FM 3-37

PROTECTION

SEPTEMBER 2009
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: This manual is approved for
public release; distribution is unlimited.

HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
 This publication is available at
Army Knowledge Online (www.us.army.mil) and
General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine
Digital Library at (www.train.army.mil).
 FM 3-37

Field Manual Headquarters

No. 3-37 Department of the Army
Washington, DC, 30 September 2009

Protection

Contents
Page

PREFACE ...............................................................................................................................iv
Chapter 1 PRESERVING THE FORCE .............................................................................. 1-1
Protection Role ................................................................................................... 1-1
Operational Environment .................................................................................... 1-3
Threats and Hazards .......................................................................................... 1-3
Combat Power .................................................................................................... 1-5
Forms of Protection ............................................................................................ 1-6
Principles of Protection ....................................................................................... 1-7
Warfighting Functions ......................................................................................... 1-9
Protection Warfighting Function ......................................................................... 1-9
Composite Risk Management .......................................................................... 1-11
Chapter 2 PROTECTION WARFIGHTING FUNCTION ..................................................... 2-1
Protection Tasks and Systems ........................................................................... 2-1
Air and Missile Defense ...................................................................................... 2-1
Personnel Recovery ........................................................................................... 2-3
Information Protection ........................................................................................ 2-4
Fratricide Avoidance ........................................................................................... 2-6
Operational Area Security .................................................................................. 2-7
Antiterrorism ....................................................................................................... 2-9
Survivability ...................................................................................................... 2-12
Force Health Protection .................................................................................... 2-13
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Operations ........................... 2-15
Safety................................................................................................................ 2-17
Operations Security .......................................................................................... 2-18
Explosive Ordnance Disposal .......................................................................... 2-18
Chapter 3 PROTECTION IN FULL SPECTRUM OPERATIONS ....................................... 3-1
Full Spectrum Operations ................................................................................... 3-1
Operational Design ............................................................................................. 3-3
Security Operations ............................................................................................ 3-4

Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 i

Contents

Stability .............................................................................................................. 3-10

Civil Support ...................................................................................................... 3-15
Chapter 4 PROTECTION INTEGRATION IN ARMY OPERATIONS ................................. 4-1
Operations Process............................................................................................. 4-1
Battle Command and Protection Strategies ........................................................ 4-2
Protection and the Operations Process .............................................................. 4-5
Chapter 5 PROTECTION CELLS ........................................................................................ 5-1
Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................. 5-1
Composition ........................................................................................................ 5-3
Protection in Brigades and Below ....................................................................... 5-6
Division Protection Cell ....................................................................................... 5-6
Corps Protection Cell .......................................................................................... 5-6
Army Service Component Command Protection Cell ......................................... 5-6
Protection Working Group ................................................................................... 5-7
Appendix A PROTECTION IN FORCE PROJECTION OPERATIONS ................................ A-1
Appendix B COMBAT IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................. B-1
Appendix C PROTECTION OF MILITARY BASES .............................................................. C-1
Appendix D OPERATIONS SECURITY ................................................................................ D-1
GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................. Glossary-1
REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... References-1
INDEX .................................................................................................................... Index-1

Figures
Figure 1-1. Protection as an element of combat power ......................................................... 1-2
Figure 1-2. Security environment ........................................................................................... 1-4
Figure 1-3. METT-TC and hazard assessment factors.......................................................... 1-5
Figure 1-4. Elements of combat power .................................................................................. 1-6
Figure 1-5. Forms of protection .............................................................................................. 1-6
Figure 1-6. Principles of protection ........................................................................................ 1-8
Figure 1-7. Warfighting functions ........................................................................................... 1-9
Figure 1-8. CRM process ..................................................................................................... 1-12
Figure 3-1. Full spectrum operations ..................................................................................... 3-1
Figure 3-2. Screen security operation .................................................................................... 3-4
Figure 3-3. Guard security operation ..................................................................................... 3-5
Figure 3-4. Cover security operation...................................................................................... 3-8
Figure 3-5. Movement corridor operation............................................................................. 3-11
Figure 3-6. Whole-government, integrated approach to stability operations ....................... 3-12
Figure 3-7. Stability operations framework .......................................................................... 3-12
Figure 3-8. Controlling freedom of movement for protection .............................................. 3-13
Figure 4-1. Operations process ............................................................................................. 4-1
Figure 4-2. Continuing activities and integrating processes .................................................. 4-2

ii FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Contents

Figure 4-3. Battle command ................................................................................................... 4-3

Figure 4-4. MEB task-organized for protection tasks ............................................................. 4-4
Figure 4-5. CAL and DAL in the operations process .............................................................. 4-8
Figure 4-6. Protection cell and planning process ................................................................... 4-8
Figure 5-1. Sample protection concept for offensive operations ............................................ 5-3
Figure 5-2. Sample protection directorate at theater level ..................................................... 5-7
Figure A-1. Protection responsibilities during deployment .....................................................A-6
Figure B-1. Relationship between ROE and combat identification ........................................B-2
Figure B-2. Multiple target identification .................................................................................B-4
Figure D-1. Integration of OPSEC ......................................................................................... D-2

Tables
Table 1-1. Protection tasks and corresponding significant activities .................................... 1-10
Table 1-2. Army risk assessment matrix .............................................................................. 1-12
Table 3-1. Elements of full spectrum operations .................................................................... 3-3
Table 4-1. Expanded operations process with supporting topics ........................................... 4-5
Table 4-2. CRM process....................................................................................................... 4-10
Table 5-1. Sample protection working group activities ........................................................... 5-8
Table 5-2. Sample protection working group for vulnerability assessment ............................ 5-9
Table A-1. Protection synchronization for deployment ...........................................................A-3
Table A-2. Examples of transportation protective services ....................................................A-7

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 iii

 Preface
Field Manual (FM) 3-37 provides doctrinal guidance for commanders and staffs who are responsible for
planning and executing protection in support of full spectrum operations. It describes protection as both an
element of combat power and as a warfighting function. FM 3-37 corresponds with Army operations doctrine
introduced in the FM 3-0 capstone manual.
As the Army keystone manual for protection, FM 3-37 will help commanders understand and visualize
protection concepts and ideas and enable them to describe protection tasks and systems for integration into the
operations process. FM 3-37 expands on the protection and combined arms terminology outlined in FM 3-0. It
explains how protection can be achieved and applied through the combination and integration of reinforcement
and complementary capabilities to preserve combat power or to protect personnel, physical assets, or
information. This manual recognizes that protection has no direct antecedent from the former battlefield
operating systems, so protection is realized in many ways. Therefore, the text introduces the five forms and five
principles of protection to provide a context for battle command and a framework for task assignment:
z Forms of protection.
„ Deterrence.
„ Prevention.
„ Active security.
„ Passive defense.
„ Mitigation.
z Principles of protection.
„ Full-dimension.
„ Integrated.
„ Layered.
„ Redundant.
„ Enduring.
FM 3-37 also introduces and explains the twelve Army tasks that comprise the protection warfighting function
and describes how those tasks are realized and represented during full spectrum operations:
z Air and missile defense (AMD).
z Personnel recovery (PR).
z Information protection.
z Fratricide avoidance.
z Operational area security.
z Antiterrorism (AT).
z Survivability.
z Force health protection (FHP).
z Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) operations.
z Safety.
z Operations security (OPSEC).
z Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).

iv FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Preface

This manual affirms the composite risk management (CRM) process as the overarching process for integrating
protection into Army operations and depicts a broad methodology for determining protection priorities from
which specific decision support tools can nest. FM 3-37 provides guidance on how the protection cell within the
division, corps, and Army headquarters is formed for protection planning, preparation, execution, and
continuous assessment.

Note. It is Department of the Army (DA) policy to develop and employ all measures that prevent
attacks and minimize risks from hazards to Soldiers, civilians, their Families, infrastructures, and
information to achieve mission assurance. To adapt to an evolving environment and to achieve a
broad, coherent, and comprehensive approach to protection, the Army applies an all-hazards
approach to protection. This approach focuses on protecting personnel, physical assets, and
information from traditional, irregular, disruptive, and catastrophic threats, including criminal
activity and naturally occurring disasters. The Army will prepare to recover quickly if prevention
and protection efforts fail.

Commanders should be aware that homeland defense and civil support operations in the continental United
States (CONUS) are governed by a distinct set of laws and policies regarding the employment of forces, types
of operations, and use of force. These laws and policies must be factored into determining the appropriate use of
protection principles and tasks and systems for an operation in CONUS.
This manual follows joint doctrine and introduces several ideas to provide a context for understanding
protection within the military art and science of operations to achieve its purpose of preserving the force—
personnel (combatant and noncombatant), physical assets, and information. FM 3-37 strives for a broad
application of some universal concepts regarding protection and also integrates lessons learned from five years
of combat operations.
This manual is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Preserving the Force.
• Chapter 2, Protection Warfighting Function.
• Chapter 3, Protection in Full Spectrum Operations.
• Chapter 4, Protection Integration in Army Operations.
• Chapter 5, Protection Cells.
• Appendix A, Protection in Force Projection Operations.
• Appendix B, Combat Identification.
• Appendix C, Protection of Military Bases.
• Appendix D, Operations Security.
Definitions for which FM 3-37 is the proponent publication (the authority) are in boldfaced text and have an
asterisk in the glossary. These terms and their definitions will be incorporated into the next revision of FM 1-02.
For other definitions in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the
definition.
This publication applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard (ARNG)/the Army National Guard of
the United States (ARNGUS), and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) unless otherwise stated.
The proponent for this publication is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Send
comments and recommendations on DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms)
directly to Commanding General, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, ATTN: ATZT-TDD, 320 MANSCEN
Loop, Suite 270, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 64573-8929. Submit an electronic DA Form 2028 or comments
and recommendations in the DA Form 2028 format by e-mail to <leon.mdottdddoc@conus.army.mil>.
Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 v

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 Chapter 1
Preserving the Force
Protection of the fighting force is inherent to command. Every military activity, from
training and predeployment preparation through mission accomplishment, requires
the commander to assume responsibility for protecting the force while achieving the
objective. This chapter defines and examines protection as an element of combat
power and as a warfighting function. It introduces and discusses the forms and
principles of protection and the CRM process. The purpose of these protection
constructs, methodologies, and processes is to help frame and organize protection
activities for their integration into the operations process where they can facilitate
decisionmaking.

PROTECTION ROLE
1-1. Military activities and operations are intrinsically hazardous. Commanders and leaders conducting
full spectrum operations must assume prudent risks every day based on the significance of the mission, the
exigency of the operation, and opportunity. In warfare, this reality defines a sacred trust that must exist
between leaders and Soldiers regarding mission accomplishment and protection. A commander’s inherent
duty to protect the force should not lead to risk aversion or inhibit the freedom of action necessary for
maintaining initiative and momentum or achieving decisive results during operations. Leaders balance
these competing responsibilities and make risk decisions based on experience, ethical and analytical
reasoning, and their knowledge of the unit and the situation and through intuitive judgment. It is through
protection that commanders and leaders preserve combat power and reduce the risk of loss, damage, or
injury to their formations.

Note. In an environment where terrorism persists, protection considerations must be considered

in garrison and in preparatory phases to operations.

1-2. Protection is the preservation of the effectiveness of mission-related military and nonmilitary
personnel, equipment, facilities, information, and infrastructure deployed or located within or
outside the boundaries of a given operational area.
1-3. Protection is an element of combat power and a warfighting function. As a contributor to overall
combat power, protection represents relative potential; as a warfighting function, protection refers to twelve
specific tasks and systems that are explained in chapter 2. It is easy to confuse these two constructs while
conceptualizing, visualizing, or describing protection means and capabilities. Commanders reference
protection as an element of combat power when they understand and visualize all possible activities,
actions, and effects available for protection. Some of these actions or effects may be achieved through the
combined integration of the other five elements of combat power (movement and maneuver, intelligence,
fires, sustainment, and command and control [C2]), focused by leadership and information and resulting in
an increasingly effective and efficient concept of protection. (See figure 1-1, page 1-2.)

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 1-1

Chapter 1

Protection as an
Element of Combat
Power
Protection
Overall protection
Warfighting
potential is achieved
Function
through the combined
The protection integration of the
warfighting elements of combat
function power (protection,
employs the movement and
twelve specific maneuver,
tasks and intelligence, fires,
systems of sustainment, and C2),
protection. focused by leadership
and information.

Figure 1-1. Protection as an element of combat power

1-4. Commanders and leaders typically describe or give guidance using the warfighting functions to
identify specific tasks from which operations and missions can be developed. The protection warfighting
function—
z Serves to specifically focus the broad range of protection activities into quantifiable tasks and
relevant systems for simplification, integration, and synchronization in the Army operations
process.
z Describes the twelve specific tasks and systems that must be analyzed during planning,
organized during preparation, monitored and evaluated during execution, and continually
assessed to protect the force from threats and hazards.
1-5. All military activities have some inherent or organic protection capability. Protection capability can
be realized as complementary or reinforcing, making its application or contribution illusive to combat
power generation (see FM 3-0 for more information):
z Complementary. Complementary capabilities protect the weakness of one system or
organization with the capabilities of a different warfighting function.
z Reinforcing. Reinforcing capabilities combine similar systems or capabilities within the same
warfighting function to increase the function’s overall capabilities.
1-6. When Soldiers don a helmet or protective mask or add reactive armor to vehicles, protection is
applied and existing or inherent protection is reinforced. Protection can be applied to a convoy or high-risk
personnel (HRP) by surrounding them with security assets to reinforce their organic protection capacity.
Physical barriers, ditches, and other tangible efforts can be applied to a base camp to reinforce or apply
protection. Soldiers have vaccines applied to protect them from disease, while sensors and markings are
applied to tactical vehicles to prevent fratricide.
1-7. Protection can also be realized or achieved through task organization changes that reinforce similar
protection capabilities by a common purpose or by effect when dissimilar functions complement
predominant protection activity. Some level of protection is achieved through complementary movement
and maneuver capabilities by changing tempo, taking evasive action, or maneuvering to gain positional

1-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Preserving the Force

advantage in relation to a threat. Formations often derive protection by integrating complementary

intelligence capabilities, using terrain and weather data or the cover of darkness to mask or protect
movement. Some physical terrain features can offer more protection than others and are considered to
complement force positioning during operational design. Protection from enemy indirect fire can be the
result of reinforcing inherent survivability capabilities by dispersing command posts, while protection from
enemy reconnaissance may be the result of reinforcing inherent concealment capabilities achieved from
massing command posts.
1-8. Protection can be achieved from knowledge and understanding. An intelligence summary may
provide Soldiers with indicators or warnings of a specific threat tactic. This knowledge may result in force
preservation if actions are taken that prevent, or reduce the probability of, the success of enemy tactics.
Army leaders use mission variables and assessments of environmental threats and hazards to determine
when and where protection can be achieved through reinforcing action and application or through
complementary effect.

OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
1-9. The nature and outcome of military operations are shaped within a complex framework of
environmental factors. The operational environment (OE) is defined as a composite of the conditions,
circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the
commander. (Joint Publication [JP] 3-0) (See FM 3-0 for more information.) Commanders and leaders
charged with providing or ensuring protection must begin with a thorough understanding of the OE, the
risks and opportunities resident there, and the ways and means available for preserving combat power
through protection. Army doctrine recognizes eight operational variables (political, military, economic,
social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and time [PMESII-PT]) that can provide a
foundation for a broad assessment and understanding of the OE. These operational variables can be further
translated for use at the tactical level to support military operations, plans, missions, and orders through the
six Army mission variables (mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time
available, and civil considerations [METT-TC]). Using the METT-TC factors, leaders examine the
environment as it relates to their mission and begin the process of identifying threats and hazards.

THREATS AND HAZARDS

1-10. The protection warfighting function preserves the combat power potential and survivability of the
force by providing protection from threats and hazards.

THREATS
1-11. Threats are nation states, organizations, people, groups, conditions, or natural phenomena able to
damage or destroy life, vital resources, or institutions. (See FM 3-0 for more information.) Commanders
focus on threats to military operations that are generally coercive activities or information deliberately
conducted or implemented by an adaptable enemy or a willful threat. Army doctrine describes threats
through a range of four major categories or challenges—irregular, catastrophic, traditional, and disruptive.
(See FM 3-0 for more information.) These categories can be used to begin threat identification and
analysis; enhance situational understanding; and support plans, operations, and orders. (See figure 1-2, page
1-4.) Both threats and hazards have the potential to decrease combat power and the operational
effectiveness of the force. For this reason, their overall assessment and mitigation is accomplished through
the CRM process and applied throughout the operations process. Commanders develop risk reduction
measures and controls and threat mitigation strategies for all phases of military operations and activities.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 1-3

Chapter 1

LIKELIHOOD
IRREGULAR CATASTROPHIC
Guerilla Forces Hostile Nations and Rogue States

Actors Developing WMD Capability

Transnational Terrorists
• Escalates gradually
• Seeks to erode U.S. power • Seeks to paralyze U.S. forces
• Uses WMD threat as a deterrent

VULNERABILITY
• Protracts the struggle
• Relies on sanctuaries • Seeks to match WMD and delivery
capabilities
• Employs close combat
• Requires strategic deterrence

Radical Fundamentalists
TRADITIONAL DISRUPTIVE
Uniformed Military Forces Other Adversaries
Regional Adversaries

• Seeks to avoid conflict with the United

• Seeks to challenge U.S. power
States
• Employs modern conventional
• Directs actions against regional threats
equipment
or rivals
• Executes developed antiaccess strategy
• Seeks to marginalize U.S. power
• Avoids U.S. strength
• Employs latest or niche technologies
• Exploits U.S. vulnerabilities
• Avoids U.S. strengths
• Includes small-scale to theater war
• Exploits U.S. vulnerabilities

Figure 1-2. Security environment

HAZARDS
1-12. Hazard is a condition with the potential to cause injury, illness, or death to personnel; damage to or
loss of equipment or property; or mission degradation. (JP 3-33) (See FM 5-19 for more information.)
Army risk management doctrine provides six categories (activity, disrupters, terrain and weather, people,
time available, and legal factors) to further focus METT-TC analysis for hazard identification. (See figure
1-3.) Accidental hazards are usually predictable and preventable and can be reduced through effective risk
management efforts. Commanders differentiate hazards from threats and develop focused protection
strategies and priorities that match protection capabilities with the corresponding threat or hazard while
synchronizing those efforts in space and time. However, hazards can be enabled by the tempo or friction or
by the complacency that sometimes develops during extended military operations.

1-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Prreserving the Force

Figure 1-3. METT-TC

C and hazard assessmentt factors

COM
MBAT PO
OWER
1--13. Combat power
p is the total means off destructive, constructive,
c a informationn capabilities that a
and
m
military unit or formation cann apply at a giiven time. Arm my forces geneerate combat powerp by convverting
pootential into efffective action. (FM 3-0) (Seee FM 3-0 for more
m informatioon.) Combat poower is generaated by
transforming po otential into efffective action that is accom
mplished as leaaders use inforrmation to orgganize,
inntegrate, and fo ocus specific movement
m andd maneuver, inttelligence, firees, sustainmentt, C2, and prottection
caapabilities to form combineed arms operrations. (See figure f 1-4, paage 1-6.) Com mbined arms is the
syynchronized an nd simultaneouus application of the elemennts of combat power p to achieeve an effect greater
g
thhan if each elemment were usedd separately or sequentially. (FM
( 3-0)
1--14. Combat power
p b exactly quanntified, and its measure leadss to relative com
cannot be mbat power annalysis
annd assessmentts at best. Tacctical informattion systems and a controls measure
m and monitor
m the reelative
coombat power potential
p throuugh establishedd running estimmates and meaasures of effecctiveness (MOEs) or
m
measures of perrformance (MO OPs) to providee the context for
fo power accum mulation and expenditure.
e Leaders
innterpret and usee the informatiion to provide the
t purpose, diirection, and motivation
m that is necessary too focus
thhe operation annd accomplish thet mission.
1--15. As an elemment of combaat power, proteection represennts potential that reflects the totality of prottective
m
means in a given situation. Protection
P poteential is not absolute
a and, therefore,
t has a latent qualitty that
deepends on leaddership, missioon prioritizationn, and resourcee allocation ass its catalyst. Mission
M prioritiization
iss simply tangibble commoditiees and time. Protection
P poteential can be maximized
m by integrating
i thee other
fivve elements of
o combat pow wer with leadeership and infformation to reinforce
r proteection or to acchieve
coomplementary protective efffects. The goaal of protectionn integration at the tactical level is to balance
prrotection potenntial with the freedom of action
a throughoout the duratioon of militaryy operations. This
T is
acccomplished by b incrementaally integratingg reinforcing or complementary protection capabilities into
opperations until all significant vulnerabilitiess have been mitigated or elimminated.

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 1-5
Chapter 1

Figurre 1-4. Eleme

ents of comb
bat power

FORM
MS OF PRO
OTECTIO
ON
1-16. Protection can n take many forms. Militarry operations recognize fivve broad form ms of protectioon
(deterrrence, prevention, active seccurity, passive defense, and mitigation) too help organizee the protectioon
elemennt of combat power.
p (See figure
fi 1-5.) Thhese forms of protection suppport battle command and thhe
leaderr’s visualization to provide a context withhin which all protection
p actiivities can be understood annd
furtherr described. Thhey are nonseqquential, reflecct the continuoous nature of protection,
p andd may serve as a
methood to conceptu ualize protectioon capabilities for conductinng operations. Some militaryy activities maay
supporrt more than one form of prootection at a tim me in an overllapping manner, reflecting thhe dual nature of
o
protecction as an elemment of combaat power and as a a warfightinng function. Unlike
U maneuver, the forms of
o
protecction may oriennt on the terrainn, the protectedd asset, and/or the enemy.

F
Figure 1-5. Fo
orms of prote
ection

1-6 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Preserving the Force

DETERRENCE
1-17. The posture of an individual, formation, or structure can have a deterrent effect on threat
decisionmaking and result in protection. The presence of well-trained, equipped, disciplined troops can
often deter confrontation or conflict and protect the success of an operation or organization. Well-armed
vehicles and fortifications may also deter enemy action and provide some level of protection for occupants
and inhabitants. Random AT measures help deter terrorist attacks by disrupting routine patterns and
presenting the appearance of greater security.

PREVENTION
1-18. Prevention involves the ability to neutralize, forestall, or reduce the likelihood of an imminent attack
before it occurs; it can be achieved through deliberate action or as an effect. When linked to effective
action, information sharing can increase situational awareness and increase protection. AT, OPSEC, and
information security programs rely on situational awareness and individual protective measures to reduce
the likelihood of an accident or attack. Alert and warning systems can reduce the effectiveness of an attack
or environmental event. Prevention does not typically represent an offensive, preemptive capability, but
may employ other measures (information engagement, civil and public affairs, preventive medicine).

ACTIVE SECURITY
1-19. Dynamic activities with the organic ability to detect, interdict, avert, disrupt, neutralize, or destroy
threats and hazards while maintaining the freedom of action can provide protection to the overall operation
or force. Aggressive patrolling, route security, or local security measures in the vicinity of critical assets
and bases provide protection. Some air missile defense assets represent active security measures.

