text: Using the Operational Framework
  some of their assets in their subordinate units’ support areas to facilitate timely support to their operations.
  Corps are most likely to do this to maintain tempo.
  Planning Considerations for Support Areas
  C-35. In the support area, the primary considerations of commanders and their staffs is the positioning,
  employment, and protection of assets required to sustain, enable, and control operations. Some critical
  considerations are—
  * Command and support relationships between units in the support area.
  * Transportation networks (including road, rail, inland waterways, and air) into and out of the area.
  * Protection from enemy indirect fire assets.
  * Survivability of critical assets.
  * Terrain management and security responsibilities.
  * Displacement considerations to sustain tempo and shorten lines of communication.
  * Movement control into, through the support area, and out of units enabling combat operations.
  C-36. Planners must account for the differing nature of the majority of units performing functions in the
  support area and plan accordingly. Some capabilities may not arrive quickly in theater due to mobilization
  and movement restrictions. Therefore, planners must consider when capabilities arrive in theater. To
  compensate for any limitation or critical need, options include other Services, multinational partners, host-
  nation contractors, and DOD logistics contracts when available.
  C-37. During large-scale combat, operations in the support area are vital to the overall success of an
  operation. Displacing the corps or division support areas require significant planning and preparation for
  successful execution. Support area operations are integrated into all planning efforts and accounted for in any
  course of action and subsequent scheme of maneuver. Commanders may decide to control these operations
  from their main command post or delegate that control to their rear command post based upon the situation
  and overall operations.
  DOCTRINAL TEMPLATE
  C-38. Paragraphs C-55 through C-68 briefly explain a doctrinal template for the operational framework based
  upon relevant friendly and enemy weapons systems. The purpose of this template is to provide commanders
  and staffs with a common point of reference to which they can apply the variables specific to their operations
  during planning. This template is one expression of the science of operations.
  C-39. Figure C-4 on page C-11 shows a generic AO for corps, divisions, and field armies in large-scale
  combat based upon some basic calculations using current Army capabilities. Frontages were determined
  using the ranges of direct fire weapon systems, available ISR systems, and the operational reach of select
  systems (air and missile defense, unmanned aircraft system, and reconnaissance and aviation assets). Physical
  depth of the battlefield is primarily driven by the effective ranges of friendly joint and adversary fire systems
  combined with the reconnaissance assets assigned to those echelons. The depth of the close and deep areas
  are based on friendly indirect fires systems, the ability to observe fires, and the ability to detect enemy forces.
  These calculations do not account for specific types of operations or the terrain. Commanders and staffs must
  analyze the mission variables to determine the actual frontage echelons can reasonably command and control.
  FRONTAGES
  C-40. Using the information listed in paragraph C-55, the following frontages can be derived for the division,
  corps, and field army:
  * A division’s frontage is from 18 to 28 kilometers (11 to 17 miles), depending upon whether the
  division has 2 or 3 BCTs abreast and those individual frontages.
  * A corps’ frontage is from 55 to 85 kilometers (34 to 53 miles), depending upon whether the corps
  has 2 or 3 divisions abreast and those division's individual frontages.
  * A field army’s frontage is from 110 to 250 kilometers (68 to 155 miles), depending upon whether
  the field army has 2 or 3 corps abreast and those corps’ individual frontages.