The following technique of wargaming is based on analyzing relative combat power using one of the three wargaming methods recognized by the Army: Avenue, Belt, Box.
1. AVENUE IN DEPTH: This looks at all of the enemy expected on a single mobility corridor or avenue. A version of this method was used to analyze relative combat power in step one. A Brigade might look at a single battalion avenue at a time, estimate the percent of strength of each successive enemy echelon or defensive belt encountered. The S3 would estimate own percent of strength, then compare relative combat power to the first enemy echelon or belt to ensure that he has an appropriate force ratio. At this point he estimates friendly percent of strength as he assumes it will be after this first engagement and compares relative combat power of his force and the next enemy belt or echelon to ensure that he still has a sufficient force ratio.
2. BELT: This method looks at the force ratio across the entire front a single point in time. It would be appropriate in the offense if attacking on a broad front or in defense for checking ratios at successive defensive belts provide the situation had not changed significantly, or for considering the activities of a force operating across the entire front such as a guard force. The S3 looks at the enemy situation and percent of strength at a single friendly or enemy defensive belt; he considers his own percent of strength and computes a force ratio for all committed forces.
3. BOX: The box method is recommended for use at this phase of course of action development. It is used to consider a the situation one mobility corridor or avenue of approach at a time for a single belt of committed forces -in essence we mentally draw a box around the forces we want to consider. The S3 when using this method is answering the question: Will there be enough friendly combat power at this place at this point in time to accomplish the mission? He uses this to check his initial array. He considers the situationally templated enemy and the enemy's percent of strength for committed forces. He computes their relative combat power. He compares this to the ratio appropriate to the mission -for instance, 1:3 for a friendly defense from prepared positions. In this case, he would divide enemy relative combat power by 3. This will tell him the minimum amount of friendly relative combat power he must have in the area to defend. By reducing the relative combat power of his own units by their percent of strength, he can estimate the number and type of units he will need in the area.
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4. COMMITTED FORCES: FM 101-5-1 defines committed force as "a force in contact with an enemy or deployed on a specific mission or course of action which precludes its employment elsewhere." The first part of the definition is simply units within direct fire range having a line of site to each other. We have already discussed why these units cannot be used as reinforcements, why they will have a hard time breaking contact. Where they are is known; they would have to break contact in order to surprise us elsewhere. The second part of the definition is more difficult. We know our own mission, but not the enemy's. So, we consider the enemy by our own echelon of command:
a. Division considers as committed enemy 1st and 2d echelon BNs (of 1st echelon REGTs of 1st echelon divisions).
b. Brigade considers as committed enemy 1st and 2d echelon COs (of 1st echelon BNs, of 1st echelon REGTs).
c. Battalion considers as committed enemy 1st and 2d echelon PLTs (of 1st echelon COs, of 1st echelon BNs).
d. Special Considerations:
(1) DEFENSE: Do not count as committed enemy recon, AT or Attack Helicopter units.
(2) OFFENSE: Count enemy Recon and AT as situationally templated where they will be in contact. Do not count Attack Helicopter.
NOTE:
(Use the above considerations in the schoolhouse. In the field you will look at how these units are situationally templated and if they are in contact, you will include them. Our solution in excluding them is based on the fact that normally these units will not be committed.)
e. SITEMP: Obviously, the S2 must prepare many situational templates showing the enemy in different courses of action and at different points on the battlefield to support this process.
NOTE: Enemy recon will have already passed by or been eliminated. AT is usually used in a defensive role. Attack helicopter is difficult to predict.
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APPENDIX 4: DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
TERMS ARE GROUPED FOR CONTRAST:
1. TERMS BY WHICH THE COMMANDER DESCRIBES INTENT:
a. BLOCK: A mission which requires a unit to deny the enemy access to a given area or to prevent enemy advance in a given direction.
b. CONTAIN: To restrict enemy movement by stopping, holding or surrounding his forces or causing them to center their activity on a given front to prevent movement of any part of his forces for use elsewhere. Limits of mission expressed in geography or time.
c. FIX: Actions taken to prevent the enemy from moving any part of his forces from a specific location and/or for a specific period of time.
d. DESTROY: Make a unit unfit for any mission for the foreseeable future. Usually implies reducing a unit by 70% to 30% strength.
e. DEFEAT: Cause a unit to fail in its mission. Usually implies reducing the unit by 30% to 70% strength.
f. DELAY: An operation usually conducted when the commander needs time to concentrate or withdraw forces, to establish defenses in greater depth, to economize in an area, or to complete offensive actions elsewhere. In the delay, the destruction of the enemy force is secondary to slowing his advance to gain time.