PASSIVE DEFENSE
1-20. Protection can be achieved from survivability positions, fortifications, and physical barriers that are
designed to protect forces and material from identified threats and hazards. Some level of protection can
also be derived from the geographic positioning of a formation or critical asset; this may often be the most
expedient method of providing protection for some assets or resources. Bases, base clusters, tactical
command posts, refuel-on-the-move positions, forward logistics elements, and detainee holding areas are
all positioned after considering the protection potential of a particular location. The proximity to threats and
hazards, exploitable terrain and water features, and infrastructures can contribute to combat power potential
by influencing the protection potential of a specific area. The use of camouflage or smoke provides
protection through passive means.

MITIGATION
1-21. Mitigation is the activities and efforts that—
z Have the ability to minimize the effects or manage the consequence of attacks and designated
emergencies on personnel, physical assets, or information.
z Preserve the potential, capacity, or utility of a force or capability.
z Have a protective quality.
CBRN decontamination and PR, AT, and consequence management efforts may provide protection through
mitigation and enable the restoration of essential capabilities.

PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION
1-22. The five principles of protection—full-dimension, integrated, layered, redundant, and enduring—
represent or summarize the characteristics of successful protection integration and practice. These
principles provide military professionals with a context for implementing protection efforts, developing
protection strategies, and allocating resources. They are not a checklist and may not apply the same way in
every situation. (See figure 1-6, page 1-8.)

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 1-7

Chapter 1

Fig
gure 1-6. Prin
nciples of pro
otection

FULL-DIMENSION
I
1-23. Protection is not
n a linear acctivity—it is a continuing annd enduring activity.
a Protecction efforts annd
activitties must conssider and accoount for threatts and hazardss in all directtions, at all timmes, and in alla
enviroonments. Protecction planning, coordination,, and implemenntation from hoome camp or station to an areea
of opeerations (AO) occur
o anywherre Soldiers or national
n interessts are located. (See appendixx A.) Situationnal
awarenness supports this
t principle and
a leads to an informed proteection response.

INTEGRA
ATED
1-24. Protection is integrated withh all other acttivities, system ms, efforts, and capabilities associated witth
militarry operations to
t provide strenngth and structture to the oveerall protectionn effort. Integraation must occuur
verticaally and horiizontally in all a phases of the operationns process. Protection
P inteegration shoulld
compllement other warfighting
w funnctions withouut significantlyy inhibiting thhe potential off combat poweer.
Protecction is typicallly integrated thhrough variouss forcing functtions such as working
w groupss, meetings, annd
boardss. (See chapter 5 for further innformation.)

LAYERED
D
1-25. Protection cap pabilities shoulld be arranged using a layereed approach to provide strenggth and depth to t
the ovverall protection
n system. Layeering also reduuces the destruuctive effect off a threat or hazzard through thhe
dissipaation of energyy or the culminnation of forcee and may provvide time to focus identificatiion, assessmennt,
o response effforts and actioons. Exclusion areas, barrierss, sally ports, passwords, annd
target acquisition, or
identitty badges are examples of layering tacticcs, techniquess, and proceduures (TTP) annd resources for fo
protecction.

REDUNDANT
1-26. Redundancy ensures
e that specific activities, systems, effforts, and capaabilities criticall for the success
of thee overall proteection effort have a seconndary or auxiliary effort off equal or greeater capabilityy.
Redunndant capabilities are not meerely duplicativve; they emphasize the overlapping of cappabilities so thhat
there are
a no seams in i the protectivve posture. Reddundancy mayy not be achievved in all proteection measurees,
makinng it necessary to identify thee critical pointt of failure or the critical path associated with
w each majoor
protecction activity, system,
s effort, and capability to ensure that redundancy is applied. Proteection efforts arre
often redundant and d overlapping anywhere vulnnerability, weaakness, or faillure is identifiied or expected.
Powerr generation sy ystems, water purification
p syystems, and pattrol distribution patterns are often resourceed
for reddundancy.

ENDURIN
NG
1-27. Protection hass an enduring quality
q that diffferentiates it frrom defense annd specific secuurity operationns.
Whereeas a tactical fo
orce defends onnly until it cann resume the offfense and a foormation providdes security inn a
manneer that maintaiins freedom off action, proteection has a peersistent characcter that servees one dominannt

1-8 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Prreserving the Force

puurpose—the prreservation of the protected asset or capabbility. The endduring characteer of protectionn may
afffect freedom of
o action and reesource allocattion.

WARFIGHTIING FUNC
CTIONS
1--28. Protection See figure 1-7.)) A warfightingg function is a group
n is one of the six warfighting functions. (S
off tasks and systems (people, organizations,
o information, and
a processes), united by a coommon purposse, that
coommanders usse to accompllish missions and training objectives. (F FM 3-0) Comm manders underrstand,
viisualize, descriibe, and directt operations inn terms of the warfighting fuunctions as theey represent taangible
taasks that becomme plans, orderrs, and missionns. Commanders integrate thee warfighting functions
f to geenerate
coombat power and a achieve itss full destructivve, disruptive, informationall, or constructiive potential thhrough
coombined arms. Combined arrms use inform mation and thee capabilities of each warfigghting functionn in a
coomplementary and/or reinforrcing relationshhip with other warfighting fuunctions. Proteection is not a linear
fuunction; it is a continuing acctivity that cann be sequentiallly planned buut its executionn and assessmeent are
coontinual.

Figure 1-7.. Warfighting

g functions

PRO
OTECTIO
ON WARF
FIGHTING
G FUNCT
TION
1--29. The prottection warfighhting function is the related tasks and systtems that preseerve the force so the
coommander can n apply maxiimum combat power. (FM 3-0) Preservinng the force includes prottecting
peersonnel (com
mbatants and noncombatants)
n ), physical asssets, and inforrmation of thee United Statees and
m
multinational military
m and civilian partnners. The prrotection warffighting functtion facilitatees the
coommander’s ab bility to mainttain force inteegrity and com mbat power. Prrotection deterrmines the deggree to
w
which potential threats can dissrupt operationns and counters or mitigates thhose threats.
1--30. Whereas protection as an a element of combat powerr represents prrotection potenntial with an innfinite
chharacter, the prrotection warfiighting functioon serves to foccus protection efforts on tweelve specific taasks or
syystems:
z AMD D.
z PR.
z Informmation protecttion.
z Fratriicide avoidance.
z Operational area security.
z AT.
z Surviivability.
z FHP.

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 1-9
Chapter 1

z CBRN operations.
z Safety.
z OPSEC.
z EOD.
1-31. At a minimum, commanders consider the fundamentals of each task during military operations to
ensure the timely integration of proper protection efforts that are necessary in time and space to preserve the
force while supporting decisive, shaping, or sustaining operations. (See table 1-1.) (See chapter 2 for more
information on these tasks and systems.)

Table 1-1. Protection tasks and corresponding significant activities

Protection Task Significant Activities
AMD Employment Principles
(FM 44-100) • Mass.
• Mix.
• Mobility.
• Integration.
PR • Establish PR organization.
(FM 3-50.1) • Perform cross-staff coordination.
• Analyze PR gap.
• Integrate diplomatic/military/civil PR.
• Establish PR SOPs.
• Exercise/rehearse.
• Report.
• Locate.
• Support.
• Recover.
• Return/reintegrate.
Information protection • Protect against threat events.
(FM 3-13) • Monitor/detect threat events.
• Analyze threat events.
• Respond to threat events.
Fratricide avoidance • Identify battlefield hazards.
(FM 3-90) • Verify equipment markings.
• Conduct reconnaissance.
• Analyze sectors of fire.
• Employ ROE.
• Implement fire and maneuver control measures.
• Track battlefield effects.
• Rehearse.
Operational area security • Conduct ISR.
(FM 3-90, Appendix E) • Control movement.
• Prepare response forces.
• Employ passive defense measures.
• Position sniper teams.
• Defend against attacks by fire.
• Support area damage control.
AT • Establish AT program.
(AR 525-13) • Collect, analyze, and disseminate threat information.
• Assess and reduce critical vulnerabilities.
• Plan response to terrorist threat/incident.
• Increase AT awareness.
• Maintain installation defense according to FPCON.
• Establish civil/military partnership for WMD crises.
• Conduct exercises and evaluate/assess AT plans.
Survivability • Achieve situational awareness.
(FM 5-103) • Determine degree of acceptable risk.
• Analyze terrain features.
• Establish priorities of work.
• Employ camouflage, cover, and concealment.

1-10 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Preserving the Force

Table 1-1. Protection tasks and corresponding significant activities (continued)

Protection Task Significant Activities
FHP • Prevent and control diseases.
(FM 4-02.17) • Assess environmental and occupational health.
• Determine force health activities protection.
• Employ PVNTMED toxicology and laboratory services.
• Perform health risk assessments.
• Disseminate health information.
CBRN operations • Identify threat.
(FM 3-11, FM 3-11.21, and FM 4-02.7) • Assess situation.
• Identify vulnerability reduction measures.
• Conduct operations.
• Provide logistics and health support.
• Decontaminate.
Safety • Manage safety and occupational health program.
(AR 385-10; DA Pamphlet 385-10, Appendix J) • Investigate mishaps and near misses.
• Conduct hazard analysis and recommend countermeasures.
• Provide safety education, training, and promotion.
• Conduct inspections, surveys, assessments, and technical
consultations.
OPSEC • Identify EEFI.
(AR 530-1) • Analyze adversaries and vulnerabilities.
• Assess risk.
• Recommend countermeasures.
EOD • Advise commanders on EO/IEDs (including CBRN).
(FM 4-30.51) • Positively identify, respond to, and dispose of EO/IEDs
(including CBRN).
• Perform EO/IED site exploitation and technical intelligence
collection.
• Perform postblast analysis.

COMPOSITE RISK MANAGEMENT

1-32. Army leaders take prudent risks and make risk decisions on the basis of informed judgment and
intuition. Risk is a function of the probability of an event occurring and the severity of the event expressed
in terms of the degree to which the incident impacts combat power or mission capability. CRM is the
Army’s primary decisionmaking process for identifying hazards and controlling risks across the full
spectrum of Army missions, functions, operations, and activities. (See FM 5-19 for more information.)
CRM is a five-step process that also serves as an integrating process for the protection warfighting function
in Army operations. (See figure 1-8, page 1-12.) The CRM process subjectively quantifies probability and
severity through the use of the Army risk assessment matrix, leading to a determination of the risk level.
(See table 1-2, page 1-12.) Risk levels help show relative significance and serve to alert and inform leaders
as they make decisions regarding the course of action (COA) selection and resource allocation. CRM also
helps leader decide where and when to apply protection assets and information.
1-33. The CRM process provides a general framework for identifying and reducing risks and is often
supported by other, more specific tools, expertise, and processes for use in assessment and execution.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 1-11

Chapter 1

Figure 1-8. CRM proce

ess

e 1-2. Army riisk assessment matrix

Table
Pro
obability
Fre
equent Likely
L Oc
ccasional Seldom
S Unlikely
U
S
Severity
A B C D E
Cataastrophic I E E H H M
Criticcal II E H H M L
Marg ginal III H M M L L
Neglligible IV M L L L L
E
E—Extremely hig
gh H—High M—Moderate L—Low

1-12 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Chapter 2
Protection Warfighting Function
Army operations and missions are built around tactical tasks. While protection is
broadly conceptualized as an element of combat power, the protection warfighting
function narrows the focus of protection to specific Army tasks. This chapter
examines the twelve tasks and systems that comprise the Army protection
warfighting function. FM 3-0 identifies these tasks as AMD, PR, information
protection, fratricide avoidance, operational area security, AT, survivability, FHP,
CBRN operations, safety, OPSEC, and EOD.

PROTECTION TASKS AND SYSTEMS

2-1. Military operations are inherently complex. Commanders must deliberately plan and integrate the
application of military force against an enemy while protecting the force and preserving combat power. The
OE requires a capability-based approach to mission accomplishment. Operational and functional concepts
are translated through the warfighting functions into tasks and systems for the development of plans, orders
and, ultimately, unit missions. Commanders develop protection strategies for each phase of an operation or
major activity. They integrate and synchronize protection tasks and systems to reduce risk, mitigate
identified vulnerabilities, and act on opportunity. When properly integrated and synchronized, the tasks and
systems that comprise the protection warfighting function effectively protect the force, enhance the
preservation of combat power, and increase the probability of mission success.
2-2. Units must consider the twelve protection tasks and systems and apply them as appropriate. Each
task and its associated system are typically associated with a staff or staff proponent that performs specific
duties.

AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE

2-3. An air defense system protects the force from air and missile attacks and aerial surveillance.
Additionally, maneuver and fires elements in the OE must be prepared to augment air defense systems
using direct-fire weapons. AMD elements protect installations and personnel from over-the-horizon strikes
by conventional and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) warheads according to METT-TC. Army
ground-based systems include the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target (PATRIOT);
Avenger short-range, air defense systems; Stinger; and Norwegian Advanced, Surface-to-Air Missile
System (NASAMS). Army AMD capabilities increase airspace situational awareness and complement the
area air defense commander.
2-4. Indirect-fire protection systems protect forces from threats that are largely immune to air defense
artillery systems. The indirect-fire protection intercept capability is designed to detect and destroy
incoming rocket, artillery, and mortar fires. This capability assesses the threat to maintain friendly
protection and destroys the incoming projectile at a safe distance from the intended target.
2-5. The AMD task consists of active and passive measures that protect personnel and physical assets
from an air or missile attack. Passive measures include camouflage, cover, concealment, hardening, and
OPSEC. Active measures are taken to destroy, neutralize, or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air and
missile threats.
2-6. When designing AMD protective systems, protection planners use the six employment guidelines—
mutual support, overlapping fires, balanced fires, weighted coverage, early engagement, and defense in
depth—and additional considerations necessary to mass and mix AMD capabilities. These employment

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 2-1

Chapter 2

guidelines enable air defense artillery forces to successfully accomplish combat missions and support
overall force objectives. (See FM 44-100 for more information.)

AIR DEFENSE WARNING SYSTEM

2-7. The Air Defense Warning (ADW) System is an established Army system used to disseminate the
probability of an air attack, air intrusion, or insertion by air into the AO. The ADW System is routinely
used by ground-based air defense commanders at all levels, but can be used by all commanders to protect
their forces through advanced warning. The ADW System provides collated data that can be quickly
understood, facilitating a rapid response. For this reason, the ADW System is not normally tied to any other
alert status or tactical warning procedure. Army doctrine recognizes the following ADWs:
z RED. ADW RED warns that an attack by hostile aircraft or missiles is imminent or in progress.
This means that hostile aircraft or missiles are within a respective AO or that they are in the
immediate vicinity of a respective AO with a high probability of entry.
z YELLOW. ADW YELLOW warns that an attack by hostile aircraft or missiles is probable.
This means that hostile aircraft or missiles are en route toward a respective AO or that unknown
aircraft or missiles suspected to be hostile are en route toward, or are within, a respective AO.
z WHITE. ADW WHITE warns that an attack by hostile aircraft or missiles is improbable. ADW
white can be declared before or after ADW YELLOW or RED.
2-8. The ADW System is one of many tools commanders can use to rapidly influence the readiness
posture of their forces in response to the probability of hostile action.

WEAPON CONTROL STATUS

2-9. Weapon control status describes the relative degree of control of air defense fires. (FM 44-100)
Weapon control statuses can apply to weapon systems, volumes of airspace, or types of air platforms. The
tactical situation normally determines the degree or extent of control necessary over particular weapon
systems. AMD coordinators typically establish or recommend separate weapon control statuses for various
air threats, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, missiles, or unmanned aircraft systems. Air defense is
optimized when all forces have the ability to rapidly receive and disseminate weapon control statuses for all
air platforms. The three weapon control statuses are—
z Weapons-free. Fire at any air target that is not positively identified as friendly. This is the least
restrictive weapon control status.
z Weapons-tight. Fire only at air targets positively identified as hostile according to the
prevailing hostile criteria. Positive identification can be determined by a number of means
(including aided or unaided visual identification) or by other designated hostile criteria
(including radar identification and information network identification).
z Weapons-hold. Do not fire except in self-defense or in response to a formal order. This is the
most restrictive weapon control status.
2-10. Any unit can receive urgent or flash message traffic in the form of a directed warning or alert of an
immediate or possible threat to the force or in a specific area of the battlefield. The AMD cell provides the
AMD plan to the airspace command and control (AC2) cell for integration into the corps/division unit
airspace plan. Although the AC2 cell reviews and deconflicts the corps/division air defense plan with other
division control measures, the control measures for the air defense plan are normally sent to higher
headquarters through AMD channels. The AC2 and AMD sections must ensure that the division standing
operating procedure (SOP) and respective annexes address the procedures for forwarding air defense and
air control measures.

Note. See appendix B for more information on AMD and airspace management.

2-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Warfighting Function

PERSONNEL RECOVERY
2-11. PR is the sum of military, diplomatic, and civil efforts to prepare for and execute the recovery and
reintegration of isolated personnel. (JP 3-50) PR is the overarching term for operations that focuses on
recovering isolated or missing personnel before becoming detained or captured and extracting those
detained or captured personnel through coordinated and well-planned operations.
2-12. PR operations occur within a complex framework of environmental factors that shape their nature
and affect their outcomes. Commanders must understand the OE and the impact of PMESII-PT to ensure
that PR is incorporated into and supports each mission. This includes the characteristics of the particular
OE to each mission and how aspects of the environment become essential elements in shaping the way
Army forces conduct operations. Threats to isolated Soldiers will vary significantly across the spectrum of
conflict.
2-13. PR is not a separate mission; it is incorporated into planning for all missions. PR guidance must
synchronize the actions of commanders and staffs, recovery forces, and isolated individuals. In order to
synchronize the actions of all three, commanders develop PR guidance based on command capabilities to
conduct recovery operations. By knowing what actions they have dictated to potential isolated Soldiers,
commanders develop situational understanding and provide guidance to their staffs and recovery forces to
synchronize their actions with those of isolated Soldiers.
2-14. Commanders must integrate PR throughout the full spectrum of operations. This requires
understanding the complex, dynamic relationships among friendly forces, enemies, and the environment
(including the populace). This understanding helps commanders visualize and describe their intent for PR
and develop focused planning guidance. As commanders develop PR guidance for subordinate units, they
must ensure that subordinates have adequate combat power for PR. Commanders must also provide
resources and define command relationships with the requisite flexibility to plan and execute PR
operations.
2-15. Commanders provide PR planning guidance within their initial intent statement. PR planning
guidance conveys the essence of the commander’s visualization with respect to incorporating PR into
mission planning. PR guidance provides a framework for how the unit and subordinates will synchronize
the actions of isolated personnel and the recovery force. Effective PR planning guidance accounts for the
OE and the continuum of operations. PR guidance is addressed in the synchronization of each warfighting
function. It broadly describes how the commander intends to employ combat power to accomplish PR
execution tasks within the higher commander’s intent.

CORPS AND DIVISION

2-16. At corps and division levels, commanders nest PR planning variables within mission analysis and
provide subordinates with PR guidance during the orders process. PR guidance allocates resources and
authority to subordinate commanders, defines an overarching concept for planning and execution, and
describes specific PR control measures within the overall concept. PR guidance should address available
joint/interagency PR assets, procedures for coordinating those assets, and reporting
procedures/requirements of PR-specific commander’s critical information requirements (CCIR).

BRIGADE/GROUP AND BELOW

2-17. At brigade/group level and below, commanders refine the PR guidance from higher headquarters as
it pertains to their directed mission and specific AO. This refinement results in a greater level of specificity
manifested in the orders process.

BATTALION AND COMPANY

2-18. At battalion and company levels, PR guidance becomes isolated Soldier guidance (ISG). ISG is a
specific directive to individual Soldiers that defines what events constitute being “isolated” and what
actions to take during an isolating event. Such PR guidance is refined at battalion level, further refined at

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 2-3

Chapter 2

company level, and issued to Soldiers as mission-specific ISG. Samples of information to be incorporated
into ISG are—
z Definition of “isolation.” ISG should clearly tell the Soldier under what circumstances he
should execute the ISG.
z Where to go. ISG must consider numerous factors, such as the scheme of maneuver (for the
directed mission), friendly situation, enemy situation, preestablished and higher C2 measures,
and battlefield control measures. Rally points may be designated in the higher order or
established in the unit order. Rally points may be established specifically for the PR purpose or
may be generic rally points that can serve several purposes. The “where to go” aspect may be
accomplished by directing Soldiers to move in a general direction until they reach a “lateral”
rally point, such as a road or river.
z What to do. ISG should describe actions that isolated Soldiers take, from initiating the ISG to
arriving at the designated location, including actions en route to the location. The ISG should
define actions (friendly and hostile) or the lack of actions that facilitate changes from the
primary location and may provide alternate, contingency, and emergency locations. Security
considerations that may have a bearing on friendly and hostile actions should also be addressed.
z Signals. This guidance can pertain to individual actions from the initiation of the ISG through
the linkup with a recovery force. It covers equipment that has been issued to the Soldier and
incorporates other data from paragraph 5 (Command and Control) of the unit order. It can
include procedures for linking up with a recovery force and specific instructions on using a
challenge and password, radios and beacons, and visual signals to overhead platforms.
2-19. Civil efforts to recover personnel or isolated persons may include sanctioned or unsanctioned
intervention by intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), influential
persons, or private citizens. Sometimes, civil organizations act independently without the knowledge of the
U.S. military or government.
2-20. Diplomatic and civil PR options can be requested or can be imposed upon the senior defense
representative and are most common when the isolated person has been captured or detained. (See JP 3-50
for more information.)
2-21. The ability of the Army to meet PR responsibilities hinges on leaders at every level preparing for the
recovery of isolated, missing, detained, or captured personnel. Leaders must integrate PR into ongoing
planning, preparation, and execution activities and consider many options for successful execution.
Reintegration must be planned, giving the operator knowledge that he and his family will be taken care of
during the entire PR process.

INFORMATION PROTECTION
2-22. Information protection is active or passive measures that protect and defend friendly information and
information systems to ensure timely, accurate, and relevant friendly information. It denies enemies,
adversaries, and others the opportunity to exploit friendly information and information systems for their
own purposes. (FM 3-0) When pursuing their objectives, adversaries attempt to keep commanders from
exercising effective C2 and, therefore, often target key decision makers and C2 information systems.
Information systems are typically vulnerable along the following primary attack vectors:
z Unauthorized access.
z Malicious software.
z Electromagnetic deception.
z Electronic attack.
z Physical destruction.
z Propaganda.
2-23. Protecting information is an enduring requirement that occurs in all environments. Information
protection is accomplished with a full range of protective means. Passive information protection measures
are those technical and nontechnical measures that are inherent to everyday operations and directly impact
users. They are designed to conceal information from, and deny information to, the threat; protect

2-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Warfighting Function

information from unauthorized modification; and protect information from unauthorized destruction.
Measures include, but are not limited to, the implementation of access controls, application security,
physical security, security education, communications security, and network security. Passive measures are
readily standardized in unit policies and procedures.
2-24. Although carefully designated and implemented, passive protection measures reduce risk; they do
not provide total protection. In order to enhance the Army’s ability to safeguard information and
information systems against increased threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks, protection in a dynamic network
environment requires an active operational component at all echelons. Active processes consist of proactive
measures that enable an organization to protect against, and counteract the dynamic nature of, a threat by
using known TTPs to detect friendly vulnerabilities before the adversary. Additionally, active processes
enable a unit to react decisively during an incident and recover quickly after an incident.
2-25. External and internal information perimeter protection prevents unknown or unauthorized users or
data from entering a network. External efforts include communications security, router filtering, access
control lists, and security guards. Where necessary, units physically isolate or place barriers between
protected and unprotected networks. Internal perimeter protection consists of firewalls and router filters to
serve as barriers between echelons or functional communities.

