Military

Army forces prepare to conduct operations identified during the joint planning process. These forces also prepare to support operations that may arise during a crisis. In such cases, they plan for a mission which has not been previously identified as a specific requirement. Units that may be ordered to deploy, and draw and use APL stocks, as well as other involved commands, should develop and practice deployment plans that include APL operations.

The deployment plan must be flexible. Specific missions and force requirements often generate modifications. Changes to the TPFDD, along with available APOD and SPOD facilities, influence deployment and RSO&I plans. Changes that affect unit deployment must be communicated to the deploying unit in a timely manner.

Deliberate planning or crisis action planning for operations which include APL options requires the participation of the prospective unit and supporting commanders. The joint force commander (JFC) is the executive agent for formal coordination between the Joint Planning and Execution Community (JPEC) and lift providers regarding TPFDD validation and scheduling decisions. A decision to use APL has obvious effects on the TPFDD. Direct coordination between supported and supporting commands is authorized where necessary to facilitate rapid development and execution of TPFDDs. Direct coordination among the supporting commanders, force providers, deploying forces, and lift providers is authorized for load plan and hazardous material definition, or to coordinate details of validated unit transportation requirements during execution. All other coordination with lift providers will be accomplished through the JFC.

Effective APL planning requires the unified commander, in association with the ASCC, to develop planning data on prospective marshaling/staging areas. See FM 100-10 for additional information concerning logistics preparation of the theater (LPT), including establishment of marshaling and staging areas. Planners require information on:

• APOD and SPOD facilities.
• Availability of land for staging areas.
• Life support facilities.
• Water, power, transportation networks, and local communications.
• Prospective host nation support (HNS).
• Available contracted resources.
• Force protection requirements.

Gaining this information is a long-term collective effort.

Execution planning provides the transition from peacetime to the conduct of military operations. Time available for execution planning may be limited, requiring abbreviated steps and procedures throughout. During this phase, the supported CINC finalizes the OPORD and, in addition to planning, accomplishes deployability posture reporting. This phase ends when the National Command Authorities (NCA) direct execution, or place on hold or cancel the OPORD pending resolution of the crisis by some other means. Prior preparation for deployment (planning and updating unit standing operating procedures (SOP)) is essential when execution planning time is limited.

Basic APL planning decisions must be made regarding mission and security in order to proceed with detailed planning. The APL mission focuses on expeditious deployment, drawing equipment, assembly, and employment of forces to meet the supported commander's requirements. The mission may also include tasks in support of other operations in the objective area.

The importance of clear command relationships is fundamental throughout the deployment and RSO&I process, which includes the issue and onward movement of APL materiel. Primary responsibility for clarity rests with the supported CINC. Subordinate commands must understand their command relationships. The CINC/ASCC establishes command relationships to minimize disruption of C2 of the APL operations during the transition from planning through deployment and execution phases.

As described in Chapter 1, the supported CINC establishes area security in most instances before the APL force arrives in theater. The supported CINC determines available HNS for security operations and establishes additional measures to support the security effort. He may delegate this responsibility to a subordinate commander capable of providing adequate security. General categories of security responsibilities include the following--

• Airspace control.
• Area air defense.
• Ground security.
• Fire support coordination.
• Movement control.

METT-TC, available facilities and support, uniqueness of each APL site, and the tactical concept for APL operations influence RSO&I. The ASCC develops the RSO&I concept for APL operations in coordination with the LSE and AWRSPTCMD. He also coordinates with the APL unit commander, the arrival airfield commander, the USAMMA MLST, and support unit commanders. The ASCC submits the RSO&I plan to the theater CINC for approval.

The draw of APL stocks is one of a series of events the deploying units execute to prepare for operations. The APL equipment draw starts with the arrival of the advance party at the issuing facility. Details concerning the composition of the advance party and its functions are in Appendix B. The advance party establishes initial unit logistics capabilities for the main body of the deploying/receiving unit, uploads commodity-stored items, and moves all equipment to the marshaling area where it can be dispersed under cover and concealment. Under some circumstances, the main body, upon arrival, moves directly from the APOD to a marshaling area near the APL site and starts to prepare for onward movement to a staging base. In other instances, however, the main body does not link up with APL equipment until the materiel is transshipped to a distant location. Chapter 3 covers draw operations in more detail.

As stated above, the APL draw sequence begins with the arrival of the advance party that deploys IAW the applicable TPFDD. Key personnel (officer in charge (OIC)/noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) from each advance party draw team) receive a site briefing from an AWRSPTCMD site representative on the following:

• Site configuration, draw procedures, and flow.
• Vehicle checks.
• Maintenance and equipment checks.
• Safety.
• Property accountability.
• Key site personnel.

