text: Appendix A
  ARMY SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS
  A-24. Army support relationships are not a command authority, and they are more specific than the joint
  support relationships. Army commanders establish support relationships when subordination of one unit to
  another is inappropriate. They assign a support relationship when—
  * The support is more effective if a commander with the requisite technical and tactical expertise
  controls the supporting unit, rather than the supported commander.
  * The echelon of the supporting unit is the same as or higher than that of the supported unit. For
  example, the supporting unit may be a brigade, and the supported unit may be a battalion. It would
  be inappropriate for the brigade to be subordinated to the battalion, hence the use of an Army
  support relationship.
  * The supporting unit supports several units simultaneously. The requirement to set support
  priorities to allocate resources to supported units exists. Assigning support relationships is one
  aspect of command and control.
  A-25. Army support relationships allow supporting commanders to employ their units’ capabilities to achieve
  results required by supported commanders. Support relationships are graduated from an exclusive supported
  and supporting relationship between two units—as in direct support—to a broad level of support extended to
  all units under the control of the higher headquarters—as in general support. Support relationships do not
  alter ADCON. Commanders specify and change support relationships through task-organizing. The Army
  support relationships include—
  * Direct support.
  * Reinforcing.
  * General support-reinforcing.
  * General support.
  (See table A-3 for a list of the inherent responsibilities for each support relationship.)
  A-26. Direct support is a support relationship requiring a force to support another specific force and
  authorizing it to answer directly to the supported force’s request for assistance. A unit assigned a direct
  support relationship retains its command relationship with its parent unit, but it is positioned by and has
  priorities of support established by the supported unit. A field artillery unit in direct support of a maneuver
  unit is concerned primarily with the fire support needs of only that unit. The fire support element of the
  supported maneuver unit plans and coordinates fires to support the maneuver commander’s intent. The
  commander of a unit in direct support recommends position areas and coordinates for movement clearances
  where the direct support unit can best support the maneuver commander’s concept of the operation.
  Note. Joint doctrine considers direct support a mission rather than a support relationship.
  A-27. Reinforcing is a support relationship requiring a force to support another supporting unit. Only like
  units (for example, artillery to artillery) can be given a reinforcing mission. A unit assigned a reinforcing
  support relationship retains its command relationship with its parent unit but is positioned by the reinforced
  unit. A unit that is reinforcing has priorities of support established by the reinforced unit, then the parent unit.
  For example, when a direct support field artillery battalion requires more fires to meet maneuver force
  requirements, another field artillery battalion may be directed to reinforce the direct support battalion.
  A-28. General support-reinforcing is a support relationship assigned to a unit to support the force as a whole
  and to reinforce another similar-type unit. A unit assigned a general support-reinforcing relationship is
  positioned and has priorities established by its parent unit and secondly by the reinforced unit. For example,
  an artillery unit that has a general support-reinforcing mission supports the force as a whole and provides
  reinforcing fires for other artillery units.
  A-29. General support is that support given to the supported force as a whole and not to any particular
  subdivision thereof. Units assigned a general support relationship are positioned and have priorities
  established by their parent unit. A field artillery unit assigned in general support of a force has all of its fires
  under the immediate control of the supported commander or his designated force field artillery headquarters.