5 30 046 - Defense Technical Information Center

1 O/ THE TASK FORCE TACTICALOPERATIONS Center : AN ORGANIZATIONFOR SUCCESSA MonographI byMajor Thomas R. GoedkoopArmorDTICS 'F!..CTPt,4030 1989 School of Advanced Military StudiesUnited States Army Command and General Staff CollegeFort Leavenworth, Kansas3 First Term AY 88-89 Approved for Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited8"13 '89 5 30 046 SECURITY CQ ASSjP,CA, :O , np -- S :,CEForm ApprovedREPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No 0704-0188la REPORT SECoRilv C-AS ' CAT ON rZ SECURITY CLASS,,CAT O " AU'-ORIT> 3 DST B BjT1ON AVALAB;KTY OF REPORTAPPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE;2b DECLASSF 'CATION DOW\NGRAD!NG SC-EDUjLE DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED4 PERFORMING ORGAN ZAON REPORT '.,MBER(S S MO,,TORING ORGANZATiON REPORT NLMBER(S)6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGAN!ZATiON E:. 'F7CE SYMBOL 7a NAME OF MONiTORNG ORGANIZATIONSCHOOL OF ADVrNCED MILITARY (if appicable)STUDIES, USAC&GSC ATZL-SWV6c.)

2 ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 7b ADDRESS (Cty, State, and ZIP Code)FORT LEAVENWORTH, KA-NSAS 66027-69008a NAME OF FUNDING,' SPONSORhNG 8B OFC CE SYMBOL 9 OPOCLREMENT NT !DENTFICAT:ON NuVBERORGANIZATION (if applicable)8c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 10 SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERSPROGRAM IPROJECT TASK WORK UNITEEMENT NO NO NO. ACCESSION TITLE (Include Security Classification)THE TASK FORCE TACTICAL OPERATIONS Center : AN ORGANIZATIONFOR SUCCESS (U)12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S)MAJOR THOMAS R. GOEDKOOP , USA13a TYPE OF REPORT 7 3b TIME COVERED 14 DATE OF REPORT (Vear, Month, Day) 5 PAGE COUNTMONOGRAPH FROM TO 88/11/27 1 5916. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION17. COSATI CODES 18 SUBJECT -ERMS (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP 'COMMAND AND CONTROL, TACTICAL OPERATIONS Center , )COPERATIONS, TASK FORCE TACTICAL OPERATIONS19.

3 ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)THIS MONOGRAPH ATTEMPTS TO FILL THE CURRENT DOCTRINAL VOID CONCERNING PRACTICAL SOLUTIONSTO RECURRING TACTICAL OPERATION Center (TOC) WEAKNESSES. FIRST, CURRENT TASK FORCECOMMAND AND CONTROL DOCTRINE IS REVIEWED TO FORM A FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD. NEXT,COMiMAND AND CONTROL EXECUTION TASKS THAT A TOC MUST ACCOMPLISH ARE PRESENTED. CURRENTUNIT JABLES OF ORGANIZATION AND QUIPMENT ARE THEN REVIEWED TO ESTABLISH WHAT ASSETSARE NORMALLY AVAILABLE TO THE TASK FORCE WITH WHICH TO ESTABLISH A TOC. THEN, RECURRINGN4 TIONAL TRAINING Center TASK FORCE TWC FAULTS ARE ADRESSED. XINALLY, THREE TASK FORCETOC CONFIGURATIONS ARE PRESENTED AND COMPARED. THIS PAPER CONCLUDES THAT ADDITIONAL TACTICTECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES MUST BE INCLUDED IN ARMY DOCTRINAL MANUALS, AND RECOMMENDSAN EFFECTIVE OPERATIONAL CONFIGURATION FOR THE TASK FORCE TOC WHICH CAN ACCOMPLISH ITSCOMMAND AND CONTROL TASKS ON THE AIRLAND DISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY OF ABSTRACT 21 ABSTRACT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION[0 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED [-1 SAME AS RPT C1 DTIC USERS UNCLASSIFIED22a.]]

4 NAME OF RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 'Th TELEPHONE (Include Area Code) 22c OFFICE SYMBOLMAJ THOMAS R. GOEDKOOP (913) 684-2138 ATZ. qWVDD Form 1473, JUN 86 Previous editions are obsolete SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEUNCLASSI FI EDThe Task Force Tactical Operations Center :An Organization For SuccessbyMajor Thomas R. GoedkoopSchool of Advanced Military Army Command and General Staff CollegeFort Leavenworth, Kansas27 November 1988 Approved for public release; distribution is of Advanced Military StudiesMonograph ApprovalName of Student: Major Thomas R. GoedkoopTitle of Monograph: The Task Force Tactical OperationsCenter: An Organization For SuccessApprovedMonograph DirectorLieuten olonel Jimmie F. Holt, , School ofColotIre L. D. Holder, MA Advanced MilitaryStudiesS Director, GraduatePhilip J. Brookes, Degree ProgramsAccepted this 4_41_ day of eC Ztd-4"1"& 198 Accesslon ForfNTIS RAkIDTIC TAF E31 Unnoun c e ElC ' Qt rlbutloa/ _____Avaii'l C3odeosAvI A '.

