ATP-5-0-2-1 Staff Reference Guide Volume 1 Download
Page 142 of 440
Chapter 3 126 ATP 5-0.2-1 07 December 2020 Synchronizing security operations with reconnaissance and surveillance plans to prevent breaks in coverage. Facilitating civil-military coordination among those involved. 3-6. Establishing and maintaining liaison is vital to external coordination. Liaison enables direct communications between a sending and receiving headquarters. It may begin with planning and continue through preparing and executing, or it may start as late as execution. Available resources and the need for direct contact between sending and receiving headquarters determine when to establish liaison. Establishing liaisons with civilian organizations is especially important in stability operations because of the variety of external organizations and the inherent coordination challenges. INITIATE INFORMATION COLLECTION 3-7. During preparation, commanders take every opportunity to improve their situational understanding. This requires aggressive and continuous information collection. Commanders often direct information collection (to include reconnaissance operations) early in planning that continues in preparation and execution. Through information collection, commanders and staffs continuously plan, task, and employ collection assets and forces to collect timely and accurate information to help satisfy the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs) and other information requirements. Refer to paragraph 2-312 of this guide or FM 3-55 for more information on information collection. INITIATE SECURITY OPERATIONS 3-8. The force as a whole is often most vulnerable to surprise and enemy attack during preparation, when forces are often concentrated in assembly areas. Leaders are away from their units and concentrated together during rehearsals. Parts of the force could be moving to task-organize. Required supplies may be unavailable or being repositioned. Security operations—screen, guard, cover, area security, and local security—are essential during preparation. Units assigned security missions execute these missions while the rest of the force prepares for the overall operation (see appendix C for more information on security operations). INITIATE TROOP MOVEMENTS 3-9. The repositioning of forces prior to execution is a significant activity of preparation. Commanders position or reposition units to the right starting places before execution. Commanders integrate operations security measures with troop movements to ensure these movements do not reveal any intentions to the enemy. Troop movements include assembly area reconnaissance by advance parties and route reconnaissance. They also include movements required by changes to the task organization. Commanders can use warning orders to direct troop movements before they issue the operation order (OPORD). INITIATE SUSTAINMENT PREPARATION 3-10. Resupplying, maintaining, and issuing supplies or equipment and repositioning sustainment assets, as needed, occurs during preparation. In addition, sustainment elements need to accomplish many other activities such as port opening and contracting. 3-11. During preparation, sustainment planners at all levels take action to optimize means (force structure and resources) for supporting the commander’s plan. These actions include, but are not limited to, identifying and preparing bases, host-nation infrastructure and capabilities, contract support requirements, and lines of communication (LOCs). They also include forecasting and building operational stocks and identifying endemic health and environmental factors. Integrating environmental considerations sustains vital resources and help to reduce the logistics footprint. 3-12. Planners focus on identifying resources currently available and ensuring access to them. During preparation, sustainment planning continues to support operational planning (branch and sequel development) and the targeting process.