2. SECURITY OPERATIONS:
a. SECURITY: Measures taken by a military unit to protect itself against all acts designed to, or that may, impair its effectiveness. All actions taken to prevent surprise.
b. SURPRISE: To strike the enemy at a time and/or place and in a manner for which he is unprepared.
c. SCREEN: Maintain surveillance, provide early warning to the main body, impede and harass the enemy with supporting INDIRECT FIRES, destroy enemy recon elements WITHIN CAPABILITY.
d. GUARD: Accomplishes all the tasks of a screening force; additionally, a guard prevents enemy ground observation of and direct fire against the main body. A guard force reconnoiters, attacks, defends and delays as necessary to accomplish its mission. A guard force normally operations with the range of the main body indirect fire weapons.
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e. ADVANCE GUARD: Accomplishes all guard tasks. Operates ahead of a moving body. It is implied that the force will conduct zone and route reconnaissance ahead of itself.
f. FLANK GUARD: A security element operating to the flank of a moving or stationary force. When conducted for a moving force this mission implies early warning, counterrecon, protection of the main body from direct observation, and that the element will conduct route and zone recon ahead of itself.
g. REAR GUARD: A guard force that follows a moving force or more usually a force left in contact to assist a unit in breaking contact.
3. RECON OPERATIONS:
a. ZONE RECON: A directed effort to obtain detailed information concerning all routes, obstacles(to include chemical or radiological contamination), terrain, and enemy forces within a zone defined by boundaries.
b. AREA RECON: A directed effort to obtain detailed information concerning terrain or enemy activity with a prescribed area such as a town, ridge line, woods or other feature critical to operations.
c. ADVANCE GUARD: Accomplishes all guard tasks. Operates ahead of a moving body. It is implied that the force will conduct zone and route reconnaissance ahead of itself.
d. ROUTE RECON: A directed effort to obtain detailed information of a specific route and all terrain from which the enemy could influence movement along that route.
4. HANDLING TIME:
a. ON ORDER: Understood as a time. An on order mission will happen only the exact time is vague. Typical of reserve forces. Often belongs in the restated mission.
b. BE PREPARED: A mission that may or may not happen. Often given to a reserve force. Does not belong in the restated mission.
c. AT: Exact time a synchronized attack will be executed. Used in offensive mission statements.
d. NOT LATER THAN (NLT): Time a defensive mission will begin. Allows for our not knowing exactly when the enemy will arrive. Unit will be prepared to defend not later than a certain time.
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5. OFFENSIVE MISSIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS:
a. FOLLOW: Not a mission. This is an instruction as to where to be in relation to another unit.
b. FOLLOW AND SUPPORT: A committed force which follows a force conducting an offensive operation...not a reserve but is committed to accomplish any or all of these tasks: destroy bypassed units, relieve in place any direct pressure or encircling force which has halted to contain the enemy, block movement of reinforcements, secure lines of communications, guard prisoners or key areas, secure key terrain and control refugees.
c. FOLLOW AND ASSUME: A force not yet committed. May be a reserve. Follows another unit and on order, assumes the other unit's mission, i.e., becomes the main or supporting attack.
d. SEIZE: To clear a designated area and obtain control of it. A unit assigned to SEIZE AN OBJECTIVE, must clear the objective as opposed to the entire zone. Used to control terrain for a limited period of time.
e. SECURE: To gain possession of a position or terrain feature, with or without force and to deploy in a manner which prevents its destruction or loss to the enemy. A unit told to secure an objective may or may not physically occupy it; it will be on terrain that dominates the objective. A hasty defense is usually implied.
f. CLEAR ENEMY IN ZONE: A requirement to eliminate organized resistance in an assigned zone by destroying, capturing or forcing the withdrawal of enemy forces that could interfere with the unit's ability to accomplish its mission.
g. FIX: Actions taken to prevent the enemy from moving any part of his forces from a specific location and/or for a specific period of time.
