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FM 34-8, Combat Commander's Handbook on Intelligence, is the doctrinal reference for commander's participation in the intelligence process. This chapter will discuss techniques that the commander can use to ensure that the intelligence process is working in his unit.

The commander can win that major battle by generating combat power at the decisive time and place. Intelligence predicts when and where those decisive points will be. The commander's role in the intelligence cycle is to focus the intelligence capabilities of his unit. The commander's S2 goal is to provide the necessary intelligence the commander needs when it is required.

The commander focuses the intelligence effort with his priority intelligence requirements, targeting priorities, and priorities for other types of intelligence support, such as BDA or force protection. The commander must identify when he needs specific intelligence and when specific targets must be detected and attacked to support his concept of the operation. With the commander's PIRs, he focuses and synchronizes his intelligence collection assets on his specific needs and sets priorities for the intelligence processing and dissemination efforts.

OBSERVATION: Commander's PIRs can be vague and not specific.

DISCUSSION: An example of inadequate PIR is: "Will the enemy attack? If so, how when, where, and in what strength?" This PIR contains five different questions. This PIR is not specific to the mission or associated with a commander's decision. It only serves to confuse the collectors on the battlefield. The S2 should know more about the enemy situation than this PIR reflects. He should have a good idea, using IPB, that the enemy might attack somehow, sometime, somewhere, and in some strength. As stated, intelligence collection assets may focus their effort to collect known information. The enemy can only select his action from a limited range of COAs due to the conditions of the battlefield. The S2 develops PIRs as a set of intelligence requirements (IRs) for each friendly COA during the wargaming process. The commander must identify the IRs that are critical to the accomplishment of the mission and these become his PIRs. The wargaming process will identify which IRs are the most critical. The commander approves the PIRs when he approves the COA. The commander must restrict his PIR to only the critical IRs necessary to support the mission, because there are a limited number of collection assets available. If these assets are not used wisely, the "real" critical requirements may not be answered.

LESSON(S): A better PIR would be: Locate the 42d MRR's main effort. This PIR focuses the intelligence collectors on a PIR that they can actually answer. Using the event template developed during the wargaming process, the S2 can provide the collector with an area (Named Area of Interest - (NAI)) where the collector can concentrate his efforts. The S2 can also tell the intelligence collector exactly what he is to look for (indicators), exactly what he is to report (specific information requirements) and an approximate time that this event will occur.

The next portion of this chapter provides a checklist for the commander to ensure that his S2 is providing the IPB that is needed to support the decisionmaking process.

MISSION ANALYSIS

During this step, the S2 should provide the commander with all the intelligence information available so the commander can assess facts about the battlefield and make assumptions on how friendly and threat forces will interact. The S2 should provide products that support a full cycle of IPB:

• Terrain products showing key and decisive terrain, and their significance. Examples are Terrabase shots showing line of sight which may help to illuminate IV lines.
• A simple line and block chart showing the enemy, big to small.
• The enemy commander's intent objective.
• Complete SITEMPs showing all enemy combat multipliers.
• Cause and effect sketches at critical events of the fight.
• Portrayal and discussion of what is known (targeting implications).
• Portrayal and discussion of what is not known (reconnaissance implications).
• Recommended PIR.
• Tentative reconnaissance concept.

LESSON(S): The commander should check to ensure the S2:

• Has the same perception as the commander of the upcoming mission.
• Knows all that the commander knows about the enemy situation.
• Was given initial guidance for intelligence and that he understands that initial guidance.
• Discusses the kinds of operations the battlefield will support.
• Is focusing IPB as per commander's guidance.
• Is developing situational templates according to commander's guidance.
• Has ranked the enemy threat models logically.
• Is following initial R&S guidance.

COA DEVELOPMENT

During this step, the commander should be concerned about the options that he has available to him, given the battlefield environment.

LESSON(S): During this phase, the commander should ensure that:

• Each friendly COA is valid against enemy COAs.
• The staff understands each SITEMP.
• The S2 is developing indicators for each NAI as he develops the event template because this will be the basis of the R&S plan.
• The S2 has identified high value targets for each enemy COA.
• The S2 has developed an event template and event matrix.

COA ANALYSIS (WARGAMING)

LESSON(S): As the S2 plays the enemy commander during the wargaming process, the commander should ensure that:

• The S2 has logically presented probable enemy reactions to friendly maneuver and targeting.
• He agrees with the assets tasked by the S2 to collect the necessary information on NAIs and TAIs and that those assets do not have conflicting requirements.
• All IRs are linked to specific enemy actions or reactions that require a friendly response.
• The S2 has coordinated with the FSO to ensure that each planned or immediate target has an identified TAI associated with it and that the S2 has collection assets oriented on those targets to locate them, when and where you need them attacked.
• The S2 has collection assets in place to give the commander the BDA if it is required.

RECOMMENDATION

LESSON(S): During the staff's recommendation, the commander ensures that the:

• S2 has identified the set of IRs that support that COA.
• S2 has identified the latest time of intelligence value for the information requirements.
• PIRs and IRs are the concerns that the commander has about the enemy.
• Recommended PIRs are clear and distinct.

DECISION

LESSON(S): Once the commander chooses a COA, he ensures that:

• He approves the PIR or adjusts them to meet his needs.
• He understands the requirements necessary to answer his intelligence requirements.
• The staff has all DPs, NAIs, and TAIs covered by collection assets and that the commanders of these collection assets understand their missions.
• The S2 understands the targeting concept and has collection assets devoted to TAIs that need BDA.
• The S2 has considered all available collection assets for the R&S plan.
• The intelligence synchronization matrix provides the information that is required when it is needed and that it supports the targeting effort.

EXECUTION

LESSON(S): During the execution of the actual mission, ensure that the S2 is:

• Tracking the battle and upcoming IRs.
• Ensuring intelligence collectors are meeting intelligence taskings.
• Redirecting collection assets after PIRs are answered.
• Confirming or denying existing situation templates quickly.
• Disseminating intelligence to the units that need it.
• Informing the commander of potential new enemy actions not anticipated during wargaming.
• Providing intelligence based on analysis and not just relying on combat information.
• Providing the commander information so that the commander can make decisions.

Section II: IPB and the Decisionmaking Process

Section IV: IPB and Collection Management