ATP-4-90 Brigade Support Battalion Download
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Brigade Support Battalion and the Operational Environment 18 June 2020 1-3 several tools that enable commanders and staffs with understanding, visualizing and describing an OE. These tools include— Running estimates, which are described in FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organizations and Operations and chapter 3 of this publication. The military decision-making process (MDMP). Intelligence preparation of the battlefield. Sustainment preparation of the OE. Sustainment preparation of the OE is the analysis to determine infrastructure, physical environment, and resources in the OE that will favorably or adversely impact friendly forces means for supporting and sustaining the commander’s operations plan. It is a continuous shaping activity involving analysis to determine infrastructure, environmental, or resource factors in the OE that impact the Army’s ability to sustain a commander’s operations plan. BSB SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS TO SHAPE THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT Operations to shape are those that establish conditions for the decisive operation through effects on the enemy, other theater actors, and the terrain. The primary purpose of these operations are to promote and protect U.S. national interests and influence in the theater. Operations to shape also include unit home station activities including maintaining operational readiness, training, and contingency planning. BCTs may be deployed into a theater to perform operations to shape the OE and perform multiple tasks. As such, BCTs may need to support theater security cooperation activities that include security force assistance, supporting joint and multinational exercises, civil-military operations, and support to special operations forces. The BCT may need to perform activities to support setting the theater. Throughout operations to shape the OE, the BSB plans, synchronizes, and executes sustainment support to the BCT to enable it to perform its shaping mission. The support the BSB provides is similar to other operations. However, support to shaping operations may require the BSB to coordinate for sustainment support with theater-level organizations or outside the theater itself. The BSB may be the only sustainment organization deployed to a specific geographical area in support of operations to shape. As such, the BSB may need to support units that are not organic to the BCT such as Army special operations forces or elements of a security force assistance brigade. The BSB may also be directed to gather in formation in support of theater plans and setting the theater. This includes assessing in- theater sustainment capability—such as commercial support capability, local infrastructure, port location and capacity, and road networks. BSB SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS TO PREVENT CONFLICT Operations to prevent conflict are intended to deter adversary actions contrary to U.S. interests. During operations to prevent, the BCT may be deployed as a component of a flexible deterrent option or flexible response option to perform a variety of tasks. The primary intent is to enable the joint force to gain positions of relative advantage if future combat operations materialize. Operations to prevent conflict may include actions to protect friendly forces and other activities that indicate the intent to execute subsequent, more intensive phases of a planned operation. Army activities to set the theater will continue during operations to prevent conflict and may expand to include additional warfighting functions. The BCT may need to support communications, intelligence, fires, and air and missile defense units. The BSB commander and staff continue to develop running estimates and refine plans to ensure effective support. Since BCT operations may be more expansive, the BSB commander and staff should expect increased sustainment requirements and operational pace. During operations to prevent, additional U.S. forces will be deployed to the theater. The BSB may need to support these forces. The BSB executes support to non-organic BCT units at the direction of the BCT commander. The BSB may also support any ongoing theater opening, reception, staging, onward movement, and integration (RSOI). It may also begin establishing the initial distribution network in the theater. ATP 4-90