Movement to Contact

Question 1

Define Movement to Contact

Answer 1

A form of the offense designed to develop the situation and to establish or re-gain contact

Question 2

(2) Methods of contucting a movement to contact

Answer 2

Approach March: Advance of a combat unit when direct contact with the enemy is imminent. Location of the threat or conflict is roughly known, or at least confined within/along a relatively known area. A commander employs this form of a movement to contact when the enemy is operating in larger, organized elements whose locations may be generally—but not specifically—known, when seeking to gain or regain contact with the enemy and develop specific information on their disposition, or when contact is possible and security is more important than speed.

Search and Attack: Used to develop the situation, deny the enemy the ability to operate in a given area, or when the enemy is operating in small, dispersed elements. A commander employs this form of movement to contact when the enemy is operating as small, dispersed elements whose locations cannot be determined to targetable accuracy by methods other than a physical search, when the task is to deny the enemy the ability to move within or operate from a given area, or as a possible method of conducting a clearing task. Regiments and below normally conduct search and attack operations, though examples of divisions using this method exist.

Question 3

Planning considerations for conducting a movement to contact

Answer 3

Receive the order and analyze your mission
* Uncertain enemy situation
* We are seeking to develop the situation through contact with the enemy
* Time compressed environment
* We are seeking decisive engagement on our terms
* We are seeking to regain and maintain contact with the enemy

Analyze the Enemy
* Contact Remote
* Contact Possible or Probable
* Contact Imminent

Question 4

What are the (4) general types of offensive operations? (MAEP)

Answer 4

• Movement to Contact
• Attack
• Exploitation
• Pursuit

Question 4

(2) methods of bounding overwatch utilized during the conduct of movement to contact

Answer 4

Alternate Bounding Overwatch
Successive Bounding Overwatch

Question 5

Likely main body tasks

Answer 5

• Clear
• Destroy
• Interdict

Question 6

Likely advance guard tasks

Answer 6

• Fix
• Clear

Question 7

Likely rear/flank task

Answer 7

Guard

Question 8

Movement to Contact SOM

Answer 8

• Distribution of Forces
• TCMs
• Axis of Advance / Route
• Planned formation changes
• Planned movement technique changes
• Planned rotations
• Planned dispersion
• Consolidation plan for when we culminate or expect to transition to the defense

Question 9

Movement to Contact TCMs

Answer 9

• Line of departure
• Phase lines
• Check points
• Contact points
• Axis of advance
• Boundaries

Question 10

Search and attack task organization

Answer 10

• Finding (reconnaissance)
• Fixing
• Finishing