INFORMATION OPERATIONS CONDITION SYSTEM

2-26. The assistant chief of staff, signal (G-6) executes the information protection mission. The G-6 cell
includes system administrators, information assurance managers, network managers, communications
security personnel, and network planners. The assistant chief of staff, intelligence (G-2) provides
information and intelligence regarding threats to Army information and information systems.
2-27. The G-6 disseminates the information operations condition (INFOCON), which includes electronic
protection measures to units and staffs. The INFOCON demonstrates prevention through an integrated,
coordinated, and structured approach to defense against and reaction to attacks on computers, networks,
and information systems. (See FM 3-36 for more information.) The following INFOCON levels define
preestablished, directed defensive postures designed to mitigate risks:
z INFOCON 1. Maximum readiness procedures.
z INFOCON 2. Greater readiness procedures.
z INFOCON 3. Enhanced readiness procedures.
z INFOCON 4. Increased military vigilance procedures.
z INFOCON 5. Network operations (NETOPS) procedures according to strategic command directive.

INFORMATION PROTECTION STRATEGIES

2-28. Information protection strategies are developed among three information protection elements—
computer electronic protection, network defense, and information assurance. They protect the force from
the enemy’s attempts to attack friendly C2 information systems. (See FM 3-36 and FM 6-20.10 for more
information.)

Nonlethal Electronic Protection

2-29. Electronic protection is that division of electronic warfare involving actions taken to protect
personnel, facilities, and equipment from any effects of friendly or enemy use of the electromagnetic
spectrum that degrade, neutralize, or destroy friendly combat capability. (JP 3-13.1) Examples of electronic
protection include spectrum management, emission control procedures, hardening of equipment from
electromagnetic effects, and the use of wartime reserve modes.
2-30. During operations, electronic protection includes, but is not limited to, the application of
electromagnetic spectrum operations tools and associated TTP for countering enemy electronic attacks.
Army forces must understand the threat and vulnerability of friendly electronic equipment to enemy
electronic attack capabilities and take appropriate actions to safeguard friendly combat capability from

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 2-5

Chapter 2

exploitation and attack. To be successful, electronic protection must minimize the enemy’s ability to
conduct electronic warfare support and electronic attack operations against friendly forces.

Computer Network Defense

2-31. Computer network defense (CND) includes actions taken to protect, monitor, analyze, detect, and
respond to unauthorized activity within Department of Defense (DOD) information systems and computer
networks. (JP 6-0) It includes all measures to detect unauthorized network activity and adversary computer
network attacks and to defend computers and networks against such threats. CND also employs
intelligence, counterintelligence, law enforcement, and other military capabilities to defend information and
computer networks. CND is an operational component of information assurance and is an enabling
component of computer NETOPS. CND employs information assurance capabilities to respond to
unauthorized activity within information systems and computer networks in response to a CND alert or
threat information. The application of CND as a subset of information assurance provides true end-to-end,
defense-in-depth protection that ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and availability as well as protection
against unauthorized access.
2-32. Although the G-6 has staff responsibility for CND, effective protection is achieved through the
integrated efforts of communications, law enforcement, and intelligence capabilities. System administrators
ensure that users follow the appropriate procedures to prevent network intrusion.

Information Assurance
2-33. Information assurance consists of measures that protect and defend information and information
systems by ensuring their availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and nonrepudiation. This
includes providing for restoration of information systems by incorporating protection, detection, and
reaction capabilities. (JP 3-13) These attributes consist of—
z Availability—timely, reliable access to information and services by authorized users. (Available
information systems operate when needed.)
z Integrity—protection from unauthorized change including destruction.
z Authentication—certainty of user or receiver identification and authorization to receive specific
categories of information.
z Confidentiality—protection from unauthorized disclosure.
z Nonrepudiation—proof of message receipt and sender identification so that neither can deny
having processed the information.
2-34. Information assurance, along with CND, demonstrates a layered approach through defense in depth
that protects DOD systems against exploitation, degradation, and the denial of service. It does this by
employing vigorous protection, detection, reaction, and restoration capabilities. This incorporation allows
effective defensive measures or the timely restoration of degraded networks and information systems.
Information assurance defense in depth protects all networks, including their information systems,
computers, radios, infrastructure implementation, gateways, routers, and switches. (See FM 3-36 and
FM 6-20.10 for more information.)

FRATRICIDE AVOIDANCE
2-35. Fratricide is the unintentional killing of friendly personnel by friendly firepower. The
destructive power and range of modern weapons, coupled with the high intensity and rapid tempo of
combat, increase the potential for fratricide. Tactical maneuvers, terrain, and weather conditions may also
increase the danger of fratricide.
2-36. Fratricide is accidental and is usually the end product of an error by a leader and/or Soldier. Accurate
information about locations and activities of friendly and hostile forces and an aggressive airspace
management plan help commanders avoid fratricide. Liaison officers increase situational understanding and
enhance interoperability. Leaders and Soldiers must know the range and blast characteristics of their
weapon systems and munitions to prevent ricochet, penetration, and other unintended effects.

2-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Warfighting Function

2-37. Commanders and leaders are responsible for preventing fratricide. They must lower the probability
of fratricide without discouraging boldness and audacity. Good leadership that results in positive weapons
control, control of troop movements, and disciplined operational procedures contributes to achieving this
goal. Situational understanding and friendly personnel and combat identification methods also help.
Eliminating fratricide increases Soldier willingness to act boldly with the confidence that misdirected
friendly fires will not kill them. Additionally, more host nation contractors, day laborers, and NGO
personnel who support Army operations face the same risks as U.S. forces. Since these personnel work and
often live in and among U.S. forces, commanders must include them in protection and combat
identification plans. This may significantly increase the protection responsibility of commanders.
2-38. Commanders protect the fighting spirit of Soldiers through effective leadership and morale. Incidents
of fratricide can degrade unit effectiveness and combat power potential. The loss of confidence, hesitation,
oversupervision, and excessive caution are just some of the negative reactions that can afflict leaders and
Soldiers following a fratricide incident.
2-39. Fratricide avoidance is normally accomplished through a protection strategy that emphasizes
prevention, centered on two fundamental areas—situational awareness and target identification. Fratricide
may also be more prevalent during joint and coalition operations when communications and
interoperability challenges are not fully resolved.
z Situational awareness. Situational awareness is the immediate knowledge of the conditions of
the operation, constrained geographically and in time. (FM 3-0) It includes the real-time,
accurate knowledge of one’s own location and orientation and the locations, activities, and
intentions of other friendly, enemy, neutral, or noncombatant elements in the AO, sector, zone,
or immediate vicinity.
z Target identification. Target identification is the accurate and timely characterization of a
detected object on the battlefield as friend, neutral, enemy, or unknown. (FM 3-20.15) Unknown
objects should not be engaged; rather, the target identification process continues until positive
identification has been made. An exception to this is a weapons-free zone where units can fire at
anything that is not positively identified as friendly.
2-40. The potential for fratricide may increase with the fluid nature of the noncontiguous battlefield and
the changing disposition of attacking and defending forces. The presence of noncombatants in the AO
further complicates operations. Simplicity and clarity are often more important than a complex, detailed
plan when developing fratricide avoidance methods. (See appendix B for more information.)

OPERATIONAL AREA SECURITY

2-41. Operational area security is a form of security operations conducted to protect friendly forces,
installations, routes, and actions within an AO. (See FM 3-90 for a detailed discussion of security
operations.) Forces engaged in area security operations focus on the force, installation, route, area, or asset
to be protected. Although vital to the success of military operations, area security is normally an economy-
of-force mission, often designed to ensure the continued conduct of sustainment operations and to support
decisive and shaping operations. (FM 7-15 provides a critical task list for area security operations.)
2-42. Area security may be the predominant method of protecting support areas that are necessary to
facilitate the positioning, employment, and protection of resources required to sustain, enable, and control
tactical forces. Area security operations are often emphasized in noncontiguous AOs to compensate for the
lack of protection integrity that large or distant, unoccupied areas often create. Area security operations are
often an effective method of providing civil security and control during some stability operations. Forces
engaged in area security operations can saturate an area or position on key terrain to provide protection
through early warning, reconnaissance, or surveillance and guard against unexpected enemy attack with an
active response. Area security operations often focus on named area of interests in an effort to answer
CCIR, aiding in tactical decisionmaking and confirming or denying threat intentions. Forces engaged in
area security operations are typically organized in a manner that emphasizes their mobility, lethality, and
communications capabilities. The maneuver enhancement brigade (MEB) and some military police units
are specifically equipped and trained to conduct area security and may constitute the only available force

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during some phases of an operation. However, area security operations take advantage of the local security
measures performed by all units, regardless of their location in the AO.
2-43. Commanders at all levels apportion combat power and dedicate assets to protection tasks and
systems based on an analysis of the OE, the likelihood of threat action, and the relative value of friendly
resources and populations. Although all resources have value, the mission variables of METT-TC make
some resources, assets, or locations more significant to successful mission accomplishment from enemy
and friendly perspectives. Commanders rely on the CRM process and other specific assessment methods to
facilitate decisionmaking, issue guidance, and allocate resources. Criticality, vulnerability, and
recuperability are some of the most significant considerations in determining protection priorities that
become the subject of commander guidance and the focus of area security operations. Area security
operations often focus on the following assets and activities:
z Base and base cluster defense. Base defense is the local military measures, both normal and
emergency, required to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of enemy attacks on, or sabotage of, a
base to ensure that the maximum capacity of its facilities is available to U.S. forces. (JP 1-02) A
division or corps may be required to protect multiple forward operating bases (FOBs). Units may
be assigned base defense operations on a permanent or rotating basis, depending on the mission
variables.
z Critical asset security. Critical asset security is the protection and security of personnel and
physical assets and/or information analyzed and deemed essential to the operation and
success of the mission and the required resources for protection. This designation generally
comes as a result of a deliberate assessment or as a directed mission.
z C2 node protection. Command posts and operations centers are often protected through area
security techniques that involve the employment of an array of protection and security assets in a
layered, integrated, and redundant manner. This can often keep hostile threats at a distance by
maximizing the standoff distance from explosive effects while keeping the protected asset
outside the range of enemy direct-fire weapons and observation.
z HRP security. HRP are personnel who, by their grade, assignment, symbolic value, or relative
isolation, are likely to be attractive or accessible terrorist targets. (JP 3-07.2) Special precautions
are taken to ensure the safety and security of these individuals and their family members. When
units identify a significant risk to selected personnel, the local commander normally organizes
security details from internal resources. However, under certain circumstances, designated
personnel may require protective service details by specially trained units.
z Physical security. Physical security consists of that part of security concerned with physical
measures designed to safeguard personnel; to prevent unauthorized access to equipment,
installations, material, and documents; and to safeguard them against espionage, sabotage,
damage, and theft. (JP 6-0) (See FM 3-19.30 for more information.) Physical security measures
as they pertain to AT identify physical vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks of bases, personnel, and
materiel and take actions to reduce or eliminate those vulnerabilities. Survivability operations
and general engineering support may be required to emplace compensatory measures for
identified vulnerabilities. The physical security system builds on the premise that baseline
security and the preparedness posture are based on the local threat, site-specific vulnerabilities,
identified critical assets, and available resources.
z Response force operations. Response force operations expediently reinforce a unit’s organic
protection capabilities or complement that protection with maneuver capabilities based on the
threat. Response force operations include the planning for defeat of Level I and Level II threats
and the shaping of Level III threats until a designated combined arms, tactical combat force
(TCF) arrives for decisive operations. (Threat levels are discussed in appendix C.) Response
force operations use a mobile force with appropriate fire support (usually designated by the area
commander) to deal with Level II threats in the AO. (See FM 3-19.1 for more information.)
z Lines of communications security. The security and protection of lines of communications and
supply routes are critical to military operations since most support traffic moves along these
routes. The security of supply routes and lines of communication (rail, pipeline, highway, and
waterway) presents one of the greatest security problems in an AO. Route security operations are
defensive in nature and are terrain-oriented. A route security force may prevent an enemy force

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from impeding, harassing, or destroying traffic along a route or portions of a route by

establishing a movement corridor. (See FM 3-90.31.) Units conduct synchronized operations
(reconnaissance, security, mobility, information engagement) within the movement corridor. A
movement corridor may be established in a high-risk area to facilitate the movement of a single
element, or it may be an enduring operation.
z Checkpoints and combat outposts. It is often necessary to control the freedom of movement in
an AO for a specific period of time or as an enduring operation. This may be accomplished by
placing permanent or temporary checkpoints and combat outposts along designated avenues and
roadways or on key terrain identified through METT-TC. Checkpoints are used for controlling,
regulating, and verifying movement; and combat outposts are used for sanctuary; support;
information, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); or area denial. (See FM 3-24.2 for more
information on combat outposts.)
z Convoy security. Convoy security operations are specialized area security operations conducted
to protect convoys. (FM 3-90) Units conduct convoy security operations anytime there are
insufficient friendly forces to continuously secure routes in an AO and there is a significant
danger of enemy ground action directed against the convoy. Commanders may also conduct
convoy security operations in conjunction with route security operations. Planning includes
designating units for convoy security, providing guidance on TTP for units to provide for their
own security during convoys, or establishing protection and security requirements for convoys
carrying critical assets. Local or theater policy typically dictates when or which convoys receive
security and protection. (See FM 4-01.45 for more information on convoy security training
requirements and TTP.)
z Port area and pier security. Ground forces may typically provide area security for port and pier
areas. The joint force commander and subordinate joint force commanders ensure that port
security plans and responsibilities are clearly delineated and assigned. Area commanders who
are assigned a port area as part of their AO must develop and organize plans to ensure that forces
are trained, led, and equipped to concentrate the necessary combat power at the decisive time
and place to protect or secure port areas and cargo as necessary. The patrol of harbors and
anchorages is generally the mission of a dedicated port security unit and may include waterfront
security operations. (See JP 3-10 for more information on port security units.)
z Surveillance. Surveillance is the systematic observation of aerospace, surface or subsurface
areas, places, persons, or things by visual, aural, electronic, photographic, or other means.
(JP 3-0) (See JP 1-02 and FM 2-0 for more information.) The protection working group uses
staff analysis and coordination with higher headquarters to determine which critical assets or
locations are likely to be attractive targets and require surveillance.
z Area damage control. Commanders conduct area damage control when the damage and scope
of the attack are limited and they can respond and recover with local assets and resources.
Optimally, commanders aim to recover immediately. This recovery involves resuming
operations, maintaining or restoring order, evacuating casualties, isolating danger or hazard
areas, and mitigating personnel and materiel losses. Some attacks may rise to the level of
incidents of national significance and require additional resources for mitigation, recovery, and
investigation. In the latter case, commanders transition from area damage control to consequence
management activities.

ANTITERRORISM
2-44. AT is the Army’s defensive program to protect against terrorism. Army AT focuses on risk
management, planning (including the AT plan), training, exercises, resource generation, comprehensive
program review, and the conduct of random AT measures. AT planning coordinates specific AT security
requirements with the efforts of other security enhancement programs, such as intelligence support to AT,
law enforcement, physical security, and others. Effective AT programs synchronize intelligence, CRM, and
existing security programs to provide a holistic approach to defend against terrorist threats. Units at each
echelon typically have at least one qualified AT officer assigned. (See DODI 2006.16 and Army Regulation
[AR] 525-13 for more information.)

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Chapter 2

Note. Units at each echelon should have at least one assigned Level II AT officer.

ANTITERRORISM PROGRAMS, TASKS, AND SYSTEMS

2-45. AT is an integral part of Army efforts to defeat terrorism. Terrorists can target Army elements at any
time, in any location. By effectively preventing and, if necessary, responding to terrorist attacks,
commanders protect all activities and people so that Army missions can proceed unimpeded. AT is neither
a discrete task nor the sole responsibility of a single branch; all bear responsibility. AT must be integrated
into all Army operations and considered at all times. CONUS installations, recruiting stations, Corps of
Engineers projects, and combat actions should consider AT principles in every assigned task. Awareness
must be built into every mission, every Soldier, and every leader. Integrating AT represents the foundation
that is crucial for Army success. Typical Army AT programs are composed of several adjunct and
information programs, including the following areas at a minimum:
z Risk management (threat, critical asset, and vulnerability assessments of units, installations,
facilities, and bases).
z AT planning (units, installations, facilities, and bases).
z AT awareness training and command information programs.
z Integration of various vulnerability assessments of units, installations, facilities, bases,
personnel, and activities.
z AT protection measures to protect individual personnel, HRP, physical assets (physical security),
designated critical assets (area security), and information.
z Resource application.
z Civil and military partnerships for domestic and foreign consequence management.
z Force protection condition (FPCON) system to support terrorist threat and incident response
plans.
z Comprehensive AT program review.
2-46. Army commanders implement eight standard AT tasks to support DOD AT objectives. These
objectives aim to deter incidents, employ countermeasures, mitigate effects, and conduct incident recovery.
The AT tasks are—
z Establish an AT program. Commanders communicate the spirit and intent of all AT policies
throughout the chain of command or line of authority by establishing AT programs. The
programs provide standards, policies, and procedures to reduce the vulnerabilities from terrorist
attacks.
z Collect, analyze, and disseminate threat information. Commanders develop a system to
collect, analyze, and disseminate terrorist threat information and apply the appropriate FPCONs.
z Assess and reduce critical vulnerabilities. Commanders continuously assess AT efforts. These
assessments review the overall program, individual physical and procedural security measures,
and unit predeployment preparation.
z Increase AT awareness in every Soldier, civilian, and Family member. Commanders inform
all personnel of the terrorist threat and adequately train them to apply protective measures. Unit
collective training includes AT training, regardless of the unit location.
z Maintain installation defenses according to FPCONs. Commanders use AT-specific security
procedural and physical measures to protect personnel, information, and materiel from terrorist
threats.
z Establish civil/military partnerships for a terrorist incident crisis. Commanders coordinate
with local civilian communities to establish working relationships and formulate partnerships to
combat and defend against terrorism.

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 Protection Warfighting Function

z Establish terrorist threat and incident response planning. Commanders and agency and
activity heads develop reactive plans. These plans prescribe appropriate actions for reporting
terrorist threat information, responding to terrorist threats and attacks, and reporting terrorist
incidents.
z Conduct exercises and evaluate and assess AT plans. Commanders institute an exercise
program that develops, refines, and tests AT response procedures to terrorist threats and
incidents. This exercise program ensures that AT is an integral part of exercise planning.

FORCE PROTECTION CONDITION SYSTEM

2-47. The FPCON system standardizes DOD identification, recommended preventive actions, and
responses to terrorist threats against U.S. personnel and facilities. This system is the principal means for a
commander to apply an operational decision on how to protect against terrorism, and it facilitates inter-
Service coordination and support for AT activities. DOD establishes the baseline FPCON levels and
measures, and commanders develop site-specific measures and procedures for implementing them. Well-
designed AT measures facilitates threat detection, assessment, delay, denial, and notification. FPCON
measures include provisions for reinforcing physical security; increasing security personnel and inspections
of vehicles, handcarried items, and packages; random AT measures; and other emergency measures.
FPCON measures are designed to be scalable and proportional to changes in the local threat (See
AR 525-13 for more information.) The five FPCON levels are—
z NORMAL. FPCON NORMAL applies when a general global threat of possible terrorist activity
exists and warrants a routine security posture. At a minimum, access control will be conducted at
all DOD installations and facilities.
z ALPHA. FPCON ALPHA applies when there is an increased general threat of possible terrorist
activity against personnel or facilities, and the nature and extent of the threat are unpredictable.
FPCON ALPHA measures must be capable of being maintained indefinitely.
z BRAVO. FPCON BRAVO applies when an increased or more predictable threat of terrorist
activity exists. Sustaining FPCON BRAVO measures for a prolonged period may affect
operational capability and military-civil relationships with local authorities.
z CHARLIE. FPCON CHARLIE applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received that
indicates some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely. The
prolonged implementation of FPCON CHARLIE measures may create hardship and affect the
activities of the unit and its personnel.
z DELTA. FPCON DELTA applies in the immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or
when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is
imminent. This FPCON is usually declared as a localized condition. FPCON DELTA measures
are not intended to be sustained for an extended duration.

Note. A complete list of site-specific AT security measures linked to each particular FPCON is
generally contained in the installation, facility, or base AT plan.

2-48. Successful AT activities involve the overlapping of several protection tasks and systems. Incident
response clarifies procedures for C2 and the actions of responders. These actions include determining the
full nature and scope of the incident, containing damage, and reporting information to higher headquarters.
These measures can contribute to deterring attacks if potential adversaries recognize that U.S. forces are
vigilant and ready to respond to an incident. Incident response measures include emergency response,
disaster planning, and preparedness to recover from a terrorist attack.
2-49. Perimeter security requires a combination of physical security measures, such as protective obstacles,
physical barriers, fencing, protective lighting, and electronic security systems. Security personnel
continuously observe and assess measures, access control, entry control points, and guard towers.
Survivability operations help enable perimeter security by emplacing physical barriers, building
survivability positions, and hardening sites.

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Chapter 2

SURVIVABILITY
2-50. Survivability includes all aspects of protecting personnel, weapons, and supplies while
simultaneously deceiving the enemy. Survivability tactics include building a good defense; employing
frequent movement; using concealment, deception, and camouflage; and constructing fighting and
protective positions for both individuals and equipment. (JP 3-34)
2-51. Survivability operations are the development and construction of protective positions (such as earth
berms, dug-in positions, overhead protection, and countersurveillance means) to reduce the effectiveness of
enemy weapon systems. (FM 3-34) It also includes other mitigation TTP, such as fire prevention and
firefighting. (See FM 5-415 for more information.) Survivability and survivability operations combine
technology and methods that afford the maximum protection to Army forces. Survivability operations
range from employing camouflage, concealment, and deception (including the supporting task of battlefield
obscuration) to hardening facilities, C2 nodes, and critical infrastructure.
2-52. Survivability operations frequently enable other protection tasks and systems, including AMD,
operational area security, AT, and CBRN operations. Survivability operations also provide support to the
movement and maneuver warfighting function by conducting mobility and countermobility operations.
2-53. Commanders may call on engineers to support the protection efforts of combat or sustainment units.
Engineers can mass their skills and equipment to develop defensive positions into fortifications or
strongpoints and improve existing defensive positions. Within a missile threat environment, engineers
provide field fortification support to harden key assets against missile attacks. They also provide
survivability applications to host nation facilities and U.S.-operated facilities. These applications can
include entry control points, guard towers, and other means of hardening. Engineers provide protective
measures against terrorists that threaten U.S. forces or national interests. (See FM 5-103 for more
information.)
2-54. While survivability operations are traditionally recognized as an engineer task, units at all echelons
have an inherent responsibility to improve their positions, whether a fighting position, bunker, or FOB.
Survivability consists of four areas that are designed to focus efforts toward mitigating friendly losses to
hostile actions or environments:
z Mobility. Survivability of friendly forces is much more likely when they are moving or when
they possess the ability to reposition quickly. Maintaining freedom of movement and
repositioning often increases survivability. Static units must maintain the capability to move on
short notice.
z Situational understanding. Situational understanding is the product of applying analysis and
judgment to relevant information to determine the relationship among the mission variables to
facilitate decisionmaking. (FM 3-0) It requires the ability to identify, process, and comprehend
the critical elements of information about what occurs inside a commander’s AO. Having
accurate situational understanding provides the baseline for hazard assessments.