5 D/orm m l IABSTRACTTHE TASK FORCE TACTICAL OPERATIONS Center : AN ORGANIZATIONFOR SUCCESS by Major Thomas R. Goedkoop, USA, 59 its inception, the National Training Center (NTC) hasprovided extensive Information on recurring unit of these, is the inability of the task force tacticaloperations Center (TOC) to accomplish its command and controlfunctions properly. During the past five years, Field Manual71-2, The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force,has undergone constant revision based upon extensivecoordination between the Armor and Infantry Schools, theCombined Arms Center , the National Training Center , and unitsin the field. In spite of this coordination, the resultingapproved final draft of this manual, dated January fewer practical solutions to the recurring TOCoperation weaknesses than did its monograph attempts to fill this doctrinal voidconcerning the functional responsibilities, organization, andoperation of a task force tactical operations , current task force command and control doctrine isreviewed to form a foundation on which to build.

6 Next, commandand control execution tasks that a TOC must accomplish arepresented. Current unit Tables of Organization and Equipmentare then reviewed to establish what assets are normallyavailable to the task force with which to establish a , recurring NTC task force TOC faults are , three task force TOC configurations are presented paper concludes that additional tactics, techniques,and procedures must be included in Army doctrinal manuals, andrecommends an effective operational configuration for the taskforce TOC which can accomplish its tasks on the OF CONTENTSCHAPTER P AGE~1.. 1Ii. Doctrinal Task Force Command and Control Overview ..4 III. Doct-inal Command and Control Functions of the TOO 10IV. TOG Table of Organization and Equipment Laydown .. 20V. Task Force TOG Weaknesses at the 24V1. Organization of the 30 VII. Comparison of TOG 43 VIII. 56 CHAPTER IINTRODUCTIONThe United States Army's current capstone doctrinalmanual, Field Manual (FM) 100-5 Operations, outlines theway its forces must operate on the modern a non-linear, integrated battlefield of increasedtempo, units will operate over vast distances withweapons of increased lethality.

7 Under such conditions,commanders will continue to operate with incompleteinformation. Clausewitz's dictum that "a great part ofthe Information obtained in war is contradictory, a stillgreater part is false, and by far the greatest part isuncertain," remains as true today as it was when firstwritten over one hundred and fifty years ago.' Success onthe AirLand battlefield depends upon the ability to achievethe rapid and considered concentration of "synchronizedpulses of combat power" at decisive points in space andtime during the course of battles and campaigns. Theability to accomplish these requirements depends upon aneffective command and control system. This maneuverdoctrine, combined with the fielding of the Abrams tank andthe Bradley fighting vehicle, has placed new demands on thetactical command and control system. Victory will go tounits which can capitalize on their relative advantage ofagility.

8 As General Starry said, "no element of the AirLandBattle concept is more essential to the development of aneffective war-fighting capability than command andcontrol." 7 During the past five years, FM 71-2, The Tank andMechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force, has undergoneconstant revision based upon close coordination betweenthe Armor and infantry Schools, the Combined Arms Center ,and the National Training Center (NTC), to betterdescribe the tactical employment of the battalion / taskforce on the AirLand Battlefield. The resulting approvedfinal draft dated January 1988, is superior to theprevious editions, but still does not include many of themethods, techniques, and procedures necessary toefficiently command and control the task force on themodern battlefield, especially with respect to theoperation of the task force tactical operations Center (TOC).One of the recurring unit observations at theNational Training Center <NTC) is the inefficientoperation of the task force TOC, resulting in the taskforces's inability to marshal its substantial combat power,and operate in accordance with the tenets of the purpose of this monograph is to fill an apparentdoctrinal void, and provide the reader with specificrecommendations on execution responsibilities as well asways to organize and operate an effective task force TOC2during operations, which can accomplish its command andcontrol functions on the AirLand this monograph, I will first review current Armydoctrine to provide a framework for task force commandand control including task force command posts and theirfunctions.

9 Then, specific TOC execution command andcontrol tasks as related to the seven operating systemswill then be will then review current Tables of Organization andEquipment (TOE) to identify the personnel an4 equipment,both organic and included in the task force "slice" whichhabitually supports the task force and operate from theTOC. Next we will look at recurring TOC operation faultsand their causes as identified during NTC trainingrotations. Then, I will take these authorized assets, andorganize three task force TOC configurations whichaccomplish the required command and control functionsduring the operational phase of combat, Finally, I willcompare and contrast each configuration usingsurvivability, mobility, and operational effectiveness ascriteria, and recommend a TOC organization which bestaccomplishes the doctrinal tasks in the conditions dictatedby the modern and equipment used throughout thismonograph depict an Armor battalion base orga-l1ed underthe final J-series Table of Organization and 2 DOCTRINAL TASK FORCE COMMAND AND CONTROL OVERVIEW"The command and control system must befaster and more effective than the enemy'ssystem.

10 This allows the commander to receiveand process Information and to make decisionsfaster than the enemy. The overriding goal ofthis system is to implement the commander'swill in pursuit of an "FM 71-2 There is nothing more important to success on thebattlefield than effective command and control. Neitherthe best equipment nor the most skilled soldiers are ofmuch value if lost, uncoordinated, or not we look at the specific responsibilities ofthe task force TOC, a general understanding of thedoctrinal command and control system at the battalionlevel is precise organization of assets to control unitswithin the battalion will depend on the personnel andequipment the commander has available, as well as thepersonal preference of the task force normally operates the followingcommand and control facilites during tactical operationsfrom which the task force commander, assisted by hisstaff, directs the battle and sustains the force.