text: Movement to Contact
  4-19. Units primarily rely on fires assets to weight the lead element’s combat power, but they also provide
  the lead element with the additional combat enablers needed to accomplish the mission. Indirect fires system
  support maneuver forces to get within direct fire range and engage enemy forces.
  4-20. The reconnaissance effort may proceed faster in a movement to contact than in a zone reconnaissance
  because the emphasis is on making contact with enemy forces. However, commanders must recognize that
  there is an increased risk in bypassing enemy units when increasing the speed of the reconnaissance effort.
  4-21. Based on mission variables, commanders clearly state bypass criteria. For example, an armored or
  Stryker BCT commander in an open desert environment could state that the bypass criteria is an enemy-
  mounted force smaller than a platoon. The BCT clears all enemy forces larger than a mounted platoon from
  that brigade’s axis of advance. Any force that bypassed an enemy unit must maintain contact with it until
  handing it off to another friendly element, usually a force assigned a follow and support mission. See
  paragraph 12-27 for a discussion on bypass criteria.
  4-22. The intelligence officer, assisted by engineer and air defense staff representatives, carefully analyzes
  the terrain, including air avenues of approach. At a minimum, the intelligence staff identifies the enemy
  force’s most dangerous and most likely COA in the mission analysis portion during the MDMP. Because of
  the force’s vulnerability, the intelligence officer must not underestimate enemy forces during a movement to
  contact. A thorough intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) process—a modified combined obstacle
  overlay that includes intervisibility overlays, threat courses of action, and event templates—enhances the
  force’s security by indicating danger areas where the force is most likely to make contact with enemy forces.
  It also helps to determine movement times between phase lines and other locations. Potential danger areas
  are likely enemy defensive locations, engagement areas, observation posts, and obstacles. The fires system
  targets these areas. They become on-order priority targets placed into effect or cancelled as the lead element
  can confirm or deny enemy force presence. The information collection annex of the movement to contact
  order must address coverage of these danger areas. If reconnaissance forces cannot clear these areas, more
  deliberate movement techniques are required. These areas and resource shortages should be identified during
  the MDMP process. Resources should be reallocated, or maneuver adjusted based on the results of COA
  analysis.
  4-23. Commanders develop decision points to support changes in the force’s movement technique or
  movement formation. Using human and technical means to validate decision points, commanders determine
  the acceptable degree of risk based on the mission. The commander’s confidence in the products of the IPB
  process and the acceptable risk determine the unit’s movement formation and scheme of maneuver. In a high-
  risk environment, it is usually better to increase the distance between forward elements and the main body
  than to slow the speed of advance.
  4-24. Higher headquarters execute supporting operations in support of their subordinates as part of a
  movement to contact. This occurs when the information regarding the enemy reserves and follow-on forces
  is available, but information regarding enemy forces in proximity to the friendly force is not available. As in
  any other type of operation, units plan to focus operations on finding enemy forces and then delaying,
  disrupting, or destroying each enemy force before it arrives in direct fire range. This allows maneuver forces
  to prepare to engage enemy units on their arrival.
  4-25. Commanders can opt not to designate a main effort until forces make contact with enemy forces, unless
  there is a specific reason to designate one. They retain resources under direct control to reinforce the main
  effort. Commanders may designate the main effort during the initial stages of a movement to contact because
  of the presence of a key piece of terrain or an avenue of approach.
  PREPARING A MOVEMENT TO CONTACT
  4-26. The preparations for conducting a movement to contact are the same as those for an attack. (See
  paragraphs 5-32 through 5-46 for additional information on preparation for attacks.) The only difference is
  the focus on battle drills since the location and disposition of the enemy is unknown.