Tactical Mission Tasks

Front 1

A tactical mission task in which a commander uses direct fires, supported by
indirect fires, to engage an enemy without closing with him to destroy, suppress, fix, or
deceive him.

Back 1

attack by fire

Front 2

A tactical mission task that denies the enemy access to an area or prevents his
advance in a direction or along an avenue of approach.

Back 2

block

Front 3

A tactical mission task in which the unit employs all available means to break
through or secure a passage through an enemy defense, obstacle, minefield, or fortification.

Back 3

breach

Front 4

A tactical mission task in which the commander directs his unit to maneuver around
an obstacle, avoiding combat with an enemy force.

Back 4

bypass

Front 5

A tactical mission task in which the commander
restricts enemy movement to a narrow zone by exploiting terrain coupled with the use of
obstacles, fires, or friendly maneuver.

Back 5

canalize

Front 6

A
tactical mission task that requires the commander to remove all enemy forces and eliminate
organized resistance in an assigned area.

Back 6

clear

Front 7

A tactical mission task that encompasses all measures taken by a
commander to counter enemy reconnaissance and surveillance efforts.

Back 7

counterreconnaissance

Front 8

A tactical mission task that occurs when an enemy force has temporarily or
permanently lost the physical means or the will to fight.

Back 8

defeat

Front 9

A tactical mission task that physically renders an enemy force combat-ineffective
until it is reconstituted.

Back 9

destroy

Front 10

A tactical mission task where a commander has his unit break contact with the
enemy to allow the conduct of another mission or to avoid decisive engagement.

Back 10

disengage

Front 11

A tactical mission task in which a commander integrates direct and indirect fires,
terrain, and obstacles to upset an enemy’s formation or tempo, interrupt his timetable, or
cause his forces to commit prematurely or attack in piecemeal fashion

Back 11

disrupt

Front 12

The removal of personnel or units from areas under enemy control by
stealth, deception, surprise, or clandestine means

Back 12

exfiltrate

Front 13

To stop, hold, or surround the forces of the enemy or to cause the
enemy to center activity on a given front and to prevent the withdrawal of any part of the
enemy’s force for use elsewhere.

Back 13

contain

Front 14

A tactical mission task that requires the
commander to maintain physical influence over a specified area to prevent its use by an
enemy.

Back 14

control

Front 15

Fix

Back 15

tactical mission task where commander prevents enemy from moving any part of his force from a specific location and a specific period of time.

Front 16

Follow and Assume

Back 16

secondary force committed following a force conducting an offensive operation and is prepared to continue the mission if lead force is unable

Front 17

Follow and Support

Back 17

committed force follows and supports force conduction offensive operation

Front 18

Interdict

Back 18

prevents, disrupts, or delays the enemy's use of an area or route/

Front 19

Isolate

Back 19

requires a unit to seal off both physically and psychologically an enemy from his sources of support , deny an enemy freedom of movement and prevent contact w/ other enemy forces.

Front 20

Neutralize

Back 20

Render enemy personnel or material incapable of interfering with an operation

Front 21

Occupy

Back 21

moving into an area so it can be entirely controlled.

Front 22

Reduce

Back 22

involves the destruction of an encircled or bypassed enemy force

Front 23

Retain

Back 23

occupy and hold a terrain feature to ensure that it is free of enemy occupation or use.

Front 24

Secure

Back 24

preventing a unit, facility, or geographic location from being damaged or destroyed by enemy action.

Front 25

Support by Fire

Back 25

maneuver force moves to a position where it can engage the enemy by direct fire in support of another maneuver force

Front 26

Suppress

Back 26

temporary degradation of the performance of a force or weapons system below the level needed to accomplish the mission.

Front 27

Turn

Back 27

forcing an enemy from one avenue of approach to another.

