text: Movement to Contact
  the moving force. Regardless of the specific movement technique employed, subordinate elements need to
  provide mutual support and be knowledgeable of each other’s sectors of fire.
  4-35. The moving force must attempt to cross any obstacles it encounters without loss of momentum by
  conducting hasty (in stride) breaches. Units use forward security forces in an attempt to seize intact bridges
  whenever possible. Lead security elements bypass or breach obstacles as quickly as possible to maintain the
  momentum of the movement. If lead security elements cannot overcome obstacles, commanders direct
  subsequent elements of the main body to breach the obstacle site. Following forces can also reduce obstacles
  and improve routes that hinder the unit’s sustainment flow.
  Find the Enemy
  4-36. Units gain and maintain enemy contact to further shape operations for a movement to contact. All
  information collection assets focus on determining an enemy force’s disposition and providing units with
  current intelligence and relevant combat information; this ensures that they can commit friendly forces under
  optimal conditions. Units use all available sources of combat information to find an enemy force’s location
  and disposition. Corps and divisions leverage collection assets from organic, attached, and direct support
  units; special operations forces; and joint and multinational assets to gain contact with enemy forces. BCTs
  and their subordinate battalions use their organic reconnaissance assets to gain contact. This contact may be
  in any of eight forms (see paragraphs 1-60 through 1-68 for a discussion on the nine forms of contact). Units
  use information collection systems to cue aerial and ground reconnaissance by their attached BCTs and
  combat aviation brigades.
  4-37. The enemy situation becomes clearer as the unit’s forward security elements conduct actions on contact
  to develop the situation in accordance with their commander’s intent and plan. By determining the strength,
  location, and disposition of enemy forces, these security elements allow units to focus the effects of the main
  body’s combat power against the enemy main body. The overall force must remain flexible to exploit both
  intelligence and combat information. The security force should not allow an enemy force to break contact
  unless it receives an order from the friendly force commander. When a strong covering force has not preceded
  the advance guard, the advance guard should seize terrain that offers essential observation.
  4-38. The unit’s security force often gains a tactical advantage over an enemy force by using tempo and
  initiative to conduct actions on contact, allowing it to gain and maintain contact without becoming decisively
  engaged. Decisively engaged is when a fully committed force or unit cannot maneuver or extricate itself.
  Once the lead elements of a force conducting a movement to contact encounter an enemy force, they conduct
  actions on contact. The unit treats obstacles like any other form of enemy contact, since it assumes that the
  enemy force has covered these obstacles by fire. The unit carries out actions on contact regardless of whether
  the enemy force has detected its presence. How quickly the unit develops the situation is directly related to
  its security. This tempo is directly related to the unit’s previous training to execute SOPs and drills.
  Fix the Enemy
  4-39. On contact, the main body brings overwhelming fires on enemy forces to prevent the enemy forces
  from conducting either a spoiling attack, organizing a coherent defense, or withdrawing. With the enemy
  fixed, the security force maneuvers quickly to find gaps in the enemy force’s defenses. Units use information
  collection assets to gain as much information as possible about the enemy force’s dispositions, strengths,
  capabilities, and intentions. As more intelligence becomes available, the main body attacks to destroy the
  enemy. The higher headquarters of the unit conducting the movement to contact conducts countermobility
  operations to prevent enemy reserves from moving to counter the unit’s actions.
  4-40. The security force does not allow enemy security and main body forces to maneuver against the
  friendly main body. The security force’s organization, size, and combat power are major factors that
  determine the size of the enemy force it can defeat or fix in place without deploying the main body.
  4-41. Units use aerial maneuver and fire support assets to fix enemy forces in their current positions by
  directly attacking enemy maneuver elements and command and control systems and emplacing situational
  obstacles. The typical priorities are to attack—
  * Enemy forces in contact.
  * Enemy command and control (C2) and fire direction control facilities.