At the conclusion of the briefing, the process of inventorying load items and signing for the equipment begins. The accountability transfer involves inventorying end items issued and signing hand receipts for the equipment. Equipment is transferred using the Army War Reserve Deployment System (AWRDS), which is discussed in Chapter 3 and Appendix D.

APL-equipped units transition to integration when operational equipment is fully manned, and after the unit is in its staging base prepared to conduct the full range of missions. The supported CINC sets the criteria for determining when the deploying force is fully mission capable. Unit plans for transition to employment include:

• Clear delineation of responsibility for local security.
• Notification of higher headquarters as units/detachments achieve operationally ready status.
• Use of assembly areas to facilitate subsequent or concurrent tactical operations.
• Plans for responding to hostile action following RSO&I operations.
• Allocation of staff planning effort among deployment activities.

APL operations require an adequate physical infrastructure. In the absence of or in the event of damage to such facilities as power grids, road nets, bed-down areas, hardstands, potable or construction water sources, wharves and piers, bridges, and aircraft unloading aprons, US forces must be prepared to build or augment the required infrastructure. The senior Army engineer command prepares the civil engineering support plan (CESP), a peacetime assessment of infrastructure required to support military operations. In coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the engineer command plans and executes the theater engineer mission.

The intelligence capabilities and organization of deploying forces vary significantly. The supported CINC or ASCC provides IPB and other intelligence support to the forces within his assigned theater. Further, because the S2 staff of the unit drawing APL has only a limited intelligence capability, the staff may require augmentation to ensure continuous intelligence support and to coordinate intelligence and counterintelligence measures.

An APL operation requires a coordinated, detailed information operations plan for the execution of adequate C2. The plan must consider C2 requirements for internal and external communications to the APL unit, current and potential changes in command relationships, task organization of the unit, equipment augmentation, and location of the APL elements and supporting units. Information operations systems must provide a reliable, secure means to exercise C2, and they must be flexible enough to compensate for internal and external changes. The requirements and ultimate design of the information system for APL operations depend on--

• Location of the operation and mission requirements.
• Information systems provided by the CINC through the ASCC.
• Availability of commercial systems.
• HN information infrastructure.
• Information systems drawn at the APL site.

The CINC provides broad planning guidance as early as possible to deploying APL units. This ensures that provisions can be made for the required interoperability and operational demands of the information systems. Deploying unit commanders should continually refine their information systems posture through periodic testing of portions of the system with higher and subordinate headquarters. They immediately inform the ASCC/ARFOR commander of any voids and gaps in existing capabilities.

The ASCC's concept of operations for unit employment drives the deploying unit commander's logistics planning process during deployment and APL operations. Planning must satisfy both known and anticipated logistics requirements. (See Appendix C for details concerning logistics planning.) Logistics planners consider--

• Logistics requirements based on mission, concept of operations, forces to be supported, operational environment, and enemy capabilities.
• CSS forces required to support the operations.
• Availability and types of nonorganic logistics resources in theater, such as contracted or HN assets.
• Time-phasing of organic CSS capabilities into the theater. Resources include the forward support battalion, TAT/NAP materiel, and other division, corps, and EAC support.
• Development of the logistics concept. Planning must address the broad functional areas of supply, maintenance, facilities, transportation, engineering, combat health support (CHS), and other services. The magnitude of support is directly related to the tailored force planned for the operation.
• Administrative and logistics requirements during each phase of deployment, RSO&I, employment, and redeployment.
• Distribution sites and support channels in the AO.
• Possibility of competing strategic requirements for APL materiel in the theater, and potential requirements of other CINCs.

Integral to a successful deployment is the return of deployed units to home station or relocation to a follow-on mission in a separate AOR. As with deployment and RSO&I, thorough planning is essential to the success of redeployment operations. Redeployment planning should begin with deployment planning.

After mission completion, units turn in APL equipment at AWRSPTCMD storage facilities or forward turn-in points unless the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) or Department of the Army (DA) directs the unit to retain the equipment for follow-on deployment. Unless METT-TC considerations dictate otherwise, APL equipment returned to AWRSPTCMD control must meet technical manual (TM) 10/20 standards. AWRSPTCMD and USAMMA will hold using units accountable for equipment serviceability and accountability at the time of turn-in.

Units may have sustained combat losses during operations. They must document these combat losses. They turn in valid requisitions along with substantiating technical inspection documents (DA Form 2404) for repair parts not applied to end items.

See FM 100-17-5 for more information on redeployment planning.