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CHAPTER 3

How the E-BFV-Equipped Engineer Company Can Support
Offensive Missions for the Three-Company Battalion

by MAJ Michael Albertson, Center for Army Lessons Learned

The new three-company organization requires battalions to do more with less in the terms of actual systems in place and on the ground. Observing the new Limited Conversion Force XXI three-company Task Force in the offense raised concerns and issues:

• Flexibility. More be prepared and on-order missions.

• Frequent Task Organization.
  • More four-platoon and two-platoon company/teams (CO/TMs).
  • More re-task organization during operations.

• CO/TMs will have more tasks to perform during missions.

• Task Forces must consolidate/reorganize after the attack because of the reduction in combat power and will rely on the brigade to exploit success.

• Two Axes of Advance.
  • Critical decision is which axis the third company will maneuver.
  • Greater reliance on cross-over corridors.

• Small or no reserve.

As more is being asked of smaller units, the Bradley-equipped engineer platoon and company will be a valuable combat asset to the maneuvering units. This article discusses the role of the combat engineers and provides some tactics, techniques, and procedures for supporting maneuver units in offensive missions.

ISSUE 1: How does the FXXI engineer company support a three-maneuver company task force movement-to-contact (MTC) mission?

DISCUSSION:

1. Using an armor task force as the model, the task force will typically task-organize into an armor team advanced guard with a mechanized team and an armor team making up the main body. The MTC can be conducted against either a stationary or moving enemy. The task force will conduct an MTC as part of a larger formation. The task force will be the advance guard or in the main body of a brigade formation.

2. Typical engineer tasks for an MTC mission continue to be:

• Combined arms breaching. The focus of combined arms breaching is on the task force in-stride breach, but the task force requires the capability to transition to a task force deliberate breach operation. Against a moving enemy, the task force will normally conduct breaching operations to overcome enemy situational obstacles. Against a stationary force, the task force will have to overcome tactical (directed), situational, reserve and protective obstacles.

• Countermobility (tactical employment to protect flanks and support the attack/transition to defense). The transition to hasty defense can occur as the result of initial contact or upon securing the objective.

• Reconnaissance (technical and tactical). Engineers may conduct reconnaissance prior to the movement or during execution to gather intelligence on obsticles and route clearances. As part of the overall reconnaissance effort prior to the movement to contact, engineers can conduct route or area reconnaissance and, if directed, route clearance and marking. During the execution of the MTC, the focus changes to the early identification of enemy situational obstacles and the best bypass or lane locations.

RECOMMENDATION: Figure 3-1 shows a technique to provide engineer support to a task force conducting an MTC.

ISSUE 2: The supporting engineer force must execute several essential engineer tasks during the approach phase of an attack.

DISCUSSION:

1. Key engineer tasks during the approach include:

• Mobility support to enable the support force to maneuver to the SBF.
• Mobility support to both the lead company team and the task force main body.
• Countermobility support to protect the flanks of the main body.

2. The lead team of the task force, typically part of the support force, must be capable of overcoming both situational obstacles employed to disrupt the task force and tactical obstacles employed to disrupt in support of Combat Security Outposts (CSOPs). The enemy may also use situational obstacles to separate the task force main body from the lead company team. In either case, an engineer element moving in vicinity of the lead team can provide mobility support to both the lead team and the following main body. This support includes forming the breach force for a company team breaching operation to mark a bypass (primary) or create, proof, and mark a lane if required.

3. The engineer element will no longer be available to support the lead element while it is executing these tasks, but will possibly be available for additional tasks later in the operation. An engineer element moving with the task force main body can emplace situational obstacles to either flank if there are no adjacent friendly units. This requires an identified overwatching maneuver force. An engineer element moving to the rear of the lead task force can further upgrade the lanes and marking to support the maneuver of the brigade main body and allow the lead engineer element to continue to support the lead task force.

RECOMMENDATION: Figure 3-2 illustrates a way to provide engineer support during the approach.

ISSUE 3: What is the impact of the Army XXI task force organization of three maneuver companies and a E-BFV-based force on the task force breach organization?

DISCUSSION:

1. The Army XXI division operational and organizational concept calls for the division to attack to defeat an enemy division. Following this concept, a task force must be able to attack and defeat a battalion-sized enemy in the execution of offensive operations. It is likely that the task force will be required to conduct breaching operations to cross obstacles covered by the fires of a company-sized force. The organization for a deliberate attack against an enemy strongpoint includes three basic elements:

• Support force. The support force should be a company (+) or two company-sized force to set the conditions (suppression, obscuration, security).

• Breach force. The breach force must then be task-organized to create, proof and mark at least one lane, but preferably two, through the enemy's tactical obstacles and provide local suppression, obscuration, and security. This calls for one or two engineer platoons with the appropriate mobility assets and a security element based on expected enemy counterattacks and the size of the enemy force being masked from the support force by the breach force.

• Assault force. The assault force must have the combat power to destroy the remaining elements of the company force at the point of penetration.

The combined actions of these three units, or the effect of their synergy, will allow the attacker to break into the enemy defense and control actions as the objective is secured.

