. The advanced party must establish communications with higher headquarters prior to the TOC breaking down and moving.

(c) Camouflage.

(d) Establish individual fighting positions and survivability positions ("flop holes" designed to be used in the case of attacks by indirect fire).

(e) Establish crew served weapons fighting positions.

(f) Establish a dismount point.

(g) Coordinate with adjacent units for security. Ensure that coordination and communications with adjacent units are established if the adjacent unit is within range of the battalion's direct fire weapons systems.

(h) Develop an R&S plan. The S2 develops NAIs, and the S3 develops a plan to keep the NAIs under observation.

(i) Submit sector sketches. Companies submit sector sketches to the battalion for incorporation into the battalion security plan.

(j) Establish a QRF.

(k) Conduct accountability of all personnel and weapons.

(2) Air arrival. Battalion aircraft should arrive after the ground portion of the main body. During AA movement, the battalion must consider and make provisions for maintaining communications with the battalion aircraft located at the previous AA site. When the aircraft arrive they should be positioned in a predetermined location selected by the advanced party. The location of the aircraft should provide the maximum concealment possible. The aircraft should not park too close together. Upon arrival, aircrews should complete a post flight inspection, report any problems to the commander, and assist in the establishment of the AA.

d. Assembly Area Improvement. The AA is continuously improved as time allows. Some key areas that require improvements are field sanitation, ground obstacles, camouflage, and maintenance and living conditions. Continuous camouflaging must be conducted to reduce the radar, heat, noise, electronic, and visual signatures of the battalion.

Security of an AA is a difficult task for all aviation units. Limited personnel makes this a challenging, but not impossible, task. The utility and cargo helicopter unit can accomplish the basics of AA security, which leads to force protection.

a. Obstacles. All roads that lead into the AA that are not necessary for AA operations should be blocked with obstacles and covered with fire. Obstacles may be natural or man-made. Assistance in emplacing obstacles may be necessary. The battalion may have to coordinate with higher for engineer assistance in developing obstacles.

b. Fighting Positions. The utility and cargo unit establishes crew served fighting positions that cover the most likely enemy avenues of approach. The fighting positions should be continuously occupied. Range cards must be prepared and present, so that new guard shifts are aware of their responsibilities in securing the AA.

c. Listening Posts/Observation Posts. The battalion may establish LP/OPs in the vicinity of the AA. The purpose of these locations is to provide early warning to the battalion of anyone approaching the AA. LP/OPs should be placed along the most likely enemy avenues of approach and far enough away from the AA to provide adequate warning to the battalion of impending attack. The LP/OP must maintain communications with the TOC.

d. Dismount Point. The battalion may establish a dismount point to control the flow of traffic in and out of the AA. If engineer support is available, the remainder of the AA may be blocked (berms may be established around the AA). The dismount point controls traffic flow in and out of the AA and raises suspicion on any vehicle that is approaching the AA from a direction other than the dismount point.

e. Indirect Fire. The battalion may plan indirect fire in the vicinity of the AA. Final protective fires are established to protect the battalion during a displacement due to enemy attack. The LP/OPs may also have responsibility for fire support targets within their area. When planning indirect fire for the AA, the commander must develop an observer plan.

f. Assembly Area R&S Plan. The S2 and S3 work together to establish an R&S plan for the battalion. The S2 does a thorough analysis of the area and develops NAIs. The S3 develops a plan for reconnaissance of those NAIs. The reconnaissance plan may consist of aerial reconnaissance by battalion aircraft, or it may consist of ground reconnaissance by LP/OPs or ground vehicles.

g. Displacement Assembly Areas. The battalion must establish locations for both the ground vehicles and aircraft to scatter to in the event of an emergency displacement. These areas may not be the same place. As soon as possible after arrival at the AA site, scatter locations must be selected. All battalion aircrews and vehicle drivers must know the location of the scatter site and the route to get to the site. Strip maps should be prepared for each vehicle and aircraft, and a sketch of the emergency displacement plan should be located in the TOC.

h. Friendly Air Defense Artillery. Coordination should be made with friendly ADA units that may be in the vicinity of the AA. These units may be able to provide the aviation unit with area air defense coverage of the AA. If not, the battalion can request from higher for air defense assets to cover critical battalion assets. Additionally, coordination should be made with friendly ADA units to ensure they are aware of the presence of friendly aircraft in the area. These ADA units may be able to assist in checking IFF equipment by interrogating battalion aircraft as they depart and arrive at the AA.

A utility and cargo helicopter battalion is most vulnerable while occupying AAs. If the battalion comes under artillery, air, or ground attack, it will conduct an emergency displacement. The two types of plans for displacement are the surprise and early warning displacement. The displacement plan is part of the security for the AA and must be established as soon as possible after occupation of the AA. Displacement plans for each company will consist of the direction and route for leaving the AA, location of HAs, and alternate AAs. Areas to which the battalion will displace must be coordinated for through higher headquarters. Once established in the AA, the unit should conduct a rehearsal of the displacement to ensure all procedures are understood by the battalion elements.

a. Surprise Displacement. In the event of a surprise attack, the battalion will conduct an immediate displacement. Aircraft will depart individually if the situation allows. For survivability, it may be necessary for the flight crews to remain in their individual fighting positions or survivability positions until the immediate threat has passed before executing the displacement. Upon departing the AA, the aircraft move to the designated holding area or scatter site, conduct a reconnaissance, establish security, establish communications with the TOC or TAC, and transmit a situation report to the commander.

b. Early Warning Displacement. An early warning displacement occurs after thorough planning has been accomplished.

(1) Establishing decision points. During initial set-up of the AA, the S2 develops an event template and a DST for AA displacement. The DST results in DPs that the battalion commander can use as triggers for AA displacement. Once the DPs are determined, the S2 and S3 determine the best method for tracking the enemy situation in relation to the selected decision points.

(2) Establishing readiness condition levels. Based upon the decision points established by the S2, the commander designated REDCON levels for the battalion. As each decision point is reached, the battalion upgrades their readiness level and conducts sequential preparations for displacement. As the DPs are reached, the battalion gets more prepared to move, so when the enemy reaches the DP that calls for the AA to displace, the battalion is already prepared to move. Establishing REDCON levels ensures that the battalion is ready to move immediately when required and ensures that essential equipment is not left behind during the displacement.