text: Chapter 3
  3-13. The corps and division operational areas are normally subdivided and assigned as subordinate unit
  AOs, corps AOs to divisions and brigades, and division AOs to brigades (see FM 3-0). At corps and division
  levels, METT-TC analysis may not support an option to assign the echelon support area to a single unit. The
  area retained by the echelon may be easy to secure and control so that it can all be assigned as the echelon
  support area to a MEB with minor augmentation. As the operation progresses and the situation changes, the
  size of the echelon support area may change.
  3-14. The MEB commander plans for support area operations within an assigned support area. The AO
  responsibilities require the MEB to plan decisive, shaping, and sustaining operations within the AO. Securing
  host-nation populations and critical infrastructure must also be planned for during support area operations.
  The MEB commander and staff must synchronize and integrate numerous units and headquarters’ elements
  to conduct support area operations.
  3-15. When the operational environment or particular missions in the support area require a high degree of
  certainty and order, compliance, or centralization, the MEB commander may adjust the degree of control.
  Examples are in terrain management with the positioning and design of base camps. This is often needed for
  base-inherent defensibility, clustering of base camps for mutual support, the employment of base camps and
  base cluster response forces, and the TCF assigned to the support area. Some units that are tenants within the
  support area will not have the staff to conduct detailed IPB and defense planning and preparation needed to
  execute a decentralized command and control operation. This requires the MEB commander to conduct
  operations in a level of detail not normally done by other brigades.
  3-16. The MEB higher headquarters order should establish command and support relationships within the
  support area and give the MEB commander clear authority to request or negotiate with units for their
  compliance or support for security and defense. The MEB commander must integrate the actions of tenant
  units, to include base camps and base cluster commanders. Responsibilities may include protection,
  information collection, security, defense, movement control, fires, air support, AMD, incident response, and
  area damage control. The MEB commander coordinates decentralized execution by assigned units, base
  camps, and base cluster commanders. The MEB commander’s staff may also need to coordinate area damage
  control support to functional brigades, the sustainment brigade, or the sustainment command throughout the
  support area. The staff reviews and coordinates the supporting base camp and base cluster defense plans;
  develops plans to employ the TCF and fires; and coordinates for host-nation, joint, interagency, and
  multinational assets. See appendix D for additional information on base camps and base clusters.
  3-17. The MEB staff coordinates with the higher headquarters to establish priorities, develop plans, and
  decide when and where to accept risk in the support area. The MEB staff can use several levels of
  vulnerability, threat, and criticality assessments and the risk management process discussed in ADP 3-37 and
  ATP 5-19.
  3-18. Based on vulnerability and risk assessment, the higher headquarters may provide the MEB commander
  with additional capabilities, to include information collection support, additional security forces, or additional
  fires and other forces. The increased span of control might be excessive for the MEB commander and require
  the higher headquarters to manage areas not assigned to subordinates within its larger AO, commit another
  unit (MEB or BCT) that is capable of providing command and control for another portion of those unassigned
  areas if that is feasible, or accept risk.
  3-19. The MEB will command one of the base camps within the support area and may designate an assigned
  battalion size unit as the base camp defense commander. The MEB commander may assign subordinate unit
  boundaries within the AO.
  3-20. The MEB may use several boards or working groups during support area planning and execution. For
  example, multifunctional members of the protection working group may be used to ensure that all aspects of
  protection are considered, assessed, and incorporated.
  3-21. While CA activities are a significant part of support area operations, the division and corps information
  operations also integrates and synchronizes information-related capabilities actions to support protection and
  other warfighting functions. These information-related capabilities actions include tactical deception and
  support to joint military deception; support to mobility and countermobility, protection, intel, and fires; crowd
  sourcing; and coordination for multispectral decoy emplacements. Other staff elements at division and corps,
  including cyberspace electromagnetic activities, provide secondary jamming against enemy bypassed regular