The SBCT Infantry Rifle Company by Department of the Army - HTML preview

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1-22. MORTAR SECTION LEADER

The mortar section leader is responsible for employing the mortar section and ensures effective mortar support for the company.

a. He assists the company commander in planning the employment of the mortar section.

b. He coordinates with the company FSO and FIST.

c. He controls the section during tactical operations.

d. He is the primary trainer for mortar systems.

1-23. SNIPER

TEAM

LEADER

The sniper team leader is responsible for employing the sniper team and ensures effective sniper support for the company.

a. He assists the company commander in planning the employment of the sniper team.

b. He coordinates with the company FSO and FIST.

c. He controls the team during tactical operations.

d. He is the primary trainer for the sniper team.

e. He is the primary observer of the sniper team.

1-24. ARMORER/SUPPLY

SPECIALIST

The armorer/supply specialist performs organizational maintenance and repairs on the company's small arms weapons. He evacuates weapons to the DS maintenance unit, if required. Normally, he assists the supply sergeant in the brigade support area (BSA), but he may operate forward with the company CP to support continuous CP operations.

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1-25. COMPANY

MEDIC

The senior trauma specialist/ senior company medic is attached to the rifle company to provide emergency medical treatment (EMT) for sick, injured, or wounded company personnel. Emergency medical treatment procedures performed by the trauma specialist may include opening an airway, starting intravenous fluids, controlling hemorrhage, preventing or treating for shock, splinting fractures or suspected fractures, and providing relief for pain. The EMT performed by the trauma specialist is under the supervision of the battalion surgeon or physician's assistant (PA). The senior trauma specialist/company medic is responsible for--

• Overseeing and providing guidance to each platoon medic as required.

• Triaging injured, wounded, or ill friendly and enemy personnel for priority of teatment as they arrive at the company CCP.

• Overseeing sick call screening for the company.

• Requesting and coordinating the evacuation of sick, injured, or wounded personnel under the direction of the company 1SG.

• Assisting in the training of the company personnel on first aid and combat lifesavers in enhanced first-aid procedures.

• Requisitioning Class VIII supplies from the BAS for the company according to the TSOP.

• Recommending locations for company CCPs.

• Providing guidance to the company's combat lifesavers as required.

• Monitoring the tactical situation and anticipating and coordinating health service support (HSS) requirement and Class VIII resupply as necessary.

• Advising the company commander and 1SG on mass casualty operations.

• Keeping the 1SG informed on the status of casualties and coordinating with him for additional HSS requirements.

Section IV. BATTLEFIELD OPERATING SYSTEMS

The battlefield operating systems (BOSs) provide a means of reviewing preparations or execution in discrete subsets. Critical to this review is the synchronization and coordination of activities not only within a BOS but also among the various BOSs.

1-26. COMMAND AND CONTROL

The command and control process is the commander’s basic tool in the employment of the company. It consists of the activities and procedures used by the commander to plan, direct, coordinate, and control the functions and actions of the company; it also includes the personnel and equipment that assist him with command and control.

a. The commander employs the company in accordance with the guidance and orders he receives from the SBCT battalion. Perhaps his most important skills are his ability to accurately analyze the situation and develop a plan that has the greatest chance of accomplishing the mission with the least cost in lives and equipment. After developing the plan, the commander delegates authority to his subordinates, clearly assigning responsibilities, tasks, and purposes and stating his intent so that every member of the unit can effectively use responsible initiative.

b. Critical to the commander's ability to command and control is employment of digitized communications. The tactical internet--composed of the FBCB2 system,

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enhanced position and location reporting system (EPLRS), and single-channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS)--passes data between company elements. This digital traffic allows dissemination of graphics, orders, and tactical enemy and friendly information to squad level.

1-27. INTELLIGENCE

The intelligence operating system covers activities employed to see the enemy, terrain, and other aspects of battle space that affect friendly operations. Although the company’s primary mission is to fight, it normally conducts some type of reconnaissance or surveillance prior to any operation, and it conducts reconnaissance during execution of all operations. Both before and during an operation, the company receives intelligence and combat information from its parent headquarters, from other companies, and from elements within the company. At the same time, the company is a critical source of combat information throughout the operation.

1-28. MANEUVER

Maneuver is the employment of forces on the battlefield. It entails using a combination of fire (or fire potential) and movement to achieve a position of advantage with respect to the enemy, to develop the situation as necessary, and to close with and destroy the enemy. Based on the factors of METT-TC, the company commander may maneuver his platoons (mounted or dismounted) and other support forces to achieve the positional advantage. Ideally, when contact is likely, the commander moves the company using bounding overwatch. Once contact is made, he then makes the transition to maneuver and executes actions on contact as necessary. He uses direct and indirect fires from stationary friendly elements to provide protection for the moving elements as they close with the enemy. He also ensures effective flank security, an essential element of successful maneuver.

