INDEX

CHAPTER TWO - TASK FORCE XXI FIRE SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

TOPIC 



Brigade Fire Support Personnel Duties and Responsibilities.

.....Brigade Fire Support Officer.

.....Brigade Fire Support Plans/Targeting Officer.

.....STRIKER Platoon Leader.

Bn/TF Fire Support Personnel Duties and Responsibilities.

.....Task Force Fire Support Officer.

BDE FSE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Brigade Fire Support Officer
• Brigade Fire Support Plans/Targeting Officer
• STRIKER Platoon Leader

The Task Force XXI fire support element is organized with the
personnel shown below.

• -Fire Support Officer -- MAJ
  -Fire Support Plans/Targeting Officer -- 1LT
  -STRIKER Platoon leader -- 1LT
  -Fire Support sergeant -- SFC
  -Fire Support Specialist -- SPC
  

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The specific duties of the leadership of the fire support element are discussed below.

The FSCOORD cannot be at the brigade headquarters constantly and often is in a "battle track" armored platform forward with the brigade commander during the fight. Therefore, he has an assistant, the brigade fire support officer (FSO), to serve as a full time liaison between the DS FA battalion and the maneuver brigade. He helps the maneuver brigade S-3 integrate fire support into the commander's scheme of maneuver. Assisting the FSO are the other staff officers who make up the Fire Support Element. The general duties of the brigade FSO are:

• -Keep the brigade commander informed of the fire support assets, their capabilities and limitations, and their tactical mission.
  
  -Keep the commander informed of enemy indirect fire capabilities.
  
  -Help the commander develop his estimate of the situation and war game possible courses of action, resulting in the creation of the decision support template.
  
  -Helps the commander maintain a focus of fires by developing the critical fire tasks and scheme of fires on the basis of the commander's intent.
  
  -Translate Commander's intent into AFATDS guidances.
  
  -Ensures all aspects of a target are addressed and understood during the planning process (Purpose, location, trigger, Sensor/Backup, Fire Mission Thread, Rehearsal, Delivery Asset).
  
  -Ensure the task Force FSOs understand target execution responsibilities and plan fires in accordance with the brigade commander's top-down fire plan.
  
  -Address the supportable purpose of fires and/or delivery asset available in terms of time, space and munitions amount when allocating fire tasks or fire support assets to battalion FSOs for planning.
  
  -Consolidate target refinements and planned targets from the battalion FSOs, and resolve duplications.
  
  -Plan fire tasks in depth and other targets that were not planned by subordinate FSOs but support the scheme of fires.
  
  -Establish target refinement standards to facilitate completion of the fire support plan prior to execution.
  
  -Rehearse the digital fire support plan prior to the combined arms rehearsal.
  
  -Coordinate requests for additional fire support from battalion FSOs when the fire support means available at company or battalion levels are inadequate.
  
  -Recommend and adhere to fire support coordination measures.
  
  -Use the commander's guidance as a checklist in preparing fire support plans and briefings.
  
  -Coordinate with the ALO on brigade use of TACAIR assets.
  

The plans/targeting officer acts as the brigade FSO in his absence and helps the FSO perform his duties. Also, he interfaces with the brigade S-2 and helps him and the FSO by providing information on the vulnerabilities of targets. He advises the brigade S-2 on target accuracy and description requirements and evaluates dwell times for attack by fire support systems. His duties in the targeting area are as follows:

• -Works with the STRIKER platoon leader on STRIKER team availability and positioning.
  
  -Help the brigade S-2 write the target acquisition and surveillance plan.
  
  -Help provide staff supervision of the target acquisition assets attached or organic to and under operational control of the brigade.
  
  -Develop and recommend to the commander, and disseminate the attack guidance matrix to the FS cell, CP and subordinate elements.
  
  -Determine, recommend, and process time sensitive high-payoff targets to the fire support element.
  
  -Coordinate with the maneuver brigade S-2 for target acquisition coverage and processing of brigade High-payoff targets.
  
  -With the brigade S-2, produce a target selection standards matrix for TA assets working for the brigade.
  
  -Manages target lists within the brigade for fire plans/schedules. Ensure the refinement of targets is managed and disseminated within all brigade elements.
  
