text: Attack
  FOLLOW THROUGH
  5-88. Once the objective is seized and friendly forces establish security, subordinate units clear their
  objective of enemy forces, consolidate and reorganize, and prepare for enemy counterattacks. Units position
  their armored and antitank systems in overwatch to cover likely enemy mounted avenues of approach.
  Mechanized infantry forces normally dismount and orient along likely dismounted and mounted avenues of
  approach. Mortars, command posts, and sustainment assets move forward to consolidate. Units also dispatch
  patrols to ensure contact with any adjacent friendly forces. Otherwise, a gap would occur, which an enemy
  force could exploit during a counterattack. Units are responsible for establishing contact with units to their
  left and right as defined by the direction to enemy forces.
  5-89. When the situation allows, units work to gain or maintain contact with those enemy forces that have
  abandoned their recent positions or objectives immediately after the friendly assaults conclude. Units send
  patrols in any direction required to maintain or regain contact with enemy forces in their assigned areas.
  Higher echelon commanders reposition their information collection assets and adjust their missions as
  necessary to maintain contact. With an understanding of the friendly and enemy situation, commanders have
  a decision to make. They can exploit success and continue their attacks or terminate their attack. After seizing
  an objective, the most likely on-order mission is to continue the attack.
  Continuing the Attack
  5-90. Units seek to achieve a breakthrough that can turn into an exploitation or a pursuit by continuing their
  attacks. A breakthrough is a rupturing of the enemy’s forward defense that occurs as a result of an
  attack. At BCT echelon and below, units maintain contact and attempt to exploit their success. Normally, a
  division, corps, or higher echelon commander, makes the decision regarding whether to initiate an
  exploitation or pursuit or to terminate offensive actions.
  5-91. Units plan logical sequels to their attacks as part of their follow through. Attacking forces plan for
  exploitation. Exploiting forces plan for the pursuit of a defeated enemy force. Units seek to employ their
  subordinate forces during an exploitation without overextending their sustainment capabilities. Commanders
  plan to have fresh units pass around or through forward units to sustain their attacks’ momentum. They may
  assign these fresh units with the task of follow and support or follow and assume in an effort to maintain
  tempo. Commanders of any unit conducting the offense envision how, under what conditions, where, and
  when their unit transitions to the defense, based on possible enemy countermoves and other events.
  5-92. Fire support assets move quickly to take advantage of the natural reduction in support requirements
  that occur when their supported unit takes enemy positions. Field artillery units reposition to where they can
  support renewed attacks when ammunition supplies and enemy actions permit. Attacks by manned and
  unmanned aircraft systems can provide support while these artillery systems reposition. Road conditions,
  such as destroyed bridges or large numbers of dislocated civilians, and unit cross-country mobility
  capabilities affect the exact time of repositioning.
  5-93. Units attempt to exploit the deterioration of enemy positions by attacking before enemy forces can
  reconstitute an effective defense. Units employ precision-guided munitions in combination with the
  maneuver of armor or Stryker formations, Army aviation, and air support to achieve decisive results.
  5-94. Ordinarily, defending enemy forces attempt to hold their positions until nightfall to be able to complete
  their withdrawal under the cover of darkness. Attacking units maintain pressure, continuing their attacks at
  night. Friendly units maintain enemy contact through these attacks. This keeps enemy forces off balance and
  makes their withdrawal from action extremely difficult. If enemy forces are too strong to overrun, friendly
  units concentrate their efforts on enveloping or encircling retrograding enemy forces when enemy forces try
  to conduct a delay. Attacks aggressively pushed through the hostile front may isolate major elements and
  force enemy forces to evacuate their entire defensive position before they can construct viable fallback
  positions.
  5-95. Successful attacking units penetrate deeply into hostile positions to attack enemy reserves, artillery,
  command and control nodes, and lines of communications. Either assault or support units attack the enemy
  force’s newly exposed flanks to widen gaps in the enemy’s defensive position. Units send forces that have a
  high degree of tactical mobility through those gaps to exploit the penetration, attack the enemy force from