text: Offense
  OPERATIONS PROCESS
  6-16. Command and control within the operations process involves a continuous development process of
  estimates, decisions, assigning tasks and missions, executing tasks and missions, and acquiring feedback.
  The operations process includes deriving missions, formulating concepts, and communicating the
  commander’s intent successfully. Information products and the interpretations result in decisions and
  directives. Based on the commander’s guidance,the staff recommends—
  (cid:122) Suspected enemy locations and courses of action(COAs).
  (cid:122) Formation and task organization of forces (planned two levels down,tasked one level down).
  (cid:122) Information collection plan(enemy’s strength,disposition,and location).
  (cid:122) Decision points:
  (cid:131) To support changes in the movement formation.
  (cid:131) To counter/take advantage of enemy action.
  (cid:131) To commit/not commit additional assets.
  (cid:122) Security plans to protect the main body.
  (cid:122) Priorities of fire.
  (cid:122) Bypass criteria.
  (cid:122) Missions(task and purpose)for subordinate units.
  (cid:122) Control measures.
  INFORMATION
  6-17. Command and control involves acquiring and displaying information. All units continually acquire
  information about the mission,enemy,terrain and weather,troops and support available,time available,civil
  considerations (METT-TC) through a variety of means. Units send and receive information, manage the
  means of communicating the information,and filter and maintain the information in a form that is convenient
  to the decision-making process. The commander records decisions as plans and orders that serve as input to
  thecommand and controlprocess at the next lower echelon. Feedback from subordinate units provides input
  to the BCT’s command and control process thus contributing to an ongoing process. (See FM 3-90-1 for
  additional information.)
  CONTROL MEASURES
  6-18. The BCT commander and staff select control measures,including graphics,to control subordinate units
  during operations associated with offensive operations (including subordinate tasks and special purpose
  attacks) and form of maneuver to establish responsibilities and limits that prevent subordinate units’actions
  from impeding one another. The commander and staff establish control measures that foster coordination and
  cooperation between forces without unnecessarily restricting freedom of action. Control measures should
  foster decision-making and subordinate unit initiative. For example,the lateral boundaries of the unit making
  the decisive operation are narrowly drawn to help establish the overwhelming combat power necessary at the
  area of penetration.
  6-19. The commander assigns, as a minimum, an area of operations to every maneuver unit, a line of
  departure or line of contact;time of the attack or time of assault;phase lines(PLs);objective;and a limit of
  advance to control and synchronize the attack. The commander can use a battle handover line—a designated
  phase line where responsibility transitions from the stationary force to the moving force and vice versa
  (ADP3-90)—instead of a limit of advance if the commander knows where the likely commitment of a
  follow-and-assume force will occur. The commander locates the limit of advance beyond the enemy’s main
  defensive position to ensure that suitable terrain in immediate proximity to the objective is denied to the
  enemy,and that maneuver space is available for consolidation and reorganization in anticipation of an enemy
  counterattack. If the operation results in opportunities to exploit success and pursue a beaten enemy, the
  commander adjusts existing boundaries to accommodate the new situation. (See section IV for a discussion
  of control measures associated with offensive operations.)