6. OTHER IMPORTANT TERMS:
a. ALTERNATE POSITION: The position given to a weapon, unit, or individual to be occupied when the primary position becomes untenable or unsuitable for carrying out its task. The alternate position is located so that the individual can continue to fulfill his original task that is, engage the same targets as from his original position.
b. SUCCESSIVE POSITIONS: Defensive fighting positions located one after another on the battlefield. SUBSEQUENT POSITIONS, RECONNED or PREPARED, would be of this type. Reconned means the commander has looked at the terrain; prepared means that some preparation has been made such as prestocks of ammo, digging of obstacles or fighting positions.
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c. SUPPLEMENTARY POSITION: That location which provides the best means to accomplish a task that cannot be accomplished from the primary or alternate positions, that is guard against flank attack or attack from a new direction.
d. ASSAILABLE FLANK: An exposed enemy flank which is vulnerable to envelopment. For a flank to be assailable, there must be sufficient maneuver space to accommodate the attacking force.
e. ATTRITION: The reduction in the effectiveness of a force caused by loss of personnel and material.
f. AVENUE OF APPROACH: An air or ground route of an attacking force of a given size leading to its objective or to key terrain in its path. Terrain determined.
g. AXIS OF ADVANCE: A general route of advance, assigned for purposes of control, which extends toward the enemy. Portrays a commander's intention, such as avoidance of built up areas or envelopment of an enemy force. It follows terrain suitable for the size of the force assigned the axis. A commander may maneuver his forces and supporting fires to either side of an axis of advance provided the unit remains oriented on the axis and the objective, and does not interfere with the maneuver of adjacent units.
h. BATTLE POSITION: A defensive location oriented on the most likely enemy avenue of approach from which a unit may defend or attack. A unit normally needs approval from higher headquarters to withdraw from a BP.
i. CANALIZE: Not channelize. CAN-AL-EYES. To restrict operations to a narrow zone by use of existing or reinforcing obstacles or by direct or indirect fires.
j. CARPET BOMBING: Ask CNN. Not a military term. Maybe it means to blow up magic carpet factories in Baghdad. Like many terms used in the press that sound good, it has no military definition. OCCUPY THE ENEMY'S ATTENTION, CROSS ATTACHING and AUGMENT THE SCOUT PLATOON fall in this same category.
k. COMBAT MULTIPLIER: Supporting and subsidiary means that significantly increase the relative combat strength of a force while actual force ratios remain constant. Examples of combat multipliers are economizing in one area to mass in another (accepting risk in one area), surprise, deception, camouflage, electronic warfare, psychological operations, terrain reinforcement (obstacles), and fire support.
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l. COMMITTED FORCE: A force in contact with an enemy or deployed on a specific mission or course of action which precludes its employment elsewhere.
m. DEFILADE: Protection from hostile observation and fire provided by an obstacle such as a hill, ridge, bank or wash/wadi.
n. DEMONSTRATION: An attack or show of force on a front where decision is not sought, made with the aim of deceiving the enemy. It is similar to a feint with the exception that no contact with the enemy is sought.
o. ENGAGEMENT AREA: An area in which the commander intends to trap and destroy an enemy force with the massed fires of all available weapons.
p. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF FRIENDLY INFORMATION (EEFI): The critical aspects of a friendly operation that, if known by the enemy, would subsequently compromise, lead to failure, or limit success of the operation and therefore, must be protected from enemy detection. The reverse of PIR.
q. EXPLOITATION: An offensive operation that usually follows a successful attack to take advantage of weakened or collapsed enemy defenses.
r. PENETRATION: A form of offensive maneuver that seeks to break through the enemy's defensive position, widen the gap created, and destroy the continuity of his positions.
s. REAR BATTLE THREAT LEVELS:
(1) LEVEL I: Enemy controlled agent activity, sabotage by enemy sympathizers, activities conducted by terrorist organizations.
(2) LEVEL II: Diversionary operations and sabotage and reconnaissance missions conducted by tactical units of less than battalion size.
(3) LEVEL III: Airborne, air assault, amphibious operations, or infiltration operations of battalion size or larger.
t. RETIREMENT; A retrograde operation in which a force out of contact moves away from the enemy.
u. REVERSE SLOPE DEFENSE: A defense on the ground not exposed to direct fire or observation. It may be a slope that descends away from the enemy.
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v. SITUATIONAL TEMPLATE: A series of projections that portray, based on enemy doctrine, the most probable disposition and location of enemy forces within constraints imposed by weather and terrain.
w. SITUATION MAP (SITMAP): A map showing the tactical or the administrative situation at a particular time.
x. SORTIE: One aircraft making one takeoff and one landing, and executing one mission. An operational flight by one aircraft.
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