text: Chapter 6
  positions, security areas, force requirements, the locations of tactical assembly areas, and other planned
  locations. Building on preparations made during competition, units occupy these positions and, when able,
  they make improvements to overhead cover, concealment, communications, and fields of fire. Friendly forces
  hinder enemy detection efforts by combining real preparations with preparations of fake positions. Defensive
  preparations during competition, particularly the establishment of survivability positions, preserve combat
  power when enemy preparatory fires commence with little or no warning.
  6-65. Forward-stationed forces that have a mission to reposition at the outset of armed conflict require
  familiarization and understanding of routes and future positions. They acquire this during competition. As
  part of rehearsals, units exercise alert and recall procedures, load plans, ammunition draws and distributions,
  tactical road marches, and passages of lines with the actual units that they would pass through. Leaders ensure
  rehearsals reflect combat conditions as much as possible, and they pay attention to details such as limited
  visibility movements, secure radio communications with allies, and in-transit maintenance plans.
  6-66. Army forces, especially those stationed in forward locations or tasked to protect critical joint
  capabilities, continuously improve the survivability of their positions. Whenever possible, leaders ensure that
  key capabilities are mobile, and they take active measures to complicate their targeting during competition
  and crisis by moving them irregularly, using camouflage, digging in when stationary, and maintaining
  dispersion. Unit standards and discipline, inculcated and habituated with a protection mindset during training,
  determine success or failure during the opening phases of a conflict.
  6-67. Depending upon what a specific OPLAN says or a situation dictates, some forward-stationed forces
  may reposition to tactical assembly areas to conduct specific tasks or preserve combat power. They may
  conduct these operations in or out of contact, and leaders must plan and rehearse them to be successful. When
  they involve rearward passage of lines through allied forces, units participate in rehearsals using the same
  procedures and secure communications planned for actual execution to maintain operations security.
  6-68. When bypassed by enemy maneuver forces, commanders of forward-positioned forces take the
  initiative to stay in the fight. They seek to defeat elements of enemy follow-on forces. They make every
  attempt to disrupt enemy sustainment and long-range fires capabilities conducting deep strikes against
  friendly forces. These operations are most successful when supported by local populations. (See paragraphs
  6-159 through 6-161 for more information on passages of lines. See paragraph 6-190 for more information
  on retrograde operations.)
  Control Strategic Lines of Communications and Key Terrain
  6-69. Controlling strategic lines of communications and key terrain is essential to the joint force’s ability to
  project sustain combat power. Russia and China can contest joint operations across the globe, from the
  strategic support area in the continental U.S., along air, land, and maritime shipping lanes, to intermediate
  staging bases, and forward to tactical assembly areas. Because strategic lines of communications usually
  include key land areas, Army forces play a critical role in defending them.
  6-70. Enemies integrate conventional and irregular warfare capabilities to disrupt lines of communications
  from the strategic support area to the close area. Enemy air, space, cyberspace, and missile capabilities are
  able to range targets anywhere in the world. Enemies can employ espionage or surrogates to attack
  infrastructure and populations in the continental United States. Enemy surface and subsurface maritime
  capabilities, in conjunction with unconventional approaches, will disrupt maritime lines of communications.
  Enemy medium- and long-range fires will contest the ability of Army forces to move combat power into
  forward tactical assembly areas.
  6-71. Army forces control key staging areas such as airfields, railheads, and ports. They employ survivability
  methods and techniques appropriate to the situation to harden their positions. Depending on the operational
  and mission variables, these areas may be vulnerable to enemy cyberspace attacks and other methods of
  information warfare, espionage, terrorist attacks, special operations forces, ballistic missile attacks, and
  weapons of mass destruction.
  6-72. Although the other Services are responsible to secure the air and maritime lines of communications,
  Army forces may secure some land areas, especially in vicinity of airfields and ports. Aircraft and ships must
  displace at irregular intervals to complicate enemy targeting, which in turn complicates planning
  requirements when Army forces are required to provide protection or other forms of support. Securing key