2. Based on the number of company level headquarters in the task force, it is likely that the engineer company commander will assume the role of breach force commander.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. The illustration below (Figure 3-3) provides an example of how a Task Force could task-organize itself to conduct a deliberate attack of a complex obstacle:

2. The scheme of maneuver for this battalion, for illustrative purposes, might look something like Figure 3-4, below. The illustration depicts the enemy range fans and the engagement area. For the breach to succeed, conditions for its success must first be set. The support force must be established before the breach force can move forward. Units must fight to secure a support-by-fire position:

3. As many O/Cs will tell you, the critical piece to any breaching operation is the breach itself. Once the Support-by Fire (SBF) position is set, then the breach force can be committed to execute a breach into the enemy defenses, as illustrated in Figure 3-5. NOTE: Although smoke is not illustrated in Figure 3-5, obscuration becomes even more important to a breach operation since we have reduced the force ratio.

4. Figure 3-6 illustrates a recommended task organization for a task force breaching operation and the reduction of a complex obstacle. In this example, the engineer company, with an attached tank platoon, has been further organized into an internal support, breach, and assault force. These forces are organized to accomplish a specific task and purpose.

5. The Breach Force of this task force would again organize itself to accomplish a specified task. In this case, the task is to establish two breach lanes through a complex obstacle, with the purpose of facilitating the forward passage of the entire task force. Figure 3-7, below, illustrates how a breach force may be organized:

ISSUE 4: How does the engineer platoon organization impact lane-marking drills?

DISCUSSION: Once the reduction element of the breach force creates and proofs a lane, two engineer squads of the Army XXI engineer platoon will conduct rapid lane marking (initial lane-marking pattern). If the engineer squad pauses to mark the final approach marker and the entrance funnel markers prior to emplacing the entrance markers and left handrail markers, they could possibly delay the commitment of the assault force.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. For rapid lane marking, designate one squad as the primary marking squad with the task to emplace the entrance, left handrail, and exit markers. Designate the second squad to emplace the final approach marker and entrance funnel.

2. The primary squad begins marking immediately behind the proofing asset while the second squad moves forward from the assault position to mark the entrance funnel.

3. The second squad emplaces the final approach marker and possibly the far recognition marker (intermediate lane-marking pattern) while in route to the lane entrance.

4. The platoon leader supervises the reduction, proofing, and primary marking squad while the platoon sergeant supervises the second marking squad.

5. The assault force can position a leader near the breach force commander, who owns traffic control, to assist with commitment of the assault force. The assault force should arrive at the lane just as the breach force completes its tasks.

ISSUE 5: How does the engineer platoon organization impact bypass marking drills?

DISCUSSION: Similar to the discussion above, commitment of the assault force could be delayed if they must wait for one engineer squad to place all bypass markings.

RECOMMENDATION: Again, the most rapid technique of marking a bypass requires a minimum of two squads. Once the unit acquires the obstacle and identifies the limits (at least partially), the primary marking section (platoon leader and squad) marks the handrail along the depth of the obstacle. The second section (platoon sergeant and squad) marks the front edge of the obstacle at least partially. The amount of frontage marked is METT-TC-dependent, but, in general, this marking section should remain within supporting distance of the main body. Figure 3-9 illustrates a platoon bypassmarking technique.

ISSUE 6: Engineer leaders, equipped with the new BEFV, need to be proficient in direct fire planning and control.

DISCUSSION:

1. As already mentioned, the engineer company commander will likely be the breach force commander as part of a task force breach organization under the new three-company maneuver task force. The breach force commander must control fires for both the security element of the breach force and during actions on contact. Similarly, engineer platoon leaders and perhaps battalion commanders will likely be the breach force commander for company team and brigade-level breach organizations respectively.

2. The requirement to plan and control fires applies to the current M113-based engineer force, but is even more essential for an M2-based force. Engineer leaders must, therefore, integrate direct fire planning and control into every operation - both offense and defense. Without proper planning and control of direct fires, the breach force will not adequately provide local suppression and security at reduction sites, will not survive contact with the enemy, and could create a fratricide risk to other friendly forces.

RECOMMENDATION: The following two figures illustrate a technique that engineer leaders at all levels can use to successfully integrate fires and assist in the control of these fires into combat operations. Figure 3-10 shows a COA sketch for an engineer-led breach force in support of a task force breaching operation during an attack. The breach force commander should develop a sketch to convey his plan. NOTE: Although smoke is not illustrated in Figure 3-10, it must be considered because it will affect where and how far friendly forces can shoot.

The execution matrix (Figure 3-11 below) provides an example of a way, utilizing an execution matrix, to integrate direct fires, movement techniques with formations, and breach force tasks.

ISSUE 7: Engineer platoons at the CTCs continue to react poorly to most forms of contact.

DISCUSSION:

1. An M2-based engineer force has a greater capability to react to contact and, therefore, survive to accomplish their engineer mission. On the other hand, the M2, as a greater threat to the enemy, is in most situations a higher value target than the M113.

2. Engineer platoons must be able to survive all forms of contact to accomplish their essential engineer tasks. They must fully understand and be able to react to the seven forms of contact listed below:

• Visual contact.
• Direct fire contact.
• Indirect artillery fire contact.
• Obstacles.
• Aerial/enemy air contact.
• NBC contact.
• IEW, or jamming.

RECOMMENDATION: M2-mounted engineer forces need to train actions on contact drills to both take advantage of the M2's capabilities and to mitigate their increased tactical risks. Actions on contact drills have been developed and need to be trained at the platoon level.

Chapter 2: Observations on Force XXI and the Three-Company Battalion

Chapter 4: How the Engineer Company Can Support Defensive Missions for the Three-Company Battalion