Note. The situational understanding of terrain, through proper terrain analysis, is important to
survivability and the development of survivability positions, minimizing the requirements to
adjust terrain and leading to the efficient use of survivability assets.

z Hardening. Hardening is the act of using natural or man-made materials to protect personnel,
equipment, or facilities. Hardening measures protect resources from blast, direct and indirect
fire, heat, radiation, or electronic warfare. Hardening is accomplished by using barriers, walls,
shields, berms, or other types of physical protection. It is intended to defeat or negate the effects
of an attack and includes fighting positions, protective positions, armored vehicles, Soldiers, and
information systems.
z Camouflage, concealment, and deception. Camouflage, concealment, and deception use
materials and techniques to hide, blend, disguise, decoy, or disrupt the appearance of military
targets and their backgrounds to prevent visual and electronic detection of friendly forces.
Camouflage, concealment, and deception help prevent an enemy from detecting or identifying

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 Protection Warfighting Function

friendly troops, equipment, activities, or installations and include battlefield obscuration

capabilities to obscure, screen, mark, or deceive. Battlefield obscuration is a major supporting
task of camouflage, concealment, and deception and is typically provided by specialized CBRN
elements or fires.
2-55. Fire prevention, fire suppression, and firefighting encompass all efforts aimed at preventing or
stopping fires. Fire prevention programs exist at all levels, and all levels of command are responsible for
the Army’s fire protection plan. Commanders and supervisors are responsible for the fire safety policies
and plans in their organizations. Army firefighting capabilities consist of general firefighting and tactical
firefighting:
z General firefighting. General firefighting skills are embedded into all Army safety programs
(annual drivers’ training, unit fire safety, unit fire prevention) and during the transportation of
personnel, petroleum, munitions, and explosives.
z Tactical firefighting, Tactical firefighting requires more specialized capabilities and is typically
provided by engineer, host nation, or other identified firefighting units. In addition to normal fire
protection/suppression, tactical firefighting capabilities include administering first aid; providing
initial response to hazmat incidents; and rescuing entrapped, sick, and injured personnel from
aircraft, buildings, equipment, vehicles, water, confined spaces, and high angles.

Note. See FM 5-415 for more information.

FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION

2-56. FHP includes measures taken by commanders, leaders, individual Soldiers, and the military health
system to promote, improve, or conserve the behavioral and physical well-being of Soldiers. These
measures enable a healthy and fit force, prevent injury and illness, and protect the force from health
hazards. It includes the prevention aspects of several Army Medical Department functions, such as—
z Preventive medicine, including medical surveillance and occupational and environmental health
surveillance.
z Veterinary services, including food safety and surety, animal care missions, and the prevention
of zoonotic diseases transmissible to man.
z Combat and operational stress control.
z Laboratory services, including area medical laboratory (AML) support.
z Dental services, including preventive dentistry.
2-57. Army personnel must be physically and behaviorally fit. This requirement demands programs that
promote and improve the capacity of personnel to perform military tasks at high levels, under extreme
conditions, and for extended periods of time. These preventive and protective capabilities include physical
exercise, nutritional diets, dental hygiene and restorative treatment, combat and operational stress
management, rest, recreation, and relaxation that are geared to individual and/or organizations.
2-58. Methods to prevent disease are best applied synergistically. Sanitation practices, waste management,
and pest and vector control are crucial to disease protection. Regional spraying and insect repellent
application to guard against hazardous flora and fauna are examples of prevention methods. Prophylactic
measures can encompass human and animal immunizations, dental chemoprophylaxis and treatment,
epidemiology, optometry, counseling on specific health threats, and protective clothing and equipment.
2-59. The key to preventive and protective care is information—the capacity to anticipate the current and
true health environment and its proper delivery to the affected human population. Derived from robust
health surveillance and medical intelligence, this information addresses occupational, local environmental,
and enemy-induced threat from industrial hazards; air and water pollution; endemic or epidemic disease;
and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives (CBRNE); and directed energy
device weapons (including high-powered microwaves, particle beams, and lasers). Health service support
must be capable of acquiring, storing, moving, and providing information that is timely, relevant, accurate,
concise, and applicable to the intended human user. In summary, this information capability is crucial to
FHP.

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Chapter 2

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE SERVICES

2-60. Preventive medicine services are essential to maintaining and sustaining force health from garrison
through deployment, to combat, and upon return to the home station. These services primarily prevent
disease and nonbattle injuries from affecting Soldiers. Personnel actively monitor the AO for disease,
conduct preventive services (such as immunizations and prophylaxes), and provide subject matter expert
advice when Soldiers become exposed to hazards. Personnel provide assistance to control excessive
occupational and environmental health exposure to hazards, such as noise, toxic industrial material (TIM),
and climate extremes. Through field sanitation team training and water assessments, preventive medicine
personnel educate Soldiers in disease and nonbattle injury prevention. Preventive medicine services
establish medical, occupational, and environmental health screenings; connect to everything Soldiers do;
and are a constant requirement regardless of the enemy threat. (See FM 4-02.17 for more information.)

Medical Surveillance
2-61. Medical surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data
derived from instances of medical care or medical evaluation, and the reporting of population-based
information for characterizing and countering threats to a population’s health, well-being, and performance.
(JP 4-02) Medical surveillance is essential to planning, implementing, and evaluating public health
practices. It closely integrates with the timely dissemination of data as required by higher authority. This
program provides the commander a trend analysis that is vital to hazard assessment for operations in an
AO.

Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance

2-62. Occupational and environmental health surveillance is the regular or repeated collection, analysis,
archiving, interpretation, and dissemination of occupational and environmental health-related data for
monitoring the health of, or potential health hazard impact on, a population and individual personnel, and
for intervening in a timely manner to prevent, treat, or control the occurrence of disease or injury when
determined necessary. (JP 4-02) Occupational and environmental health surveillance is an ongoing process.

VETERINARY SERVICES
2-63. The focus of veterinary services is food and animals. It covers food safety and defense and the
quality assurance of food during all stages of procurement, storage, and distribution; veterinary medical
care for military working dogs; and veterinary preventive medicine. Veterinary personnel are trained to
perform surveillance inspections of operational rations; and they examine and inspect food, ice, and bottled
water sources for contamination. In the event of CBRN contamination, these personnel can determine
whether packaged food sources are consumable. Veterinary personnel inspect all service-owned
subsistence received, stored, issued, sold, or shipped from or to military installations (including those items
received from depots and supply points). (See AR 40-656 for more information.)
2-64. Veterinary personnel provide complete care for military working dogs, limited care for other DOD
and government-owned animals when time and resources permit, and limited care to indigenous animals as
directed. The veterinary preventive medicine mission includes prevention and control programs to protect
Soldiers from food-borne diseases. It establishes animal disease prevention and control programs to protect
Soldiers and their families, contractors, and other personnel from zoonotic diseases. Veterinary personnel
evaluate zoonotic disease data collected in the AO and advise preventive medicine elements and higher
headquarters on potential hazards to humans. They also investigate unexplained animal deaths, including
livestock and wildlife. (See FM 4-02.18 for more information.)

COMBAT AND OPERATIONAL STRESS CONTROL

2-65. Unit mental health sections provide combat and operational stress control for supported units.
Combat and operational stress control is accomplished through vigorous prevention, consultation, training,
education, and Soldier restoration programs. These programs provide behavioral health expertise to unit
leaders and Soldiers where they serve to sustain their mission focus and effectiveness under heavy and

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 Protection Warfighting Function

prolonged stress. Mental health sections identify Soldiers with combat and operational stress reactions and
those who need rest and restoration in or near their unit area for rapid return to duty. These programs aim to
maximize the return-to-duty rate of Soldiers who are temporarily impaired, have a behavior health
diagnosis, or have stress-related conditions. Preventing posttraumatic stress disorders is an important
objective for all Army leaders. (See FM 4-02.51 for more information.)

MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES

2-66. Medical laboratory services are needed to support FHP activities in identifying and evaluating
occupational and environmental health hazards in the AO. Services may be provided by capabilities that are
organic to deployed medical treatment facilities or by separate preventive medicine and medical laboratory
units like the AML. Services may include the accurate field confirmatory laboratory testing of suspect
biological and chemical warfare agents, endemic and zoonotic diseases, and occupational and
environmental agents.

PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY
2-67. Military preventive dentistry incorporates primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive measures taken
to reduce or eliminate oral conditions that decrease Soldier fitness to perform the mission and cause
absence from duty. Dental care measures for Soldiers are described under preventive dentistry and known
as the Dental Combat Effectiveness Program. Before operational deployment, preventive dentistry
measures include the Basic Combat Training/Advanced Individual Training Dental Program (a program to
treat Class 3 dental patients), the Soldier Readiness Program (described in AR 600-8-101), and the
preventive dentistry programs described in AR 40-35. (See FM 4-02.19 for more information.)
2-68. Deployed Soldiers are at higher risks of developing oral diseases, probably due to inadequate oral
hygiene and altered nutritional intake. Nearly all oral disease is preventable with the use of good personal
health habits (proper diet and nutrition, oral hygiene, and substance abuse). Effective oral disease
prevention methods are simple, inexpensive, and readily available. During deployment, commanders must
ensure that primary preventive services are implemented and monitored to improve the dental readiness of
Soldiers in support of military operations. Leaders ensure that drinking water supplied to Soldiers is
optimally fluoridated, when possible, and provide oral health information in the AO at every opportunity.
Leaders ensure that Soldiers are aware of healthful stress reduction habits and techniques and that they
know the importance of avoiding harmful oral habits, such as tobacco use and improper diet. Soldiers
should have access to oral hygiene devices and have the opportunity to practice good oral hygiene. Soldiers
receive dental floss, toothbrushes, and fluoridated toothpaste in the Ration Supplement, Sundries Pack,
Type I. Local Post Exchanges also carry oral hygiene supplies.

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR

OPERATIONS
2-69. CBRN operations are the employment of tactical capabilities that counter the entire range of CBRN
threats and hazards through WMD proliferation prevention, WMD counterforce, CBRN defense, and
CBRN consequence management activities in support of operational and strategic objectives to combat
WMD and operate safely in CBRN environments. CBRN threats and hazards include WMD, improvised
weapons and devices, and TIM and can potentially cause mass casualties and large-scale destruction. Many
state and nonstate actors (including terrorists and criminals) possess or have the capability to possess,
develop, or proliferate WMD. U.S. policy prohibits the use of chemical or biological weapons under any
circumstances, but it reserves the right to employ nuclear weapons. Many potential enemies are under no
such constraint. (See FM 3-11 for more information.)
2-70. The CBRN and EOD elements of the protection cell plan and coordinate CBRNE operations. Key
capabilities also integrate with other warfighting functions. Among these, CBRN reconnaissance and
surveillance integrate with the intelligence warfighting function, the CBRN warning and reporting system
integrates with the command and control warfighting function, and CBRN decontamination operations
support the sustainment warfighting function.

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Chapter 2

SUPPORT TO COMBATING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

2-71. The United States confronts the threat of CBRN threats and their means of delivery through the
mutually reinforcing strategic activities of nonproliferation, counterproliferation, and consequence
management. U.S. military CBRN units were once primarily defensive in nature, with heavy emphasis on
response and mitigation measures. Lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom have expanded this role from passive defense to tactical execution or support of the eight military
mission areas to combat WMD. (See JP 3-40 for more information.)
2-72. CBRN operations in support of combating WMD include—
z Providing WMD security cooperation and partner activities support. WMD security
cooperation and partner activities improve or promote defense relationships and the capacity of
allied and partner nations to execute or support the other military mission areas to combat WMD
through military-to-military contact, burden-sharing arrangements, combined military activities,
and support to international activities.
z Providing WMD threat reduction cooperation support. WMD threat reduction cooperation
activities are undertaken with the consent and cooperation of host nation authorities in a
permissive environment to enhance physical security and to reduce, dismantle, redirect, and/or
improve the protection of a state’s existing WMD program, stockpiles, and capabilities.
z Conducting WMD interdiction operations. WMD interdiction operations track, intercept,
search, divert, seize, or otherwise stop the transit of WMD; WMD delivery systems; or related
materials, technologies, and expertise.
z Conducting WMD offensive operations. WMD offensive operations disrupt, neutralize, or
destroy a WMD threat before it can be used or deter the subsequent use of WMD.
z Conducting WMD elimination operations. WMD elimination operations are conducted in a
hostile or uncertain environment to systematically locate, characterize, secure, disable, or
destroy WMD programs and related capabilities. (See Field Manual Interim [FMI] 3-90.10 for
more information.)
z Conducting CBRN active defense. CBRN active defense includes measures to defeat an attack
with CBRN weapons by employing actions to divert, neutralize, or destroy those weapons or
their means of delivery while en route to their target.
z Conducting CBRN passive defense. CBRN passive defense includes measures taken to
minimize or negate the vulnerability to, and effects of, CBRN attacks. This mission area focuses
on maintaining force ability to continue military operations in a CBRN environment.
Commanders use measures that implement the principles of contamination avoidance (see FM 3-
11.3), protection (see FM 3-11.4), and decontamination (see FM 3-11.5).
z Conducting CBRN consequence management operations. CBRN consequence management
includes activities that are undertaken, when directed or authorized, to mitigate the deliberate or
inadvertent release of CBRN hazards. (See FM 3-11.21 for more information.)

MISSION-ORIENTED PROTECTIVE POSTURE ANALYSIS

2-73. Protecting Soldiers from the harmful hazards associated with CBRN attacks in an AO is essential to
preserving combat power. When the probability of CBRN threat exists, commanders and leaders must
conduct a deliberate analysis to posture and equip forces for survival and mission effectiveness. CBRN and
medical personnel consider METT-TC and related information to provide recommendations on protection
requirements that are reflected in the mission-oriented protective posture (MOPP) level. Staff and leader
involvement is necessary to ensure safe and sustained operations under various climatic conditions.
Commanders should develop standard responses and COAs for each projected mission. The standard
MOPP levels are—
z MOPP Ready. Carry a protective mask, and ensure that individual protective gear is nearby.
z MOPP0. Carry a protective mask, and ensure that individual protective gear is available.
z MOPP1. Don an overgarment.
z MOPP2. Don protective boots.

2-16 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Warfighting Function

z MOPP3. Don a protective mask.

z MOPP4. Don protective gloves.
2-74. Leaders know that they cannot expect the same work rates in MOPP4 as they achieved in MOPP0.
They reevaluate the ability to meet mission requirements and communicate changes to the force. MOPP
reduction decisions are also among the most difficult to make because of the many considerations that
affect the final decision. Commanders must evaluate the situation from the Soldier and mission
perspectives. Factors include the criticality of the current mission, potential effects of personnel exposure,
and the impact on the casualty care system. Commanders can then determine what follow-on COAs to
employ.
2-75. Leaders determine the appropriate MOPP level by assessing METT-TC factors and weighing the
impact of increased protection levels. Higher headquarters also provide MOPP level directives to
subordinate elements.
2-76. The MOPP analysis process can be used as a tool to determine the appropriate protective posture,
estimate unit/personnel effectiveness (mission degradation), estimate additional logistics requirements
(water resupply, individual protective equipment replenishment), and assess/weigh the tradeoffs between
agent exposures and degraded performance (wearing of MOPP4).

Note. For more information on MOPP levels, see FM 3-11.4.

SAFETY
2-77. Safety has a full spectrum mission. Operational conditions often impose significant hazards to
Soldiers through the increased probability of an accidental event. In extreme OEs, these hazards raise the
risk level as equipment and personnel are taxed. Leaders must know their Soldiers and trained crews, and
operators must know the capabilities and limitations of their platforms and systems. To maintain a
continuous operational tempo, commanders must know how to employ and sustain personnel and
equipment. When planning operations, commanders—
z Consider human endurance limits and environmental conditions.
z Balance the possible benefits of sustained, high-tempo operations with the level of risk.
z Accept no unnecessary risks.
z Conduct high-risk operations only when the potential gain or benefit outweighs the potential
loss.
2-78. Integrating safety into the operations process through the protection warfighting function and the
CRM process provides an opportunity to identify and assess hazards to the force and develop risk reduction
measures. (See FM 5-19 for more information.) The responsibility for safety starts with the commander and
continues through the chain of command to individuals. Safety works best when all leaders and Soldiers
receive training to recognize hazards and implement controls to reduce or mitigate risks in their daily
operations. (See AR 385-10 for more information.)
2-79. Commanders at all levels normally have a safety officer assigned to their personal or special staff.
The safety officer—
z Assists commanders in evaluating and maintaining awareness of safety-related issues, while
facilitating safety integration.
z Maintains a close, day-to-day working relationship with the protection cell.
z Is a member of many forcing functions and forums, including the protection working group.
z Travels throughout the AO.
z Observes safety-related issues.
z Provides technical assistance to leaders and planners as they develop and execute safety
programs, plans, orders, and SOPs.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 2-17

Chapter 2

OPERATIONS SECURITY
2-80. OPSEC is the process of identifying essential elements of friendly information and subsequently
analyzing friendly actions attendant to military operations and other activities to: a. identify those actions
that can be observed by adversary intelligence systems; b. determine indicators hostile intelligence systems
might obtain that could be interpreted or pieced together to derive critical information in time to be useful
to adversaries; and c. select and execute measures that eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level the
vulnerabilities of friendly actions to adversary exploitation. (FM 3-13) (See AR 530-1 for more
information.)
2-81. OPSEC applies to all operations across the spectrum of conflict. All units conduct OPSEC to
preserve essential secrecy. Commanders establish routine OPSEC measures in unit SOPs. The OPSEC
officer coordinates additional OPSEC measures with the G-2; assistant chief of staff, operations (G-3); and
other staff and command elements. The OPSEC officer develops measures during the military
decisionmaking process (MDMP). The G-2 assists the OPSEC process by comparing friendly OPSEC
indicators with enemy intelligence collection capabilities. The chief of protection, OPSEC officer, and
protection cell staff integrate OPSEC into all operations. (See appendix D for more information.)

EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL

2-82. The mission of EOD is to eliminate or reduce the effects of explosive ordnance (EO) hazards to
protect combat power. EO hazards are ever-present dangers on the modern battlefield. They limit
battlefield mobility, deny the use of critical assets, and threaten to injure or kill Soldiers at levels
unprecedented in the past. This fact is graphically shown by the hundreds of casualties caused by the use of
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, U.S. and coalition use of
munitions that disperse submunitions across a wide area has led to increased amounts of unexploded
ordnance (UXO) on the battlefield. EOD forces are trained, equipped, and organized to deal with the
increased quantity, sophistication, and lethality of EO and support U.S. and coalition forces across the
spectrum of conflict. (See FM 4-30.51 for more information.)
2-83. EOD units are specifically trained in the render-safe procedures (RSP)/disposal of EO/IEDs,
including those containing CBRN materials. While other forces may have the ability to destroy UXO by
detonation, they are not properly equipped, trained, or authorized to perform RSP or other disposal
procedures. EOD elements normally—
z Identify EO/IEDs/captured enemy ammunition and threats.
„ Perform initial assessment of found munitions. Found munitions include single munitions
discovered or captured during military operations (patrols, raids, maneuvers) or obtained through
buyback or amnesty programs.
„ Assist commanders with AT, including intelligence support, electronic warfare defense
plans, bomb threat/search procedures, facility site surveys, and development and implementation
of EOD emergency response and AT plans.
z Render-safe/dispose of EO/IEDs. EOD is the only force equipped, manned, and trained to
positively identify, render-safe, and dispose of U.S. and foreign EO/IEDs.
„ Assist commanders with the implementation of protective works and consequence
management.
„ Provide technical advice and assistance to combat engineers during route clearance, area
clearance, and minefield clearance operations.
„ Support responses to nuclear and chemical accidents/incidents, including technical advice
and procedures to mitigate hazards associated with such items.
„ Provide EOD Soldiers in support of humanitarian efforts that involve EO.

Note. EOD provides technical assistance for the salvage, demolition, neutralization, or other
disposition of government-owned shipments in transit.

2-18 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Warfighting Function

z Perform technical intelligence. EOD units recover EO/IEDs/components for technical

exploitation and prepare them for evacuation to a technical evaluation facility.
z Perform postblast analysis.
„ Assist commanders during explosive accident or incident investigations.
„ Gather technical intelligence on new/first-seen foreign ordnance and IEDs.
„ Conduct weapons intelligence and postblast analysis.
„ Advise and assist civilian authorities in conducting postblast investigations involving
military ordnance and explosives.

Note. A priority of Army mortuary affairs is immediate recovery and clearance of deceased
persons. The presence of UXO found on, embedded in, or in the vicinity of deceased persons
adversely impacts the recovery of deceased U.S. or coalition personnel. Therefore, Army
planners should involve EOD in the planning stages for the recovery and processing of deceased
personnel.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 2-19

This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 3
Protectio
P on in Fu
ull Specttrum Op
perations
s
Adversariees seek to gainn advantage through
t combbat action andd their ability to identify
friendly vu ulnerabilities and infiltratte and penetrrate the seam
ms and gaps in i friendly
protection posture. As the violence and intensityy of conflict increase, thee ability to
sufficientlyy protect thee combat forrce and assoociated elemeents without hindering
maneuver and stifling initiative becoomes increasiingly complexx. The protecction of the
civilian poopulation in some
s OEs couuld be the decisive operatiion that is linnked to the
protection of the military force. Detainees also require a level of protection. p
Command ders use the mission
m variabbles to develoop protection strategies thaat integrate
o protection to deter, prevvent, secure, defend, and restore
all forms of r the foorce during
full spectruum operationns. Commanders evaluate the t significannce of each mission,
m the
vulnerabiliities inherentt in infrastruucture and thee environmennt, and their ability to
protect thee force.

