Military

3-4QFY95

PROBLEM 5-4: Brigade fire support rehearsals are frequently not conducted to standard.

1. They generally consist of verification of brigade consolidated target list and overall discussion of scheme of fires.

2. There is no cooperative effort within the brigade staff:

• Poor or no scheme of fires developed in initial part of planning process
• Scheme of fires not published with brigade order

Rehearsal becomes explanation of scheme of fires, not a rehearsal.
Rehearsals lack structure and do not include all key players.

Establish responsibilities.
Reinforce synchronization of fires with maneuver actions and triggers.

PROBLEM 5-5: Rehearsals of integrated air defense (AD) battery plan are not taking place or are not to standard. They are not conducted with all participants present and they tend to be FM rehearsals rather than sand table rehearsals.

1-2QFY96

PROBLEM 5-6: MI companies are conducting map rehearsals or ineffective FM rehearsals rather than conducting thorough terrain model rehearsals. Rehearsals using a terrain model is the only way to enable leaders to visualize the battle by seeing how the BLUFOR and OPFOR are expected to maneuver across the battlefield.

PROBLEM 5-7: Task forces and company/teams do not place emphasis on conducting company/team combined arms breach rehearsals.

PROBLEM 5-8: Battalion/task forces rarely rehearse assaults and action on the objective. SOPs usually fail to properly address the actions necessary and/or the units fail to follow their SOPs for these operations.

PROBLEM 5-9: Fire support rehearsals have generally not significantly contributed to a better understanding or synchronization of the fire support plan.

1. Rehearsals usually consist of a target list scrub and a brigade recital or briefing of the fire support plan and do not address specific observer responsibilities with the executor announcing his trigger, his engagement criteria, his observation post location, and his call for fire.

2. The artillery fire direction center (FDC) does not identify the specific units and volumes of fire that will fire.

3. By merely briefing but not rehearsing, the brigade fire support element (FSE) has not ensured each player can execute his part of the fire support plan unprompted and fully understands the desired endstate of each event.

PROBLEM 5-10: The integration of CSS into the tactical plan continues to be a problem area. Although brigades routinely conduct lengthy combined arms rehearsals, little or no emphasis is placed on integrating CSS into the process. On those occasions when CSS is addressed, it is done at the end of the rehearsal process without any attempts to integrate it into the overall plan by brigade leaders.

3-4QFY96

PROBLEM 5-11: Company/teams and platoons often fail to adequately use the time available after receiving the warning order (WARNO) to identify critical tasks to rehearse and to conduct those rehearsals.

1. Company/teams plan for rehearsals but fail to execute them due to poor or undisciplined time management.

2. WARNOs and company/team OPORDs lack sufficient guidance on type of rehearsals that must be conducted by each platoon during troop-leading procedures.

3. Units do not appreciate the value of rehearsing both routine and critical tasks when the time is available prior to execution.

4. Units tend to "hand wave" the task or rely on the standard "It's SOP" reply without reinforcing unit performance through a rehearsal.

PROBLEM 5-12: Units often fail to effectively rehearse missions.

1. Units spend too much time and energy building rock drills or sand tables for rehearsals instead of using the terrain.

2. Units spend too much time discussing every BOS for every phase during rehearsals.

3. Units usually run out of time prior to getting to the objective, thereby never rehearsing actions on the objective.

4. Units rarely rehearse direct fire plan and its synchronization with indirect fires and the breach force in depth.

PROBLEM 5-13: Engineer rehearsals with company/team commanders at task force level and below are poorly conducted, if conducted at all.

1. Too often engineers do not plan for or properly allocate time for well-defined and specific rehearsals with the maneuver company/teams. Poor time management is to blame.

2. Units consistently fail to have clearly defined pre-combat check/pre-combat inspection (PCC/PCI) SOPs or checklists for the type of mission at hand. Engineer platoon leaders and commanders spend too much time ensuring these common tasks are completed properly at the expense of allocating time for rehearsals.

PROBLEM 5-14: CSS rehearsals are inadequate.

