text: Preparation
  INITIATE SECURITY OPERATIONS
  5-26. Security operations serve to protect the force from surprise and threat attacks during preparation. While
  often considered in terms of specific missions that physically screen, guard, cover, or provide area or local
  security, security operations should also include IRC tasks that provide these same protections in the
  informational and cognitive dimensions of the information environment. Military deception, OSPEC, space
  operations, and cyberspace operations all support security operations. Not including these IRC effects into
  plans potentially puts the force at risk.
  INITIATE TROOP MOVEMENTS
  5-27. During preparation, IRCs are positioned or repositioned, as necessary, to ensure they can fulfill their
  assigned tasks. IO unit augmentation and integration also occurs during preparation.
  INITIATE NETWORK PREPARATION
  5-28. IO supports the commander’s ability to optimize the information element of combat power. In terms
  of establishing and readying the network, units must think in terms of both technical and human networks.
  Technical networks have to be set up, engineered, tailored, and tested to meet the specific needs of each
  operation. Similarly, human networks have to be initiated, cultivated, and refined during preparation. The IO
  officer coordinates the establishment of networks that help shape the information environment favorable to
  friendly objectives. The goal of establishing each category of network is to ensure the availability, reliability,
  accuracy, and speed of information to facilitate shared understanding and decision making.
  MANAGE AND PREPARE TERRAIN
  5-29. Terrain management is the process of allocating terrain by establishing areas of operation, designating
  assembly areas, and specifying locations for units and activities to deconflict activities that might interfere
  with each other (ADRP 5-0). While terrain is physical and geographic, it is a subset of the operational and
  information environments. When commanders designate areas of operation, they are simultaneously
  assigning responsibility to specific portions of the information environment. One of the most important
  reasons for managing physical terrain is to avoid fratricide. The same rationale exists for the information
  environment: to avoid information fratricide. For example, the IO officer can ensure control measures are
  established to deconflict EW activities with MISO efforts to inform the local populace through radio
  broadcasts.
  5-30. Analysis of the information environment during IPB leads to an understanding of aspects of the
  information environment in which friendly forces have an advantage and in which they are disadvantaged.
  During preparation, the IO officer, in concert with the IO working group and its members, undertake actions
  to exploit the advantages and overcome the disadvantages. For example, if cellular phone communication is
  essential to strengthen coordination between U.S. forces and an indigenous ally and cell towers are non-
  existent or degraded, mobile towers could be deployed.
  CONDUCT CONFIRMATION BRIEFINGS
  5-31. A confirmation brief is a briefing subordinate leaders give to the higher commander immediately after
  the operation order is given. It is the leaders’ understanding of the commander’s intent, their specific tasks,
  and the relationship between their mission and the other units in the operation. The IO officer assists
  subordinate commanders and their IO representatives with these briefings when the commander’s intent and
  specific tasks are IO-focused or have aspects related to IO. They also assist subordinate commanders to
  deduce IO implied tasks and to understand the information environment in their area of operations.
  CONDUCT REHEARSALS
  5-32. The IO officer participates in unit rehearsals to ensure IO is integrated with overall operation and to
  identify potential problems during execution. The IO officer may conduct further rehearsals of tasks and