ATP-5-0-2-1 Staff Reference Guide Volume 1 Download
Page 221 of 440
Enabling Tactics, Techniques, Procedures, and Considerations 07 December 2020 ATP 5-0.2-1 205 C-66. Because subordinate units in an AA concentrate on maintenance and replenishment tasks that are too difficult or time-consuming to perform during combat operations, the initial demand for sustainment will be quite high. Sustainment elements must anticipate this and balance priorities of work for establishing security and wire communications, installing camouflage netting (or similar actions), and resupplying units at the AA. ACTIONS IN THE ASSEMBLY AREA C-67. Preparing the unit for future operations is the focus of all actions in the AA. Actions most commonly associated with AA activities include— Establish and maintain security. Conduct resupply, refueling, and rearming operations. Conduct dismounted security patrols to clear dead space and restrictive terrain. Conduct precombat checks and a precombat inspection. Conduct rehearsals and other training for upcoming operations. Adjust task organization as necessary. Develop a defensive fire plan. Perform maintenance on vehicles and communications equipment. Account for personnel, including attachments. Conduct personal care and hygiene activities. C-68. Maintenance activities concentrate on deadline faults and faults that degrade the equipment's ability to shoot, move, and communicate. Maintenance personnel, when short on time, employ critical repair and battle damage assessment and repair techniques. Sustainers conduct resupply actions to replenish items used in previous operations, assemble stocks for future operations, and replace damaged or contaminated supplies as required. C-69. Planning and preparing for future operations occurs simultaneously with maintenance and administrative activities. Planning includes developing and issuing combat orders and coordinating with higher, lower, and adjacent units. Preparing includes backbriefs and rehearsals. Preparing in a non-tactical AA may also include individual or small unit training, weapons zeroing, and calibration. Training is required if the unit is issued new or modified equipment while in the AA. If the unit is introducing large numbers of replacement personnel, small unit training will be necessary. This is especially true when replacing significant numbers of key leaders. Such training will probably center on mastering drills and SOPs used by the unit. If the unit has recently left combat, after action reviews (AARs) are conducted to verify or refine unit SOPs. AARs may also capture, record, and disseminate hard-learned combat lessons in an effort to institutionalize successful techniques throughout the command. DEPARTURE FROM THE ASSEMBLY AREA C-70. Anticipated future unit missions provide the basis of planning considerations for occupying the assembly area. Planners position units in the AA so they can depart the AA enroute to their tactical missions without countermarching or moving through another unit. Sometimes, the future employment of subunits is unknown when planning the occupation of the AA. In this case, units may be poorly positioned to lead the parent unit to the start point (SP). Rather than sending this unit through other formations or allowing it to maneuver at its own discretion to the SP, the higher headquarters assigns the unit a separate route to the SP that takes it away from and around other units. C-71. Units departing the AA must hit the SP at the correct interval and speed. To achieve this, planners should place the SP sufficiently far from the AA to allow units to maneuver out of their positions and configure themselves for the movement prior to reaching the SP. Leaders establish correct march order, interval, and speed enroute to the SP because units that line up in preparation for movement often block the maneuver of other units. The SP for a battalion movement should be 2 to 3 kilometers (km) from the AA to permit companies to attain proper speed and interval before crossing it. Ideally, the lead march unit can visually identify the SP from the AA. Moreover, with only one unit moving at a time, the chance of units intermingling and becoming lost and confused is near zero.