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The US Army, as a key member of the joint team, is required to be ready for global force projection actions with an appropriate mix of combat, CS, and CSS forces to fight and win our nation's battles. To meet the force projection requirements, the tank and mechanized infantry battalion task force must be ready to meet all deployment timelines and activities. Peacetime preparation, speed, in-depth coordination, rehearsals, and knowledge are necessary if the task force is to meet its deployment timelines.

Force projection is the demonstrated ability to alert, mobilize, deploy rapidly, and operate effectively anywhere in the world. Force projection is the military component of power projection.

Force projection encompasses a series of processes that occur in a continuous, overlapping, and iterative sequence (see Figure H-1).

    a.     Mobilization. Mobilization is the process by which the Armed Forces or parts of them are brought to a state of readiness for war or other national emergency. This includes activating all or part of the reserve components (RCs) as well as assembling and organizing personnel, supplies, and materiel.

    b.     Deployment. Deployment is the movement or relocation of forces and materiel from their home stations to the desired AOs.

    c.     Employment. Employment is the application of force or forces to attain specified military objectives. Employment concepts determine the scope of mobilization, deployment, sustainment, and redeployment activities.

    d.     Sustainment. Sustainment is the provision of personnel, logistics, and other support required to maintain and prolong operations or combat until successful accomplishment of the mission or of the national objective.

    e.     Redeployment. Redeployment is the transfer of a unit, an individual, or supplies deployed in one area to another area for the purpose of employment or return to home station.

H-2.     DEPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT INTERRELATIONSHIP

Each process impacts the other. This is especially true of the deployment and employment interrelationship. Deployment and employment are inextricably linked; neither can be planned successfully without a firm grasp of the other. Consequently, the operational speed and tempo reflect the ability of the deployment pipeline to deliver combat power where and when the joint force commander wants it. Any disruption in the deployment timeline accordingly impacts on employment.

Deployment is the relocation of forces and materiel to a specific operational area to conduct operations outlined in a plan or order. It encompasses all activities from origin or home station through destination, specifically including intracontinental US, intertheater, and intratheater movement legs. Each brigade, division, and corps will have differing methods to prepare a unit for deployment. Brigade staff officers must be thoroughly knowledgeable in the deployment steps outlined by the higher headquarters and installation. Unit deployments consist of three distinct and interrelated phases:

• Predeployment activities taken at home stations.
• Movement to port of debarkation (POD) (fort-to-port and port-to-port activities).
• Reception, staging, onward movement and integration (port to destination).

The Army's challenge in becoming more strategically responsive begins at TF home station by decreasing the amount of time required to execute all predeployment activities. Predeployment activities are those actions taken to prepare the TF for deployment. These tasks are essentially constant and ongoing activities performed at the home station before and during the predeployment phase to prepare forces for deployment. These tasks are conducted before and after the issuing of a warning or alert notification. Predeployment activities are not limited to the deploying unit but include supporting units and the installation staff.

    a.     Planning and Training Validation. The TF conducts peacetime training on those METL tasks they expect to execute in wartime. In addition to its METL tasks, the unit focuses on the individual and collective tasks that support its wartime mission. The TF, with assistance from the higher headquarters, prepares mobilization and deployment plans and deployment training. Typical planning and training includes--

• Mobilization training and preparation.
• Unit movement officer and NCO activities.
• Unit load team training and vehicle marking.
• Hazardous materials (HAZMAT) cargo certification.
• Airload planning for all brigade vehicles and equipment.
• Soldier readiness preparations (SRP) and personnel asset inventory (PAI).
• Deployment exercises and or rehearsals are conducted.
• Family support group (FSG) meetings.
• Higher headquarters and brigade war plans review and intelligence updates.
• Classes III, V, and VIII deployment stocks reviewed and or updated.
• Stocks of Class IV blocking, bracing, and tie down materials are verified.
• Requests for batteries and other PLL/ ASL shortages are submitted.
• Individual and crew-served weapons qualifications are conducted.
• Access rosters for personnel requiring access to secure facilities are submitted.

    b.     Alert. The alert phase begins with the receipt of a WARNO for deployment. Based upon the time-phased force and deployment data list (TPFDDL), the TF may have from hours to several days from notification to movement. Specific activities during this phase include--

• Receipt and verification of deployment orders.
• Recall of the unit soldiers.
• Initiation of x-hour sequence of events.
• Completion of SRP activities.
• Upload of vehicles with equipment.
• Configure pallets and containerized loads.
• Issue COMSEC materials.
• Issue movement orders and instructions.
• Prepare manifest lists for movement.
• Transfer all nondeploying equipment to rear detachment.
• Update critical equipment shortage lists.
• Pick up ammunition from the ammunition supply point (ASP).
• Conduct OPSEC sweeps of the brigade area.
• Conduct analysis of division order.
• Upload contingency stocks for Class I and chemical detection equipment (CDE).
• Conduct personal property inventories of deploying soldiers.
• Prepare transportation coordinator's automated infromation formovement system (TC-AIMS II) and military shipping labels for all vehicles and personnel.

    c.     Deployment. During this phase, the TF takes the necessary steps to clear the installation, finalize deployment plans, conduct any final coordination with the higher headquarters or installation and deploys an advance party to the aerial port of debarkation (APOD). Other activities include the following:

• Leaders conduct a tactical exercise without troops (TEWT) to all deployment nodes.
• TF S4 conducts all coordination with brigade, division, or post transportation offices for movement times and routes from brigade marshalling areas to the APOD/seaport of debarkation (SPOD).
• Rear detachment confirms barracks security, personally owned vehicle (POV) storage areas, and arms rooms.
• Movement from the TF areas to the deployment nodes.

    d.     Planning and Training Validation. During this phase, the TF must complete all training and preparations in anticipation for deployment. The unit must take all possible steps and actions to reduce the number of excess predeployment activities. The time spent to complete or redo any of the predeployment training and preparations increases the time before the unit is ready for employment or adds to the time before the unit can be employed in theater.