FUL
LL SPECT
TRUM OP
PERATIO
ONS
3--1. Full specttrum operationns is the Armyy’s operationall concept of coombining offennsive, defensivve, and
sttability or civill support operaations simultanneously as partt of an interdeppendent joint force
f to seize, retain,
annd exploit the initiative,
i acceepting prudent risk to create opportunity.
o Thhey employ syynchronized acttion—
leethal and nonllethal—proporrtional to the mission and informed by a thorough understanding u of all
vaariables of thee OE. Missionn command thhat conveys inntent and an appreciation
a o all aspects of the
of
siituation guidess the adaptive use of Army forces.f (FM 3--0) Ultimately,, full spectrum
m operations crreate a
saafe and secure environment where w the stabbilization and restoration
r of peaceful
p proceesses can prevaail and
enndure. (See figure 3-1.)

Figure 3-1. Full

F spectrum
m operations
s

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 3-1
Chapter 3

3-2. Full spectrum operations require continuous, simultaneous combinations of offensive, defensive, and
stability or civil support tasks:
z Outside the continental United States (OCONUS). Operations conducted OCONUS and in its
territories simultaneously combine three elements—offense, defense, and stability. Commanders
balance the right mix of constructive and destructive capabilities along with lethal and nonlethal
actions to create dilemmas for opponents. Stability operations are characterized by nonlethal
actions, but the ability to engage potential threats with lethal force remains a viable deterrent.
z CONUS. Operations in CONUS and in its territories require the element of civil support or a
combination of offensive and defensive elements, depending on the nature of the mission. Civil
support operations are characterized by nonlethal support actions. The use of offensive and
defensive elements in CONUS is limited to very specific circumstances associated with
homeland defense or self-defense by installations and personnel from hostile or life-threatening
attacks. Offensive and defensive elements may only be used in accordance with U.S. law and
DOD policy.
3-3. The Army can perform many tasks simultaneously, but not necessarily with equal emphasis or
effectiveness. Commanders and leaders must be flexible and adaptive as they seek opportunities to seize,
retain, and exploit the initiative. Leaders must have enhanced situational understanding in simultaneous full
spectrum operations due to the diversity of threats, the proximity to civilians, and the impact of information
during operations. The fluid, dynamic, and changing nature of operations may require the surge of certain
capabilities, such as protection, to effectively link decisive operations to shaping or stabilizing activities in
the AO. In other operations, the threat may be less discernible, unlikely to mass, and immune to the center
of gravity analysis, which requires a constant and continuous protection effort or presence.
3-4. Full spectrum operations are also characterized by initiative, simultaneity, and synchronization.
Operational and individual initiative involves intrinsic risk and opportunity, and significant opportunities
do not typically last long. Full spectrum operations must be capable of simultaneity (enabled through the
exercise of mission command) in order to act on opportunity. Mission command requires mutual trust and
full knowledge of the operational concept and demands that subordinate leaders at all echelons exercise
disciplined, aggressive, and independent initiative to accomplish the mission within the commander’s
intent.
3-5. Commanders must accept risk to exploit time-sensitive opportunities by acting before adversaries
discover vulnerabilities, take evasive or defensive action, and implement countermeasures. Commanders
and leaders can continue to act on operational and individual initiative if they make better risk decisions
faster than the enemy, ultimately breaking the enemy’s will and morale through relentless pressure.
Commanders can leverage technological advancements or processes that improve endurance and protection
capabilities to increase the probability of mission accomplishment. Advanced information technologies
increase commanders’ situational awareness, and the improved awareness enables commanders to make
better risk decisions faster than the enemy.
3-6. Accurate assessment is essential for effective decisionmaking and the apportionment of combat
power to protection tasks. Commanders fulfill protection requirements by applying or deriving reinforcing
or complementing protection capabilities from forces in primary, supporting, or economy-of-force roles or
from the OE itself. This is accomplished by identifying all protection capabilities available to the
commander and then proportionately synchronizing them within the concept of operations and with all
other full spectrum activities. Protection can be derived as a by-product or a complementary result of some
combat operations (such as security operations), or it can be deliberately applied as commanders integrate
and synchronize tasks and systems that comprise the protection warfighting function.
3-7. Full spectrum operations are normally translated into action through the development and
arrangement of primary and subordinate tasks that ultimately become missions. (See table 3-1.)

3-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Full Spectrum Operations

Table 3-1. Elements of full spectrum operations

Operation Primary Task Purpose
Offensive • Movement to contact • Dislocate, isolate, disrupt, and destroy enemy forces.
• Attack • Seize key terrain.
• Exploitation • Deprive the enemy of resources.
• Pursuit • Develop intelligence.
• Deceive and divert the enemy.
• Create a secure environment for stability operations.
Defensive • Mobile defense • Deter or defeat enemy offensive operations.
• Area defense • Gain time.
• Retrograde • Achieve economy of force.
• Retain key terrain.
• Protect the populace, critical assets, and infrastructure.
• Develop intelligence.
Stability • Civil security • Provide a secure environment.
• Civil control • Secure land areas.
• Restoration of essential services • Meet the critical needs of the populace.
• Support to governance • Gain support for host nation government.
• Support to economic and • Shape the environment for interagency and host nation
infrastructure development success.
Civil Support • Support in response to disasters or • Save lives.
terrorist attacks • Restore essential services.
• Support of civil law enforcement • Maintain or restore law and order.
• Other support as required • Protect infrastructure and property.
• Maintain or restore local government.
• Shape the environment for interagency success.

OPERATIONAL DESIGN
3-8. Commanders and leaders use all aspects of military art and science to protect the force. At the
operational level, leaders consider protection as they implement the elements of operations design to
reinforce and complement protection. As they understand and visualize the OE, commanders develop broad
concepts to effectively employ land power. Through the operational art, they define problems and
challenges, formulate and refine designs, and link them through METT-TC variables to tangible and
achievable objectives at the tactical level. Protection can often be derived from the effect or outcome of an
operational approach that makes effective use of time, terrain, tides, or tempo. Ports, lodgment and staging
areas, airfields, and drop zones are often decisive points that are selected or shaped for their ability to offer
some level of protection to the force, mission, or center of gravity. Sanctuaries and safe havens are selected
for their ability to provide protection, defense, or egress that is necessary to preserve the force or
population. The elements of combat power can be sequenced in a reinforcing and complementary manner
that provides protection for offensive action through preparatory activities, preemption, or diversion. Joint
capabilities can also help set conditions that reduce risk and increase protection.
3-9. At the tactical level, AOs are often designated and assigned based on factors in the OE and unit
capability. Unit boundaries, fire control restrictions, and graphic control measures help create zones of
action, engagement areas, and kill zones for friendly forces that help commanders reduce the likelihood of
fratricide or accidental damage. Rules of engagement (ROE), warning systems, and weapons control status
protect the force and populations through the controlled application of lethal and nonlethal action. To this
end, commanders are often given additional authority or C2, such as tactical control, to ensure the
synchronization (necessary for rapid response, defense, and protection) of all elements operating in or near
the AO.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 3-3

Chapter 3

SECUR
RITY OPE
ERATION
NS
3-10. One of the most
m common methods
m of prroviding protecction for grouund combat forces during fuull
spectruum operations is through seccurity operationns. The ultimatte goal of securrity operations is to protect thhe
force from surprise and reduce the unknown in any situation.. Doctrine recoognizes five foorms of securitty
operattions in the millitary art:
z Screen.
z Guard.
z Cover.
z Area secu
urity.
z Local secu urity.
3-11. Commanders use u all five forrms of securityy to protect the force during offensive
o operaations; althoughh,
screenn, guard, and cover are typpically associaated with com mbat formationns specificallyy organized for fo
combiined arms man neuver. For thiis reason, screen, guard, andd cover are alsso aligned withh the movemennt
and maneuver
m warfighting functionn while area security is alignned with the prrotection warffighting functioon
for tacctical task appo
ortionment.
3-12. Screen, guard,, and cover operations reflecct increasing leevels of combaat power that caan be applied to
t
protecct an asset or force
f from a directed threat and are typicaally conducted by combat unnits designed forfo
combiined arms man neuver. The priimary purposee of a screen operation
o (see figure
f 3-2) is to
t provide earlly
warninng, thereby preeventing surpriise. Guard andd cover operatiions (see figuree 3-3) involve combined armms
units in
i combat, fig ghting to gain time with difffering levels of
o capability annd autonomy for independennt
actionn.

Figu
ure 3-2. Scree
en security operation
o
t formation, asset, or locattion they are prrotecting and do
3-13. Area security operations usuually focus on the d
not noormally focus on the enemyy force. Area security operrations take addvantage of thhe various local
securitty measures being
b performeed by all unitss in the AO. Local
L securityy measures aree inherent to all
a
operattions and inclu
ude active andd passive meassures taken aggainst enemy actions.
a Local security allowws
commmanders to provvide immediatee, responsive seecurity to the foorce.

Note. See FM 3-90 for moree information on

o security operrations.

3-4 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protec
ction in Full Sp
pectrum Opera
ations

Figure 3-3. Guard

G securiity operation
n

OFFE
ENSE
3--14. Offensive operations aree combat operations conductted to defeat annd destroy eneemy forces andd seize
teerrain, resourcees, and populaation centers. They impose the commander’s will on thhe enemy. (FM M 3-0)
Suurprise, concen ntration, tempoo, and audacityy characterize the offense. Movement
M and maneuver dom minate
T application of protection capabilities
duuring offensivee operations. The c to offensive operrations is challeenging
beecause of the dynamic natuure of offense action and thhe need for boold initiative that t depends ono the
w
willingness to accept
a risk. Prrotection can be
b derived thrrough audacityy or surprise or o by increasinng the
teempo of offenssive operations. On the offensse, leaders must balance the need for cautioon with the pootential
siignificance thaat opportunity offers
o and musst weight theirr decision in faavor of initiativve and action. Army
foorces conduct offensive
o operaations for seveeral purposes, such
s as destroyying or disruptting an enemy force,
seeizing key terraain, or creatingg a secure enviironment for stability operatiions. At the opperational level, they
deefeat enemy forces
f that thhreaten importtant areas or governments. Primary offeensive tasks innclude
m
movement to co
ontact, attack, exploitation,
e annd pursuit. (Seee FM 3-0 for more
m informatioon.)
3--15. Seizing, retaining,
r andd exploiting innitiative and opportunity
o arre the essencees of the offeensive.
A
Activities that do
d not directly contribute to that goal often become suppoorting, secondaary, or nested efforts.
e
Inn offensive opeerations, protecction must be applied
a carefullly and selectivvely to ensure that it does noot have
a debilitating effect
e on a coommander’s freedom
fr of acction. This is accomplished through prottection
inntegration and synchronizatioon. Protection efforts are inttegrated with other o combat power
p elemennts and
syynchronized sim multaneously oro sequentiallyy where and whenw significannt hazards and threats are proojected
inn the offensivee plan. This iss typically a function
fu of thee protection ceell and the G-33 at echelons above
brrigade, and it is
i achieved thrrough a host of o formal and informal
i proceesses at brigadee and below. During
D
offfensive operattions, typical points
p of vulneerability includde flanks, criticcal C2 nodes annd capabilitiess, lines
off communicatiions, sustainmeent areas, fratrricidal events, unstable popuulations, and accidents.
a Prottection
inntegration is disscussed in chappter 4.

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 3-5
Chapter 3

PROTECTION DURING THE OFFENSE

3-16. Protection activities, tasks, and systems are applied and conducted to preserve combat power by
reducing risk or mitigating vulnerability. Air and missile systems defend maneuver forces, critical
infrastructure, and logistics bases. Although all commanders have some organic capability for air defense
and warning, enhanced capabilities are often provided by higher-echelon commanders and air component
organizations.
3-17. The preservation of combat power often requires the immediate restoration of critical skills and
capabilities. All mission-capable personnel contribute to combat power in operations, but certain skills and
capabilities can turn the tide of a battle or an engagement and their immediate recovery becomes essential.
Therefore, PR operations are closely integrated into all phases, branches, and sequels associated with
offensive operations to ensure that isolated and captured Soldiers are quickly recovered and returned to the
fight. Combat arms crews and aviation crews and pilots are often a high-demand personnel asset during
offensive operations, and their recovery may require specific guidance.
3-18. Combat conditions and operational stress can quickly take their toll on organizations and leaders
engaged in prolonged offensive operations. Behavioral-health expertise provides preventative and
restorative methods for identifying, treating, and restoring the effectiveness of personnel exposed to
prolonged stress.
3-19. An enemy force may resort to the use of CBRNE capabilities or scorched-earth techniques to delay,
divert, or culminate an offensive operation against them. Friendly CBRN reconnaissance assets must be
positioned and synchronized to allow commanders an early CBRN detection and avoidance capability that
enables rapid and decisive movement and maneuver and adjusts MOPP levels while preparing for
decontamination. Force health practitioners monitor offensive running estimates for evidence of a
deliberate or incidental epidemic, while ensuring that food and water sources are healthful.
3-20. Offensive operations often depend on shock, audacity, and surprise that are enabled through
disciplined OPSEC and the physical security of weapons, devices, sensitive items, codes, passwords, and
other sensitive or classified materials and information. Increased INFOCON during offensive operations
enhances C2 and protection posture through prevention and situational awareness. Measures taken through
CND to protect networks and computers from disruption and degradation can support and sustain the tempo
of offensive operations and allow leaders greater situational awareness through the uninterrupted access to
information. Information assurance helps authenticate the identity of information users and sustains the
availability of access only by authorized users.
3-21. The tempo and speed of offensive operations can result in combat identification errors and fratricide.
Deliberate precautions are taken to prevent surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and air-to-surface friendly fire
incidents through positive and procedural control mechanisms, standard unit marking schemes and patterns,
and sound navigation and reporting procedures. Friendly and enemy forces often use obscurants for
protection during movement and maneuver or to create surprise through diversion.
3-22. Through survivability, units shape the immediate environment and location to provide or create self-
protection. On the offense, selected sites and positions from which combat power must be generated and
sustained may need to be hardened or protected for the duration of offensive operations. Tactical operations
centers (TOCs), radars, and some logistical elements are hardened or frequently moved to keep pace with
operations and to ensure their survivability. In support areas, commanders conduct area damage control to
prevent and respond to the negative effects of enemy action that can diminish combat power.
3-23. Area security operations allow commanders to provide protection to critical assets without a
significant diversion of combat power. During offensive operations, various military organizations may be
involved in conducting area security operations in an economy of force role to protect lines of
communications, convoys, or critical fixed sites and radars. Bases and base clusters employ local security
measures (including EOD, assessments and recommendations, random AT measures, and increased
FPCON), but may be vulnerable to enemy remnant forces requiring a response that is beyond base. Area
security operations support offensive operations by providing a response capability to base clusters and
sustainment areas and to designated geographical areas such as routes, bridge sites, or lodgments.

3-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Full Spectrum Operations

3-24. The following vignette shows how a commander carefully balances threat and vulnerability to decide
on acceptable risk and complete the mission according to the higher commander’s intent.

Thunder Runs in Baghdad

On 6 April 2003, the 3d Infantry Division was on the outskirts of Baghdad. Major General
Buford Blount, 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) commander, ordered Colonel David Perkins,
2d Brigade commander, to execute a limited-objective attack into Baghdad.
The brigade was located in Objective Saints. Task Force 1-64 Armor was to lead from
Objective Saints and seize Objective Diane. Task Force 4-64 Armor would follow and seize
two palaces designated Objectives Woody West and Woody East. Task Force 3-15 Infantry
would secure Objective Saints and the lines of communications between Objectives Saints and
Diane. Three key highway interchanges along the lines of communications were designated as
Moe, Larry, and Curly.
The initiative, speed, shock, and surprise of the drive to Baghdad, coupled with the “thunder
runs” inside the city, caught the Iraqi forces and leaders by surprise. The price for this tactical
gamble was extremely vulnerable supply lines and combat trains.
To prepare for this dangerous mission, each task force utilized a scout platoon as an escort
force for a limited logistics package (four fuel and two ammunition trucks). The logistics
package was kept in Objective Saints on a “be prepared” status to move north into the city if
necessary. In addition, units stripped all unnecessary equipment from the tanks and Bradleys.
This reduced the fire potential since baggage in the bustle racks would easily catch fire if hit by
rocket-propelled grenades, recoilless rifles, or other incendiaries. Each vehicle had more than
its basic load of small arms and about a 5-day supply of water.
To eliminate concerns about lighter-skinned vehicles and to increase mobility and survivability,
Task Force 1-64 took only limited vehicles. These included tanks, Bradleys, and one or two
M113s per company (first sergeant/maintenance). The engineer companies remained at
Objective Saints and, along with the mortar platoons, served as a quick reaction force to assist
with a withdrawal from the Baghdad objectives, if needed, or to immediately reinforce success.
The battalions rigged tow cables on all vehicles for the hasty towing of disabled vehicles. This
and all other battle drills were thoroughly rehearsed. The commander accepted the risk that no
vehicles would be repaired until the unit maintenance collection point could be brought
forward. The units briefed and rehearsed a Baghdad evacuation plan that had units
maneuvering back to Objective Saints. Alternate routes to and from the objectives were
identified. Colonel Perkins also established decision points to prevent the loss of combat
power. For example, if they could not get resupplied in 24 hours, the plan was to pull back out
of the city. Due to flight restrictions, casualty evacuation was only possible by ground
transportation and the first sergeants’ vehicles were tasked with this mission. They planned to
use two combat vehicles to escort the first sergeants’ vehicles out of the city to Objective
Saints and hand them off to the logistics staff officer (S-4).
This example shows a commander taking a calculated risk despite vulnerable supply lines. To
mitigate the risk, the unit applied principles of protection. In the end, the unit achieved not only
a tactical objective, but also a strategic objective—the downfall of the regime in Baghdad.
Perkins applied the art of war to achieve the tactical and operational advantage, while
preserving his force through risk mitigation. His actions illustrated the weakness of the Iraqi
government and military to the world. The quick fall of the regime caused by the response to
this decisive maneuver operation resulted in the rapid culmination of Iraqi ground forces.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 3-7

Chapter 3

DEFENSE
E
3-25. Defensive opeerations are combat
c operattions conducteed to defeat an a enemy attaack, gain tim me,
econom mize forces, and develop conditions favvorable for offensive
o or stability
s operattions. (FM 3-00)
Successful defensivee operations are often charactterized by prepparation, securiity, disruption,, massed effectts,
and fleexibility. Commanders may also a choose to defend for othher purposes, to include retaiining key terraiin
or prootecting the po opulace, criticaal assets, and infrastructure.. There are thhree tasks assoociated with thhe
defensse—area defen nse, mobile deffense, and retroograde movemeent. While areaa and mobile defense
d basicallly
describbe typical defeensive patterns involving commbat, retrograde movement geenerally involvves an organizeed
movem ment away from m the enemy too preserve the force.
f
3-26. In a mobile deefense, the deffender withhollds a large porttion of availabble forces for use
u as a strikinng
force in
i a counterattack. Mobile deefenses requiree enough depthh to let enemy forces advancee into a positioon
that exxposes them too counterattackk. The defense separates attacking forces frrom their suppport and disruppts
the ennemy’s C2. As A enemy forcces extend theemselves in thhe defended arrea and lose momentumm annd
organiization, the deffender surprises and overwheelms them withh a powerful coounterattack.
3-27. A mobile deffense normallyy integrates elements
e of offfense, defensse, and delay while focusinng
combiined arms man neuver on the destruction off enemy forcess. Most of thee force forms a striking forcce,
while the rest of thhe force defendds in depth annd exposes thee enemy to coounterattack. An A area defensse
concenntrates on denyying enemy access to a particcular area of teerrain, restrictinng their freedoom of maneuveer,
and drrawing them innto kill zones and
a engagemennt areas where they can be deefeated in detaiil from mutuallly
supporrting positions.

Note. See FM 3-0 for more information

i onn defensive opeerations.

3-28. Operational commanders

c o
often employ a covering force
f to proteect the main body during a
withdrrawal or retrog
grade or on the defensive by disrupting
d enem
my attacks, desstroying initiatiives, and settinng
the coonditions for decisive
d operatiions. (See FM
M 3-90 for more information.) Enemy forcees must risk thhe
loss of
o momentum and culminattion as they fight fi through the
t covering force,
f often coommitting theeir
reservves in the proceess. Covering force operations are resource-intensive beccause of their requirement forfo
indepeendent action and may be reepresented at the tactical levvel as guard operations
o in the
t defense (seee
figure 3-4).

Figu
ure 3-4. Cove
er security operation

3-8 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protection in Full Spectrum Operations

PROTECTION DURING THE DEFENSE

3-29. No matter which defensive task is performed, the survivability of C2 centers and key
communications nodes in defensive operations is critical to their success. Survivability and AT tasks and
plans are essential during the defense and may require a deliberate and detailed approach to ensure that
combat power is apportioned where it is most needed. Commanders may use decision support tools and
analysis to assess critical assets and key vulnerabilities. In mature theaters or FOBs, commanders plan and
prepare for enemy attacks by predicting where the next attack will occur and apply measures to mitigate the
effectiveness of the attack. These attacks may be from conventional, irregular, or terrorist forces and drive
changes in local FPCON or individual protective measures. Incident management plans and area damage
control in execution are key components to a successful protection plan. These plans cover all threat
capabilities and environmental considerations and integrate protection tasks and systems. EOD assets and
personnel support AT efforts on bases and in base clusters and dispose of UXO during defensive
operations.
3-30. In defensive operations, commanders protect forces and critical assets by conducting area security
operations because of their flexibility. Forces conducting area security in the defense can deter, detect, or
defeat enemy reconnaissance while creating standoff distances from enemy direct- and indirect-fire
systems. Area security operations can be used to protect the rapid movement of combat trains or protect
cached commodities until needed.
3-31. Mobile defensive schemes are characterized by a high degree of movement and maneuver; therefore,
they seek fratricide avoidance in a manner similar to offensive operations through solid land navigation and
position reporting, combat identification, and positive control. Area defense protects the force from
fratricide by the deliberate structure of the defensive pattern that emphasizes preparation, identifiable
engagement areas and kill zones, engagement criteria, and mutually supporting positions. The commitment
of the reserve force during an area defense operation may create the conditions for a fratricide event and
are, therefore, typically well rehearsed.
3-32. Any defensive operation could potentially begin with enemy bombardment, resulting in a siege that
can have dramatic results on the mental and behavioral health of unit personnel. Soldiers can become
combat ineffective from the close proximity of heavy indirect fire even if exposure is for short durations.
Systems for combat stress identification and treatment are deliberately emplaced to reduce the return-to-
duty time of affected personnel.
3-33. Commanders deploy air defense and alert warning systems to prevent and warn of an air intrusion,
air insertion, or air and missile attack. Air defense coverage may be positioned along likely air avenues of
approach and near designated critical assets.
3-34. Units develop, train, and rehearse a CBRN defense plan to protect personnel and equipment from an
attack or incident involving CBRN hazards. MOPP analysis results in initial MOPP and personal protective
equipment levels, and decontaminants are positioned accordingly. Force health personnel maintain
situational awareness and surveillance of personnel strength information for indications of force
contamination, epidemic, or other anomalies apparent in force health trend data.
3-35. Area defensive patterns require the placement of obstacles and the deliberate development and
preparation of fighting and support by fire positions, engagement areas, and kill boxes. Engineer assets
emplace obstacles and harden defensive positions throughout the defensive schemes. They also assure the
mobility of striking forces that support mobile defenses and reserve forces that support area defensive
plans.
3-36. Effective and disciplined OPSEC protects essential elements of friendly information (EEFI),
preventing enemy reconnaissance and other information collection capabilities from gaining an advantage
through identifiable or observable pieces of friendly information or activities. This is key during defensive
and retrograde operations to prevent surprise. OPSEC and information protection activities deny the enemy
access to information systems and prevent network intrusion, degradation, or destruction through computer
network defensive TTP, while electronic protection capabilities prevent an attacking enemy from using the
electromagnetic spectrum to degrade or neutralize friendly combat capabilities.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 3-9

Chapter 3

3-37. Preventable accidents can thwart mission success during combat operations. Leaders must continue
to assess the environment and routine activities for the evidence of hazards that can lead to the preventable
loss of combat power through accidents and events. Personnel rest and recovery plans, leader experience,
and skill levels are safety considerations that influence risk management decisions during combat
operations.

