text: Engineer Planning
  functions. Each of these functions is interrelated, and throughout the course of an operation, a sustainment
  brigade will likely perform one or more of these functions simultaneously.
  Engineer staffs and commanders are essential to the sustainment of engineer organizations and
  capabilities operating at every echelon. Sustainment for engineer units and capabilities that are organic,
  assigned, or attached directly to a supported unit is the responsibility of the leaders and staffs of the unit they
  support, but the higher echelon engineer staff officer will retain an interest in the status of their support. The
  engineer staff officer must also work closely with the supported unit logistics staff to assist in planning,
  preparing, executing, and assessing operations, which will most likely require extensive engineer materials
  and resources. When engineer or multifunctional headquarters units are provided, the organic logistics staff
  within that headquarters provides sustainment planning for the engineer force under its C2. Engineer
  battalions provide logistics support to subordinate units through organic forward support companies.
  COMMAND AND CONTROL OF ENGINEER FORCES
  The C2 of engineers consists of two distinct but interrelated functions: command of engineer forces
  conducting operations, and staff control of assets and activities critical to the supported commander’s
  mission. Engineer units execute the operations process while remaining nested with the operations process
  of supported units. The interaction may be primarily through an engineer staff assigned to the supported unit
  or through staff counterparts. In some cases, a supported unit may not have assigned or attached engineer
  staff, so the supporting unit will provide this support as well. In situations where the supported unit does have
  an assigned engineer staff at EAB include the division, corps, and theater army headquarters. The engineer
  staff at these headquarters aid their commanders with the control of engineer forces by establishing control
  mechanisms and shaping the command and support relationships of the tailored force.
  WORKING GROUPS, BOARDS, AND CELLS
  Commanders at each echelon may establish working groups, boards, or cells to manage and coordinate
  functional or multifunctional activities. The engineer staff are key members on many of these and may chair
  construction-related groups. Working groups conduct staff coordination at the action officer level and prepare
  materials for decisions to be made at a board. Boards establish policies, procedures, priorities, and oversight
  to coordinate the efficient use of resources when imparted with decision-making authority. Cells group
  personnel from various sections on a headquarters authorization document to integrate key functions, such
  as cells focused on each warfighting function. See FM 6-0 for a full discussion of working groups, boards,
  and cells.
  Commanders and staff engineers must manage their personnel to ensure that critical meetings, working
  groups, boards, and cells have the right engineer representation. Senior engineers must not only create cross-
  sharing systems on digital or analog systems to share information vertically between echelons, but also
  horizontally across the AO to create shared understanding across engineer formations. This may require
  routine situational reports sent to higher headquarters, operational reports such as obstacle and route
  reporting, and requests for support to reprioritize engineer capabilities across the AO. Inputs into a meeting
  include not only facts and data points, but also an analysis of why that data is relevant to the mission. Engineer
  meeting outputs have importance and must feed into other decision-making boards (such as the Joint Facility
  Utilization Board or the Joint Targeting and Coordination Board) to drive future actions, funding, approvals,
  or engineer effects in the AO.
  The geospatial engineering units available to the commander may become part of the command’s
  geospatial intelligence cell. The geospatial intelligence cell is comprised of the people and capabilities that
  constitute the geospatial intelligence support, to include imagery and geospatial assets. The cell ensures that
  geospatial intelligence requirements are coordinated through appropriate channels as applicable and
  facilitates shared access of various domains. This cell may be centrally located or distributed throughout the
  command and connected by networks. Cell members do not have to work directly for a designated geospatial
  intelligence officer; they may work for their parent unit, but coordinate efforts across staff directorates.