text: Chapter 11
  multifunctional support units and supporting sustainment assets displace as early as possible, normally during
  periods of limited visibility. The early displacement of sustainment units can also prevent revealing friendly
  future operations to the enemy force.
  11-6. A retrograde movement is any movement to the rear or away from the enemy. Such movements
  may be classified as a withdrawal, retirement, or delaying action. Retrograde operations generally require
  more Class III and possibly more Class V supplies than during the conduct of other defensive operations.
  These supplies must be available for emergency issue. These two factors combine to increase the demand for
  transportation assets and maneuver space on MSRs. This, in turn, increases the need for movement
  management and pre-positioned services and supplies. Sustainment units carry and cache necessary fuel and
  ammunition stocks as required by the specific situation.
  11-7. The sustainment provided must be mobile to cope with demands of the tactical situation that typically
  occur during a retrograde operation. Units prevent unnecessary supplies from accumulating in areas projected
  for abandonment. Only essential medical and logistics support should be located in the area involved in the
  retrograde operation.
  11-8. Commanders establish maintenance, recovery, evacuation priorities, and destruction criteria for
  inoperable equipment. Maintenance requirements generally overwhelm the organic capabilities of forward
  units during a retrograde operation. Higher headquarters place as much maintenance, recovery, and
  evacuation assets forward as possible to augment or relieve combat elements of the burden of repairing
  unserviceable equipment. Recovery and evacuation vehicles position themselves at critical locations to keep
  disabled vehicles from blocking movement routes. Forward units evacuate systems that they cannot repair
  within established timelines. They use all available means to accomplish this, including equipment
  transporters and armored vehicles with inoperative weapon systems. Units destroy inoperable equipment to
  prevent its capture when recovery and evacuation are impossible. When possible, units destroy the same vital
  components in each type of system to prevent the enemy from rapidly exploiting captured friendly systems
  through battlefield cannibalization.
  11-9. Commanders assign transportation priorities for the movement of combat troops and their supplies, the
  movement of obstacle materials to impede enemy forces, and the evacuation of casualties and repairable
  equipment. Units keep MSRs open and decontaminated as necessary. They also increase the amount of
  transportation assets available to assist in the retrograde.
  11-10. Generally, units use alternate supply routes rather than just a few main supply routes. Some routes
  remain open for traffic moving to the front while the bulk of functional and multifunctional support and
  sustainment units displace farther rearward. Commanders designate and reserve routes for civilian traffic
  including dislocating civilians. Commanders avoid designating routes that cross or otherwise interfere with
  the unit’s MSRs as much as possible.
  11-11. The senior military person present determines when to request medical evacuation and assigns
  precedence of evacuation. The advice of the senior medical person at the scene, the patient’s condition, and
  the tactical situation all influence this decision. Assignment of medical evacuation precedence is necessary.
  The precedence provides the supporting medical unit and controlling headquarters with information used in
  determining priorities for committing their evacuation assets. For this reason, correct assignment of
  precedence cannot be overemphasized; overclassification remains a continuing challenge. Medical assets
  evacuate patients as quickly as possible, consistent with available resources and pending missions. Medical
  elements supporting the retrograding force provide rapid evacuation of casualties to medical facilities.
  Medical evacuation requirements are especially demanding in the large assigned areas common to the
  retrograde. Units may augment the ground ambulance capabilities of supporting forward medical units.
  VARIATIONS OF RETROGRADE
  11-12. Variations of retrograde have unique conditions and their own planning considerations. The three
  variations of retrograde are—
  * Delay.
  * Withdraw.
  * Retirement.