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FIRE SUPPORT PRODUCTS FOR THE COMPANY

by SFC Sean E. Harris, Fire Support Division, JRTC Operations Group

Why are forward observers (FOs), company mortars, and other leaders within the company unaware of what indirect fire support is available or how to employ what is available?

How come company mortars do not know their role in the overall fire support plan?

Because company fire support officers (FSOs) do not prepare the fire support tools necessary to create quality fire support products.

The maneuver company fire support team (FIST) is responsible for fire support (FS) planning and coordination at the company level. In coordination with maneuver, the company fire support officer (FSO) develops and briefs the fire support plan to platoon leaders and fire supporters in the company. A proven technique is to communicate the fire support plan in three documents:

1. Fire Support Matrix (which includes a fire support execution matrix (FSEM))
2. Target List Worksheet
3. Fire Support Overlay

1. Company Fire Support Matrix

According to FM 6-20-20, "The Fire Support Execution Matrix (FSEM) is a concise, easy planning tool which shows the many factors of a complicated fire support plan. Tactical SOPs should standardize FSEM preparation to ensure synchronization with maneuver matrixes." The implied task is the construction of a matrix. Each fire support element must develop its own matrix and a supporting SOP to describe its use. Standardization throughout the FISTs supporting a particular brigade is also highly recommended.

The following illustrates how to construct and use the matrix. The Section numbers refer to specific areas which are identified on the sample matrix provided in Figure 1.

a. Fire Support Execution Matrix (Figure 1, Section 1). The principal element of the company fire support matrix is the fire support execution matrix (FSEM). The FSEM forms the basis for the rest of the matrix. It identifies priority of fires (POF), final protective fires (FPFs), priority targets, specific targets, groups, and series. The mortar section cloumns are used to list mortar locations during specific phases, the azimuth of fire (AOF), and the priority target. FM 6-20-20 provides more detailed information concerning entries on the FSEM (section 2-8, pg. 2-6).

EXAMPLE: If the mortar section is moving with a specific platoon, the mortar should contain the note: "moving with 2d platoon."

b. Scheme (concept) of Fires (Section 2). Scheme of fires describes how the fire support BOS will support maneuver. The FSO writes this paragragh of the OPORD. He also briefs it to ensure that every member of the company understands the fire support plan. Before the FSO can develop the fire support plan, he must receive guidance from the commander. FM 6-71 suggests that maneuver commanders express their guidance for fire support in terms of scheme/purpose, priority, allocation, and restrictions (PPAR). Appendix A tells us that scheme/purpose is the most important of the four areas:

"Scheme and/or purpose (of FS) should address exactly what you (the commander) want fire support to accomplish during each phase of the battle. It should be specific in addressing attack guidance and engagement criteria." -- (p. I-1)

The FSO develops the fire support plan based on the commander's guidance and information from the task force fire support annex. The scheme/purpose for indirect fires, together with the FSEM, should throughly explain the concept of fires. It should include any planned targets assigned by the task force FSO and any specific targets the company FSO plans on firing. The FSO uses the FSEM and the remaining sections of the matrix to communicate the commander's guidance concerning priority of fires, allocations, or restrictions.

c. High Payoff Targets (HPTs) (Section 3). This section of the matrix contains the critical information associated with each HPT. It lists the battalion's HPTs and the actions expected upon identification or contact.

EXAMPLE: An action may be "immediately initiate a fire mission on the FD1 net," or "immediately notify the company FSO with a SALUTE report and be prepared to call for fire."

FM 6-20-10 states, "The focus of the decide function of the targeting process at the TF (task force) level is to give observers critical information. They must detect targets and pass target acquistion reports to attack systems so they can deliver effective, timely fires." --(page 5-1) It is the task force FSO's responsibility to determine the critical information his observers (including firepower control teams (FCTs), enlisted terminal air controllers (ETACs), combat observation and lasing team (COLTs)) need. Company FSOs must ensure they receive this critical information from the task force FSOs.

d. Mortar Ammunition Matrix (Section 4). Section 4 assists the FSO with the difficult task of tracking mortar ammunition. Initially, the matrix informs each FO of the number and type of rounds his platoon has been tasked to carry. Each FO can assist the FSO in tracking his mortar section's ammunition by tracking ammunition within his platoon. FOs can also assist by reporting any action the platoon takes regarding ammunition.

EXAMPLE: A platoon leader may decide to cache his mortars rounds. At that point, the platoon FO notifies the FSO of the cache with a grid location and the number and type of rounds cached. The FSO updates his matrix and continues to track ammunition.

e. Close Air Support (CAS) (Section 5). List close air support information such as the number and type of sorties expected per day or the time when CAS is expected to be on station in Section 5. Additional information concerning the employment of ETACs is also posted here.

