MS 2 Year notes

Major Terrain Features

Key natural landforms that influence movement, visibility, and tactical decisions.

Hill

A raised area of land, identifiable by one knuckle on a topographic map.

Valley

A low area of land between hills or mountains.

Saddle

A dip or low point between two higher areas on a map, resembling a saddle.

Ridge

A raised crest of land running between two valleys.

Depression

A sunken area on a map, shown as a closed contour line with hachures.

Draws

A narrow low area between higher terrain, often used for movement.

Spurs

Projections of higher ground, extending away from a ridge.

Cliff

A steep, vertical, or nearly vertical rock face.

Cut

A feature where terrain is removed to create a path, indicated by lines going in.

Fill

A feature where terrain is added to create a path, indicated by lines going out.

Grid Coordinates

Mapping coordinates that help plot positions on a map.

Dead Reckoning

A navigation technique using direction and distance to estimate position.

Terrain Association

Using visible terrain features to navigate.

Attack Points

Specific locations used to focus efforts during an offensive maneuver.

Backstop

A reference point or terrain feature used to prevent overshooting a destination.

ALRM

Army Leadership Requirements Model; emphasizes leading people and managing things.

Be (Character)

Includes army values, empathy, warrior/service ethos, discipline, and humility.

Presence

Encompasses military/professional bearing, fitness, confidence, and resilience.

Know (Intellect)

Refers to mental agility, judgment, innovation, interpersonal tact, and expertise.

Do (Leads)

Involves leading others, building trust, extending influence, leading by example, and communicating.

Develops

Prepares self, creates a positive environment, develops others, and stewards the profession.

Achieves

Focuses on getting results, anticipating needs, integrating tasks/roles/resources/priorities, improves performance, provides feedback, and executing.

Types of Briefings

Informational, Mission, Decision, Staff.

Informational Briefing

Delivers information in a form the audience can use; includes introduction, main body, and closing.

Mission Briefing

Secures a unified effort toward accomplishing the mission, often formatted in a 5-paragraph OPORD.

Decision Briefing

Obtains an answer to a question, leading to a decision; includes introduction, main body, and closing.

Staff Briefing

Coordinates unit effort and informs leadership about the current situation; format and agenda are set by the person convening it.

Steps to an Effective Briefing

Plan, Prepare, Execute, Assess, and Follow up.

Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)

Also known as the Law of War (LOW), it aims to protect combatants and noncombatants from unnecessary suffering and regulate the use of force.

Military necessity

Measures that are not forbidden by international law and necessary for accomplishing a legitimate military purpose.

Humanity/Unnecessary suffering

Principle requiring consideration of unnecessary suffering before attacking combatants.

Distinction/Discrimination

Attacks must be directed at military objectives, not civilians.

Proportionality

The principle that the incidental loss of civilian life must not be excessive in relation to the military advantage gained.

Honor/Chivalry

Must apply at all times, prohibiting armed forces from abusing LOAC for gaining an advantage.

Soldier’s Rules

A set of ten rules defining the conduct of soldiers during armed conflict, such as not harming enemies who surrender.

5 “S’s & T” for detainees

Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, Speed to rear; guidelines for handling detainees.

Soldier’s Rule #1

soldiers fight only combatants

Soldier’s Rule #2

Soldiers do not harm enemies who surrender. They disarm them & turn them over to their superiors

Soldier’s Rules #3

Soldiers do not kill or torture personnel in their custody

Soldier’s Rules #4

Soldiers collect & care for the wounded whether friend or foe

Soldier’s Rules #5

Soldiers do not attack protected persons/places

Soldier’s Rules #6

Soldiers destroy no more than the mission requires

Soldier’s Rules #7

Soldier’s treat civilians humanely

Soldier’s Rules #8

Soldiers do not steal. Soldiers respect private property possessions

Soldier’s Rules #9

Soldiers should do their best to prevent violations of LOAC

Soldier’s Rules #10

Soldiers report all violations of LOAC to their superiors

TLP

Troop Leading Procedures; A dynamic framework used by Army Leaders, typically at the company level and below, to effectively plan and prepare for operations.

Steps in TLP

Receive the mission, issue a WARNO, make a tentative plan, initiate movement, conduct reconnaissance, complete the plan, issue the order, and supervise.

OAKOC

Observation & fields of fire, Avenues of approach, Key & decisive terrain, Obstacles, and Cover & concealment; a framework used to analyze Terrain & Weather & their impact on the mission

Cover

protection from enemy fire

Concealment

protection from enemy observation

ASCOPE

Area, Structures, Capabilities, Organizations, People, & Events; a framework used in military operations to analyze Civil Considerations & understand how the civilian environment can impact a mission

METT-TC

Mission, Enemy, Terrain, Weather, Troops, and Civil considerations; A framework used by military leaders to analyze and assess a situation before planning

5-paragraph OPORD format

Structure includes Situation, Mission, Execution, Sustainment, Command & Signals.

1/3, 2/3 rule

Allocate 1/3 of the time for planning and 2/3 of the time for preparations and execution.