TACTICS: Control Measures Wrap-up & Quiz

It’s been a great week of getting into tactical whys and hows. Now, here’s your chance to brush-up and show what you’ve learned. Or you an jump right to the quiz, here: https://forms.gle/iWvmaGgebSCnYhCe9

The major takeaways:

• Maneuver Control Measures are used at all echelons. Some apply to all operations, and some only to offensive, defensive or enabling operations.

• An area of operations is always enclosed by a boundary. That boundary may be a single contiguous line (a circle) or a set of crossing lines.

An assembly area

• An area a unit occupies to prepare for an operation.

• Units of all types and echelons can be assigned assembly areas.

A tactical assembly area

• An area that is generally out of the reach of light artillery and the location where units make final preparations (precombat checks and inspections) and rest, prior to moving to the line of departure

• Tactical assembly areas are where enemy contact is likely and the commitment of a unit into combat is possible or anticipated

• Some site selection considerations:

  • Cover from direct fire.

  • Good drainage and soil conditions that can sustain unit vehicles

  • Terrain masking of electromagnetic signatures.

  • Terrain allowing observation of ground and air avenues into the assembly area.

  • Beyond enemy medium artillery range

A boundary

• A line that delineates surface areas for the purpose of facilitating coordination and deconfliction of operations between adjacent units, formations, or areas (JP 3-0).

• Normally drawn along identifiable terrain features and are used to delineate responsibility between adjacent units and between higher and lower echelon headquarters.

• Should not split responsibilities for key or decisive terrain, roads, rivers, or railways.

• May maneuver inside their boundaries within the overall plan without close coordination with neighboring units.

• Direct fire may be placed across boundaries on clearly identified enemy targets without prior coordination, provided friendly forces are not endangered.

• Indirect fire also may be used after prior coordination with the adjacent unit.

• Commanders adjust boundaries as necessary in response to the evolving tactical situation.

• A forward boundary is a boundary that delineates the forward edge of a unit’s area of operation. The forward boundary is the farthest limit in the direction of the enemy, of an organization’s responsibility.

• A lateral boundary is a boundary defining the left or right limit of a unit’s assigned area.

• A rear boundary is a boundary that delineates the rearward limits of a unit’s assigned area. The rear boundary also defines the start of the next echelon’s rear area.

Check Points

• A predetermined point on the ground used to control movement, tactical maneuver, and orientation. Can supplement or substitute for phase lines.

• Can be used as fire control measures (but TRPs are preferred).

Contact Point

• A point on the terrain, easily identifiable, where two or more units are required to make contact

• Established where a PL crosses a lateral boundary or another identifiable terrain feature

• The commander provides a date-time group to indicate when to make that physical contact

Coordination Point

• A point that indicates a specific location for the coordination of tactical actions between adjacent units. It is used when a PL crosses a lateral boundary between two units or whenever a boundary crosses the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA).

• The difference between a contact point and a coordination point is that the establishing headquarters does not dictate the exact time when contact is required.

Linkup Point

• An easily identifiable point on the ground is where two forces meet or consolidate before proceeding on with their mission.

• Must also be rather inconspicuous

• Should also be relatively isolated from direct fire and observation of possible enemy elements located on the surrounding terrain.

• Normally positioned behind or along one flank of the enemy’s positions on defensible terrain

• Located away from normal enemy troop movement routes.

• Should be large enough for all infiltrating elements to assemble, and it should offer cover and concealment for these elements.

Release Point

• Place on a route where elements are released from centralized control and back and to the authority of their respective commanders.

• Marching units do not stop at the RP; instead, as they move through the RP and continue toward their own appropriate destination.

• A release point is what leaders mean when they provide “RP” info at the end of a movement (e.g. “RP at this time, 6 pax 2 vix). They’re saying they’re reached the release point of the move and are no longer under control of a higher headquarters.

Start Point

• A designated place on a route where elements fall under the control of a designated march commander.

• All routes have a designated SP and RP that are easily recognizable on the map and on the ground, such as a road junction.

• It is far enough from the assembly area to allow units to organize and move at the prescribed speed and interval when they reach the SP.

• Like RP reports, an SP report means the unit is at the Start Point of their move to a designated RP, under the control of a higher headquarters.

Target Reference Point

• A predetermined point of reference, normally a permanent structure or terrain feature that can be used when describing a target location.

• A target reference point (TRP) is an easily recognizable point on the ground, either natural or manmade used to initiate, distribute, and control fires.

• Leaders designate TRPs using the standard target symbol and numbers.

• Once approved by the echelon fire support officer, TRPs can be designated as indirect fire targets.

LINES TO CROSS:

Line of Departure

• A line designated to coordinate the departure of attack elements (JP 3-31). Its purpose is to coordinate the advance of the attacking force so that its elements strike the enemy in the order and at the time desired.

• Marks where the unit often transitions from movement to maneuver. Can also use it to coordinate fires. Should be perpendicular to the direction the attacking force will take on its way to the objective. In many cases, the LD is also the LC because the unit in contact is conducting the attack from its current positions. Figure A-25 depicts PL JOHN as a combined LD and LC

Probable Line of Deployment

• A phase line that designates the location where the commander intends to deploy the unit into assault formation before beginning the assault (ADP 3-90).

• Commanders primarily employ PLDs when their units do not cross their LD in an assault formation.

• The PLD should be located outside the range where enemy forces can place the attacking force under effective direct fire. In figure A-25 PL ROBERT is designated as the PLD.

To remember the order, use this mnemonic: “depart to deploy”

POSITIONS PREPPING FOR ATTACK

Assault Position

• A covered and concealed position short of the objective from which final preparations are made

• Typically only assigned to attacking maneuver formations.

• Units supporting and maneuvering with the maneuver force execute their final preparations in the same assault positions as the maneuver force.

• Commanders may locate their assault positions near either a final coordination line (FCL) or a probable line of deployment (PLD).

Attack Position

• The last position an attacking force occupies or passes through before crossing the line of departure

• Facilitates an attacking force’s deployment and last-minute coordination before it crosses the LD.

• Located on the friendly side of the LD, an attack position offers cover and concealment for the attacking force.

• Primarily used at battalion level and below.

• Whenever possible, units move through the attack position without stopping.

• Used for coordination of a forward passage of lines, or confirming effects of preparation fires.

Objective Rally Point

• The objective rally point is Aan easily identifiable point where all elements of the infiltrating unit assemble and prepare to attack the objective.

• It is typically near the infiltrating unit’s objective; however, there is no standard distance from the objective to the objective rally point.

• Should be far enough away from the objective so that the enemy will not detect the infiltrating unit’s attack preparations.

• Shortest amount of time possible to avoid offering enemy forces a lucrative target.

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