1-29. FIRE

SUPPORT

The company integrates fire support into its portion of the battalion fight. The battalion fire support plan specifies the intended tactical purpose for each task assigned to the company. For example, the plan may state that a target will be fired so that it diverts an enemy force from a particular route. The company commander designates triggers for each target as well as primary and backup observers to call for and adjust fires as necessary. The commander then has ultimate responsibility for ensuring not only that the team effectively executes the target but also that the intended purpose is met (in this case, diverting the enemy from his original course).

1-30. AIR

DEFENSE

The company executes passive or active air defense measures, or a combination, to evade enemy aircraft, degrade the effects of an air attack, or destroy the attacking aircraft.

Passive air defense is aimed at avoiding detection and protecting the unit through the use of camouflage, hide positions, route selection, or other similar measures. Active air defense may entail execution of air defense drills by organic elements, employment of the company’s organic firepower, employment of air defense assets, or any combination of these.

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1-31. MOBILITY AND SURVIVABILITY

Mobility and survivability preserve friendly force freedom of maneuver, attack that of the enemy, and protect friendly forces from the effects of enemy weapon systems and the environment. All units, regardless of type, perform basic mobility and survivability tasks.

a. Because of the anticipated condensed planning timeline, SBCT companies rely heavily on the SBCT and its infantry battalions to plan and integrate mobility and survivability into offensive operations. The organic SBCT engineer company task-organizes its subordinate units and equipment to the infantry battalions and companies in order to accomplish specific mobility and survivability tasks. (Refer to Chapter 10 for a detailed discussion of the SBCT engineer company’s organization, capabilities, and limitations.) Because overmatching mobility is critical to the success of the SBCT, engineers normally task organize to the lowest possible level, optimizing responsive mobility efforts during decentralized offensive operations.

b. Although mission-dependent, SBCT infantry battalions typically receive a task-organized engineer platoon; subsequently, infantry companies receive a task-organized engineer squad or team. Engineers perform obstacle reduction tasks for both mounted and dismounted maneuver to counter the effects of existing and reinforcing obstacles in all categories of terrain, including the urban environment. Engineer capabilities include manual, explosive, and mechanical breaching methods.

c. Engineers may employ limited countermobility capability (scatterable mines and sub-munitions) to shape enemy maneuver, to preserve and protect friendly forces, and to gain, retain, or secure the positional advantage. Engineers may also perform limited survivability tasks such as constructing individual and vehicle fighting positions, preparing protective positions, and constructing fortifications to enhance force protection.

d. Engineer assets may be organized into combat mobility platoons and mobility support sections.

(1) Combat Mobility Platoon. The combat mobility platoon normally supports an SBCT infantry battalion. During offensive operations, an infantry company may receive a portion, or all, of the combat mobility platoon based on the situation, mission, scheme of maneuver, and mobility tasks identified. Engineers normally do not task organize below squad level for mounted mobility operations. The platoon or squads may be task organized with a mobility support section or specific mobility support equipment from the SBCT engineer company’s mobility support platoon.

(2)

Mobility Support Section. The mobility support section provides short-span assault crossing of wet or dry gaps and moderate earthmoving and constructed obstacle reduction capability. The section, or any of the vehicles in the section, may be task organized to combat mobility platoons and squads.

1-32. COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT

There are five functional areas of CSS: supply, transportation, maintenance, field services, and personnel services. The company has an organic supply section and normally has an attached medical and evacuation team. The SBCT battalion provides other CSS for the infantry company. Combat service support is discussed in detail in Chapter 11.

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CHAPTER 2

BATTLE COMMAND AND

TROOP-LEADING PROCEDURES

Battle command is the exercise of command in operations against a hostile, thinking enemy. It uses the leadership element of combat power to assimilate thousands of bits of information to visualize the operation, describe it in terms of intent, and direct the military actions of subordinates to achieve victory. Thinking and acting are simultaneous activities for infantry leaders in battle. Battle command covers the knowledge, techniques, and procedures necessary to control operations and to motivate soldiers and their organizations into action to accomplish assigned missions. As part of battle command, commanders visualize the current state of the battlefield as well as future states at different points in the operation; they then formulate concepts of operations that allow their units to progress from one state to the other at the least cost. Other elements of battle command include assigning missions, prioritizing and allocating resources, selecting the critical times and places to act, and knowing how and when to make adjustments during the fight.

SECTION I. COMMAND AND CONTROL

Command and control is the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned or attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission.

