ATP-4-90 Brigade Support Battalion Download
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18 June 2020 ATP 4-90 4-1 Chapter 4 Brigade Support Area This chapter provides an overview of the brigade support area and describes the fundamentals, operations, and considerations for the establishment, operation, security, and displacement of bases in the brigade support area. The brigade support area is a designated area of operations in which sustainment elements locate to provide logistics and medical support to the BCT. SUPPORT AND CONSOLIDATION AREA OPERATIONS The BCT commanders designate close, deep, support, and consolidation areas to describe the physical arrangement of forces in time and space. The commander must designate a close area and a support area for every decisive action operation. They designate a deep area and consolidation area as required. A support area is the portion of the BCT commander’s AO designated to facilitate the positioning, employment, and protection of sustainment assets required to sustain, enable, and control operations. BCTs assign a BSA to the BSB. The consolidation area is the portion of the commander’s area of operations designated to facilitate the security and stability tasks necessary for freedom of action in the close area and to support the continuous consolidation of gains. If the BCT AO is designated a division consolidation area the BSB still operates from a BSA. The focus of sustainment support over time is likely to shift from offensive and defensive operations to stability operations as enemy forces are defeated and the security situation improves. BSA OPERATIONS The BSA is a designated area in which sustainment elements locate to provide support to a brigade. The BSA typically encompasses a unit base or base cluster, landing/pickup zones, and field trains elements. The BCT subordinate units that normally occupy a BSA are the BSB and the brigade engineer battalion. The brigade commander must determine which of these subordinate units is responsible for controlling the BSA. BSA control requires performing area security and stability tasks, employing and clearing fires, and controlling airspace. The unit designated to control the BSA will require BCT staff augmentation to control fires and airspace. SITE SELECTION Many factors govern BSA site selection and all should be considered when establishing the BSA. The BSA is normally near or in close proximity to an MSR. It is large enough to allow adequate space for unit occupation and to execute sustainment operations but not too large to hinder effective security and control. If line-of-sight communications are required, the site terrain must be conducive to it. Commanders evaluate the worthiness of a site with respect to mission accomplishment and then consider camouflage, concealment, and survivability. Ideally, the BSA is out of the range of the enemy’s medium artillery. BSB planners consider trafficability and soil composition when selecting a BSA location. Dispersion requirements often dictate the size of a site. A site has limited usefulness if it will not permit enough dispersion for survivability and effective operations. Support assets from a DSSB should be able to maneuver through the traffic pattern without causing unnecessary massing of vehicles.