1. S1 and S4 seldom conduct CSS rehearsals.

2. 1SGs and specialty platoon sergeants:

• Rarely get involved in CSS rehearsals.

• Seldom come to CSS rehearsals well-versed on the task force and company/team maneuver plan.

• Seldom have graphics.

3. Rehearsals lack detail and direction.

4. Rehearsal aids are inadequate.

1-2QFY97

PROBLEM 5-15: There is seldom a rehearsal to synchronize the NBC force protection plan.

1. Brigade and battalion chemical officers and the supporting chemical company seldom rehearse their scheme of support.

2. Chemical officers are one of the few staff officers that do not have their own radio in the TOC. Most chemical officers can never use a radio during a battle.

3. Chemical officers at all levels are not included as a briefer during OPORDs and rehearsals.

PROBLEM 5-16: Military Police too often do not conduct effective rehearsals when preparing to execute operations.

1. While MP leaders generally conduct good troop-leading procedures, they normally do not understand the different methods available for conducting rehearsals.

2. When confronted with time constraints, MP leaders do not know how to prioritize rehearsal efforts.

PROBLEM 5-17: The BSA leadership often fails to plan rehearsals for the save plan at any level.

Techniques

1. Rehearse how to rehearse at Home Station. Reference FM 71-123.

2. CALL Newsletter 91-1, Rehearsals, addresses the rehearsal sequence, types of rehearsals, and rehearsal techniques.

3. Units should integrate platoon and squad battle drills into internal battle drill books. These should be understood at every level and rehearsed extensively at Home Station.

4. Units need to rehearse all critical events in a battle including actions on the objective, not just actions on contact and breaching. Both planning and preparation for offensive operations should begin with actions on the objective and then work back to the tasks preceding crossing the line of departure. Rehearsals are extremely important in validating a detailed plan and uncovering aspects of the plan which might have to be changed to be successful.

5. FM 71-2, Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion/Task Force, and FM 71-1, Tank and Mechanized Infantry Company/team, provide excellent checklists for task force and company/team planning, as well as actions to be rehearsed.

6. Maneuver unit rehearsals.

1. Units concentrate on the critical plans of the mission (i.e., during an attack, action, on contact from direct fire or indirect fire range through the assault, SOSR, actions on the objective).

2. Emphasize the shifting of fires and setting the conditions for the breach.

3. Discuss the use of dismounts.

4. Have the S3 and S2 drive through the engagement area (EA) while company/team commanders give their fire commands on FM.

5. S2 discusses what the enemy looks like at certain positions on the ground.

6. Company/team commanders must direct the type of rehearsal to be conducted at platoon level to ensure complete understanding of the mission.

7. Reinforce and aggressively train at Home Station in all training events leading to deployment.

8. Train junior leaders on how to conduct a rehearsal and practice as often as possible during any training event.

9. Review CALL Publication 91-1, Rehearsals, Apr 91, and incorporate rehearsal techniques in all leader training programs and publications.

10. Establish platoon and company rehearsal kits to assist units when full-up rehearsals are impractical.

11. Develop a small unit rehearsal checklist which assists junior leaders in developing rehearsal skills.

7. Engineer unit rehearsals.

1. Doctrinal references for rehearsals and how PCC/PCIs fit into planning are FM 5-10 and FM 90-13-1.

2. Engineer commanders need to develop better SOPs defining minimum events to allow for maximum time management and best supervision techniques. For example:

   • Situation
   • Attachments and detachments
   • Earliest time of movement
   • Nature and time of operation
   • Time and place of OPORD issuance
   • Administrative and logistics information
   • Solid timeline

8. CSS rehearsals.

1. The brigade leadership must ensure that the CSS plan is integrated in the brigade overall tactical scheme of maneuver. Incorporation of the fire support battalion (FSB) commander and brigade primary CSS staff member into the combined arms rehearsal process will lead to better integration and synchronization of CSS in the brigade's operation.

2. Medical treatment facility locations and CASEVAC procedures must be totally understood by all elements within the brigade (combat, combat support, and CSS personnel) before the rehearsal begins and then reiterated during rehearsal. These procedures must be exercised during Home Station training so that timely treatment minimizes the died of wounds (DOW) rate.