Front 28

Science of Tactics

Back 28

The science of tactics encompasses the understanding of those military aspects of tactics – capabilities, techniques, and procedures – that can be measured and codified.
Physical capabilities of friendly and enemy organizations and systems
Tactical terms and graphics
Doctrine and field manuals

Front 29

Art of Tactics

Back 29

The art of tactics consists of interrelated aspects: the creative and flexible array of means to accomplish assigned missions, decision making under conditions of uncertainty when faced with an intelligent enemy, and understanding the human dimension – the effects of combat on soldiers.
Task organization and resource allocation
Arrangement of units in time and space
Tempo of operations
Risk assessment

Front 30

Tactics

Back 30

The employment of units in combat, including the ordered arrangement and maneuver of units in relation to each other, the terrain and the enemy to translate potential combat power into victorious battles and engagements.

Front 31

Techniques

Back 31

The general and detailed methods used by troops and commanders to perform assigned missions and functions, specifically the methods of using equipment and personnel.

Front 32

Procedures

Back 32

Standard and detailed courses of action that describe how to perform tasks.

Front 33

Decisive Engagement

Back 33

an engagement in which a unit is considered fully committed and cannot maneuver or extricate itself – in the absence of outside assistance, the action must be fought to a conclusion and either won or lost with the forces at hand.

Front 34

Maneuver

Back 34

the employment of forces on the battlefield through movement in combination with fire, or fire potential, to achieve a position of advantage in respect to the enemy in order to accomplish the mission.

Front 35

Assailable flank

Back 35

flank which is exposed to attack or envelopment

Front 36

Mutual Support

Back 36

support which units render to each other against an enemy because of their assigned tasks, their position relative to each other and to the enemy, and their inherent capabilities.

Front 37

Supporting Distance

Back 37

the distance between two units that can be traveled in time for one to come the aid of the other - or, for small units, the distance that can be covered effectively by their fires.

Front 38

Supporting range

Back 38

the distance one unit may be geographically separated from a second unit, yet remain within the maximum range of the second unit's indirect fire weapon systems

Front 39

Tactical mobility

Back 39

the ability to move rapidly from one part of the battlefield to another, relative to the enemy.

Front 40

Operational Framework

Back 40

the arrangement of friendly forces in time, space, and purpose; it consists of the area of operations, battlespace, and battlefield organization.

Front 41

Control Measures

Back 41

-Can be permissive or restrictive
-Each may be graphical or procedural
-Establish minimum control measures necessary
-Apply to all forces
-You can add to higher's but not subtract

Front 42

Key Terrain

Back 42

any locality, or area, the seizure or retention of which affords a marked advantage to either combatant.

Front 43

Decisive Terrain

Back 43

Key terrain whose seizure and retention is mandatory for successful mission accomplishment.

Front 44

contiguous vs. noncontiguous AO

Back 44

contiguous AOs share one or more common boundaries. Noncontiguous don't share common boundaries.

Front 45

Assembly Area

Back 45

an area a unit occupies to prepare for an operation.

Front 46

Checkpoint

Back 46

a predetermined point on the ground used to control movement, tactical maneuver, and orientation.

Front 47

Contact point

Back 47

an easily identifiable point on the terrain where two or more ground units are required to make physical contact.

Front 48

engagement area

Back 48

an area where the commander intends to contain an enemy force with the massed effects of all available weapons

Front 49

engagement criteria

Back 49

protocols that specify those circumstances for intiating engagement with an enemy force. They may be restrictive or permissive.

Front 50

engagement priority

Back 50

specifies the order in which the unit engages enemy systems or functions

Front 51

phase line

Back 51

a line utilized for control and coordination of military operations, usually a terrain feature extending across the operational area

Front 52

avenue of approach

Back 52

air or ground route leading to an objective that an attacking force can use.

Front 53

route

Back 53

the prescribed course to be traveled from a specific point of origin to a specific destination.

Front 54

Target reference point

Back 54

an easily recognizable point on the ground, such as a building or a road junction, used in conjunction with engagement areas and sectors of fire to initiate, distribute, and control fires. A TRP may be a natural terrain feature, a manmade artifact, such as a building, or a marker emplaced by the unit

Front 55

Target

Back 55

an area designated and numbered for future firing.

Front 56

Purpose of Offensive Operations

Back 56

-destroy or defeat the enemy
-impose US will on the enemy
-achieve decisive victory