Early deploying TFs will move directly from their home stations with equipment and vehicles via air mission command airlift into the theater of operations for immediate employment. These units are primarily light, airborne, or air assault forces comprising the rapid deployment force. Heavy units will send their equipment from the home station to a port of embarkation (POE) for onward movement or fall in on pre-positioned stocks in theater. Once the unit completes all training, the personnel will move into the theater via airlift and fall in on their equipment at the POD.

    a.     Most of the TF vehicles and equipment will be rail-loaded from the post directly into the theater or to a seaport for movement to the theater. TF commanders--

• Ensure verification of route and movement times with the division transportation officer (DTO).
• Conduct a route reconnaissance to POE.
• Properly mark all brigade vehicles.
• Check for security of onboard equipment and equipment listed in the table of organization and equipment (TOE).
• Pre-brief all drivers and vehicle commanders.
• Provide strip maps to all vehicles.
• Ensure verification of vehicle load plans.
• Provide joint inspection of vehicles and equipment to air/sea port authorities.
• Ensure center-of-gravity markings are on all vehicles and trailers.
• Ensure that one hundred percent of all tie-down equipment is available and serviceable.
• Verify that HAZMAT items are identified and labeled.
• Ensure that vehicles are reduced to lowest possible dimensions.
• Ensure that vehicles and fuel cans are filled to 3/4 full.
• Ensure that vehicle antennas are removed and radios are waterproofed.
• Verify that all vehicle drivers are licensed for their vehicle.
• Ensure generators are purged.

    b.     The TF planners must ensure that all coordination and activities are completed prior to the arrival of the unit's vehicles at the rail loading site. This is usually completed during the predeployment phase. However, unit planners should expect problems, delays, and confusion at the POE. The TF is probably not the only unit deploying or attempting to coordinate movement activities. Planners should know the locations of staging/marshalling areas, joint inspection criteria, and understand the entire movement plan. TF commanders and or planners should take positive actions to facilitate the movement of the unit by being present at critical times, always having communications with the POE authorities and facilities to take care of the soldiers.

    c.     This phase begins with the departure of TF equipment from the POD (either by sea, rail, or air) and ends with the arrival at the POE. At this point, all TF personnel are either conducting final training with borrowed equipment, en route to the POE via air/sea lift, or waiting in-theater for the equipment to arrive. The TF commander keeps in close contact with the movement officer and tracks the status of TF equipment movement. Upon arrival at the POE, the TF commander immediately checks with the movement office to verify the expected time of equipment arrival. Have load teams and drivers standing by ready to assist with the download of equipment upon arrival. If traveling with the TF equipment, the commander or movement officer coordinates with the flight crew, train engineer, or ship's cargo loading officer to make periodic checks of the unit's equipment. Generally, if the equipment is prepared correctly prior to departure, it will travel without any mishaps. The commander's main concern should be for the welfare and morale of the accompanying soldiers. He keeps the soldiers informed of where the TF is going and what is going to happen when it arrives at the POE.

Upon arrival in the theater, the TF receives its equipment and makes preparations for integration into the theater commander's plans. During this phase, the unit can expect CS and CSS elements to assist in processing the TF through the POD. This process is known as RSOI:

• Reception is the process of unloading personnel and material from strategic seaport, marshaling the deploying units, transporting them to staging areas, if required, and providing life support to deploying personnel.
• Staging is the process of assembling, holding, and organizing all arriving personnel and equipment into units and forces for movement. During staging, the commander incrementally builds combat power and prepares units for onward movements while providing life support until the unit becomes self-sufficient.
• Onward movement is the movement of units and accompanying material from reception facilities and staging areas to tactical assembly areas. This includes moving non-unit personnel to gaining commands and moving sustainment material from reception facilities to distribution sites.
• Integration is the synchronized transfer of authority over units and forces for employment in-theater.

    a.     As the initial step in the introduction of combat power, reception can determine the success or failure of an entire operation. TF commander actions during the reception phase must be thoroughly planned and carefully executed. Reception from strategic lift assets will be near the aerial port of embarkation (APOE) and should provide all of the support required until the TF equipment and vehicles arrive.

    b.     Prior to departing the APOE/seaport of embarkation (SPOE) for the assembly area, ensure that all TF equipment and personnel are ready for war. This is a commander's only chance to get things straight prior to departure. RSOI considerations include--

• Verification and accountability of all sensitive items and keys to all vehicles and equipment.
• Top-off of all vehicle fluids.
• Issue and upload all ammunition.
• Receive all classes of supply and water.
• Complete all vehicle PMCS and order needed parts.
• Conduct communication checks on all radios.
• Receive updates on the condition of the local security and threat.
• Verify routes, checkpoints, and assembly areas.
• Conduct necessary repairs to equipment.
• Receive specialized theater-specific equipment issue.
• Conduct digital network exercise to ensure that the digital architecture is functioning properly.