text: PART I
  Airborne Operations
  Chapter 2
  Organization and Employment
  An airborne operation involves the air movement into an objective area of combat
  forces and their logistic support for execution of a tactical, operational, or strategic
  mission (JP 3-18). The means employed may be any combination of airborne units,
  air transportable units, and types of transport aircraft, depending on the mission and
  the overall situation. This chapter focuses on the role, organization, and capabilities
  of the airborne assault force (ABNAF) as well as the duties and responsibilities of
  personnel within or task-organized to an airborne (ABN) Infantry brigade combat
  team(IBCT)forairborneoperations.
  SECTION I – AIRBORNE ASSAULT FORCE
  2-1. An airborne assault is the use of airborne forces to parachute into an objective area to attack and
  eliminate armed resistance and secure designated objectives (JP 3-18). An ABNAF comprises an ABN
  IBCT with capabilitiesorganized,trained,andequippedtogainentryinto an operationalareato enablethe
  conductoffollow-onoperationsorconduct a singularmission.
  2-2. TheABNAFseizesanairhead to destroyorcaptureenemyforces;repelenemyassaultsbyfire,close
  combat, or counterattack; for follow-on forces; or for any combination. It can deploy rapidly and be
  sustained by an austere support structure; and can conduct operations against conventional and
  unconventional enemy forces in all types of terrain and climate conditions. This section addresses how an
  ABNAF is organized to include distinct levels of echelon employment and application to conduct an
  airborneassault
  ORGANIZATION OF FORCES
  2-3. Once the commander determines the principal features of the ground assault plan (scheme of
  maneuver and fire support), he task-organizes subordinate units to execute assigned missions and
  determines boundaries. To ensure unity of effort or to increase readiness for combat, part or all of the
  subordinate units of a command can be formed into one or more temporary tactical groupings (teams or
  taskforces),eachunder a designatedcommander.Nostandardorganizationcanbeprescribedinadvanceto
  meetallconditions. Infantryunits usuallyformthe tactical nucleusofthe team; Infantry unit commanders
  leadthe teams.These teamsaretailored fortheinitialassaultbythe attachmentofsupportingunits. These
  supporting units join the Infantryunits as soon as possible in the marshalling area to plan and prepare for
  the initial assault. Dependent on the ground tactical plan, certain supporting units may be detached once
  centralized control is gained. Other units such as higher echelon command posts can be attached for the
  movementonly.