EXAMPLE: "Two sorties of A-10s expected per day next three days," or "Alpha company plan on employing an ETAC in your sector."

f. Assets Available (Section 6). This section covers all fire support assets (other than CAS and naval surface fire support) available to the brigade (e.g., general support and direct support artillery, attack helicopters employed in the fire support role, and mortars). The FSO compiles this information from the battalion fire support annex. FOs usually know what assets are available to the brigade, but do not always know the asset's callsign or frequency. This is critical information if communication with the company/battalion FSO is lost.

g. Fire Support Coordination Measures (FSCMs) (Section 7). Information pertaining to FSCMs, such as type, location, effective date-time-group (DTG), radius, establishing HQs, and specific restrictions, goes here.

Below the FSCM portion of the matrix is a checklist. The FSO uses this to inform his FOs of the number of targets they are allocated for planning. Even if battalion has not allocated any planned targets, the company FSO can allow the FOs to plan company mortar targets. If the battalion FSO has established a deadline for target refinement, the company FSO must ensure his FOs send refinement to him in enough time to meet the battalion's deadline. The fire support rehearsal time must take into account platoon troop-leading procedures to ensure maximum participation among the company's fire supporters. It may be preferred to execute the fire support rehearsal prior to the combined arms rehearsal to ensure the FOs are prepared to brief and execute at the battalion/company rehearsal. If actions upon loss of the FSO/FSNCO or the FSO location during battle are standard, they can be written "as per SOP."

h. Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) (Section 8). This area contains information about naval gunfire and its employment on the battlefield. It may also contain information about FCTs or how to request NSFS in the absence of FCTs.

EXAMPLE: "Two Spruance class destroyers are GS to the brigade," or "Requests for NGF will be handled on the battalion fire support net," or "Alpha company will have a FCT attached."

i. Guidance for Special Munitions (Section 9). Maneuver commanders are expected to give guidance on the use of special munitions (FM 6-71). The FSO will receive guidance on the employment of special munitions (such as smoke, illumination, ICM, or FASCAM) from the battalion fire support annex and his commander.

EXAMPLE:

1. "Use of illumination must be approved by the brigade commander."
2. A commander tells his FSO he wants smoke at the breach site. The FSO would then determine how many minutes of obscuration is necessary, and what asset can provide the coverage. Based on this scenario, the FSO would write "Nine minutes of smoke will be provided by the battalion mortars at target AF2001" in this box.

j. Additional Instructions (Section 10). List instructions from higher and any instructions the FSO has for his FOs here.

EXAMPLE: "All obstacles in your sector will be 'PLGRed' in," or "1st platoon plan for one FA target."

NOTE: The numbers and lower case letters on the matrix assist the FSO in updating specific information as the plan changes over the radio. For example, change the AOF in 1a to 3200 or change the grid in 4k to 567345.

2. Target List Worksheet

The second product the FSO generates is a target list worksheet. It contains the planned targets from brigade and battalion and the targets the FSO has planned to support the company. It may be modified to include columns titled "Refined by, Primary shooter, and Alternate shooter." These columns can help the FSO develop and refine his fire support plan. If the FSO has specific targets he plans on firing during the execution portion of the mission, he must include these in his fire support briefing. He should identify where the target is, when it is to be fired, who is to initiate and fire (company mortars) the target and what is the purpose for firing the target.

3. Fire Support Overlay

The FSO's final product is a fire support overlay. The overlay contains planned targets, FSCMs, unit positions, and other related information. The amount of information on the overlay and its depiction should be standardized. It is critical for FOs to have a fire support overlay because it is impossible to remember all the information an overlay can provide. Clear transparencies cut in half work well as overlays.

Home-Station Training

The fire support matrix described in this article is the primary tool for communicating the company fire support plan. It must be prepared prior to a rotation or a combat deployment. Computer programs make creating quality matrixes much easier. Battalion FSOs must ensure that their company FSOs have a fire support matrix to use in the event of a deployment. The matrix must be standardized among the FISTs. Every member of the platoon must understand how to use it. Company FSOs must ensure that their commanders, platoon leaders, and mortar section sergeants understand the matrix. A written SOP should accompany the fire support matrix to eliminate confusion. Continual training ensures that all members of the FIST understand how to use the matrix.

The battalion FSO should produce a battalion fire support annex. He can then serve as the company commander, allowing his FSOs to practice developing and writing fire support plans. During combined arms Home-Station training, the battalion FSO can review what the company FSOs produce and conduct after-action reviews. Preparation and training simplify the challenging task of producing a quality, easy-to-understand fire support plan.

Table of Contents

The Targeting Process

Fire Support Troop-Leading Procedures (TLP)--"A Way"