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Problem: Units have immense challenges, both executing plans/orders and synchronizing combat power. Many units spend most of their time producing the order or continue to significantly change it. Units tend to do the easy, familiar things first and put off doing harder, unfamiliar, yet critical tasks. Many subordinates understand their orders differently than intended due to diverse backgrounds. Finally, many subordinate units can't execute their missions because the concept of operation didn't adequately address subordinate capabilities and limitations.

Successful Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

• Standardize SOPs within the division:
  Standard division-wide SOPs reduce staff coordination time and greatly simplify orders so long as all division units train to the SOP as a standard. SOPs simplify cross attachment and minimize the amount of specific instructions in the order. This allows the task force order to focus on the concept of operation. Successful units internalize these SOPs through repetitious training at home station to make the procedures second nature.

  SOPs are not substitutes for experience and initiative. In order to be effective, they must be flexible enough to be modified by the factors of METT-T.

  Establish a critical task list:

  Adhere to a disciplined system of time management. Someone must establish a timed critical task list based on each mission and then enforce it. The 1/3-2/3 rule is a guide but METT-T dependent. While, in other cases, availability of daylight for preparation is the key. "Better is the enemy of good enough." There is a time beyond which perfecting the plan will seriously disrupt subordinate planning and preparation.

  Push logistics with the warning order:

  Concurrent with the warning order push standard logistics packages to subordinates. Don't wait for the OPORD or subordinate requests. Transportation is scarce and CL IV/V mission loads are enormous. S4s determine unique logistics requirements based on standard missions (such as offense or defense) in garrison. Then they organize standard (SOP) means to transport and distribute this material. During operations they:

  --Confirm higher push packs on receipt of higher warning order.

  --Allocate these push packs to subordinates IAW SOP.

  --Request thorough output of additional required material to lower echelons based on the OPORD, planning refinements and subordinate requests.

  Guidance to the staff:

  One of the best forms of commander's guidance is rough maneuver and fire support graphics drawn by the commander and given to the staff to focus staff planning.

  Wargame with the entire staff:

  Normally, the commander wargames with his XO, S2, S3, S1/S4, FSO/FSCOORD, engineer and air defense officer (and aviation LNO/commander, if applicable). The wargame identifies the advantages/disadvantages of each course of action and how to best employ the capabilities/limitations of each operation system. This avoids massive and continual changes to the concept of operation which disrupt preparation activities. This also ensures that the entire staff really understands the course of action. Time available clearly limits the extent of the wargame. Note: At brigade level include the FSB operations officer in the wargame.

  Minimize task organization changes:

  Teamwork is generally more important than a slightly better task organization. Last minute task organizations result in units where the "outsiders" are like red-headed stepchildren. Any task organization change must allow time for movement, link up, coordination, rehearsals and team building. Avoid frequent minor task organization changes. If the situation mandates a change, do it as early as possible. Building an effective task force or company team takes time.

  Initiate movement early:

  Recon and quartering party movement are time sensitive. Early recon drives success. Maximum time for quartering parties greatly simplifies movement to and occupation of forward assembly areas or attack positions.

  Employ clear/concise written orders:

  Clear written orders greatly reduce the fog of war to tired leaders. They provide a checklist for exhausted leaders to remind themselves what their mission and the commander's intent really is. Execution matrices, similar to the fire support execution matrix, are a method to simply portray the plan in a concise manner. The limiting factor on the conciseness of the order is how well the unit understands the commander's intent. An unusually well trained team can execute a complex plan with minimal guidance. Personnel turbulence and training distractors normally mandate longer orders.

  Use Briefbacks:

  While wargaming ensures clarity and the ability to execute at the staff level, backbriefs and rehearsals accomplish the same with subordinates. Immediately after the commander issues the order, his subordinates backbrief the commander on their tentative concepts of operation. If these are in line with the commander's intent, his subordinates understand the order. If not, the commander clarifies the plan. Ensure all slice elements backbrief. Different branches and services speak different languages.

