Tactical Planning & Rifle Platoon Operations

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and procedures from tactical planning, orders, fire support, machine-gun employment, patrolling, and platoon offense/defense operations.

METT-T

Five-paragraph estimate of Mission, Enemy, Troops & fire support available, Terrain & weather, and Time.

EMLCOA

Enemy’s Most Likely Course Of Action; predicts what the enemy will do (‘Walk the Dog’).

Commander’s Intent

Purpose, Method, and End-state that guide subordinate initiative when plans change.

Center of Gravity (CG)

Enemy capability that provides their bid for success; if defeated, enemy mission fails.

Critical Vulnerability (CV)

A gap that, if exploited, neutralizes the enemy’s center of gravity.

Exploitation Plan (EXP)

Simple statement that explains how the unit will exploit the enemy’s critical vulnerability.

Scheme of Maneuver (SOM)

Narrative or graphic describing how forces will accomplish the mission from start to finish.

Fire Support Plan (FSP)

Plan that integrates indirect fires with maneuver; expressed as Task, Purpose, Method (TTLODAC), and Effects.

Tactical Task

Action word (destroy, fix, seize, etc.) that assigns a measurable mission to a unit.

Mission Statement

Single sentence of task and purpose that answers who, what, when, where, and why.

Specified Task

Task explicitly assigned by higher headquarters.

Implied Task

Essential action not stated by higher but necessary for mission accomplishment.

Organic Assets

Personnel and equipment that belong permanently to a unit’s Table of Organization.

Attachment

Unit or asset placed under the temporary command of another unit.

Detachment

Asset removed from a parent unit to serve elsewhere.

Movement Corridor

Area that offers cover, concealment, and trafficability for maneuver between objectives.

Go / No-Go Terrain

Ground assessed as passable (go) or impassable (no-go) for the force.

Key Terrain

Feature that affords a marked tactical advantage to whoever controls it.

Risk to Force

Probability and severity of friendly losses resulting from a course of action.

Composition, Disposition, Strength (C/D/S)

Enemy order of battle: what forces exist, where they are, and how strong they are.

Main Effort (ME)

Unit or action that achieves the commander’s decisive result; receives priority of support.

Supporting Effort (SE)

Unit or action that aids the main effort by accomplishing complementary tasks.

Task Organization

Allocation of forces and resources to subordinate commanders for the mission.

Concept of Operations

Overall idea of how the mission will unfold, organized ‘by part’ (Part 1, Part 2, etc.).

Battle Window (BW)

First friendly action in a ‘by-part’ sequence of the concept of operations.

Conditions Set

Observable criteria that signal transition between parts or tasks.

EFST (Essential Fire Support Task)

Fire task that must be accomplished to enable the scheme of maneuver.

TTLODAC

Method details for fires: Target, Trigger, Location, Observer, Delivery Asset, Attack Guidance, Communication Net.

Engagement Criteria

Conditions that must exist before a weapon system may fire at a target.

Marking Plan

Prearranged signals (IR, panels, pyro, etc.) that identify positions or events.

Lost Unit Plan

Procedures to re-establish control of separated elements.

Bump Plan

Pre-planned procedure for one unit to take over another unit’s mission or position.

No-Comm Plan

Actions units take when communications fail; must involve two or more elements.

CASEVAC

Process of moving casualties to medical treatment; includes precedence, method, and collection points.

CCP (Casualty Collection Point)

Location where casualties are gathered for treatment and evacuation.

EPW Plan

Procedures for handling Enemy Prisoners of War by part, including guard and transport.

Succession of Command

Pre-determined order of who takes command if leaders become casualties.

AT4

Single-shot 84 mm anti-armor rocket; maximum effective range 300 m; 90° backblast to 100 m.

LAW (M72)

66 mm light anti-armor weapon; max effective range 200 m; 70° backblast to 70 m.

Carl Gustav (M3/M4 CG)

84 mm reusable recoilless rifle; max effective range 700 m (HE DP); 90° backblast to 100 m.

Backblast Area

Hazard zone behind a rocket launcher where overpressure and debris can injure personnel.

ADDRAC

Contact report: Alert, Direction, Description, Range, Assignment, Control (rates/effects).

Fighting Position (L/T/U)

Shaped foxholes for crew-served weapons: L-shaped, T-shaped, or U-shaped for protection and fields of fire.

Final Protective Line (FPL)

Predetermined line of grazing fire to stop enemy assault; fired rapid for 2 min, reassess, 2 min.

Principal Direction of Fire (PDF)

Primary azimuth where a weapon is laid; usually on a likely avenue of approach.

Target Reference Point (TRP)

Easily identifiable point on the ground used to orient fires and control shooting.

Grazing Fire

Fire where the center of the beaten zone remains within 1 m of the ground over its trajectory (max 600 m for M240).

Plunging Fire

Fire that strikes the ground at a steep angle, making beaten zone largely on target.