STABILITY
3-38. Stability operations is an overarching term encompassing various military missions, tasks, and
activities conducted outside the United States in coordination with other instruments of national power to
maintain or reestablish a safe and secure environment and provide essential governmental services,
emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. (JP 3-0) Stability operations aim to
stabilize the environment enough that the host nation can begin to resolve the root causes of conflict and
failure of the state. When a host nation or other agency cannot provide the basic functions of government,
military forces may be introduced to establish or restore basic civil functions and protect them until the host
nation or a civil authority is capable of providing these services for the local populace. Stability operations
are often more important to the lasting success of military operations than traditional combat operations
because they enable the introduction of other instruments of national power to an OE, creating a stable
foundation for the transfer of activities to civilian or host nation control.
3-39. Stability operations are conducted within the context of full spectrum operations (see figure 3-1, page
3-1). Offensive operations continue, but are generally characterized as episodic activities against specific or
focused targets, individuals, or groups. Offensive operations may include limited major operations against
former warring parties or raids and deliberate cordon-and-search operations throughout the OE. Defensive
operations may be conducted to protect facilities, enclaves, sanctuaries, or groups or to gain time for
response forces to take decisive action.
3-40. Military forces must quickly seize and retain the initiative in stability operations to gain control of
civil mechanisms of power and the environment and to prevent local conditions from destabilizing or
deteriorating. Acting boldly can prevent organized resistance from developing, while creating opportunities
for actions necessary to reduce suffering, strengthen institutions, and begin the transition to civil authority.
Bold initiatives during stability operations involve risk. The close proximity to civilians with immediate
access to global information conduits can magnify the consequences of inaction, accidents, collateral
damage, and casualties. Leaders must carefully balance lethal and nonlethal actions during stability
operations. Overcautious prevention activities or procedures limit the freedom of action just as unrestrained
action can result in provocation tactics by adversaries.
3-41. Fragile states suffer from institutional weaknesses that threaten the survival of their central
government. (See FM 3-07 for more information.) Stability operation strategies are developed to achieve
conflict resolution by enhancing host nation legitimacy, civil institution development through capacity-
building activities, and progress toward justice and the rule of law. They support and reflect overarching
national security, defense, and military strategies and policies eventually articulated within the framework
of the campaign plan at the operational level. At this level, stability operation strategies often require the
integration of operational and tactical tasks along the lines of effort that lead to the following end state
conditions:
z Safe and secure environment.
z Established rule of law.
z Social well-being.
z Stable government.
z Sustainable economy.
3-42. Protection of the force during stability operations is essential for success at all levels of operations,
from tactical to strategic. Like offensive and defensive operations, stability operations can derive some
protection from the concept of operations alone, but the most sustainable protection success for the force is
achieved by integrating the protection tasks and systems that comprise the protection warfighting function.
Loss, damage, injuries, and casualties can influence the will of participating populations to sustain

3-10 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protec
ction in Full Sp
pectrum Opera
ations

opperations. Thee enduring natture of stabilitty operations may require a protection sttrategy that is more
reesource-intensiive and prescribbed than typicaal security operrations.
3--43. Stability operations reqquire commandders to balance protection needs n between military forcees and
ciivil population ns. Because U.S.
U forces andd the local poopulation frequuently interactt, planning forr their
prrotection is immportant and diifficult. Enemies attack to weaken
w U.S. ressolve and prom mote their indiividual
aggendas. Such enemies,
e who may be nearlyy indistinguishhable from nonncombatants, viewv U.S. forcees and
faacilities as prim
me targets. An additional plannning considerration during stability
s operatiions is to proteect the
foorce while usin ng the minimum m force consisttent with the approved
a ROE.. The escalation of force TTP P must
allso be rehearseed and flexible enough to chaange with the local
l threat connditions. Collaateral damage caused
c
byy military op perations can negatively im mpact the misssion and suppport enemy provocation tactics. t
C
Conversely, oveerly restrictive ROE can limiit the commandder’s freedom of action and ability to proteect the
foorce.
3--44. Stability operations
o andd irregular warffare often involve conflict beetween nonstatee actors who possess
p
limmited conventtional forces. For
F this reasonn, some Armyy functional caapabilities are often retaskedd from
thheir primary fuunction to condduct or reinforrce protection efforts such as
a fratricide avvoidance, operaational
seecurity, and ATT based on ME ETT-TC.
3--45. Adversariies often blendd in with the local populacee during stabillity operations and are difficcult to
iddentify, making g heightened levels of awarreness the norrm. Civil areas typically conntain structureed and
prrepared routes, roadways, annd avenues thaat can canalizee traffic. Contrrol measures (such
( as establlishing
traffic patterns)) could alleviaate traffic concerns, but maay also exposee vulnerabilitiees that enemiees and
addversaries willl exploit. This can lead too predictable friendly
f movement patterns that can easily be
teemplated by th
he enemy. Com mmanders mayy gradually appply protection to t protect movvement, or theyy may
esstablish a moveement corridorr. (See figure 3-5.)

Fig
gure 3-5. Mo
ovement corrridor operatio
on
3--46. Informatioon engagemennt is an essentiial activity durring stability operations
o andd is a key prottection
ennabler. Commaanders and Solldiers engage the t local popullation to informm friendly audiences and infl
fluence
neeutral audiencces, enemies, and adversarries. This cann include meeasures such as improving local
innformation proograms, improvving populace and infrastruccture security, defeating IED D bomb-makinng and
ng efforts, andd defeating innsurgent or teerrorist recruittment efforts. Civil affairs (CA)
exxpertise-fundin
orrganizations heelp develop foormal and infoormal relationsships. Leaders and Soldiers conduct inform mation
enngagement task ks to facilitatee the delivery of friendly meessages and thhemes (matcheed by actions ono the
grround) to key leaders
l and poppulation groups.
3--47. The closee proximity of civilians and Soldiers can alsoa promote FHP
F issues (succh as communnicable
diisease) through
h close contactt with local civvilians, detaineees, or local fooods. Stability operations aree often

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 3-11
Chapter 3

enduriing missions that

t can lead to
t complacency among Solddiers and resullt in an increaase in accidentts.
duction efforts require effecttive leadershipp and should be
Discipplined risk red b continuallyy monitored annd
assessed from the beeginning to the end of an operration or deplooyment.
3-48. The protection n of civil instittutions, processses, and system
ms required to reach the end state conditionns
of the stability operaations strategyy can often be the
t most decissive factor in stability
s operattions because its
i
accommplishment is essential
e for loong-term succeess. For that reeason, stabilityy operations reequire a “whole
governnment” approaach that sets the conditionns necessary to t enable the elements of national power
(diplom
matic, informaation, military, and economic). Stability opeeration tasks innclude—
z Establishiing civil securiity.
z Establishiing civil controol.
z Restoringg essential serviices.
z Supportinng governance.
z Supportinng economic annd infrastructurre developmennt.
3-49. Information engagement
e is also essentiall to the succeess of these opperations. Uniified action annd
interaggency particip
pation is achieeved by nestinng the five staability tasks with
w the five stability sectors
identiffied by the Dep
partment of Sttate (DOS) Coordinator for Reconstruction
R n and Stabilizattion. (See figurre
3-6.)

Figure 3-6. Whole-gove

ernment, inte
egrated apprroach to stab
bility operatio
ons
3-50. Protection straategies for suppporting stabilitty operations arre designed to link operationaal goals and ennd
states with stability and protectionn tasks integraated through combined armss and the CRM M process at thhe
operattional and tactical levels. Stability
S tasks and security sectors are inntegrated withhin the stabilitty
operattions framewo ork to help deefine and meaasure progress and to proviide a context for conductinng
operattions. (See figu
ure 3-7.) The stability
s operattions frameworrk defines the environment according
a to tw
wo
quantiifiable, compleementary scaless—decreasing violence and inncreasing norm malization of thhe state which is
the funndamental meaasure of successs in conflict transformation. (See FM 3-07 for more inforrmation.)

Fa
ailed F
Failing Recov
vering
Vio
olent conflict Normalizzation
Fosterring
Sustainability
Trans
sformation

Initial
Response
R

Figure 3-7. Stability

y operations framework

3-12 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protection in Full Spectrum Operations

3-51. Protection strategies for stability operations often begin by determining where the current situation is
best described along the fragile-state spectrum or continuum and then applying protection capabilities to
the most significant military and civilian vulnerabilities. Primary stability operation tasks reflect a host of
subtasks within the continuum of operations and throughout the five stability sectors. Protection measures
are applied during vulnerability assessments focused on the primary stability operation tasks.

ESTABLISH CIVIL SECURITY

3-52. An initial response to a stability operation conducted in a failing state may emphasize the
establishment of civil security as a means of protecting critical assets, facilities, personnel, or freedom of
movement. Border or boundary control operations protect the integrity and sovereignty of the host nation
while providing protection against illegal entrants, contraband, disease, and the enemy. Border operations
can be conducted as a type of area defensive operation or through area security tasks and TTP integrating
checkpoints, mobile patrols, and designated fixed sites.
3-53. Stability operations are often characterized by the absence of large-scale military operations that
emphasize combined arms maneuver. However, tactical and nontactical movement occurs throughout the
OE as a matter of military necessity and as a component of a normalized society. Controlling and
maintaining the freedom of movement in the OE is essential for efficiency and for protecting friendly
military forces and the population. This can include various methods (including curfews, routine
restrictions, and travel authorizations) that are enforced and monitored throughout checkpoints or
technologies. (See figure 3-8.) This may be accomplished through movement and maneuver enhancement,
area security operations, or in conjunction with law and order operations as a function of traffic regulation
enforcement. A deliberate information engagement program is often essential when implementing
movement or traffic controls and restrictions on a given population in an AO. Commanders can leverage
host nation security, police, and civic organizations through information engagement to assist with the
implementation of movement controls and traffic enforcement for the safety and security of the force and
the local population. Response force operations supporting troops engaged in controlling or limiting
movement take deliberate precautions to prevent fratricide.

Figure 3-8. Controlling freedom of movement for protection

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 3-13

Chapter 3

3-54. The protection of key personnel and facilities may be an essential task anywhere in the stability
operations fragile-state spectrum or stability operations framework where there is a directed threat. Key
civil leaders may require protective services, sound AT and OPSEC procedures that are included in PR
plans and battle drills, and police and physical security reinforcement. Facilities that have national, cultural,
religious, or military significance may need dedicated security to reduce civil tension. Police stations,
armories, and hospitals may require immediate protection during heightened awareness. Records and
documentation for verifying identity and authority, deviant behavior, key governmental actions, and other
important historical events and information may need to be protected from destruction and misuse.
Explosives, mines, UXO, or CBRN hazards may exist in the OE at the cessation of hostilities or may be
introduced deliberately or accidentally. These threats and hazards may require an integrated EOD,
demining, or foreign consequence management response.
ESTABLISH CIVIL CONTROL
3-55. Transformation occurs in the stability operations framework as civil security is achieved and certain
risks are reduced, making other stability operation tasks possible. Civil control regulates behavior in an AO
and builds the foundation for order, justice, and the rule of law. There is a host of enforcement mechanisms
in a given society to maintain normalcy and civil behavior, including law enforcement officials, local
political and civic leaders, educators, clergy, and others who reflect and maintain local law, customs,
norms, and values. Most civil societies follow some form of predictable social activity cycle that often
includes seasonal, ethnic, religious, or cultural events such as holidays, school or academic periods, or days
of specific observance. The chief of protection examines the significance of each event for potential
hazards, risks, and opportunities and applies the requisite protection capability. For example, religious
holidays or pilgrimages may increase the number of third-country nationals entering the host nation while a
patriotic event could lead to the massing of civilians at key governmental locations. The end of the
academic school period may increase the number of adolescents in the streets of certain regions.
3-56. Military forces may be initially engaged in conducting policing and penal operations to prevent
criminal activity or to reduce crime-conducive conditions in a particular area. These activities protect
communities from criminal predators who can have a chilling effect on populations and destabilize specific
areas. In these operations, military forces must be proficient in the escalation of force before resorting to
lethal action within the ROE. Nonlethal TTP and technologies provide commanders with the ability to
demonstrate a measured force response which can contribute to the protection of the force and the civil
populace. The presence of well-trained, equipped, and disciplined troops with lethal or violent capability
can often be sufficient to deter violence, confrontation, or conflict during a stability operation. Law
enforcement activities transition from military personnel to civilian police who are supplied by the host
nation or as part of a third-country or international policing effort. Police training, development, and
mentoring may continue until normalization is achieved. Commanders may authorize, develop, and train
civilian volunteers to augment civil control efforts or to serve as a police auxiliary.
RESTORE ESSENTIAL SERVICES
3-57. Areas that have been neglected or damaged as a result of conflict may require the protection of
essential infrastructure. Power generation, water treatment, medical, and transportation facilities and
systems may require protection from pilferage, sabotage, or neglect which may be accomplished through
physical security, survivability, or area security TTP. Broadcast news, journalists, media outlets, and other
information venues often adhere to a predictable media or news cycle. The chief of protection works with
public affairs personnel to restore local media outlets and to anticipate the impact of negative or sensational
broadcast media or other information releases to the force or in the OE. Information engagement also
involves significant leader and Soldier engagement with the local population as a means for informing the
public while also gathering information on the environment.
3-58. By integrating military and host nation police forces early, commanders get police or street level
information on local criminal elements, including organized crime. Through combined police operations,
commanders help establish a safe and secure environment for U.S. forces, host nation forces, and civilians.
Such multinational operations also improve the perception of host nation government legitimacy. When no
insurgent or terrorist threat exists, integrating protection actions may be limited to safety and FHP
activities.

3-14 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Full Spectrum Operations

SUPPORT GOVERNANCE
3-59. When conditions in a failed or failing state become extreme and prevent the host nation government
from conducting civic functions, military forces must be capable of providing support to governance and
civic functions while acting as a transitional military authority according to the international law or
mandate. (See FM 3-07 for more information.) In this capacity, military forces may be required to protect
the integrity of specific governmental processes. Elections normally follow a predictable cycle of activity
that can be examined for the evidence of corruption, election fraud, organized criminal involvement, or
threat interference. Election events, voting sites, and ballots require protection and safe access to ensure the
legitimacy of election results. International election monitors or support personnel may also require some
level of personnel protection.

SUPPORT ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

3-60. Protection capabilities are often applied to support economic and infrastructure developmental efforts
during stability operations to foster sustainability. Building capacity within the economic sector often
requires the protection of specific activities and conditions for local economies to thrive and develop.
Business and economic activities typically follow a semipredictable cycle that may be seasonal, coinciding
with events such as agricultural harvests or conditions that make commodity gathering or production
optimal. These predictable events often telegraph other corresponding or supporting activities that may
require protection from interference. Commodity markets can be influenced and manipulated, or
commodity producers may be denied access to markets. Manufacturing facilities may be susceptible to
illicit labor practices. Black markets can create shortages, while human trafficking may thrive due to
underdeveloped economic conditions. Banks and other monetary institutions may require deliberate fixed-
site or area security during periods of unrest and shortage.

CIVIL SUPPORT
3-61. DOD civil support operations are divided into the three broad categories of domestic emergencies,
support of designated law enforcement agencies, and other support activities (JP 3-28). This includes
responds during disasters and declared emergencies, support or restoration of public health and services and
civil order, support during national special security events, and periodic planned support of other activities.
Army forces conduct civil support operations exclusive of the elements of offense and defense. (See FM 3-
0 for more information.)
3-62. When support for domestic emergencies is provided under the auspices of the national response
framework, it is called defense support of civil authorities (DSCA). The national response framework is the
Department of Homeland Security guide to how the nation conducts an all-hazards response. It is built
upon scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibilities across
the nation. Federal, state, tribal, and local governments; nongovernmental organizations; and the private
sector use the National Incident Management System to execute response to incidents. The National
Incident Management System provides a consistent nationwide template that allows public and private
sectors to work together to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of
incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location, or complexity. Unless otherwise directed by the
President, the U.S. military conducts DSCA operations in support of other federal agencies that are
coordinating the federal response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is typically the
primary federal agency for requesting and coordinating DOD support.
3-63. The commitment of DOD resources for DSCA operations requires approval by the Secretary of
Defense or direction from the President. In most instances, DOD provides DSCA in response to a request
for assistance from another federal agency when local, tribal, state, and federal resources are fully
committed or when a DOD-unique capability is required. All requests for assistances are evaluated by
DOD to determine whether they meet the criteria for supportability (legality, lethality, risk, cost,
appropriateness, and impact on readiness). Once the request for assistance is approved, DOD issues a
mission assignment that specifies exactly what type and how much support is authorized. In some
imminently serious situations, local commanders may unilaterally initiate an immediate response to save
lives, prevent human suffering, or mitigate great property damage. However, Secretary of Defense approval

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 3-15

Chapter 3

or Presidential directive is still required for the commitment of potentially lethal capabilities or direct law
enforcement support, including interdicting vehicles; conducting searches and seizures; making arrests or
apprehensions; and performing surveillance, investigation or undercover work, security patrols, and
crowd/traffic control.
3-64. Federal military units directed to support a DSCA mission may be under the operational control of a
defense coordinating officer, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), or U.S.
Pacific Command depending on the situation. Requested support can include such capabilities as medical,
aviation, communications, damage assessment, transportation, logistics, debris clearing, aerial firefighting,
and CBRN consequence management response. According to the Posse Comitatus Act, members of the
U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps (including state national guard forces called into federal
service) are prohibited from exercising nominally state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers
that maintain law and order on nonfederal property (states and their counties and municipal divisions)
within the United States. There are some exceptions in which the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply;
these include national guard units under state authority and Title 10 troops under the order of the President
of the United States pursuant to the Insurrection Act.
3-65. The commitment of DOD resources for other civil support operations (such as support to designated
law enforcement agencies, support during national special security events, and periodic planned support of
other activities) requires approval according to national laws and DOD policies.
3-66. FHP capabilities may support the preservation of life within the framework of the National Disaster
Medical System (NDMS). The NDMS combines federal and nonfederal medical resources into a unified
medical response system for incidents involving public health and medical emergencies. Under the
auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services, the NDMS facilitates the deployment of various
medical response teams to an event area. The Army response to this effort may include the formation of a
medical task force or the deployment of specialized expertise. The Army medical response to disasters is
typically provided through special medical augmentation response teams organized by the U.S. Army
Medical Command and its subordinate commands, on a task-organized basis, from various worldwide
assets. Larger events might require a functional task force, such as a medical task force to conduct medical
evacuation, triage, treatment, and public health and medical surveillance.
3-67. DOD may have to augment civil air space management assets and capabilities when their
effectiveness has been so significantly degraded that the probability of a catastrophic aviation event is
probable. The air component command to the USNORTHCOM has the primary capabilities to provide
support to civil aviation, while deconflicting the complexities of operations involving air assets from
multiple organizations.
3-68. Soldiers engaged in civil support operations may face threats from criminals, disease, the weather, or
TIM. The tasks of safety, FHP (preventive medicine), AT, and CBRN defense are critical considerations
for protecting deployed personnel and assets. An accurate, on-going assessment of risk is vital in
determining whether and how the deployed commander will provide DSCA.
3-69. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 3121.01B establishes fundamental policies
and procedures governing the actions taken by U.S. commanders and their forces during all DOD civil
support and routine military department functions occurring within U.S. territory and territorial seas.
During DSCA operations, the Secretary of Defense retains the authority to set the arming level for Title 10
forces. When DOD forces under DOD control operate in coordination with other federal agencies, the
applicable rules for the use of force will be coordinated with on-scene federal agency personnel. Standing
rules for the use of force also apply to homeland defense missions occurring within U.S. territories.
Commanders at all levels are responsible for training their personnel to understand and properly utilize the
standing rules for the use of force.

3-16 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Chapter 4
Prrotection
n Integra
ation in Army Operation
O ns
This chap pter discusses how proteection is inttegrated throughout the operations
process. It
I describes how comm manders integgrate protection during planning,
preparation ment. This chaapter also dettails how the protection
n, execution, and assessm
cell staff reduces frieendly vulneraabilities whille developingg protection strategies
through th he applicatioon of protecction capabilities based on the com mmander’s
protection priorities.

OPE
ERATION
NS PROCE
ESS
4--1. While each operation differs
d in desiign and circum
mstances, all operations
o folllow a general cycle
knnown as the “operations
“ proocess.” This process
p consistts of the majoor C2 activitiees performed during
d
opperations—plaanning, preparation, execution, and contiinuous assessm ment. (See figgure 4-1.) Dooctrine
deescribes this frramework by each operationss process activiity; however, planning,
p prepaaring, executinng, and
asssessing occur sequentially orr simultaneoussly.

Figure 4-1
1. Operations
s process
4--2. During pllanning, comm manders use the MDMP to anaalyze the missiion while translating organizaational
caapabilities in teerms of the waarfighting functions for integration and exppression in a pllan or order. Various
V
acctivities and prrocesses are ussed during preeparation and execution
e for synchronization
s n and are monnitored
annd evaluated du uring a processs of continual assessment
a thaat facilitates deccisionmaking.
4--3. Througho out the operaations processs, commanderrs accomplish the missionn by using several s
m
mechanisms to facilitate the integration
i andd synchronizatiion of tasks annd functions. Battle
B rhythm is one
keey control meaasure that helpss manage the deliberate
d integgration of functions and activvities. Army dooctrine
allso illustrates several continuuing activities and processes that are usedd for functionnal integration in the
opperations proceess. For exampple, terrain mannagement is a continuing acttivity that reliees on the intelliigence
prreparation of thet battlefield (IPB) processs for its integrration and synnchronization. These activitiees and
prrocesses occurr during all opperations and mustm be synchhronized with each
e other andd integrated innto the

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 4-1
Chapter 4

overall operation. (See figure 4-2.) This is often accomplished through the use of cross-functional teams,
working groups, and boards.

