Military

SUCCESS 1-2: The air mission coordination (AMC) and air mission brief (AMB) continue to be the keys to good air assault planning.

1. Timely and accurate information on the number of aircraft and crews available help the commander and S3 fine tune the ground tactical plan.
2. Flexibility of execution is a critical part of the planning process.

SUCCESS 1-3: Communication between the tactical air control party (TACP) and fire support officer (FSO) is key in establishing a properly coordinated fire support plan.

SUCCESS 1-4: Staffs are improving their ability to crosstalk.

4QFY95/1QFY96

SUCCESS 1-5: Coordination between the brigade and the mobile subscriber equipment (MSE) company supporting the brigade has been outstanding.

1. Units have made great improvements integrating the normal divisional MSE assets into the brigade slice elements.
2. Habitual relationships (i.e.,small extension node [SEN] team chiefs, force entry switch [FES] platoon leaders and MSE company commanders) have greatly enhanced the success of the signal units and supported units.

2-3QFY96

SUCCESS 1-6: Units continue to make great strides in the use of targeting meetings to focus efforts, particularly during the search and attack phase.

SUCCESS 1-7: TF FSOs are positioned in the TOC to facilitate the requirement to coordinate with the S-2, the S-3 and the tactical air control party (TACP).

SUCCESS 1-8: The habitual relationship of commanders and fire support officers is working well.

1. Brigade through company commanders and their fire support officers understand the concepts of integrating and synchronizing fires to support the scheme of maneuver.
2. Commanders and their fire supporters are doing an excellent job of determining when fires are critical, where fires must be placed and understanding the restrictions for fires to ensure they do not interfere with the scheme of maneuver.

1. Use Message Form 4004 and DA Form 1594 to pass information.
2. Develop TOC battle drills and include them in the unit SOP.
3. Use a standard format for all shift change briefings.
   - Ensure all BOS personnel attend and brief their respective areas.

   Conduct detailed wargaming to prepare for inevitable change.

   - the staff must develop and rehearse branches and sequels derived from detailed wargaming of all aspects of the air assault (e.g., ground tactical plan, landing plan, etc.)

   Enhance the ability to conduct detailed rehearsals and eases briefing subordinates.

   - To supplement the air movement table (AMT), use "Tadpole diagrams" to layout the air movement table visually.

   - Incorporate the bump plan and lay out each lift, serial, and chalk by type of aircraft and type load.

   Enhance identification of detection and destruction assets by consistently integrating the brigade air liaison officer (BALO), support arms liaison team officer (SALTO), air defense officer (ADO) and Task Force Engineer into targeting meetings.

TA.4 Positive Trend 2: Communications and Signal Operations

4QFY94

SUCCESS 2-1: Brigade and battalion signal officers, communications sections, and the divisional signal units display strong motivation and sustainment of individual and collective task proficiency, despite the rapid pace and demands of the task force.

1. Employment, installation, operation and maintenance of C3 assets are normally strengths.
2. Collectively, brigade/battalion signal officers, as well as the divisional signal slice (company) understand their mission and coordinate closely to ensure unity of signal effort.

SUCCESS 2-2: Units with good communications have shown great flexibility during the air assault, in particular, the use of alternate landing zones (LZs). The command and control (C2) aircraft is important during the insertion. The C2 aircraft, as an airborne tactical command post (CP), provides a communications link between the pick up zone (PZ) and the LZ, and provides the commander with timely critical information needed to make decisions.

SUCCESS 2-3: Many units have made great progress in the use of operations and intelligence (O/I),administrative and logistics ( A/L) and high frequency (HF) networks for extended communications.

4QFY95/1QFY96c

SUCCESS 2-4: Commanders and staff rely heavily on mobile subscriber radiotelephone terminals (MSRTs) for coordinating and synchronizing task force operations.

2-3QFY96

SUCCESS 2-5: Staffs are sufficiently knowledgeable in the installation, operation and maintenance of their communication systems.

1. Ability to maintain multiple redundant secure means of communications to higher and subordinate units.
2. Outstanding use of SINCGARS in the frequency hopping secure mode and tactical satellite (TACSAT).

SUCCESS 2-6: Commanders recognize the extended communications range that vehicular mounted radios provide .

1. Ensure that this equipment arrives with the first maneuver elements.
2. Vehicle crews bring OE-254 antennas to increase range of vehicle radio systems.

SUCCESS 2-7: Successful dismounted FM retrans teams reduce their physical signature by installing the site using manpack radios.

1. The early insertion of a ground C2 element gives the commander a position from which to command and control the fight once units are on the ground.
2. Provide the commander with a tool to react quickly to changing situations.
   - Prepare execution checklists with built-in flexibility and decision points as part of detailed planning and wargaming.

   Use mobile subscriber equipment (MSE) telephones with speakers attached ( mobile subscriber radiotelephone terminals [MSRTs] and digital nonsecure voice terminals [DNVTs])

   - to conduct conference calls for command and staff updates

   - to augment the commander's battlefield circulation.

   Install OE-254 antennas using field expedient techniques (erect without mast) and RG-58 coax cable.

   - Enables teams to establish retrans site then move to concealed positions that allow observation of their equipment.

TA.4 Positive Trend 3: Tactical Decision Making Process

4QFY94

SUCCESS 3-1: Brigade commanders and staffs have a firm understanding of the steps involved in the tactical decision making process.

1. They incorporate these steps, along with standardized products, into SOPs.
2. When time is limited, commanders do a good job of compressing the process.

4QFY95/1QFY96

SUCCESS 3-2: Commanders generally issue clear and concise guidance that assists the staff in developing courses of action during the tactical decision making process.

SUCCESS 3-3: The enhanced relationship between commanders and fire support officers has significantly improved the Commander's Fire Support Guidance.

RESULT: More efficient and coordinated use of all fire support assets.

2-3QFY96

SUCCESS 3-4: Unit commanders continue to provide Battle Staffs with clear planning guidance for course of action development and a simple stated intent that allows the staff to plan with a clear purpose and little restraint. This decisive guidance allows staffs to remain focused during the planning process without being driven off course for substantial periods of time.

SUCCESS 3-5: Repeat of Success 3-4.

1. Use multiple warning orders to allow parallel planning at lower echelons.
2. Use the format in FM 6-71, .ie., Purpose, Priority, Allocation, Restrictions, when writing fire support guidance.

Table of Contents
TA. 3, Air Defense Artillery
TA. 4, Part 2