text: Overview
  deployed location without the delays associated withacquiring intermediate staging bases or repositioning
  ofsea-basedforces.(Refertothispublication,PartI,AirborneOperations,formoreinformation.)
  AIRASSAULTFORCE
  1-122. An air assault force is a force composed primarily of ground and rotary-wing air units organized,
  equipped, and trained for air assault operations (JP 3-18). Air assault forces can deploy from land-based
  facilities and ships. Fires from aircraft (manned and unmanned) or ships (surface and subsurface) take on
  addedimportance tocompensatefor the lackofartillery. Anairassault forcemayrequiretheestablishment
  of anintermediate stagingbase. These forcescanrapidlyprojectcombatpower throughoutthe depthof an
  operationalarea.(RefertoPartII,AirAssaultOperations,ofthispublicationformoreinformation.)
  COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY
  1-123. Entry forces conduct airborne and air assault operations with a preference for decentralized
  decisionmaking. The abilityto integrate and synchronize near simultaneous execution of a broad range of
  operationsis essential to presenting theenemywiththegreatest rangeofchallengesagainst whichto react.
  Designing,planningandexecutingtheseoperationsrequiresaphilosophythatembracesdecentralizationof
  resources and authorityfor portions of the force yet more centralized planning and execution for missions
  whereresourcesarescarceorstrategicsensitivitiesdemandgreatercontrol.
  COMMANDRESPONSIBILITYOFAIRBORNEOPERATIONS
  1-124. The airborne assault of a forcible entry operation is delivered by strategic airlift from the
  continental United States or by strategic or tactical airlift from an intermediate staging base. An airborne
  assault over intercontinental distance, places additional requirements on joint command and control.
  Effective employment of an airborne assault force (ABNAF) requires an organizational structure with an
  Army intermediate higher headquarters nested within the joint task force. This intermediate headquarters,
  tailored to accompanythe assault force to the objective area facilitatesthe assaultforce inthe execution of
  itsgroundtacticalplanbycontrollingenablingfunctionsandunits.(Seetable1-1,page1-23.)