9. Fire support (FS) rehearsals.

1. Revise unit fire rehearsal SOPs to require all primary and alternate executors to participate.

2. Subordinate units should have a clear understanding of the brigade scheme of fires before conducting fire support rehearsal. Each subordinate element must rehearse independently prior to the brigade fire support rehearsal. Use the brigade fire support execution matrix to detail responsibilities for subordinate units and observers.

3. Ensure task force level plans coordinate with the brigade plan and players have rehearsed their parts before brigade rehearsal.

4. Ensure all key participants are on net prior to rehearsal.

5. FSCOORD gives his guidance.

6. After a target list verification and scheme of fires review (if needed), have the S2 address the enemy actions that will trigger FS events, followed by each executor making the appropriate radio calls to complete the event.

7. The fire support officer (FSO) and observers fight the plan as they envision it unfolding during execution. The FSO can make on-the-spot corrections and also build in flexibility by adding "curves," such as the enemy formation goes north instead of south, or is 500 meters off the planned target to practice branches, or hasty adjustments to the plan.

10. Air defense (AD) battery rehearsals. During the brigade rehearsal, the AD battery participants conduct AD rehearsals. When task force commanders and S3s return from brigade rehearsal, then make any adjustments to the AD plan. Conduct sand table rehearsals, as a minimum.

11. MI Company rehearsals. Each unit should construct a package of terrain model supplies, then use the supplies to build a terrain model for each mission. The rehearsal should discuss the BLUFOR and OPFOR scheme of maneuver and fires.

12. Combined arms breaching rehearsals. Review Appendix D, Breaching Rehearsals, to FM 90-13-1, Combined Arms Breaching Operations, for information on conducting a successful rehearsal. Also review CALL Newsletter 91-1, Rehearsals.

13. NBC rehearsals.

1. Have chemical officers and the chemical company commander and platoon leaders conduct a FM rehearsal. Just as in any other BOS, a rehearsal is the key to success, not only to talk over the plan but to deconflict any issues.

2. Communication is the key to success during combat operations for chemical officers. Give him a radio, even if it is in a vehicle.

3. Have the FM rehearsal on the chemical company command frequency.

4. The brigade chemical officer should include this rehearsal in his NBC portion of the brigade TACSOP with a standard agenda and time.

5. Publish this rehearsal time in the brigade timeline along with the maneuver, FS, and CSS rehearsals.

6. Ensure the chemical officers are active participants in the presentation of the OPORD and at the rehearsal.

14. MP rehearsals.

1. Well-resourced and controlled rehearsals are crucial to successful mission accomplishment.

2. Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) Newsletter 91-1, Rehearsals, dated April 91, is an excellent guide on rehearsals.

3. Leaders should consider the following rehearsal techniques:

   • FM radio rehearsals
   • Map rehearsals
   • Sand table/terrain rehearsals
   • Rock/stick drills (Rock drills are useful in synchronizing movement and immediate action/reaction)
   • Backbriefs

4. Walk-through and full-speed exercises further increase synchronization.

5. Rehearsals should be done over similar terrain and under similar light/weather conditions as the impending mission.

6. When prioritizing tasks in rehearsals, missions leaders should consider the following:

   • Actions on the objective
   • Reaction to enemy contact
   • Maneuver drills
   • Movement
   • Contingencies
   • Special teams

15. BSA Save Plan rehearsals.

1. The unit must conduct save plan rehearsals at all levels.

2. Times should be stated in the operations order.

3. The rehearsals should be conducted in the basic form then in the degraded mode; i.e., MOPP Level 4, at night, etc.

4. A more detailed time-distance analysis should be conducted to ensure that the prepare and save triggers allow enough time to clear the BSA prior to the arrival of the enemy.

5. Routes out of the BSA and priority of unit movement to support a hasty displacement also need to be developed in more detail.

6. Site selection for an alternate site must include constant coordination with brigade and ensure the site selected is not in view from the old site.

TA.4 Command and Control, Part IV

TA.4, Part VI