Content area
Full Text
In 2015, the Joint Readiness Training Center (ŰRIG) at Fort Polk, LA, transitioned the focus of its crucible training event from a mission readiness exercise (MRE) to a direct action training environment (DATE). This transition moved the focus of brigade combat teams (BCTs) away from stability and counterinsurgency (COIN) operations within a nodal defense construct out of combat outposts to an intelligence-driven, intensive permissive training environment focused on hybrid and near-peer threats. One of the most difficult transitions has been the necessity for doctrinal defensive operations, specifically a rifle company's execution of the seven steps of engagement area development (EA DEV).
Light infantry formations typically struggle to conduct EA DEV suited for an armored/mechanized near-peer threat in a compressed timeline. The compressed timeline presents unique challenges and requires a change to the methodology by which we conduct our planning processes and how we execute the defense.
From my observations as an observercontroller-trainer (OCT) at JRTC, the challenges primarily lie in three areas:
1)Our military decision-making process MDMP) is not conducive to supporting subordinate organizations' execution of EA DEV due to the extensive time requirements.
2)Organizations do not effectively utilize collaborative and parallel planning to maximize the unit's lines of effort in the defense.
3)Company troop leading procedures (TLPs) do not have the requisite systems to effectively conduct EA DEV; junior leaders are not experienced in the field craft-intensive requirements of the defense; and company TLPs are truncated so much it is nearly impossible for companies to effectively conduct planning.
The focus of this article is to propose adjustments to assist in streamlining our planning processes to efficiently conduct EA DEV and establish an effective defense within a condensed timeline. This problem set is complex and difficult to synchronize, and we as an Army are still improving our organizational knowledge base for defensive operations in this environment. I will not be addressing tactics of the defense for company and enabler employment or defensive techniques against specific enemy capabilities but rather focus merely on our systems processes to facilitate subordinate commanders.
MDMP
One of the largest issues is the requirement of our MDMP for the development of operation orders (OPORDs). If we merely look at the one-third/two-thirds rule that we espouse into our orders process, it is...