text: The Brigade Combat Team and the Operational Environment
  of detailed plans,including multiple branches and sequels (ADP 3-90). Determining the right choice involves
  balancing several competing factors.
  2-94. The decision to conduct a hasty or deliberate operation is based on the commander’s current knowledge
  of the enemy situation and assessment of whether the assets available (including time) and the means to
  coordinate and synchronize those assets are adequate to accomplish the mission. If they are not, the
  commander takes additional time to plan and prepare for the operation or bring additional forces to bear on
  the problem. The commander makes that choice in an environment of uncertainty,which always entails some
  risk. Ongoing improvements in command and control systems continue to assist in the development of a COP
  of friendly and enemy forces while facilitating decision-making and communicating decisions to friendly
  forces. These improvements can help diminish the distinction between hasty and deliberate operations;they
  cannot make that distinction irrelevant.
  2-95. The commander may have to act based only on available combat information—unevaluated data,
  gathered by or provided directly to the tactical commander which,due to its highly perishable nature or the
  criticality of the situation,cannot be processed into tactical intelligence in time to satisfy the user’s tactical
  intelligence requirements (JP 2-01)—in a time-constrained environment. The commander must understand
  the inherent risk of acting only on combat information,since it is vulnerable to enemy deception operations
  and can be misinterpreted. The commander’s intelligence staff helps assign a level of confidence to combat
  information used in decision-making.
  2-96. A commander cannot be successful without the capability of acting under conditions of uncertainty
  while balancing various risks and taking advantage of opportunities. Although a commander strives to
  maximize knowledge of available forces,the terrain and weather,civil considerations,and the enemy,a lack
  of information cannot paralyze the decision-making process. A commander who chooses to conduct hasty
  operations must mentally synchronize the employment of available forces before issuing fragmentary orders.
  This includes using tangible and intangible factors, such as subordinate training levels and experience, a
  commander’s own experience, perception of how the enemy will react, understanding of time-distance
  factors,and knowledge of the strengths of each subordinate and supporting unit to achieve the required degree
  of synchronization. (SeeADP 3-90 for additional information.)
  CLOSE COMBAT
  2-97. Only on land do combatants routinely and in large numbers come face-to-face with one another. Close
  combat is that part of warfare carried out on land in a direct fire fight,supported by direct and indirect fires
  and other assets (ADP 3-0). Close combat destroys or defeats enemy forces. It encompasses all actions that
  place friendly forces in immediate contact with the enemy where the commander uses fire and movement in
  combination. Our forces or the enemy can initiate close combat.
  2-98. The primary mission of subordinate elements of the BCT is to close with the enemy by means of fire
  and movement to destroy,defeat,or capture the enemy,to repel the enemy assault by fire,close combat,and
  counterattack,or all of these. Units involved in close combat may—
  (cid:122) Employ direct and indirect fires.
  (cid:122) Execute combined arms maneuver to obtain positions of relative advantage.
  (cid:122) Receive effective enemy direct and indirect fires.
  (cid:122) Have no or only a limited ability to maneuver.
  (cid:122) Have a battalion/squadron or one or more of its companies/troops decisively engaged.
  2-99. Close combat places a premium on leadership,positive command andcontrol,and clear and concise
  orders. During close combat,leaders have to think clearly,give concise orders,and lead under great stress.
  Key terms used within this section and throughout this publication include the following:
  (cid:122) Defeat—to render a force incapable of achieving its objectives(ADP 3-0).
  (cid:122) Destroy—a tactical mission task that physically renders an enemy force combat-ineffective until
  it is reconstituted. Alternatively,to destroy a combat system is to damage it sobadly that it cannot
  perform any function or be restored to a usable condition without being entirely rebuilt
  (FM3-90-1).