text: Chapter 11
  also participate in stay-behind operations. This type of terrain offers cover for the movement of friendly
  infantry forces and favors using ambushes against enemy forces. Because of the restrictions on organic
  motorized transportation assets and the limited protection available to infantry units, commanders
  specifically plan for their displacement.
  11-48. Commanders may employ air assault forces in a manner similar to that of other dismounted infantry
  units in a delay. However, air assault forces possess additional useful capabilities in a delay operation.
  Because of their habitual relationship with helicopter units, they can rapidly deploy, redeploy, and disperse
  in open terrain if the weather is suitable and the necessary landing and pickup zones exist. The combination
  of dismounted infantry, attack and assault helicopters, and fire support systems found in air assault units
  allows delaying commanders to concentrate combat power rapidly at key locations to attrit enemy forces
  through repeated ambushes. The combined arms nature of air assault units also makes them extremely useful
  for conducting security and reserve operations over large geographical areas against mechanized and
  dismounted enemy forces. However, their extraction is a high-risk activity when pressured by an armored
  enemy force or in the presence of a significant air defense threat.
  11-49. The mobility, lethality, and long range of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aviation make these assets
  invaluable to a force conducting a delay. Commanders can also use air assault forces to conduct
  counterattacks and spoiling attacks as part of a combined arms force. Other uses of rotary-wing assets in a
  delay include the rapid rearward movement of sustainment assets, the deployment of infantry, and the
  deployment of reconnaissance forces.
  11-50. During a delay, countermobility is the most important engineer planning consideration. However, if
  the delaying force must cross one or more major obstacles, the major engineer planning consideration is
  mobility. Commanders set realistic and specific priorities for the engineer effort. They monitor its progress
  to prevent it from dissipating countermobility efforts throughout the area. Commanders employ engineers in
  depth. This is crucial when commanders conduct noncontiguous operations, or when enemy forces attack
  deep into the support area of a force conducting contiguous operations, or when enemy forces have the ability
  to employ weapons of mass destruction. The maneuver element provides security for the engineers so that
  they can concentrate their efforts on engineer tasks.
  11-51. Because of the importance of mobility and countermobility tasks, a unit conducting a delay probably
  has few engineer assets to devote to survivability tasks. Units should maximize the use of obscurants to
  provide concealment for movement and assembly when weather conditions are favorable. Smoke curtains,
  blankets, and haze may protect withdrawing columns, critical points, and routes. Commanders take
  precautions to ensure that the smoke does not provide a screen for the enemy’s advance. (See ATP 3-11.50
  for more information on battlefield obscuration.)
  Preparing for a Delay
  11-52. The defensive preparations outlined in Chapter 8 apply when conducting a delay. Resources,
  including time available, determine the extent of preparations. Commanders’ top priority is reconnaissance.
  Additionally, the preparation of subsequent positions receives a higher priority than it does in either a mobile
  or an area defense. It is not always possible to complete all preparations before starting delay operations.
  Consequently, delaying units continue to prepare and adapt plans as a situation develops.
  11-53. In the delay, commanders use BPs in a manner similar to the mobile defense. However, commanders
  place more emphasis on width than depth. Within each BP, most of the available firepower is oriented toward
  the expected enemy avenue of approach. Commanders must provide adequate flank and rear security, since
  the delaying unit must furnish its own security. Each crew and squad learn the routes from its primary
  positions to alternate, supplementary, and sequential positions. Furthermore, commanders conduct
  reconnaissance of subsequent BPs and prepare routes for displacing. In preparing a BP, commanders
  conducting a delay place less emphasis on installing protective obstacles, establishing final protective lines,
  and stockpiling ammunition in either an area or a mobile defense. Leaders sometimes refer to BPs as delay
  positions during the conduct of a delay.
  11-54. Commanders deploy their security force well forward of the initial delay positions to give early
  warning of any enemy forces approaching. When the security force detects and reports enemy forces
  approaching, commanders reconcile these reports against decision support matrixes and event templates to