SITUATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
DECISION-MAKING
3-211. For the company team commander and all subordinate leaders, situational understanding is the basis for making sound, quick tactical decisions. It allows them to form logical conclusions and to make decisions that anticipate future events. In combat operations the commander will be exposed to an enormous amount of information from multiple sources simultaneously. Company team commanders must manage this flow to only relevant information in order to maintain their situational understanding and visualization of the operation. The two categories of RI are the CCIR and IR.
Commander’s Critical Information Requirements
3-212. CCIR are elements of information required by the commander that directly affect decision-making and dictate the successful execution of military operations. Commanders designate CCIR to let subordinates know what information is critical to his decision-making. CCIR are composed of priority intelligence requirements (PIR) (what do I need to know about the enemy to make a decision) and friendly forces information requirements (FFIR) (what do I need to know about myself to make a decision?). A third element, essential elements of friendly information (EEFI) (what information about myself do I want to keep from the enemy?) is not per se part of the CCIR; however, EEFI become a priority once the company team commander states them (see Figure 3-16).
Figure 3-16. Commander’s Critical Information Requirements
3-213. CCIR support the company commander’s decision points, branch plans, and security measures. Figures 3-17 through Figures 3-19 illustrate examples of decisions that a company team commander could make and the CCIR that would support them.
Figure 3-17. Example of Security Measures to Protect Company Team EEFI
Figure 3-18. Example of an FFIR-Driven Decision Point for a Company Team
Figure 3-19. Example of a PIR-Driven Decision Point for a Company Team
Information Requirements
3-214. IR are all of the information elements required by the commander for the successful execution of an operation, that is, all elements necessary to address the factors of METT-TC. There will be different IR for the commander depending on where he is in the operations process.
3-215. IR During Planning and Preparation. IR during planning and preparation are voids in relevant information the commander requires to accomplish step 6 of the TLP (complete the plan). These voids in information could be answered by task force assets in execution of ISR operations already under way or through RFIs to the task force staff. IR may also be answered by the company during step 5 of the TLP (conduct reconnaissance). Example of IR during planning and preparation include the following:
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Does this mobility corridor support tactical movement of the company?•
Which of these two routes best support movement of the company?•
Is Salt Creek an obstacle to our maneuver (for example, because of steep banks or limited fords)?•
Will wadi X provide cover and concealment to the breach force in our approach?•
Has this combat security outpost been confirmed?•
What is the civil population’s sentiment toward us in the village we will be moving through?3-216. IR During Execution. Inevitably, there will be outstanding voids in information during execution that must be addressed by the company during its execution or by monitoring of adjacent units and ISR reporting.
During execution, however, the commander’s IR are focused more on control of the operation. Generally, a company’s execution IR are routine by nature but still required by the commander to successfully exercise C2. Execution IR are usually answered as a matter of SOPs that the commander has established. These IR generally govern the execution of movement and fires (event-driven actions). Examples of execution IR include the following:
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The report of a phase line triggers execution of a target in the company indirect fire plan.•
A bounding platoon’s establishment of the next overwatch position triggers the movement of the next platoon.•
Visual contact with enemy breaching assets alert the commander to the enemy’s likely point of penetration and/or the redistribution of fire.•
Visual contact with a specific enemy echelon triggers a company maneuver event, such as movement from hide positions to BPs.•
An enemy or friendly event triggers displacement to a subsequent BP.BATTLESPACE
3-217. The ability to see the battlefield provides the commander with important tactical information, including friendly and enemy positions and relevant terrain. In turn, complete understanding of the military significance of this picture requires knowledge of the concept of battlespace;
this is the key element in the intellectual process of visualizing the battlefield.
3-218. Battlespace is defined by several battlefield factors: the locations of friendly forces, including the team’s individual elements and OPs; the effects of terrain, weather, and movement; and the ranges of all available weapons and sensing systems. Each subordinate element has its own battlespace. The company team’s total battlespace is the sum of the individual elements’ battlespace. The team battlespace is not restricted by boundaries; it can overlap the battlespace of adjacent units.
3-219. Battlespace has applications in all phases of mission planning, preparation, and execution. During the planning process, it is a critical factor in the selection of the movement axis as well as tentative positions and potential EAs. In the preparation phase, battlespace information aids leaders in determining where vehicle positions will be sited and to what level they will be prepared (dug). Once mission execution begins, the commander’s knowledge of his battlespace is critical to his ability to issue timely and effective orders as the situation changes.
3-220. The importance of battlespace demands that the company team commander direct much of his battle command effort toward managing and enhancing his space. He must be aware at every moment of how battlespace is changing as friendly and enemy forces move and as terrain and visibility conditions change. As the operation progresses, the commander must take active measures to shape the battlespace to his best advantage.
3-221. One vital step in this process is to eliminate or reduce any gaps, or dead space, within the company team’s battlespace. The commander can accomplish this in several ways. In the offense, for example, he can maintain an overwatch element during movement through a choke point or a danger area. In the defense, he can emplace OPs or reposition elements or individual vehicles to cover potential gaps in the team’s battlespace. In all cases, the company team’s position in relation to other friendly elements is an important factor in defining and enhancing the battlespace. The commander can shape his space more effectively if he applies the principles of mutual support and thorough coordination with adjacent units.
REPORTING
3-222. Reports exist to support the commander and to assist him in assessing his critical information requirements. Their format and use is normally mandated by unit SOP. With some exceptions, reports are not tied to a fixed schedule. Rather, they are submitted in these circumstances: