text: Ground Tactical Plan
  the unit (who), place (where), time (when), and purpose (why). The purpose ofeach task should nest with
  completinganother task, achievinganobjective, or attaininganend state conditionto the airborne assault.
  Exampleofactivitiesinclude(cid:650)
  (cid:122) Movement and maneuver. Maneuver units conduct an airborne assault and attack to destroy
  enemy forces on objectives. Units such as scouts, cavalry, long-range surveillance and special
  operationsforces conductreconnaissanceand surveillanceneartheobjectivearea,facilitatejoint
  fires and close combat attack against identified enemy forces in the objective area, and conduct
  limitedoffensivetaskstointerdictenemyforces.
  (cid:122) Intelligence. Ensures the information collection effort focuses on drop zones and landing zones
  and the objective area to identify enemy forces for targeting by fires and aviation assets to set
  conditionsforairborneassaultexecution.
  (cid:122) Fires. While cannon artillery is part of the ABNAF, the primary support is close air support,
  naval gun fire and organic mortars initially on conduct of the airborne assault. Upon airland or
  follow-on force arrival, the field artillery battalion provides fire support on identified enemy
  positions on or near drop zones and landing zones to neutralize enemy forces and help set
  conditionsforfollow-onoperations.
  (cid:122) Sustainment. Once the lodgment or airhead is secure for air-land or follow-on forces to arrive,
  forward logistics element from the brigade support battalion can begin casualty evacuation,
  resupply, equipment recovery, and refueling of vehicle and aviation assets in support of the
  groundtacticalplan.
  (cid:122) Missioncommand. The ABNAFC maydeployinan airspacecontrolaircraftto providemission
  commandoversightofthemission.
  SECTION II – PLAN DEVELOPMENT
  4-11. The ABNAFCbegins to visualize the applicationof his ground tacticalplanto his area ofoperation
  by defining the tactical problem and then begins a process of determining feasible solutions with his
  planning staff. The ground tactical plan incorporates considerations for those actions to be taken in the
  objective area, for example, duringtheassaultandsubsequent operations phases.This isthefirstplantobe
  finalized.Itmustbekeyedontheaccomplishmentofthecommander’s conceptoftheoperation.
  4-12. Thegroundtacticalplanisdeveloped asothertacticalplansusing theprocedureas delineatedin FM
  3-90.6, Brigade Combat Team. However, the initial goal of airborne operations is the establishment of an
  airhead and its subsequent defense. Essential elements of the ground tactical plan are developed in the
  followingsequence:
  (cid:122) Assaultobjectivesandairheadline(selectedconcurrently).
  (cid:122) Airheadandsecurityareaboundaries(developedsequentially).
  (cid:122) Assaultforceandsecurityforcetaskorganization(developedsequentially).
  MISSION VARIABLES OF METT-TC
  4-13. Whenthe ABNAFisalertedfordeploymentandassigned a mission,itsassignedhigherheadquarters
  provides an analysis of the operational environment. That analysis includes the following operational
  variables:political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and time.
  The mission variables of METT-TC are used to filter the broader scope of operational variables into
  variables that directly affect a specific mission. The ABNAFC uses mission variables to gather relevant
  information for his mission analysis. This analysis enables him to combine operational variables and
  tactical-level information with knowledge about local conditions relevant to the mission. The following
  paragraphs address the mission variables of mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support
  available-timeavailableandcivilconsiderations(METT-TC).(RefertoADRP 5-0 formoreinformation.)
  MISSION
  4-14. The missionofanairborneInfantrybattalionor BCTisto closewiththe enemybymeansoffireand
  movementtodestroyorcapturehim,ortorepelhisassaultbyfire,closecombat,andcounterattack.These