Chapter 2: Command and Control (TC 7-100.2)
This chapter focuses on tactical command and control (C2). It explains how the OPFOR expects to direct the forces and actions described in other chapters of this TC. Most important, it shows how OPFOR commanders and staffs think and work. In modern war, the overriding need for speedy decisions to seize fleeting opportunities drastically reduces the time available for decisionmaking and for issuing and implementing orders. Moreover, the tactical situation is subject to sudden and radical changes, and the results of combat are more likely to be decisive than in the past. OPFOR C2 participants, processes, and systems are designed to operate effectively and efficiently in this environment.
Contents
Concept and Principles
The OPFOR defines command and control as the actions of commanders, command groups, and staffs of military headquarters to maintain continual combat readiness and combat efficiency of forces, to plan and prepare for combat operations, and to provide leadership and direction during the execution of assigned missions. It views the C2 process as the means for assuring both command (establishing the aim) and control (sustaining the aim). The OPFOR’s tactical C2 concept is based on the following key principles:
MIssion Tactics
OPFOR tactical units focus on the purpose of their tactical missions. They continue to act on that purpose even when the details of an original plan have become irrelevant through enemy action or unforeseen events.
Flexibility Through Battle Drill
True flexibility comes from soldiers in tactical units understanding basic battlefield functions to such a degree that they are second nature. Battle drills are not viewed as a restrictive methodology. Only when common battlefield functions can be performed rapidly without further guidance or orders do tactical commanders achieve the flexibility to modify the plan on the move.
Accounting for Mission Dynamics
The OPFOR recognizes that enemy action and battlefield conditions may make the originally selected mission irrelevant and require an entirely new mission be acted upon without an intermediate planning session. An example would be an OPFOR fixing force that finds itself the target of an enemy fixing action. To continue solely as a fixing force would actually assist the enemy in achieving his mission. In this case, the OPFOR unit might choose to change its task organization on the move and allocate a part of the fixing force to the exploitation force and use a smaller amount of combat power to keep the enemy fixing force from being able to influence the fight. OPFOR tactical headquarters constantly evaluate the situation to determine if the mission being executed is still relevant and, if not, to advise the commander on how best to shift to a relevant course of action. Each situation requires the commander at each level of command to act flexibly, exercising his judgment as to what best meets and sustains the aim of his superior.
Command and Support Relationships
OPFOR units are organized using four command and support relationships, summarized in table 2-1 and described in the following paragraphs. These relationships may shift during the course of an operation in order to best align the force with the tasks required. The general category of subordinate units includes both constituent and dedicated relationships; it can also include interagency and multinational (allied) subordinates.
| Relationship | Commanded by | Logistics from | Positioned by | Priorities from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constituent | Gaining | Gaining | Gaining | Gaining |
| Dedicated | Gaining | Parent | Gaining | Gaining |
| Supporting | Parent | Parent | Supported | Supported |
| Affiliated | Self | Self or "Parent" | Self | Mutual Agreement |
Constituent
Constituent units are those forces assigned directly to a unit and forming an integral part of it. They may be organic to the table of organization and equipment (TOE) of the administrative force structure forming the basis of a given unit, assigned at the time the unit was created, or attached to it after its formation.
Dedicated
Dedicated is a command relationship identical to constituent with the exception that a dedicated unit still receives logistics support from a parent headquarters of similar type. An example of a dedicated unit would be the case where a specialized unit, such as an attack helicopter company, is allocated to a brigade tactical group (BTG). The base brigade does not possess the technical experts or repair facilities for the aviation unit’s equipment. However, the dedicated relationship permits the company to execute missions exclusively for the BTG while still receiving its logistics support from its parent organization. In OPFOR plans and orders, the dedicated command and support relationship is indicated by (DED) next to a unit title or symbol.
Supporting
Supporting units continue to be commanded by and receive their logistics from their parent headquarters, but are positioned and given mission priorities by their supported headquarters. This relationship permits supported units the freedom to establish priorities and position supporting units while allowing higher headquarters to rapidly shift support in dynamic situations. An example of a supporting unit would be a multiple rocket launcher battalion supporting a BTG for a particular phase of an operation but ready to rapidly transition to a different support relationship when the BTG becomes the division tactical group (DTG) reserve in a later phase. The supporting unit does not necessarily have to be within the supported unit’s area of responsibility (AOR). In OPFOR plans and orders, the supporting command and support relationship is indicated by (SPT) next to a unit title or symbol.
Affiliated
Affiliated organizations are those operating in a unit’s AOR that the unit may be able to sufficiently influence to act in concert with it for a limited time. No “command relationship” exists between an affiliated organization and the unit in whose AOR it operates. Affiliated organizations are typically nonmilitary or paramilitary groups such as criminal cartels or insurgent organizations. In some cases, affiliated forces may receive support from the DTG or BTG as part of the agreement under which they cooperate. Although there will typically be no formal indication of this relationship in OPFOR plans and orders, in rare cases (AFL) is used next to unit titles or symbols.
Note. In organization charts, the affiliated status is reflected by a dashed (rather than solid) line connecting the affiliated force to the unit with which it is affiliated (see the examples in figures 2-1 and 2-2). This is not to be confused with dashed boxes, which indicate additional units that may or may not be present.
Tactical-Level Organizations
OPFOR tactical organizations fight battles and engagements. They execute the combat actions described in the remainder of this TC.
In the OPFOR’s administrative force structure (AFS), the largest tactical-level organizations are divisions and brigades. In peacetime, they are often subordinate to a larger, operational-level administrative command. However, a service of the Armed Forces might also maintain some separate single-service tactical-level commands (divisions, brigades, or battalions) directly under the control of their service headquarters. (See FM 7-100.4.) For example, major tactical-level commands of the Air Force, Navy, Strategic Forces, and the Special-Purpose Forces (SPF) Command often remain under the direct control of their respective service component headquarters. The Army component headquarters may retain centralized control of certain elite elements of the ground forces, including airborne units and Army SPF. This permits flexibility in the employment of these relatively scarce assets in response to national- level requirements.
For these tactical-level organizations (division and below), the organizational directories of FM 7-100.4 contain standard “TOE” structures of the AFS. However, these administrative groupings normally differ from the OPFOR’s go-to-war (fighting) force structure. (See FM 7-100.4 on task- organizing.)
Divisions
In the OPFOR’s AFS, the largest tactical formation is the division. Divisions are designed to be able to⎯
- Serve as the basis for forming a DTG, if necessary. (See discussion of Tactical Groups, below.)
- With or without becoming a DTG, fight as part of an operational-strategic command (OSC) or an organization from the AFS (such as army or military region) or as a separate unit in a field group (FG).
- Sustain independent combat operations over a period of several days.
- Integrate interagency forces up to brigade or group size.
- Execute all of the actions discussed in this TC
Integrated Fires Command
The integrated fires command (IFC) is a combination of a standing C2 structure and task- organizing of constituent and dedicated fire support units. Division or DTG and above have IFCs. Brigades, BTGs, and below do not. All division-level and above OPFOR organizations possess an IFC C2 structure-staff, command post (CP), communications and intelligence architecture, and automated fire control system. The IFC exercises C2 of all constituent and dedicated fire support assets retained by its level of command. This includes army aviation, artillery, and missile units. It also exercises C2 over all reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA) assets allocated to it. (See chapter 9 for more detail on the IFC.)