text: The Brigade Combat Team and the Operational Environment
  formations move in as dispersed a manner as possible while retaining the capability to mass effects against
  enemy forces at opportune times and places. Joint enablers become more effective when an enemy has no
  time to focus on singular friendly capabilities inthe fivedomains. Units perform attacks that penetrate enemy
  defenses or attack them frontally or from a flank. Depending on the situation, they also infiltrate enemy
  positions,envelop them,or turn enemy forces out of their current positions. Those units then exploit success
  to render enemy forces incapable of further resistance. (See chapter 6 for additional information on the
  offense.)
  2-71. In the defense, the division and BCT commanders’ intent and concept of operations may be to use
  available fires to defeat, deter, or delay an enemy before major enemy forces come into direct fire range
  within the MBA. Corps and division commanders’concept may be for field artillery cannon and rockets,and
  offensive cyberspace operations to conduct suppression of enemy air defenses to enable combat aviation
  brigade attack reconnaissance assets and joint fires to delay or disrupt the approach of enemy second echelon
  or reserve forces. Thus,allowing those MBA BCTs to complete their defeat of the enemy’s initial attack with
  their organic assets before enemy second echelon or reserve forces join close combat operations. Defending
  commanders direct the delivery of effects in multiple domains to establish positions of relative advantage
  necessary for a successful counterattack. Defense plans at each echelon retain a reserve regardless of the
  defensive operation assigned. The reserve must be an uncommitted force available for commitment at the
  decisive moment during the operation. The division or BCT tasked to provide the defensive forward security
  force (see chapter 5) might conduct either a cover or guard mission, or other offensive operation to set
  conditions to regain the initiative and transition to the offense. (Seechapter 7 for additional information on
  the defense.)
  Note.Controllingcommander coordinates for the fire support coordination line to be closer to the
  forward edge of the battle area to better facilitate the employment of joint fires. BCT commanders
  establish coordinated fire lines to facilitate the employment of surface-to-surface fires.
  2-72. When the stability element of decisive action currently dominates actions within a BCT’s area of
  operations, the responsibility for providing for the needs of the civilian population generally rests with the
  host-nation government or designated civil authorities, agencies, and organizations. The BCT performs
  minimal-essential stability operationsto provide security,food,water,shelter,and medical treatment when
  there is no civil authority present. Under these conditions,the BCT commander assesses available resources
  against the mission to determine how best to conduct these minimum-essential stability operations tasks and
  what risks must be accepted. The priorities and effort given to stability operations tasks will vary within each
  subordinate unit’s area of operations. Within this stability environment,area security may be the predominant
  method of protecting the civilian population and support and consolidation areas that are necessary to
  facilitate the positioning, employment, and protection of resources required to sustain, enable, and control
  forcesand the civilian population. (Seechapter 8 for additional information on stability.)
  DECISIVE ACTION
  2-73. Operations conducted outside the United States and its territories simultaneously combine three
  elements of decisive action—offense, defense, and stability. Through decisive action, commanders seize,
  retain,and exploit the initiative while synchronizing their actions to achieve the best effects possible. As a
  single,unifying idea,decisive action provides direction for the entire operation. Decisive action begins with
  the commander’s intent and concept of operations. The commander’s intent includes the operation’s purpose,
  key tasks, and the conditions that define the end state (see chapter 4). Commanders and staffs refine the
  concept of operations during planning and preparation and determine the proper allocation of resources and
  tasks. Throughout an operation,they may adjust the allocation of resources and tasks as conditions change.
  2-74. The simultaneity—the execution of related and mutually supporting tasks at the same time across
  multiple locations and domains (ADP 3-0)—of the decisive action is not absolute. The simultaneity of
  decisive action varies by echelon and span of control. The higher the echelon,the greater the possibility of
  simultaneous offensive,defensive,and stability operations. At lower echelons,an assigned task may require
  all the echelons’combat power(see paragraph 2-77)to execute a specific task. For example,a division always
  performs offensive, defensive, and stability operations simultaneously. Subordinate BCTs perform some