2-1.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

Command and control are two dependent concepts that have distinct meanings rather than one word or system.

a. Command. Command is the art of assigning missions, prioritizing resources, guiding and directing subordinates, and focusing the unit's energy to accomplish clear objectives. The commander’s will to win, morale, and physical presence must be felt by those he leads. Leading soldiers and units to successfully accomplish the mission remains a command imperative; safeguarding soldiers is an inherent responsibility of command.

b. Control. Control is the science of defining limits, computing requirements, allocating resources, monitoring performance, and directing subordinate actions to accomplish the commander’s intent.

c. The Command and Control System. The command and control (C2) system within an infantry rifle company is the arrangement of personnel, information management, procedures, and equipment and facilities essential to plan, prepare for, execute, and assess operations. The C2 system must be reliable, responsive, and durable.

It must withstand crises, even the loss of the leader, and still continue to function.

Although it is the most complex system in the unit, C2 must result in clear, concise instructions that focus the entire unit toward the objective.

2-2.

CONCEPT OF COMMAND AND CONTROL

Historically, military commanders have employed variations of the two basic command and control concepts: detailed command and mission command.

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a. Detailed Command. Detailed command centralizes information and decision-making authority. Orders and plans are detailed and explicit and successful execution depends on strict obedience by subordinates with minimal decision-making or initiative on their part. Detailed command emphasizes vertical, linear information flow where information flows up the chain of command and orders flow down.

b. Mission Command. Mission command concentrates on the objective of an operation and not on how to achieve that objective. It is the conduct of military operations through decentralized execution based on mission orders for effective mission accomplishment. Successful mission command results from subordinate leaders at all echelons exercising disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to accomplish missions. It requires an environment of trust and mutual understanding. Today’s operational environment emphasizes the need for rapid decision-making and execution to include rapid response to changing situations. It stresses trust and mutual understanding among superiors and subordinates. Mission command accepts the uncertainty of war by reducing the need for complete certainty in order to act. Because mission command decentralizes decision making authority and grants subordinates significant freedom of action, it demands a leader who is thoroughly versed in Army doctrine and who is disciplined, informed, innovative, dynamic, audacious, confident, and competent.

2-3. LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the critical element of both the C2 system (personnel) and combat power.

Through leadership, the commander inspires and directs his unit to complete demanding tasks in difficult situations. In addition, the following factors are essential to the company commander's ability to lead his company on the battlefield.

a.

Will. Often the victor in battle is the unit that refuses to lose. Competent leaders and tough, realistic training are the keys to developing this determination. The leader must develop a "will to win" in his soldiers and his unit.

b.

Trust. The leader must earn the trust of his soldiers. They must have confidence in his abilities. The leader also must trust his soldiers and develop a climate that allows subordinates to make decisions.

c.

Delegation. After ensuring his subordinates are well trained, the leader must delegate the proper authority and freedoms to his men. He focuses his time and energy on what he determines as critical and delegates the remainder to his subordinates.

d.

Discipline. The leader instills discipline in his soldiers. Discipline ensures that proper standards are maintained in the absence of leader supervision. The decentralized operations conducted by infantry companies require self-discipline of every soldier in the unit.

2-4. FUNDAMENTALS

OF COMMAND AND CONTROL

The following fundamentals describe methods of directing military operations that encourage and expect subordinates to take action consistent with the intent and concept of higher headquarters.

a.

Expect Uncertainty. The leader must understand the environment of combat; the battle will be dynamic and non-linear. Communications will be degraded, and the chaos of battle will often prevent the commander from knowing what is happening beyond his own senses. The situation during planning will always change before execution.

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b.

Reduce Leader Intervention. Plan and direct operations to require the absolute minimum intervention during execution. When soldiers expect the leader to make the decision or initiate the action, they are reluctant to take action. When precise control is required for synchronization, such as an on-order task, the leader should also provide the subordinate the criteria for making the decision. Leaders must realize that some loss of precision is better than inactivity.

c.

Increase Subordinate Planning Time. The commander ensures the effective use of all available planning time. Although the majority of the planning takes place at the battalion and company level, the infantry rifle platoons and squads require extra time to conduct their rehearsals and inspections. A unit SOP is a key tool for using time well.

d.

Give Subordinates Maximum Freedom of Action. Given the expected battlefield conditions, leaders at every level avoid placing unnecessary limits on their soldiers' freedom of action. The leader at the point of decision must have the knowledge, the training, and the freedom to make the correct decision that supports the commander's intent.

e.

Lead Well Forward. The leader locates where he can best fight his unit, and he considers a number of factors in determining this location. His leadership is most effective face-to-face when he can see the situation and his soldiers can see him. Since he cannot be everywhere, he focuses on the decisive action that will accomplish his mission.

He normally locates with his main effort (the subordinate unit assigned the decisive action) to provide his leadership and to be in a position to shift or re-task the main effort.

2-5.