Plan Prepare Execute

Assess

Integrating Processes
• IPB
• Targeting
• ISR synchronization
• CRM.
• Knowledge management

Continuing Activities
• ISR
• Security operations
• Protection
• Liaison and coordination
• Terrain management
• Information management
• Airspace C2

Figure 4-2. Continuing activities and integrating processes

BATTLE COMMAND AND PROTECTION STRATEGIES

4-4. Commanders drive the operations process through the application of battle command, which is the
art and science of understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing forces to impose
the commander’s will on a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to
translate decisions into actions—by synchronizing forces and warfighting functions in time, space, and
purpose—to accomplish missions. (FM 3-0) (See figure 4-3.) Commanders combine the military art and
science to translate information and experience into superior decisions faster than the enemy. They also
determine priorities, provide guidance, establish time horizons, create command climates, and accept risk in
ways that are clear and help focus the staff and subordinate organizations. The commander’s inherent
responsibility to protect and preserve the force, while seeking every opportunity to act decisively, makes it
imperative to consider protection in the operations process.

4-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection
n Integration in
i Army Opera
ations

Figure 4-3.
4 Battle co
ommand
4--5. Command ders understandd and broadly visualize
v proteection considerrations and oppportunities in reelation
too the mission and
a the OE in terms of the forms f of protection. They diiscern hazards that are preveentable
annd divide threaats into those thhat may be detterred and thosse that may reqquire the appliication of secuurity or
deefensive measu ures to achievve protection. Commanders provide guidaance on risk toolerance, CCIR R, and
assset or capabiliity criticality too help focus thee staff and subbordinate leaderrship.
4--6. A commaander’s tolerannce for risk may m vary with the nature of the threat, operational theme, t
ennvironmental conditions,
c or external factorrs. Leaders alw ways protect all
a military perrsonnel. All military
m
reesources have value,
v but all military
m assets are not linkedd to mission acccomplishment in the same manner
m
orr at the same time.
t As the coompetition for protection asssets increases, commanders must m provide a clear
inntent and guidaance on where,, when, and hoow much risk they t are willinng to assume orr tolerate. The CRM
prrocess providees a context forfo risk assessm ment to suppoort decisionmaaking. Decisionn support tools and
syystems may bee helpful withinn the assessmennt process to help
h commandeers differentiatte between impportant
asssets and missiion-critical asseets.
4--7. The operations staff asssists the com mmander in inttegrating proteection with thhe other warfighting
fuunctions througghout the operaations process. At division annd higher levelss, the protectioon cell—
z Focuses effort in the MDMP to prroduce a plan or o order.
z Deveelops protectionn strategies to effectively usee resources in support of a protection
p conccept of
operaations.
z Contrributes to IPB and situationall understandingg.
z Identtifies vulnerabiilities, hazards,, and gaps in innformation.
z Particcipates in the taargeting process and the ISR R synchronizatioon process.
z Coordinates with various
v working groups to further synchhronize protecction with the other
warfiighting functions according too the commandder’s intent andd concept of opperations.
4--8. As a conttinuing activityy, protection innformation andd considerationns are typicallyy integrated innto the
opperations process by the opeerations officerr using the CRRM integratingg process. (Seee FM 5-19 forr more
innformation.) The protection cell uses the CRM processs to identify, evaluate,
e and monitor threatts and
haazards as they emerge, while conducting thee functional tasks and monitooring the system ms that compriise the

30
0 September 2009
2 FM 3-37 4-3
Chapter 4

protecction warfightin
ng function. When
W leaders employ
e the CRRM process to integrate key protection taskks
and syystems, they also
a participatee in the varioous integrating processes and working grooups during thhe
conduuct of operation
ns.
4-9. The CRM process provides a uniform wayy of assigning a risk value to an activity by determining thhe
probabbility of a hazzardous event occurring andd the severityy or outcome in relation to the mission or o
personnnel. It providdes a context for identifyingg and assessinng threats andd hazards and is a source of o
inform
mation for man ny other processses. The CRM M process inform
ms and alerts commanders
c too conditions annd
activitties that may neegatively affecct the mission and
a require an adjustment deccision.

PROTECT
TION CELL
4-10. Successfully integrating the protection funnction into opeerations beginss with fixing reesponsibility for fo
the maany disparate protection
p taskss and systems. At division levvel and higher, this is typicallly done througgh
a desiignated protection cell and the chief of protection.
p At brigade and below, this may m occur morre
inform
mally with thee designation of a protectioon coordinatorr from amongg the brigade staff or as an a
integraating staff funcction assigned to a senior leadder. Once funcctional and cooordinating respoonsibilities havve
been delineated
d am
mong organizattional staff meembers, protecction tasks andd systems aree integrated annd
synchrronized in th he operations process throuugh boards, working w groupps, and meetiings like otheer
warfigghting function ns. Protection cells
c are furtherr discussed in chapter
c 5.

PROTECT
TION AND MODULARITY
Y
4-11. Brigade comb bat teams (BCT Ts), functionall brigades, andd support brigades perform protection taskks
and fuunctions direccted by higherr headquarterss. Brigades inncorporate theiir efforts into an establisheed
protecction frameworrk developed by b the staff at higher headquuarters. Amongg the Army’s modular m suppoort
brigaddes, the MEB presents
p a new capability thatt is ideally suitted to perform protection taskks and functionns
for a division, corpss, or multinatiional force. Thhe MEB can be b task-organized as neededd to provide thhe
protecction requirements needed at a division andd corps levelss. At these levvels, the proteection cell maay
recommmend the task k organization of units whosse primary misssion is protecction. Task orgganization is thhe
tempoorary reorganizzation of thee force by ussing commannd and supporrt relationshipps, including a
recommmended task organization
o foor the MEB andd other functioonal units as reequired. MEBss are designed to t
C2 thee following uniits that providee protection andd other supporrt to the force:
z Engineer.
z Military police.
p
z CBRN.
z CA.
z Air defense artillery.
z EOD.
z TCF.
When protection req quirements exceed the capabiilities of the MEB,
M the protecction cell can iddentify the neeed
for a functional
f brigaade headquarteers. (See figuree 4-4.)

Figure 4-4. MEB

M task-orrganized for protection
p ta
asks

4-4 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protection Integration in Army Operations

4-12. The protection cell translates protection guidance and capabilities and the results of analysis into
protection strategies using various decision support and analytical tools and the principles of protection.
The use of protection principles in developing protection strategies provides coherence to the many diverse
and overlapping protection activities and forms existing or occurring in the OE. Commanders at all levels
allocate resources to support protection strategies based on an accurate and continual assessment of threats
and hazards over time, but remain flexible enough to respond to variances and opportunities and to make
adjustments.

PROTECTION AND THE OPERATIONS PROCESS

4-13. The operations process is composed of several supporting topics that further illustrate the activities
and tasks necessary to conduct Army operations. For example, the MDMP and orders production support
planning, while activities such as reconnaissance and rehearsals support preparation. Decisionmaking
characterizes execution and is necessary to direct the application of combat power and to synchronize
activities. While assessment occurs continuously throughout the operations process to provide situational
understanding, monitoring and evaluating additional assessments also occur specifically to planning,
preparing, and executing operations. (See table 4-1.)
Table 4-1. Expanded operations process with supporting topics
Plan Prepare Execute
• TLP and MDMP • Reconnaissance • Decide
• Plans and orders • Security ƒ Execution
• Force protection ƒ Adjustment
• Plan revision and refinement • Direct
• Coordination and liaison ƒ Apply combat power
• Rehearsals ƒ Synchronize
• Task organization ƒ Maintain continuity
• Training
• Movement
• Precombat checks and
inspections
• Integration of new Soldiers
and units
Assessment During Assessment During Assessment During
Planning Preparation Execution
• Monitor the situation • Monitor preparations • Monitor operations
• Monitor MOP/MOE • Evaluate preparations • Evaluate progress
• Evaluate COAs
Continuous Assessment
• Situational understanding—sources, solutions
• Monitoring—situation/operations, MOP/MOE
• Evaluating—forecast, seize, retain, and exploit the initiative; variances

4-14. While each protection task and system has its own operational consideration, each must be
synchronized within a coherent protection strategy or concept to ensure synergistic protection efforts. For
example, AMD without survivability is much less effective. Area security without AT, OPSEC, and
physical security is also less effective. To ensure this synergy, the protection cell develops protection
strategies around which MOP and MOE can be established. In this way, the success or failure of each
individual protection effort can be monitored and evaluated.

Note. Chapter 2 discusses protection tasks and systems.

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
4-15. Assessment is the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the current situation, particularly the
enemy, and progress of an operation. (FM 3-0) Commanders typically base assessments on their situational
understanding, which is generally a composite of several informational sources and intuition. Staff
members normally develop running estimates that illustrate the significant aspects of a particular activity or

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 4-5

Chapter 4

function over time. These estimates are used by commanders to maintain situational awareness and direct
adjustments. Significant changes or variances among or within running estimates can signal a threat or an
opportunity, alerting commanders to take action.
4-16. Assessing protection is an essential, continuing activity that occurs throughout the operations
process. While a failure in protection is typically easy to detect, the successful application of protection
may be difficult to assess and quantify. For example, although prevention and deterrence may consume
significant resources that are easy to quantify, the absence of accidents or threat actions does not
necessarily mean that the plan is working or that leaders are managing risk well. This makes the measured
assessment of deliberate protection activities essential to determining the effectiveness of the plan, task
organization, or operational concept.
4-17. Deliberate assessment is enabled by monitoring and evaluating criteria derived from the tasks and
systems that comprise the protection warfighting function. Criteria used to monitor and evaluate the
situation or operation may be represented as MOP or MOE. These measures are discrete, relevant, and
responsive benchmarks that are useful in all operations. They may contain the CCIR and EEFI and may
generate information requirements. MOP and MOE can be significant decision support tools and may drive
transition periods, resource allocations, and other critical decisions.

Measure of Performance
4-18. A MOP helps determine whether a commander has applied enough, correct resources to an operation.
A MOP is a criterion used to assess friendly actions and that is tied to measuring task accomplishment. (JP
3-0) This measure is friendly force-oriented. It measures task accomplishment; and in its simplest form, it
answers whether a task was performed successfully. FM 7-15 provides a table with MOPs that can be used
to develop standards for each task. Some specific MOPs may be altered for their relevance to the local
situation or they may be omitted; however, all changes to established MOPs should be disseminated
vertically and horizontally among headquarters and participants in an operation or activity.

Measure of Effectiveness
4-19. A MOE is useful in determining success and deciding whether a commander must maintain, adjust,
or reallocate resources. An MOE is a criterion used to assess changes in system behavior, capability, or OE
that is tied to measuring the attainment of an end state, achievement of an objective, or creation of an
effect. (JP 3-0) It is oriented to mission accomplishment, focuses on the results or consequences of an
action, and is used to assess changes in the OE. This is more often a subjective assessment as it tends to
measure long-term results. As a result, an MOE may consist of a series of indicators that are used to judge
success or failure.
4-20. Significant changes in some environmental conditions are subtle and only occur over a long period of
time, yet protection activities must be continual. The enduring nature of protection could cause
complacency or inattentiveness, requiring leaders to stay focused on determining, monitoring, and
evaluating accurate protection indicators and warnings that maintain situational understanding and alert
them to risk.
4-21. Commanders monitor MOEs and evaluate variances and change indicators for cause and effect to
forecast failure or identify a critical point of failure in an activity or operation. Based on this type of
assessment, resources can be reassigned to mitigate the overall risk to the mission or to support or reinforce
specific local security efforts. The goal is to anticipate the need for action before failure occurs, rather than
react to an unplanned loss. Thorough staff planning in the MDMP allows commanders to accelerate
decisionmaking by preplanning responses to anticipated events through the use of battle drills, branches,
and sequels. War-gaming critical events also allows commanders to focus their CCIR and the supporting
information collection effort. Information developed during this process can be used to develop EEFI and
indicators or warnings that relate to the development of protection priorities.
4-22. If an action appears to be failing in its desired effect, the result may be attributed to—
z Personnel or equipment system failure.
z Insufficient resource allocation at vulnerable points.

4-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Integration in Army Operations

z Variance in anticipated threat combat power ratio, resulting in an increased risk equation.
z Ineffective supporting efforts, leading to a cumulative failure of more critical elements.
4-23. Assessment identifies the magnitude and significance of variances in performance or conditions from
those that were expected through prior forecasting to determine if an adjustment decision is needed.
Commanders monitor the ongoing operation to determine if it is progressing satisfactorily according to the
current plan, including fragmentary orders that have modified it. The staff assesses the situation in relation
to established protection criteria. This assessment ensures that facts and assumptions remain valid and also
identifies new facts and assumptions. Assessment decreases reaction time by anticipating future
requirements and linking them to current plans.

Critical Asset List

4-24. The critical asset list (CAL) is a prioritized list of assets that should be protected; it is normally
identified by the phase of an operation and approved by the commander. Once the threat, criticality,
and vulnerability assessments are complete, the staff presents the prioritized list of critical assets to the
commander for approval. Commanders typically operate in a resource-constrained environment and have a
finite amount of combat power for protecting assets. Therefore, the protection cell determines which assets
are critical for mission success and recommends protection priorities based on the available resources. The
list will vary depending on the mission variables.
4-25. During threat assessment, members of the protection cell identify and prioritize the commander’s
critical assets using the vulnerability assessment, criticality assessment, and plan or order. Critical assets
are generally specific assets of such extraordinary importance that their loss or degradation would have a
significant and debilitating effect on operations or the mission. (See JP 3-07.2 for more information.) They
represent what “should” be protected. The protection cell and working group use information derived from
command guidance, IPB, warning orders, and the restated mission to nominate critical assets from their
particular protection functional area. Vulnerability and criticality assessments are generally intended to be
sequential. However, the criticality assessment can be conducted before, after, or concurrent with threat
assessments. The vulnerability assessment should be conducted after the threat and criticality assessments
to orient protection efforts on the most important assets. These assessments provide the staff with data to
develop benchmarks, running estimates, CCIR, change indicators, variances, and MOP/MOE.
4-26. This lack of replacement may then cause that critical asset to become the first priority for protection.
Not all assets listed on the CAL will receive protection from continuously applied combat power. Critical
assets with some protection from applied combat power become part of the defended asset list (DAL).
4-27. CAL development may require the establishment of evaluation criteria, such as value (impact of
loss), depth (proximity in distance and time), replacement impact (degree of effort, cost, or time), and
capability (function and capacity for current and future operations). (See figure 4-5, page 4-8.)

Defended Asset List

4-28. When compared to the assessed threats, the vulnerability and criticality assessments provide the
commander with information to make decisions about which assets are the most critical, which assets must
have combat power dedicated to their protection, and where he can accept risk. For instance, one of five
critical assets considered in a given criticality assessment cannot be replaced during an operation, while the
other four can. This lack of replacement or recuperation may cause that critical asset to become the first
priority for protection. Not all assets listed on the CAL will receive deliberate protection reinforcement.
Some assets will derive additional protection from the complementary effect of other ongoing warfighting
functions, while remaining assets may rely on organic security measures and self-protection. Critical assets
that are reinforced with additional protection capabilities or capabilities from other combat power elements
become part of the DAL. The DAL is a listing of those assets from the CAL, prioritized by the
commander, to be defended with the resources available. It represents what “can” be protected, by
priority. This allows the commander to apply finite protection capabilities to the most valuable assets. The
combat power applied may be a weapon system, electronic sensor, obstacle, or combination. The CAL and
DAL are dynamic lists (see figure 4-6, page 4-8).

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 4-7

Chapter 4

Figure 4-5. CAL and DA

AL in the ope
erations proc
cess

6. Protection cell and planning process

Figure 4-6

4-8 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protection Integration in Army Operations

4-29. Assessment permits the commander to shape protection measures and provides valuable information
for refining future protection activities. Commanders stay alert to transitions in operations. Significant
changes in the situation and environment often affect vulnerabilities to the force; such changes may require
adjustments to CALs and DALs.
4-30. Commanders and units remain flexible while conducting protection operations. When the situation
changes significantly, the protection plan must be adapted so that resources and opportunities are not
wasted. Commanders should not hesitate to modify the protection plan if it fails to adequately protect
critical assets.
4-31. The most important question when assessing the effectiveness of applied protection capabilities is
whether the allocation of resources and combat power to protection tasks remain valid. The staff compares
expectations to actual events to determine the overall effectiveness of the plan, and they recommend
appropriate adjustments. They answer the following questions:
z Was the plan successful?
z Were the assets protected?
z Were Soldiers accidentally killed or injured?
z Were the correct assets defended?
z Did protection equipment or TTP fail?
z What actions must be taken to restore critical capabilities or mitigate damage?
z Is it necessary to reallocate assets because of enemy actions?
z What protection assets are available for reinforcement?
z What activities can be combined to produce a complementary protective effect?
z What additional protection capabilities are needed?
z What current protection capabilities are not needed?
4-32. Commanders must prepare for success and failure when planning to mitigate the risk to the mission
and force. A significant change in the situation may represent successful mission accomplishment.
However, commanders can become vulnerable or complacent immediately after mission accomplishment
due to fatigue or exuberance arising from victory. As the chance of human error increases, an unprepared
force becomes vulnerable to enemy counterattacks or surprise attacks.
4-33. Since many protection information requirements are long-term and overlap staff functions, the
protection cell often develops a means of quantifying progress and normal activities. In planning, the staff
develops specific information requirements oriented on protection. These requirements may be represented
as CCIR and used to focus collection efforts or as change indicators to alert or measure variances in
baseline assumptions detailed in the protection concept of operation. Protection effectiveness, progress, and
success can be expressed in many ways—including the reaction time of response forces; duration of
specific, uninterrupted military capabilities; statistics on Soldiers returned to duty; and many others.
4-34. The criteria used to evaluate the degree of mission success can be expressed as—
z MOP to determine how well protection tasks achieved the intended purpose.
z MOE to evaluate the overall effectiveness of protection plans and assumptions.

PLANNING
4-35. Planning is the first step toward effective protection. Commanders consider the most likely threats
and decide which personnel, physical assets, and information to protect. They set protection priorities for
each phase or critical event of an operation. The MDMP or troop-leading procedures provide a deliberate
process and context to develop and examine information for use in the various continuing activities and
integrating processes that comprise the operations process. Effective protection strategies and risk decisions
are developed based on information that flows from mission analysis, allowing a thorough understanding of
the situation, mission, and environment. Mission analysis typically occurs during planning, and the CRM
process provides a context to identify and analyze threats and hazards before their integration in preparation
and execution. (See table 4-2, page 4-10.)

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 4-9

Chapter 4

Note. See FM 5-19 for more information on CRM and MDMP.

Table 4-2. CRM process

Risk Management Steps
Step 3.
MDMP Develop Step 5.
Step 1. Step 2. Step 4. Supervise
Steps Controls and
Identify Assess Implement and Evaluate
Hazards Hazards Make Risk Controls
Decisions
Mission receipt X
Mission analysis X X
COA development X X X
COA analysis X X X
COA comparison X
COA approval X
Orders production X X
Rehearsal X X X X X
Execution/assessment X X X X X

4-36. During mission analysis, functional proponents in the protection cell develop running estimates of
their specific protection task and system that are used to monitor and evaluate protection efforts throughout
the operations process. These estimates can be used to develop variances and their change indicators from
which MOP and MOE may be further developed.

Planning Guidance
4-37. Planners receive guidance as commanders describe their visualization of the operational concept and
intent. This guidance generally focuses on COA development by identifying decisive and supporting
efforts, massing effects, and stating priorities. Effective planning guidance provides a broad perspective of
the commander’s visualization with the latitude to explore additional options. Command guidance is often
issued using the warfighting functions as criterion. A commander’s initial protection guidance may
include—
z Protection priorities.
z Work priorities for survivability assets.
z AMD positioning guidance.
z Specific terrain and weather factors.
z Intelligence focus and limitations for security efforts.
z Areas or events where risk is acceptable.
z Protected targets and areas.
z Vehicle and equipment safety or security constraints.
z PR C2.
z FPCON status.
z FHP measures.
z MOPP guidance.
z Environmental guidance.
z INFOCON.
z UXO guidance.
z OPSEC risk tolerance.
z ROE, standing rules for the use of force, and rules of interaction.
z Escalation of force and nonlethal weapons guidance.

4-10 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Integration in Army Operations

4-38. Commanders typically determine their own CCIR, but may select some from staff nominations. Staff
sections recommend the most important priority intelligence requirements (PIR) and friendly force
information requirements for the commander to designate as CCIR.

Plans and Orders

4-39. The approved vulnerability reduction mitigation measures, commander’s decisions for acceptable
risks, CAL, and DAL represent running estimates that are incorporated into appropriate plans and orders.
Based on these estimates, the protection cell develops the concept of protection in the base order and
appropriate annexes.
4-40. Protection strategies are developed after receiving guidance and considering the forms and principles
of protection in relation to the mission variables and the tasks and systems that comprise the protection
warfighting function. The concept of protection is based on the mission variables and should include
protection priorities by area, unit, activity, or resource. It should also address how protection can be applied
and derived during the conduct of operations. For example, the security for routes, bases, and critical
infrastructure can be accomplished by applying protection assets in dedicated, fixed, or local security roles;
or it may be derived from economy-of-force protection measures such as area security techniques. It also
identifies areas and conditions where forces may become fixed or static and unable to derive protection
from their ability to maneuver and press the offensive. These conditions, areas, or situations are anticipated;
and the associated risks are mitigated by describing and planning for the use of TCFs and other response
forces.
4-41. Planners integrate protection actions and information throughout specific plans and orders. Some
significant, protection-related products that are often produced in the planning process include the—
z Protection concept or strategy that supports and nests with the operational concept.
z Running estimate that reflects protection tasks and systems.
z Quantifiable level of risk for specific events and activities.
z Protection MOP and MOE and threshold variances.
z Recommendations for CCIR that reflect decision criteria from protection tasks and systems.
z CAL and DAL.
z Decision points (DP) based on the commander’s risk tolerance level.
4-42. Information protection is part of the protection warfighting function; and because it involves
procedural and technical instructions related to information systems (including networks), it is typically
addressed within the NETOPS section of most plans and orders. FHP is included in the health service
support section. The G-6/signal staff officer (S-6) and echelon surgeon coordinate their input to plans and
orders with the chief of protection.
4-43. Although protection is continuous and enduring, many operations are not. This makes efficient
protection planning difficult and dependent on clear command guidance. Long planning horizons may
permit increasingly detailed analysis in the development of some plans and orders or in the assessments
they contain, while other situations afford only hasty methods. For example, protection planning often
requires criticality, vulnerability, or recuperability analysis. Commanders must weigh the benefit that a
potentially lengthy protection analysis provides when compared with less accurate, hasty methods.

ASSESSMENT DURING PLANNING

4-44. The continuous assessment that occurs during planning includes activities that are necessary to
maintain situational understanding and those that continue to monitor and evaluate running estimates,
MOEs, and MOPs; identify variances; and support decisionmaking. These assessment activities are
consistent throughout all parts of the operations process. However, certain assessments occur during
planning that are specific to the planning process, MDMP, or mission analysis. For example, the protection
cell evaluates COA during MDMP against evaluation criteria derived from the protection warfighting
function to determine if each COA is feasible, acceptable, or suitable in relation to its ability to protect or
preserve the force.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 4-11

Chapter 4

4-45. The staff may also conduct a specific analysis to assess threat capability or the vulnerability and
criticality of an asset to assist commanders in determining protection priorities or task organization
decisions. This type of analysis is often required when the nature of the operation is enduring or requires a
continuous, dedicated protection effort or when the potential loss of the protected asset has significant
consequences.