  -Enters text into AFATDS for fire support plans.
  
  -Works closely with the DS battalion S-2 to integrate decentralized counterfire operations into the brigade plan.
  
• GO TO CHAPTER 2 INDEX

The STRIKER platoon is made up of six HMMWV based observer teams with a platoon command and control structure. The Platoon is under the control of the brigade FSO and is discussed in detail in the next portion of the manual. The platoon leader is responsible for accomplishing the platoon mission. He is key in the translation of mission type orders from the brigade FSE into STRIKERs in position to execute critical fire tasks. He is responsible for positioning and employing the STRIKERs to execute their responsibilities in the brigade plan. His duties in the planning and implementation of an operation are:

• -Leads the platoon in the accomplishment of the mission and keeps the brigade FSE informed of his actions and the platoon status.
  
  -Works with the brigade FSE to identify which planning task the FSE will accomplish and which tasks he will accomplish.
  
  -Works with the brigade FSE in planning for STRIKERs in depth to allow for target refinement, tracking, and critical fire task execution.
  
  -Conducts employment of STRIKERs in coordination with other recon and security assets.
  
  -Recommends Fire Support Coordination Measures to protect STRIKER teams and facilitate critical fire task execution.
  
  -Plans for the employment of STRIKER teams before completion of the plan and their updating of the plan as it develops.
  
  -Ensures each STRIKER team understands the following: mission responsibilities, the aspects of each target, the critical fire tasks, scheme of fires, and scheme of maneuver.
  
  -Stays abreast of the situation and positions himself to best supervise, issue orders and accomplish the mission.
  
  -Requests for and coordinates support for his platoon from the brigade staff.
  
  -He directs the platoon sergeant in planning and coordinating the platoon's CSS effort.
  
  -During planning, he receives on-hand status reports for equipment and personnel from the platoon sergeant and team leaders.
  
  -He determines platoon requirements based on the tactical plan and develops the casualty evacuation/recovery plan.
  
  -During execution, he checks the work of the platoon sergeant and team leaders.
  

BN/TF FSE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Fire Support Element Leadership
• Duties and Responsibilities of the FSO

The task force fire support element is organized with the following Leadership:

Task Force Fire Support Officer - CPT

Task Force Fire Support NCO - SFC

The task force fire support officer is the fire support coordinator for the task force commander. He serves as a full time liaison between the DS FA battalion and the maneuver task force. He helps the maneuver task force S-3 integrate fire support into the commander's scheme of maneuver. The general duties of the task force FSO are:

• -Keep the task force commander informed of the fire support assets, their capabilities and limitations, and their tactical mission.
  
  -Keep the commander informed of enemy indirect fire capabilities.
  
  -Help the commander develop his estimate of the situation and war game possible courses of action, resulting in the creation of the decision support template.
  
  -Helps the commander maintain a focus of fires by coordinating for execution of critical fire tasks assigned by the brigade and developing critical fire tasks and scheme of fires for the task force on the basis of the commander's intent.
  
  -Translate Commander's intent into AFATDS guidances.
  
  -Ensures all aspects of a target are addressed and understood during the planning process (Purpose, location, trigger, Sensor/Backup, Fire Mission Thread, Rehearsal, Delivery Asset).
  
  -Ensure the company FISTs understand target execution responsibilities and plan fires in accordance with the brigade commander's top down fire plan.
  
  -Address the supportable purpose of fires and/or delivery asset available in terms of time, space and munitions amount when allocating fire tasks or fire support assets to company FISTs for planning.
  
  -Consolidate target refinements and planned targets from the company FISTs , resolve duplications,and pass those refinements to the brigade FSO.
  
  -Plan fire tasks in depth and other targets that were not planned by company FISTs but support the scheme of fires.
  
  -Establish target refinement standards to facilitate completion of the fire support plan prior to execution.
  
  -Rehearse the digital fire support plan prior to the combined arms rehearsal.
  
  -Recommend and adhere to fire support coordination measures.
  
  -Use the commander's guidance as a checklist in preparing fire support plans and briefings.
  
• GO TO CHAPTER 2 INDEX

              

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