text: Fundamentals of Operations
  3-155. Enemy deep operations often target friendly rear operations because they are often both vulnerable
  and essential to friendly mission success. Commanders commit combat power to protect rear operations, but
  they balance those requirements against those necessary for successful close and deep operations. Units
  involved in rear operations must protect themselves using both passive and active measures. Commanders
  and staffs must continuously reevaluate the possibility of more serious threats to rear operations and develop
  plans to meet them with minimum disruptions to ongoing close operations.
  Support Area Operations
  3-156. Support area operations are a critical part of rear operations. Support area operations are the
  tactical actions securing lines of communications, bases, and base clusters that enable an echelon’s
  sustainment and command and control.
  3-157. A support area is where units position, employ, and protect base sustainment assets and lines of
  communications required to sustain, enable, and control operations. Support area operations include
  sustainment for the echelon and relevant security operations. Support area operations enable the tempo of
  deep and close operations. Support area operations require detailed planning to coordinate among the various
  units providing sustainment, protection, and security. A maneuver enhancement brigade or BCT typically
  provides C2 for support area operations for a division or corps due to the level of security, planning, and
  integration required.
  Support Area Operations Planning Considerations
  3-158. Support area operations require detailed planning. Their security is often an economy of force effort.
  Commanders must balance their need to protect rear operations and tempo with the needs of main effort units
  committed to close and deep operations.
  3-159. Commanders consider several items when conducting support area operations. They include—
  (cid:122) Desired tempo.
  (cid:122) Enemy maneuver and fires units that threaten current and future support area operations.
  (cid:122) Additional forces required to protect the support area.
  (cid:122) C2 nodes that will occupy the support area.
  (cid:122) Command-support relationships between units in the support area.
  (cid:122) Transportation networks (road, rail, inland waterways, and air) into and out of the area.
  (cid:122) Protection from enemy indirect fire assets.
  (cid:122) Survivability.
  (cid:122) Dispersion, terrain management, and defensive responsibilities.
  (cid:122) Displacement considerations based upon the overall operation.
  (cid:122) Movement control into, through, and out of the support area.
  Command and Control of Deep, Close, and Rear Operations
  3-160. C2 facilitates the freedom to operate, delegate authority, and lead from any point on the battlefield.
  Plans are the initial basis for action, but commanders must expect substantial changes in the course of an
  operation and periods of disrupted communications. Leaders allow their subordinates to react to unanticipated
  situations through the mission command approach to C2.
  3-161. Commanders position command posts where they can best integrate capabilities and synchronize
  combat power without incurring too much risk from enemy interference. Commanders often position
  command posts and leaders in locations where they anticipate friction, and which are most vital to mission
  success. Specific mission requirements will dictate how commanders organize and array their command posts
  as well as the networks they establish to communicate during the conduct of operations. (See ATP 6-0.5 for
  a detailed discussion of command posts.)
  3-162. Staffing, equipping, and organizational concerns vary among echelons of command. In every case,
  however, the purpose of C2 is to implement the commander’s will and synchronize operations in pursuit of
  the unit’s objectives. Army forces are equipped with a variety of command posts, including main command