COMMAND AND CONTROL RESPONSIBILITIES

Infantry rifle company commanders train and maintain their units to conduct sustained operations. All leaders must ensure that their soldiers are tactically and technically proficient in the weapons systems found in the unit.

a. Company Commander. The commander employs command and control to ensure the company accomplishes its missions. He is also responsible for the tactical employment, training, administration, personnel management, and sustainment of his company. He must know the capabilities of his men and weapons systems and how to tactically employ them. The commander exercises command through his subordinate leaders. In an airborne and air assault battalion or an SBCT, he serves as an advisor to the higher commander concerning employment of all assets.

b. Company Executive Officer. The XO is the second in command of the company.

He assists the company commander control the fires and movement of the rifle platoons.

The XO frees the company commander of all distractions to allow the company commander to control the company’s most critical actions. (For example, the XO submits situation reports to the higher headquarters main command post, relays information to the company commander such as enemy and friendly situational updates, and communicates with adjacent units.) During preparation for combat operations, the XO serves as the company’s primary CSS planner and makes the necessary coordination with the higher headquarters, and he provides the company first sergeant with the CSS plan for execution. During execution, the XO may be designated as an element leader. Typically, he will control the company’s 60-mm mortar section and the antiarmor section. He may also control a supporting element consisting of a rifle platoon and other elements (for example, all of the company’s machine guns).

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c. Company First Sergeant. The first sergeant is the senior NCO in the company and is normally the most experienced soldier in the company. He advises the company commander on tactical employment, and he is the expert on individual and NCO skills.

He assists the company commander to plan, coordinate, and supervise all activities that support the mission. During execution, the 1SG is the primary CSS executor. He may also control elements or subordinate units during designated missions.

d.

Mortar Section Leader. The mortar section leader is responsible for training and maintaining the company’s 60-mm mortar section. He ensures that the company has effective fire support from the mortar section. He also assists the commander in planning the employment of the mortar section, coordinates with the company FIST, and controls the section during tactical operations.

e. Rifle Platoon Leader. The rifle platoon leader is responsible for training, maintaining, and tactically employing the platoon. His responsibilities include planning, coordinating, and integrating the platoon’s fires to fit the supported unit’s tactical plan.

He knows the abilities of his weapons systems and is skilled in their use. The platoon leader must also be proficient in calling for and adjusting indirect fires. He employs his platoon tactically based on orders from the commander.

f. Rifle Platoon Sergeant. The platoon sergeant is normally the most experienced soldier in the platoon. He leads the elements of the platoon as directed by the platoon leader; he assumes responsibility of the platoon in the platoon leader’s absence. The PSG

is responsible for individual training, advising the platoon leader on tactical employment of the platoon’s weapons systems, and helping to control the platoon during combat operations. He supervises equipment maintenance, supply, and casualty evacuation.

g. Weapons Squad Leader. The weapons squad leader is responsible for the discipline and training of his two machine gun teams and for the maintenance of his squad’s equipment. During operations, he selects the location of primary, alternate, and supplementary firing positions. He controls the squad’s fires and movement, and he ensures mutual support is achieved with other elements of the platoon with which he is operating. He may assume the responsibilities of the platoon sergeant in his absence.

h. Rifle Squad Leader. The squad leader is responsible for the discipline and training of his squad and the maintenance of his equipment. He is skilled in all aspects of his weapons systems. He employs his squad in accordance with (IAW) orders from the platoon leader. He detects and identifies targets, issues fire commands, and controls the fires and movement of his squad.

2-6. COMBAT

ORDERS

Combat orders focus on what tasks must be accomplished without dictating in detail how they will be done. Whenever possible, they are oral orders issued face-to-face on the ground where the fight will take place.

a.

Brevity and Clarity. Combat orders require well-trained subordinates who understand their commanders' intent and concepts (two levels higher). Combat orders address only the required information. They avoid unnecessary detail and redundancy and do not restate doctrine or SOPs.

b.

Tailoring. The leader determines exactly what he wants his units to accomplish and clearly communicates these requirements to them. If one of his subordinates has not displayed the tactical competence to operate with a combat order, then the order must be 2-4

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tailored based on the training, experience, and capability of the subordinate leader receiving the order.

(1) This tailoring may include nothing more than providing additional instructions, establishing more restrictive control measures, or directing a specific use for one of his organic assets.

(2) A commander may detail exactly how a platoon leader will employ his entire platoon, clearly state the limits for using his initiative, and collocate himself or the company XO with this platoon. This should be only a short-term solution; leaders must be trained to meet their responsibilities.

SECTION II. TROOP-LEADING PROCEDURES

Troop-leading procedures (TLP) are a sequence of actions that enable the company commander to use available time effectively and efficiently in the planning, preparing, executing, and assessing of combat missions. Collectively, the TLP are a tool to assist leaders in making, issuing, and supervising operation orders. The TLP are integrally coupled with the military decision-making process (