FM-3-81 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Download
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Appendix E E-10 FM 3-81 09 November 2021 Tenant-Unit Commanders E-42. Tenant-unit commanders actively participate in base camp defense planning. Tenant units normally provide for their own security and contribute personnel to the protection mission. These assigned or attached forces fall under the base camp commander’s TACON. This relationship may not necessarily exist at all contingency locations. Regardless, tenant-unit commanders should ensure that provided personnel are properly equipped and trained. Key tenant-unit concerns include training, rehearsals, coordination, and competing requirements between security and operational tasks. Tenant-unit commander responsibilities include— Participating in the preparation and execution of base camp defense plans. Providing for unit internal security. Conducting individual and unit training to ensure readiness for assigned defense tasks. Providing an appropriate share of facilities, equipment, and personnel for the BDOC. Advising the base camp commander on operational concerns specific to their units. Sustaining and administering unit forces. Providing unit requirements for common-user communications systems to the base camp commander’s communications element. Protection Working Group E-43. A working group approach should be used to develop the base defense plan and protection measures and to manage protection operations. To interact efficiently, team members should understand the concepts, roles, and capabilities of other members. A working-group approach facilitates protection plan development, intelligence sharing, and coordination between tenant units. BASE CAMP THREATS E-44. In most cases, base camps are located where the risk of Level III threats have been eliminated or effectively mitigated by the designated AO commander. During large-scale combat operations, base camps often become focal points for bypassed or reconsolidated Level III threats. The support area commander must be prepared to conduct defensive and offensive tasks by deploying the TCF to repel a Level III attack when the threat assessment indicates the possibility of a Level III threat in the support area, regardless of whether the element of decisive action/simultaneous activities is currently dominant. Preparations may involve significant increases in area denial measures; offensive actions; hardening, dispersal, and other protection measures; and immediate reaction to hostile actions. E-45. On initial occupation of the base camp site, friendly forces take offensive actions to identify levels of enemy presence and eliminate enemy threats in the immediate area, if required. Once the area is cleared and the necessary elements of the base camp defense have been established, the base camp commander continues managing area security tasks to provide an early warning and to mitigate the risks of threat elements operating within the base camp AO. The base camp commander and staff identify gaps in security and requirements for additional support or assets. The base camp commander, supported by the staff, coordinates with the AO commander to fill identified capability gaps. E-46. Base camps are purposely designed and constructed to be resistant to enemy attack and to recover quickly so that they can continue to operate. The ability to quickly recover from an enemy attack is enhanced through detailed planning and rehearsals of procedures. Base camps must be prepared to defend in any direction through flexible base camp defense plans that include the use of dedicated initial-response forces positioned to respond to the widest possible range of contingencies.