text: Chapter 7
  PLANNING A PURSUIT
  7-18. Units anticipate an enemy fleeing from the battlefield as either a branch or a sequel to the plan. The
  plan identifies possible forces for security, direct pressure, encircling, follow and support, and reserve as well
  as issue an on-order or be-prepared mission to these forces. They should employ the maximum number of
  available maneuver forces in the pursuit. Units base the details of their plans on the enemy force’s anticipated
  actions, the formation of attacking troops, and the amount of planning time available. Commanders and staffs
  also consider—
  * Possible routes the enemy force might use to flee from the battlefield.
  * Availability of information collection assets to detect enemy forces and acquire targets in depth.
  * Scheme of movement and maneuver.
  * Availability and condition of pursuit routes.
  * Availability of forces to keep the pressure on the enemy force until its destruction is complete.
  * Critical terrain features.
  * Use of reconnaissance and security forces.
  * Allocation of munitions and aviation support.
  * Availability of functional and multifunctional support and sustainment resources.
  7-19. Pursuit planning addresses the possibility of defending temporarily during operational pauses while
  preparing to continue the pursuit or to consolidate gains. However, using an operational pause generally
  results in the abandonment of the pursuit because the enemy force is able to use that time to organize a
  coherent defense. The pursuit plan results in forces prepared to conduct wide-ranging operations using all
  available maneuver assets throughout the assigned area to complete the destruction of the enemy force.
  7-20. Units must address how to detect the enemy force from fleeing the battlefield. Otherwise, the enemy
  force may succeed in reorganizing and establish a hasty defense. Units look for indicators of an enemy
  fleeing, such as when the enemy force—
  * Lacks the capability to maintain its current position or cohesion.
  * Conducts limited local counterattacks.
  * Intensifies reconnaissance and intelligence efforts.
  * Increases the amount of rearward movements and changes the type of elements conducting them,
  especially by fire support and reserves.
  * Prepares facilities, installations, equipment, and supply stockpiles for demolition and destruction.
  * Decreases fire in intensity and effectiveness through the assigned area.
  * Increases fires in one or more individual portions of the front that do not relate to the developing
  situation, or when the amount of defensive fires seems to be decreasing.
  7-21. The presence or absence of any of these signs may not necessarily indicate the start of a retrograde
  operation. The enemy force could be attempting to draw friendly forces into an ambush or setting up a
  counterattack as part of its defense. When commanders initiate a pursuit, they often create the encircling
  force from uncommitted or reserve elements. Normally, these forces do not have allocated fire support assets.
  Units plan how to redistribute fire support assets to support the encircling forces. Attack helicopters and
  fixed-wing aircraft are well suited to support the encircling force.
  7-22. Engineer mobility and countermobility assets sustain the rate of advance and hinder the enemy force’s
  withdrawal. Engineers prepare the route of advance and support the lateral dispersion of units transitioning
  to the pursuit and the movement of the reserve. During the pursuit, units plan for engineers to provide assault
  bridging and emergency road repairs to sustain the tempo of the pursuit. Units also plan to use engineer assets
  to block any bypassed enemy force’s withdrawal routes by using antitank and command-operated mines,
  demolitions, and obstacles.
  7-23. Sustainment units plan for increased demand for fuel and maintenance as the tempo of operations
  increases. In the pursuit, priority for sustainment normally goes to units having the greatest success.
  Sustainment planners need to anticipate success, since the depth of the pursuit depends on the capability of
  sustainment assets to support the operation. Units should plan to sustain as far forward as possible during the
  pursuit, including attaching bulk sustainment assets further down than normally considered. The sustainment