5-41. The company team commander uses formations for several purposes:
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Establish the relationship of one platoon to another on the ground.•
Allow the team to position firepower where it is needed in support of the direct fire plan.•
Establish responsibilities for sector security among platoons.•
Facilitate the execution of battle drills and directed COAs.5-42. Like movement techniques, formations are planned based on where enemy contact is expected, how the higher commander expects to react to the contact and what the terrain and vegetation allows. The company team commander must evaluate the situation and determine which formation best suits the mission and the situation.
5-43. It is not necessary for the team formation to be the same as the task force formation. It is critical, however, for the team commander to coordinate his formation with those of other elements moving in the main body task force formation. A parallel consideration is that while the company team formation establishes the relationship between the team’s platoons, the actual positioning of vehicles within each platoon is dictated by the platoon formation. In some cases, the platoon may use the same formation as the company team (for example, the platoons may use the column formation within a team column). In other situations, however, platoon and team formations may be different as a result of METT-TC factors (such as the platoons moving in wedge formations within a team vee).
5-44. An important consideration in movement planning and execution is that formations are not rigid. Spacing requirements, as well as other METT-TC considerations, will require the company team commander and subordinate leaders to adapt the basic formations as necessary. They must be ready to adjust the distance between platoons and individual vehicles based on terrain, visibility, and mission requirements.
5-45. As a rule, the company team will move in formation when using traveling or traveling overwatch. When the team is using bounding overwatch, the bounding element makes the best use of the terrain, rather than adopting a precise formation, to move effectively while maintaining adequate security.
NOTE: The formations shown in illustrations in this chapter are examples only; they generally are depicted without consideration of terrain and other METT-TC factors that are always the most crucial element in the selection and execution of a formation.
Leaders must be prepared to adapt their choice of formation to the specific situation.
COLUMN
5-46. The column is used when speed is critical, when the company team is moving through restricted terrain on a specific route, and/or when enemy contact is not likely. Each platoon normally follows directly behind the platoon in front of it. If the situation dictates, however, vehicles can disperse laterally to enhance security Figure 5-2 illustrates this type of column movement. The column formation has the following characteristics, advantages, and limitations:
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It provides excellent control and fires to the flanks.•
It permits only limited fires to the front and rear.•
It is easy to control.•
It provides extremely limited overall security.•
It is normally used for traveling only.Figure 5-2. Company Team in Column Formation with Dispersal for Added Security
WEDGE
5-47. The wedge formation is often used when the enemy situation is unclear or contact is possible. In the company team wedge, the lead platoon is in the center of the formation with the remaining platoons located to the rear of and outside the lead platoon (see Figure 5-3). The wedge has the following characteristics, advantages, and limitations:
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It permits excellent fires to the front and good fires to the flanks.•
It is easy to control.•
It provides good security to the flanks.•
It can be used with the traveling and traveling overwatch techniques.•
It allows rapid transition to bounding overwatch.Figure 5-3. Company Team in Wedge Formation (with Different Platoon Formations)
VEE
5-48. The vee formation is used when enemy contact is possible (see Figure 5-4). In the company team vee, the center platoon is located in the rear of the formation, while the remaining platoons are to the front of and outside the center platoon. The vee has the following characteristics, advantages, and limitations:
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It permits more firepower to the front than the wedge and affords good fires to the flanks.•
It is more difficult to control than the wedge and makes it more difficult for vehicles to maintain proper orientation.•
It allows one platoon in the formation to maintain freedom of maneuver when contact occurs.•
It facilitates rapid deployment into any other formation.•
It can be used with the traveling and traveling overwatch techniques.•
It allows rapid transition to bounding overwatch.Figure 5-4. Company Team in Vee Formation (with Different Platoon Formations) LINE
5-49. The line formation is primarily used when a unit or element is
and are dispersed laterally. The line formation has the following characteristics, advantages, and limitations:
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It permits maximum fires to the front or rear, but minimum fires to the flanks.•
It is difficult to control.•
It is less secure than other formations because of the lack of depth.•
It is the most difficult formation from which to make the transition to other formations.•
It may be used in the assault to maximize the firepower and/or shock effect of the heavy company team. This is normally done when there is no more intervening terrain between the unit and the enemy, when AT systems are suppressed, and/or when the unit is exposed to artillery fire and must move rapidly.Figure 5-5. Company Team in Line Formation (with Platoons in Wedge Formations)
ECHELON
5-50. The echelon formation is used when the task force wants to maintain security and/or observation of one flank and enemy contact is not likely (see Figure 5-6). The company team echelon formation (either echelon left or echelon right) has the lead platoon positioned farthest from the echeloned flank, with each subsequent platoon located to the rear of and outside the platoon in front of it. The echelon formation has the following characteristics, advantages, and limitations:
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It is difficult to control.•
It affords excellent security for the higher formation in the direction of the echelon.•
It facilitates deployment to the echeloned flank.Figure 5-6. Company Team in Echelon Right Formation (with Platoons in Echelon Formations)
COIL AND HERRINGBONE
5-51. The coil and herringbone are platoon-level formations, employed when elements of the company team are stationary and must maintain 360-degree security. (See 3-20.15 [FM 17-15] or FM 3-21.71 [FM 7-7J] for more information on these formations.)
SECTION III – MANEUVER
5-52. Maneuver is the foundation for the employment of forces on the battlefield. It is defined as the use of movement in combination with fire (or fire potential), employed to achieve a position of advantage with respect to the enemy and to facilitate destruction of the enemy and accomplishment of the mission. At the company team level, maneuver is the essence of every tactical operation and task. The company team commander maneuvers his mounted and dismounted elements to close with the enemy, to gain successive positions of advantage over him, and ultimately to destroy him.