Enfilade Fire

Fire delivered along the long axis of a target, maximizing hits.

Traversing Fire

Machine-gun fire moved laterally to cover width of a target.

Searching Fire

Machine-gun fire moved in elevation to cover depth of a target.

Swinging Traversing

Continuous L/R movement of gun to cover wide targets without T&E changes.

Free Gun

Machine gun fired without T&E, following rapidly moving targets in any direction.

Principle of Pairs

Employ machine guns in mutually supporting pairs for redundancy and coverage.

Interlocking Fires

Overlapping sectors so fires cross at engagement area edges.

Mutual Support

Units support each other so no element is isolated if attacked.

Defilade

Position protected from enemy direct fire by terrain or obstacles.

Economy of Fires

Using the minimum ammunition necessary to achieve desired effects.

Support by Fire (SBF)

Element that establishes fire superiority to enable maneuver forces to close.

Offset (SBF)

Angular relationship between axis of maneuver and support by fire; often 70° or 90°.

Phase Line

Linear control measure used to coordinate movement and fires, often tied to engagement criteria.

Engagement Area (EA)

Location where the commander intends to destroy the enemy with massed fires.

DTFB

Obstacle tactical tasks: Disrupt, Turn, Fix, Block.

Tactical Wire

Continuous obstacle that canalizes and fixes enemy in the engagement area.

Protective Wire

Obstacle placed just beyond grenade range (~50 m) to protect defensive perimeter.

Supplementary Wire

Obstacle used to disguise tactical/protective wire and deceive enemy about defenses.

Final Protective Fire (FPF)

Pre-registered linear target fired at ‘my command’ as last-ditch defense; length 90 m (60s), 140 m (81s), 300 m (155).

Call for Fire (CFF)

Forward observer request for indirect fire; follows 5 rules (plot self, get OT dir, etc.).

OT Direction

Observer-to-target direction in mils; used for adjustments.

OT Factor

OT distance (km) rounded × 1, used to convert spotting to corrections.

FSCC

Fire Support Coordination Center; integrates all fires at battalion level and above.

Minimum Safe Line (MSL)

Angle (typically 45°) that separates maneuver elements from friendly supporting fires.

Overhead Safe Line (OSL)

Vertical clearance angle ensuring rounds pass safely over friendly troops (20 mils +1/mil per 100 m).

RED (Risk Estimate Distance)

Distance beyond which 0.1% probability of incapacitation from friendly munitions exists.

Danger Close

Fire mission with rounds impacting within 600 m of friendly troops (artillery) or specified REDs.

60 mm Mortar

Light company mortar; max effective range 3,500 m; can be drop-fired or handheld.

Direct Lay (Mortar)

Mortar sight laid directly on target; gunner can see target through sight.

Direct Alignment (Mortar)

Gun aimed by sticks while observer, not gunner, sees target.

RSOP

Reconnaissance, Selection, and Occupation of Mortar Position.

BRECT

Mortar lay mnemonic: Bisect, Rough level, Elevation, Cross-level, Traverse half way.

Gunner’s Law

Mortar sight check: 3200 deflection, 1100 elevation, etc., to verify zeroing.

Gun-Target Line (GTL)

Line from firing position to target; used for safety and coordination.

Machine-Gun Section

Two or more machine-gun squads under a section leader; supports rifle platoon.

WRM Rule

Quick mil relation (Width = Range/1000 × mils) for machine-gun traversing corrections.

WRG Fires

Classification by target relation to ground: Grazing vs Plunging.

WRT Fires

Classification by target orientation: Frontal, Flanking, Oblique, Enfilade.

Leaders Recon

Small forward reconnaissance to confirm enemy, positions, and control measures before attack.

GOTWA

5-point contingency brief: Where Going, Others taken, Time gone, What to do if no return, Actions on contact.

PCC / PCI

Pre-combat checks and inspections; ensure equipment readiness before mission.

Immediate Action (IA) Drill

Automatic team response to common enemy actions, buying time for deliberate decision.

ROC Walk

Rehearsal of Concept walk-through with terrain model to ensure shared understanding.

Patrol Base (PB)

Temporary, secure position from which patrols conduct operations; away from lines of drift.

LP / OP

Listening Post / Observation Post placed forward of defenses for early warning.

ACE Report

Post-engagement status of Ammo, Casualties, and Equipment.

SAFE

Consolidation steps: Security, Automatic weapons/avenues of approach, Fields of fire, Entrenchment.

Troop-to-Task Matrix

Chart matching personnel to tasks over a specified timeframe (e.g., 48 hr priorities of work).

Trinity of the Night

Night offensive fundamentals: Surprise, Direction, Control.

Priority Target

Pre-planned target given the highest priority; fires can be called with one transmission.

Adjust Fire

Procedure to walk rounds onto a target before firing for effect.

Fire for Effect

Phase of indirect fire when rounds impact on target with desired volume.