Tactical Tasks and Operations

Tactical Tasks

Enemy Tasks

  • Ambush: A surprise attack by fire from concealed positions on a moving or temporarily halted enemy.

  • Attack: An offensive operation of coordinated movement supported by fire, conducted to defeat, destroy, neutralize, or capture the enemy.

  • Attack by Fire: Using fires (direct or indirect) to destroy the enemy from a distance, typically when the mission does not require occupying the objective. Often assigned to supporting efforts or as a counter-attack option for a reserve in defense. The commander must specify the intent of the fire (destroy, fix, neutralize, suppress).

  • Block: Denying enemy access to an area or preventing enemy advance in a direction or avenue of approach (AA). It can be time-limited and may require units to retain terrain.

  • Breach: Breaking through or securing a passage through a natural or man-made obstacle.

  • Bypass: Maneuvering around an obstacle, position, or enemy force to maintain momentum. Unreported obstacles or bypassed enemies should be reported.

  • Canalize: Using existing or reinforcing obstacles or fires to restrict enemy operations to a narrow zone.

  • Contain: Stopping, holding, or surrounding enemy forces, or keeping the enemy within a given area to prevent withdrawal.

  • Cover: Offensive or defensive actions to protect the force.

  • Defeat: Disrupting or nullifying the enemy commander's plan and overcoming their will to fight, making them unable or unwilling to pursue their course of action (COA) and yielding to the friendly commander's will.

  • Destroy: Physically rendering an enemy force combat-ineffective unless reconstituted.

  • Disrupt: Integrating fires and obstacles to break apart an enemy's formation and tempo, interrupt their timetable, cause premature commitment, or piecemeal forces.

  • Exploit: Taking full advantage of success in battle and following up on initial gains to disorganize the enemy in-depth.

  • Feint: An offensive action involving contact with the enemy to deceive them about the location or timing of the main offensive action.

  • Fix: Preventing the enemy from moving any part of their forces from a specific location or for a specific period by holding or surrounding them to prevent withdrawal.

  • Guard: Protecting the main force by fighting to gain time, while observing and reporting information.

  • Interdict: Action to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy's surface military potential before it can be used effectively against friendly forces.

  • Isolate: Sealing off an enemy from their sources of support, denying freedom of movement, and preventing contact with other forces.

  • Neutralize: Rendering the enemy or their resources ineffective or unusable.

  • Protect: Preventing observation, engagement, or interference with a force or location.

  • Reconnoiter: Obtaining information about enemy activities and resources through visual observation or other methods.

  • Rupture: Creating a gap in enemy defensive positions quickly.

  • Screen: Observing, identifying, and reporting information, and fighting in self-protection.

  • Support by Fire: A force engaging the enemy by direct fire to support a maneuvering force using overwatch or by establishing a base of fire. The supporting force does not capture enemy or terrain. Usually given as occupy SBF, and the task is fix, suppress, etc. (e.g., suppress enemy).

Terrain Oriented Tasks

  • Clear: Removing enemy forces and eliminating organized resistance in an assigned zone, area, or location by destroying, capturing, or forcing the withdrawal of enemy forces that could interfere with the unit's ability to accomplish its mission.

  • Control: Maintaining physical influence by occupation or weapon systems range over the activities or access to a defined area.

  • Occupy: Moving onto an objective, key terrain, or other man-made or natural terrain without opposition and controlling the entire area.

  • Reconnoiter: Securing data about the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.

  • Retain: Occupying and holding a terrain feature and ensuring it is free of enemy occupation or use.

  • Secure: Gaining possession of a position or terrain feature, with or without force, and preventing its destruction or loss to enemy action. The attacking force may or may not have to physically occupy the area.

  • Seize: Clearing a designated area and gaining control of it.

Friendly Oriented Tasks

  • Breach: Breaking through or securing a passage through a natural or friendly obstacle.

  • Counter-reconnaissance: All measures taken to prevent hostile observation of a force, area, or place.

  • Disengage: Breaking contact with the enemy and moving to a point where the enemy cannot observe nor engage the unit by direct fire.

  • Displace: Leaving one position and taking another. Forces may be displaced laterally to concentrate combat power in threatened areas.

  • Exfiltrate: The removal of personnel or units from areas under enemy control.

  • Follow: The order of movement of combat, combat support, and combat service support forces in a given combat operation.

  • Follow and Assume: An operation in which a committed force follows a force conducting an offensive operation and is prepared to continue the mission of the force it is following when that force is fixed, attrited, or otherwise unable to continue. Such a force is not a reserve but is committed to accomplishing specified tasks.

  • Follow and Support: A committed force follows and supports mission accomplishment of a force conducting an offensive operation. It is not a reserve, but is committed to:

    • Destroying bypassed units

    • Relieving in place any direct pressure or encircling force that is halted to contain an enemy

    • Blocking enemy reinforcements

    • Securing lines of communication (LOCs)

    • Guarding enemy prisoners of war (EPWs), key areas, and installations

    • Securing key terrain

    • Controlling refugees

  • Link up: A meeting of friendly ground forces.

Purpose Words

  • In order to…, Allow, Influence, Attrition, Locate, Cause, Open, Create, Prevent, Deceive, Protect, Degrade, Restore, Deny, Support, Divert, Surprise, Enable, Eliminate, Facilitate, Stabilize

Types of Operations

  • Offense

    • Attack

    • Exploitation

    • Pursuit

  • Movement to Contact

  • Defense

    • Mobile defense

    • Position Defense

  • MOOTW (Military Operations Other Than War)

    • Combating Terrorism

    • Counter Drug Operations

    • Humanitarian Assistance

    • NEO (Noncombatant Evacuation Operations)

    • Raid/Strike

Forms of Maneuver

Offense

  • Frontal Attack

  • Flank Attack

  • Envelopment

  • Penetration

  • Turning Movement

  • Infiltration

Defense

  • Defend

    • Sector

    • Battle Positions

    • Strongpoint

    • Perimeter

  • Retrograde

    • Delay

    • Withdrawal

    • Retirement

    • Reverse Slope

Essential Fire Support Tasks

  • Delay

  • Disrupt

  • Divert

  • Limit

Destroy, Harass, Neutralize, and Suppress are used to determine the degree of damage or duration of effects on a specific target.