text: Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
  1-36. When a corps or division support area is designated, the MEB, in most cases, is given responsibility
  for it. The MEB is normally task-organized units that support movement, protection, area security, and
  defense tasks throughout the support area. These organizations also provide area security (base/base camp
  defense, critical asset security, response force, area damage control, lines of communication, supply routes,
  and convoy security) as the predominant method of protecting support areas and areas that are necessary to
  facilitate the positioning, employment, and protection of resources required to sustain, enable, and control
  forces. If conditions in the support area degrade, it is detrimental to the success of operations. A degraded
  support area inhibits the ability to shape the deep area for the BCTs involved in close operations. Therefore,
  the protection of support areas requires planning considerations equal to those in the close areas.
  1-37. Corps and division commanders may establish a rear area, particularly in the offense as the friendly
  force gains territory, to exploit tactical success while enabling freedom of action for forces operating in other
  areas. A rear area has all the characteristics of a close area, with the purpose to consolidate gains through
  decisive action once large-scale combat has largely ended in that particular AO.
  1-38. The division rear area grows as BCTs in close operations advance. When division boundaries shift, as
  is likely during the offense, the corps rear area grows and the balance of security and stability tasks may shift
  toward a stability focus, as conditions allow. The unit responsible for the corps rear area conducts
  consolidation of gains activities designed to set conditions for the handover of terrain to host-nation forces
  or legitimate civilian authorities.
  SUPPORT TO DECISIVE ACTION
  1-39. Decisive action is the continuous, simultaneous execution of offensive, defensive, and stability
  operations or DSCA tasks. ARFOR conduct decisive action. Commanders seize, retain, and exploit the
  initiative while synchronizing their actions to achieve the best effects possible. Operations conducted outside
  the United States and its territories simultaneously combine three elements of decisive action—offense,
  defense, and stability. Within the United States and its territories, decisive action combines elements of
  DSCA and, as required, offense and defense to support homeland defense.
  1-40. Decisive action begins with the commander’s intent and concept of operations. Decisive action
  provides direction for an entire operation. Commanders and staffs refine the concept of operations during
  planning and determine the proper allocation of resources and tasks. Throughout the operation, they may
  adjust the allocation of resources and tasks as conditions change.
  1-41. The simultaneity of decisive action varies by echelon and span of control. Higher echelons generally
  have a broader focus than lower echelons when assigning responsibilities to subordinates. The higher the
  echelon, the greater the possibility that all elements of decisive action occur simultaneously within its AO.
  At lower echelons, an assigned task may require all the echelons’ combat power to execute a specific task.
  For example, in some form a higher echelon, such as a corps, always performs offensive, defensive, and
  stability or DSCA operations simultaneously. Subordinate brigades perform some combination of offensive,
  defensive, and stability operations, but they generally are more focused by their immediate priorities on a
  specific element, particularly during large-scale combat operations.
  1-42. Unified land operations addresses combat with armed opponents amid populations. This requires
  ARFOR to shape civil conditions. Winning battles and engagements is important, but it is not always the
  most significant task in a specific strategic context. Shaping civil conditions with unified action partners is
  generally important to the success of all campaigns, and thus it is a critical component of all operations.
  1-43. Unified land operations encompass both competition and entirety of the conflict continuum. They are
  conducted in support of all four Army strategic roles. The relative emphasis on the various elements of
  decisive action varies with the purpose and context of the operations being conducted. See figure 1-5, page
  1-10.