  During preparation, the commander meets subordinates individually or together on the battlefield. Here, his subordinates backbrief their concept based on their actual recon. This ensures that any minor changes a subordinate implemented to make the plan fit ground truth still support the commander's intent.

  Rehearse:

  Rehearsals are critical to the successful execution of the operation. "I was amazed at how well we performed when we rehearsed the plan," to quote a recent NTC battalion commander. The rehearsal should be as complete as the situation allows. In general, there are three levels of rehearsals: sand table exercise, walk through, and full dress.

  In the sand table exercise, subordinates move unit markers on a sand table. The subordinates include the commanders as a minimum. Including commanders, fire support officers, and supporting slice leaders is better.

  In the walk through, subordinates rehearse on a large sand table where they represent their units. At battalion task force level, this walk through can include platoon leaders.

  The full dress rehearsal is the ideal. It includes the whole task force. In the defense, where the defender owns the ground and has several options to execute, the full dress rehearsal in MOPP4 is key.

  Some units employ several rehearsals: maneuver, fire support, and combined arms. As a minimum, do the combined arms rehearsal.

Lessons Learned: Plan for Command Succession

Problem: Commanders often die or have their command vehicle shot out from under them at critical moments in combat. Whether dead or dismounted, subordinates usually don't notice right away or are unsure of what action to take. Nothing triggers the command succession procedures, and the enemy seizes the initiative and breaks the task force decision cycle.

Successful Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

• Units must practice command succession procedures in home station training. The procedures must have effective trigger mechanisms, and units must practice under realistic circumstances. With no advance notice, subordinate leaders need to know by role who will take charge, what to do, and how to act on the commander's intent until the succession is complete. The commander must train the XO or S3 to assume command in the midst of a battlefield's chaos. Designate vehicles to pick up commanders and key staff if their vehicles are disabled or down for maintenance.

• The task force commander needs a wing man. The S3 can do this when he positions on the same axis. The ALO is also an option when properly briefed and trained on this additional responsibility. The wing man should provide protection, act as a backup vehicle, and initiate the command succession process when the commander's tank/track is hit.

Lessons Learned: Commanders Must Visualize the Battlefield

Problem: Some commanders have difficulty in "seeing" or visualizing the battlefield. Without a clear mental image of what is occurring in his zone or sector, a commander finds it impossible to synchronize the employment of the combat multipliers at his disposal.

Successful Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

• Study enemy order of battle, doctrine, and tactics. A thorough knowledge of the enemy will allow a commander to visualize enemy actions as certain cues are seen or reported.

• A thorough IPB, to include verification of the situation template by recon assets, will add to the mental picture.

• Detailed, yet concise reports from trusted agents or subordinates regarding both friendly and enemy movements or activities throughout the course of the battle is a necessity.

• The unit tactical operations center must forward concise reports to the commander on information gained from higher and adjacent units. This must include both friendly and enemy activities.

• Personal reconnaissance of battlefield must be done for each new mission regardless of previous familiarity with the terrain.

• Backbriefs and rehearsals provide a commander a visualization of what his subordinate units are/or should be doing at any point in the battle.

• The commander must plan and rehearse his own position and movement on the battlefield as carefully as is done for the overall TF plan. He must be forward to personally see critical points in the battle, yet protected in order to survive.

• Finally, practice and more practice is a necessity in learning to "see" or visualize the battlefield. No opportunity can be wasted to gain experience in this most critical warfighting skill.

Lessons Learned: Recognize "The Soldier"

Problem: It is very common for leaders to get wrapped up with what went wrong, what is going wrong, and what might go wrong. We tend to overlook all the things that went right because soldiers did great things.

Successful Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

• Seek out and reward excellence. Don't wait to get back to garrison. That little bit of ribbon and tin, presented on the field of battle in front of a small formation of a soldier's comrades, has more meaning and will have more impact on a unit than a more prestigious award given a month later in front of a division's worth of strangers.

• One of the purposes of a decoration is to encourage others to perform well. Timely awards ensure impact on others.

• An awards system which requires going back to garrison is broken. In war we will not have that luxury to make it work.

Table of Contents

Combat Service Support

Executive Summary