text: The Defense
  capabilities. These additional tasks help to set the conditions for a successful defense in the main battle area
  by separating enemy forces from each other and denying them the ability to mass at their decisive points.
  8-16. At the attack’s onset, defending units yield the initiative to enemy forces. However, they exploit the
  advantages of prepared, mutually supporting positions organized for all around defense and knowledge of
  the terrain to slow the enemy’s momentum. Defending units hinder enemy offensive preparations by using
  lethal and nonlethal means to reduce the coherence of the enemy force’s attack and begin to wrest the
  initiative from the enemy force. The defending force draws the enemy into engagement areas where
  defending forces can initiate combat on their own terms. The defending force surprises the enemy with
  concentrated and integrated fires that violently erupt on exposed enemy formations from concealed and
  protected positions. Defending units then counterattack enemy forces with repeated unexpected attacks and
  they exploit small tactical successes and opportunities to stop the attacker’s momentum.
  8-17. The defending force does not have to kill every enemy soldier, squad, or combat system to be
  successful. It only has to destroy the enemy’s ability to synchronize a combined arms team or the enemy
  soldiers’ will to fight. Those events signal a transition period that affords the defending commander the
  opportunity to seize the initiative and return to the offense.
  8-18. Units consider the implications of combat on the civilian population. Civilians often affect friendly
  combat operations. Units conduct operations in accordance with U.S. and international law. This may mean
  that civilians place demands on logistics systems or place themselves in combat areas, influencing fire
  coordination measures and synchronization of warfighting functions.
  8-19. The common defensive planning considerations addressed in paragraphs 8-20 through 8-133 apply to
  all defensive operations. In the defense, synchronizing the elements of combat power allows units to
  desynchronize and destroy the enemy. Defensive synchronization normally results from detailed planning
  and preparation among the various units participating in an operation. While these activities may be separated
  in time and maneuver space, they are synchronized so the enemy feels their combined consequences at
  decisive times and places. All defenses are a mix of static and dynamic actions. As an operation evolves,
  units shift main and supporting efforts to press the engagement and keep the enemy off balance. Synchronized
  prior planning and preparation bolsters the unit’s combat power and increases the effectiveness of the
  defense.
  COMMAND AND CONTROL
  8-20. A defense generally imposes few restrictions on the defending unit. It allows freedom of maneuver
  within assigned boundaries but requires units to prevent enemy penetration of the rear boundary. This mission
  allows units to distribute forces to suit the terrain and plan an engagement that integrates direct and indirect
  fires. Commanders ensure that subordinate unit defensive plans are compatible and that control measures,
  such as contact points and phase lines, are sufficient for coordination when assigning areas. The defensive
  plan addresses what happens when the defense transitions.
  8-21. Defensive operations are often difficult to conduct because the enemy force possesses the initiative
  and usually has superior combat power. Defending units may have to frequently shift supporting efforts to
  contain the enemy’s attack until the defending force can seize the initiative. This may require units to adjust
  subordinate units’ assigned areas, repeatedly commit and reconstitute the reserve, and modify the original
  plan.
  8-22. Units begin defensive preparations immediately upon moving into position. A technique that units use
  is reporting set and established to indicate their level of preparation. “Set” occurs when defending units are
  in position and prepared to conduct a hasty defense. “Established” occurs when defending units are prepared
  to conduct a deliberate defense according to the base plan.
  8-23. Defending units may change task organization to respond to the existing or projected situation, such
  as forming a detachment to be left in contact before conducting a withdrawal. Whenever possible, task
  organization changes take place between units that have previously trained or operated together to take
  advantage of established interpersonal relationships. Task-organized units place special attention on ensuring
  that each element directs its efforts toward accomplishing the overall unit’s mission. This requires
  commanders to ensure the synchronizing of objectives, control measures, movement routes, and defensive