Threat and Hazard Assessment

4-46. Threats include hazards with the potential to cause injury, illness, or death of personnel; damage to or
loss of equipment or property; or mission degradation. Commanders and protection cell staff are concerned
with three general categories of threats:
z Hostile actions. Threats from hostile actions include any capability that enemy forces or
criminal elements have to inflict damage upon personnel, physical assets, or information. These
threats may include IEDs, suicide bombings, network attacks, mortars, asset theft, air attacks, or
CBRNE weapons.
z Nonhostile activities. Threats from nonhostile activities include hazards associated with Soldier
duties within their occupational specialty, Soldier activity while off duty, and unintentional
actions that cause harm. Examples include on- and off-duty accidents, OPSEC violations,
network compromises, equipment malfunctions, or accidental CBRNE incidents.
z Environmental conditions. Environmental threats are hazards associated with the surrounding
environment that could potentially degrade readiness or mission accomplishment. Weather,
natural disasters, and disease are common examples. The protection cell staff also considers how
military operations may affect noncombatants in the AO. Such considerations prevent
unnecessary collateral damage and regard how civilians (those merely going about their day-to-
day activities) will affect the mission. Heavy civilian vehicle or pedestrian traffic adversely
affects convoys and other operations.
4-47. Commanders use the following METT-TC mission variables to describe the OE, including threats
that may impact protection:
z Mission. The nature of the operational mission may imply specific hazards. Some missions are
inherently more dangerous than others. Leaders look for hazards associated with the complexity
of higher headquarters plans and orders, such as a particularly complex scheme of maneuver.
Using a fragmentary order in lieu of a detailed operation plan (OPLAN) or operation order
(OPORD) raises the vulnerability because of possible misunderstanding. Since protection is a
continuing activity, leaders also look for hazards in on- and off-duty garrison activities.
z Enemy. Commanders try to determine the enemy’s capability and intent that pose threats to the
operation or mission. During planning, the protection staff participates in the IPB process. IPB is
a dynamic staff process that is critical to identifying enemy threats. IPB supports threat-based
risk assessments by identifying opportunities and constraints that the OE offers to enemy and
friendly forces. It also portrays a picture of enemy capabilities and vulnerabilities. In the on- and
off-duty garrison environment, enemy considerations take the form of outside influences that
may affect or impact a planned event or activity.
z Terrain and weather. To identify and access terrain-related hazards that can impact force
protection or preservation and affect operations, leaders use the military aspects of terrain—
observation and fields of fire, avenues of approach, key terrain, obstacles, and cover and
concealment (OAKOC). Predeployment checklists are useful in making assessments associated
with nonmission activities. Common terrain hazards are elevation, altitude, road surfaces,
curves, grades, and traffic density. To assess common weather hazards, leaders use the military
aspects of weather (precipitation, temperature and humidity, visibility, winds, and clouds).
Illumination may also be a factor of risk assessment. Whether planning a PR operation or out-of-
town leave, terrain and weather can create specific hazards. Leaders assess these mission
variables for all activities.
z Troops and support available. Leaders consider hazards associated with the level of training,
staffing, and equipment maintenance and condition. These hazards affect morale and the
availability of supplies and services, including the physical, spiritual, and behavioral health of

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 Protection Integration in Army Operations

Soldiers. For nonmission activities, troops include Soldiers, their dependents, civilian workers,
and others, whether or not they are connected to the activity. Some examples of other-than-
mission hazards include sexual assault, domestic violence, substance abuse, sexually transmitted
diseases, and other behavioral or medical conditions.
z Time available. Insufficient time for mission preparation often forces commanders to accept
greater risk when planning, preparing, and executing plans and orders associated with mission
planning. To avoid or mitigate the risks associated with inadequate time for planning, leaders
should allow subordinates two-thirds of the available planning time as a control measure. For
nonmission activities, insufficient time is a matter of haste rather than availability. This
especially applies during holiday periods when the zeal of young Soldiers to get home may lead
them to depart duty stations without sufficient rest.
z Civil considerations. This variable expands the consideration of hazards to include those that a
tactical mission may pose to the civilian populace and noncombatants in the AO. The objective
is to reduce collateral damage to civilians and noncombatants. Hazards are also created by the
presence of a large civilian population and their efforts to conduct day-to-day living during the
course of a mission. Dense civilian traffic may present hazards to convoys and maneuver
schemes. Such diverse elements as insurgents, riots, and criminal activity must also be assessed.
For nonmission activities, the term addresses those legal, regulatory, or policy considerations
that may impact a desired activity or limit a COA.
Criticality Assessment
4-48. A criticality assessment identifies key assets that are required to accomplish a mission. It addresses
the impact of temporary or permanent loss of key assets or unit ability to conduct a mission. It examines
costs of recovery and reconstitution, including time, expense, capability, and infrastructure support. The
staff gauges how quickly a lost capability can be replaced before giving an accurate status to the
commander. The general sequence for a criticality assessment is—
z List the key assets and capabilities.
z Determine if critical functions or combat power can be substantially duplicated with other
elements of the command or an external resource.
z Determine the time required to substantially duplicate key assets and capabilities in the event of
temporary or permanent loss.
z Set priorities for response to threats toward personnel, physical assets, and information.
4-49. The protection cell staff continuously updates the criticality assessment during the operations
process. As the staff develops or modifies a friendly COA, ISR efforts confirm or deny information
requirements. As the mission or threat changes, initial criticality assessments may also change, increasing
or decreasing the subsequent force vulnerability. The protection cell monitors and evaluates these changes
and begins coordination among the staff to implement modifications to the protection concept or
recommends new protection priorities. PIR, running estimates, MOPs, and MOEs, are continually updated
and adjusted to reflect the current and anticipated risks associated with the OE.
Vulnerability Assessment
4-50. A vulnerability assessment is a DOD, command, or unit level evaluation (assessment) to determine
the vulnerability of a terrorist attack against an installation, unit, exercise, port, ship, residence, facility, or
other site. (JP 3-07.2) It identifies areas of improvement to withstand, mitigate, or deter acts of violence or
terrorism. The staff addresses the questions of “who” or “what” is vulnerable and “how” it is vulnerable.
The vulnerability assessment identifies physical characteristics or procedures that render critical assets,
areas, infrastructures, or special events vulnerable to known or potential threats and hazards. The
assessment provides a basis for developing controls to eliminate or mitigate vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is
the component of risk over which the commander has the most control and greatest influence. The general
sequence of a vulnerability assessment is—
z List assets and capabilities and the threats against them.
z Determine common criteria for assessing vulnerabilities.
z Evaluate the assets and capabilities for their vulnerability.

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Chapter 4

4-51. Vulnerability evaluation criteria may include the degree to which an asset may be disrupted, quantity
available (if replacement is required due to loss), dispersion (geographic proximity), and key physical
characteristics as required.
4-52. DOD has created several decision support tools to perform criticality assessments in support of the
vulnerability assessment process (including mission, symbolism, history, accessibility, recognizability,
population, and proximity [MSHARPP] and criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect,
and recognizability [CARVER]). Protection cells can use any of these tools.

Note. DOD O-2000.12-H discusses MSHARPP and CARVER in detail.

Protection Priorities
4-53. Although all military assets are important and all resources have value, the capabilities they represent
share no inherent equality in their contribution to decisive operations or overall mission accomplishment.
Determining and directing protection priorities may be the most important decisions that commanders make
and staffs support. There are seldom sufficient resources to simultaneously provide all assets the same level
of protection. For this reason, commanders use CRM to identify increasingly risky activities and events,
while other decision support tools assist in prioritizing protection resources.
4-54. Most prioritization methodologies assist in differentiating what is important from what is urgent. In
protection planning, the challenge is to differentiate between critical assets and important assets and further
determine what protection is possible with available protection capabilities. Event-driven operations may
be short in duration, enabling a formidable protection posture for a short time; condition-driven operations
may be open-ended and long-term, requiring an enduring and sustainable protection strategy. In either
situation, commanders must provide guidance on prioritizing protection capabilities and categorizing
important assets.
4-55. Initial protection planning requires various assessments to support protection prioritization; namely,
threat, vulnerability, and criticality assessments. These assessments are used to determine which assets can
be protected given no constraints (critical assets) and which assets can be protected with available resources
(defended assets). Commanders make decisions on acceptable risks and provide guidance to the staff so
that they can employ protection capabilities based on the CAL and DAL. All forms of protection are
utilized and employed during preparation and continue through execution to reduce friendly vulnerability.

PREPARATION
4-56. Preparation consists of activities by the unit before execution to improve ability to conduct the
operation, including, but not limited to, the following: plan refinement; rehearsals; reconnaissance,
coordination, inspection, and movement. (FM 3-0)
4-57. Preparation includes increased application and/or emphasis on active and passive protection
measures. During preparation, the protection cell may conduct or coordinate the following activities:
z Revising and refining the plan.
z Emplacing systems to detect threats to the CAL.
z Directing OPSEC measures.
z Designating quick-reaction forces or TCFs and troop movements.
z Preparing and improving survivability positions.
z Liaising and coordinating with adjacent and protected units.
z Determining indicators and warnings for ISR operations.
z Rehearsing.
z Training with defended assets.
z Confirming subordinate back briefs.
z Implementing vulnerability reduction measures.

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 Protection Integration in Army Operations

4-58. During preparation, the protection cell ensures that the controls or risk reduction measures developed
during planning have been implemented and are reflected in plans, SOPs, and running estimates, even as
the threat assessment is continuously updated. New threats and hazards are identified or anticipated based
on newly assessed threat capabilities or changes in environmental conditions as compared with known
friendly vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Commanders use after-action reviews and war games to identify
changes to the threat. The protection cell and working group maintain a list of prioritized threats, adverse
conditions, and hazard causes. The challenge is to find the root cause or nature of a threat or hazard so that
the most effective protection solution can be implemented and disseminated.
4-59. As the staff monitors and evaluates the performance or effectiveness of friendly COA,
reconnaissance collects information that may confirm or deny forecasted threat COAs. As the threat
changes, risk to the force changes. Some changes may require a different protection posture or the
implementation or cessation of specific protection measures and activities. The protection cell analyzes
changes or variances that may require modifications to protection priorities and obtains guidance when
necessary. Threat assessment is a dynamic and continually changing process. Chiefs of protection and
planners stay alert for changing indicators and warnings in the OE that would signal new or fluctuating
threats and hazards.
4-60. Complete intelligence for a specific threat assessment is seldom available. Changes in the situation
often dictate adjustments or changes to the plan when they exceed variance thresholds established in
planning. During preparation, the staff continues to monitor and evaluate the overall situation because
variable threat assessment information may generate new PIR, while changes in asset criticality could lead
to new friendly force information requirements. Updated critical information requirements could be
required based on changes to asset vulnerability and criticality when conjoined with the threat assessment.
4-61. Commanders exercising battle command direct and lead throughout the entire operations process as
they provide supervision in concert with the CRM process. Commanders’ actions during preparation may
also include—
z Reconciling the threat assessment with personal judgment and experience.
z Providing guidance on risk tolerance and making risk decisions.
z Emphasizing protection tasks and systems during rehearsals.
z Minimizing unnecessary interference with subunits to allow maximum preparatory time.
z Circulating throughout the environment to observe precombat inspections.
z Directing control measures to reduce risks associated with preparatory movement.
z Expediting the procurement and availability of resources needed for protection implementation.
z Requesting higher headquarters support to reinforce logistical preparations and replenishment.
4-62. Depending on the situation and the threat, some protection tasks may be conducted for short or long
durations, covering the course of several missions or an entire operation. The staff coordinates the
commander’s protection priorities with vulnerability mitigation measures and clearly communicates them
to—
z Superior, subordinate, and adjacent units.
z Civilian agencies and personnel that are part of the force or may be impacted by the task or
control.
4-63. Subordinate leaders also conduct CRM and provide supervision to ensure that Soldiers understand
their responsibilities to and the significance of protection measures, tasks, and systems. This is normally
accomplished during mission preparation through training, rehearsals, task organization, and resource
allocation. Rehearsals, especially those using opposing force personnel, can provide a measure of
protection plan effectiveness. (See FM 3-0 for more information.)

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Chapter 4

ASSESSMENT DURING PREPARATION

4-64. Although continuous assessment occurs during preparation and includes activities required to
maintain situational understanding; monitor and evaluate running estimates, MOE, and MOP; and identify
variances for decision support, some assessments are specific to preparatory activities. These assessments
generally provide commanders with a composite estimate of preoperational force readiness or status in time
to make adjustments.
4-65. During preparation, the protection cell may focus on threats and hazards that can influence
preparatory activities, to include monitoring new Soldier integration programs and movement schedules or
evaluating live-fire requirements for precombat checks and inspections. The protection cell may evaluate
training and rehearsals or provide coordination and liaison to facilitate effectiveness in high risk or complex
preparatory activities, such as movement and logistics preparation.

EXECUTION
4-66. Execution is putting a plan into action by applying combat power to accomplish the mission and
using situational understanding to assess progress and make execution and adjustment decisions. (FM 3-0)
4-67. Commanders exercising battle command decide, direct, and provide leadership to organizations and
Soldiers during execution. As operations develop and progress, the commander interprets information that
flows from C2 systems for indicators and warnings that signal the need for execution or adjustment
decisions. Commanders may direct and redirect the way combat power is applied or preserved and may
adjust the tempo of operations through synchronization. The continuous and enduring character of
protection activities makes the continuity of protection actions and activities essential during execution.
Commanders implement control measures and allocate resources that are sufficient to ensure protection
continuity and restoration.
4-68. The protection cell monitors and evaluates several critical ongoing functions associated with
execution for operational actions or changes that impact protection cell proponents. Some of these
functions include—
z Ensuring that the protection focus supports the decisive operation.
z Reviewing and adjusting the CCIR derived from protection tasks and systems.
z Reviewing changes to graphic control measures and boundaries for the increased risk of
fratricide.
z Evaluating the effectiveness of C2 battle tracking for constraints on PR.
z Monitoring the employment of security forces for gaps in protection or unintended patterns.
z Evaluating the effectiveness of liaison personnel for protection activities.
z Evaluating movement coordination and control to protect critical paths.
z Monitoring adjacent unit coordination procedures for terrain management vulnerabilities.
z Monitoring readiness rates of response forces involved in fixed-site protection.
z Monitoring FHP.
4-69. Staff members are also particularly alert for reports and events that meet CCIR. Once a threat to a
critical or defended asset is detected by monitoring and evaluating running estimates and MOEs for
indicators and warnings, the protection cell alerts the unit responsible for protecting the asset or
recommends additional protective action. Unit commanders respond to their assessment of the threat or
deliberate warning and then execute contingency or response plans. For example, if a threat force attacks an
asset, the commander applies combat power to defeat it. Commanders are alerted by CCIR if the capability
of the threat force reflects a variance that exceeds anticipated and projected combat power ratios. They may
respond to the increased risk by rendering an execution or adjustment decision to commit additional assets
in the form of response forces or fires that are necessary to defeat or neutralize the threat.

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 Protection Integration in Army Operations

4-70. Events frequently occur that prompt commanders to reevaluate assessed threat and vulnerability,
usually due to a significant change in the situation. Examples include a change in mission, loss of a critical
asset, newly discovered enemy capability, environmental change, political or civil event, or change in the
ROE. Commanders must stay as sensitive to the risk calculus as they are to changes in readiness rates or
available manpower in terms of immediate combat power. When commanders adjust or change their risk
calculation, the process begins anew. The staff compares the new friendly situation to the known enemy
situation, develops controls, recommends priorities and DPs, and then implements the decisions. The
protection cell determines—
z Where protection assets can best help mission accomplishment with acceptable risk.
z If protection assets should be committed to the mission immediately or be held in reserve.
z If assets should be moved due to a change in the DAL.
z Whether the commander needs to request assistance and, if so, for what purpose.
4-71. There may be a change in the ROE or political, civil, or environmental situation. These unanticipated
changes may not require immediate action. However, commanders must consider how changes relate to the
mission as they mitigate the vulnerability to civilians and the environment. They must—
z Determine if immediate actions will minimize damage.
z Decide whether actions will affect mission accomplishment.
z Determine if the staff balance requires protective actions.
z Ensure overall mission accomplishment.
ASSESSMENT DURING EXECUTION
4-72. Upon publication of the OPORD, the protection cell and protection working group monitor the
situation so that protection tasks approved by the commander are executed according to plan.
4-73. The protection cell monitors and evaluates the progress of current operations to validate assumptions
made in planning and to continually update changes to the situation. The protection cell and protection
working group continually meet to monitor threats to the CAL and DAL, and they recommend changes to
the protection plan as required. They monitor the conduct of operations, looking for variances from the
OPORD that affect their areas of expertise. When variances exceed a threshold value developed or directed
in planning, the protection cell may recommend an adjustment decision to counter an unforecasted threat or
hazard or to mitigate a developing vulnerability. They also track the status of protection assets and evaluate
the effectiveness of the protection systems as they are employed. Additionally, the protection cell and
protection working group monitor actions of other staff sections by periodically reviewing plans, orders,
and risk assessments to determine if those areas require a change in protection priorities, posture, or
resource allocation.
LESSONS LEARNED
4-74. The way organizations and Soldiers learn from mistakes is key in protecting the force. Although the
evaluation process occurs throughout the operations process, it also occurs as part of the after-action review
and assessment following the mission. Leaders at all levels ensure that Soldiers and equipment are combat-
ready. Leaders demonstrate their responsibility to sound stewardship practices and risk management
principles required to ensure the minimal losses of resources and military assets due to hostile, nonhostile,
or environmental threats. Key lessons learned are immediately applied and shared with other commands.
Commanders develop systems to ensure the rapid dissemination of approved lessons learned and TTP
proven to save lives or protect equipment and information. The protection cells at each command echelon
evaluate the integration of lessons learned and constantly coordinate protection lessons with other staff
elements within and between the levels of command.

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Chapter 4

4-75. Postoperational evaluations typically—

z Identify threats that were not identified as part of the initial assessment or identify new threats
that evolved during the operation or activity. For example, when personnel, equipment,
environment, or mission changes the initial assessments, the control measures are reevaluated.
z Assess effectiveness in supporting operational goals and objectives. For example, determine if
the controls positively or negatively impacted training or mission accomplishment and determine
if the controls supported existing doctrine and TTP.
z Assess the implementation, execution, and communication of controls.
z Assess the accuracy of residual risk and effectiveness of controls in eliminating hazards and
controlling risks.
z Ensure compliance with the guiding principles of CRM.
„ Was the process integrated throughout all phases of the operation?
„ Were risk decisions accurate?
„ Were risk decisions made at the appropriate level?
„ Did any unnecessary risks or benefits outweigh the cost in terms of expense, training
benefit, or time?
„ Was the process cyclic and continuous throughout the operation?

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 Chapter 5
Protection Cells
The protection warfighting function applies to all levels of command. The Army
structure provides established protection cells at division level and above. Protection
cells are found in main and tactical command posts at division and corps levels and in
main or contingency command posts at theater Army headquarters. This chapter uses
examples from the modular division design since the protection cells in the modular
division and corps closely resemble each other. At the Headquarters DA level, the G-
3/assistant chief of staff, civil affairs (G-5)/assistant chief of staff, information
engagement (G-7) is the staff agent for the Army protection policy. In order to
enhance integration and coordination of all protection-related activities, the Army
Oversight Board for Protection serves as the protection cell for the Army. This board
is the central source that provides senior leaders with the requisite situational
awareness to deconflict efforts, reduce duplication, prioritize areas of focus, and
approve new initiatives.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

5-1. The protection cell is generally responsible for integrating or coordinating the tasks and systems that
fall under the protection warfighting function. Protection cells help craft protection strategies that are
reflected in the concept of protection included in the base order and appropriate annexes and appendixes.
Some protection tasks, such as FHP and AMD, may also have representation in other operational cells at
higher level organizations. At the theater army level, the protection cell may recommend that the
commander tailor protective elements when required for the campaign or major operation. Tailoring
includes the makeup of the force and the recommended sequence of its deployment. In addition to tailoring
force packages, the theater army protection cell—
z Examines other protection plans, concepts, and strategies for insights on survivability, security
force employment, task organization, and economy-of-force options.
z Considers multinational and host nation capabilities and determines how to integrate them into
protection.
z Determines if other capabilities or disciplines (civil-military activities, information engagement
tasks) from within the force can provide complementary or reinforcing capabilities to achieve
protection and reduce the likelihood of successful attacks.
5-2. The protection cell advises commanders on the priorities for protection and coordinates the
implementation and sustainment of protective measures to protect assets according to the commander’s
priorities. During the planning process, the protection cell provides input to the commander’s MDMP by
integrating the threat and hazard assessment with the commander’s EEFI, CAL, and DAL. While the
planning cell develops plans, the protection cell attempts to minimize vulnerability based on the developing
COA. The intent is to identify and recommend refinements to the COA that are necessary to reduce
vulnerability and ensure mission success. The protection cell provides vulnerability mitigation measures to
help reduce risks associated with a particular COA and conducts planning and oversight for full spectrum
operations. Representatives from the protection cell may provide input to plans and future operations,
depending on the OE and the commander’s preference. Commanders tailor and augment the protection cell
with functional expertise to form a protection working group as the mission requires.
5-3. A chief of protection is assigned to the modular division, corps, and theater Army headquarters. At
brigade and below, the commander normally designates a senior leader to this role. The AMD coordinator,

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Chapter 5

engineer coordinator, provost marshal, or CBRN officer may be designated as a protection coordinator to
support integration. Chiefs of protection and protection coordinators participate in various forums to
facilitate the continuous integration of protection tasks and systems in the operations process. This typically
occurs through protection working groups in a theater of operations and in force protection working groups
and executive forums as part of the installation force protection program.
5-4. The protection working group is led by the chief of protection and normally consists of—
z AMD officer.
z AT officer.
z CBRN officer.
z Engineer officer.
z EOD officer.
z OPSEC officer.
z Provost marshal.
z Intelligence representative.
z PR officer.
z G-6 representative.
z Public affairs officer.
z Staff judge advocate.

Note. Depending on the OE or type of operation, the commander may add G-7; assistant chief of
staff, civil affairs operations (G-9); surgeon; and safety; information engagement; medical; and
CA staff officers.

5-5. At the division level, subordinate units normally provide a liaison officer to the working group
meetings. The protection cells in division, corps, and Army headquarters integrate protection functions into
the operations process.
5-6. The protection working group—
z Helps the commander establish protection priorities by developing the CAL and DAL.
z Provides a forum for evaluating assumptions made in protection planning and for recommending
adjustments to protection efforts.
z May help deconflict protection responsibilities, recommend C2 relationships necessary for
specific protection efforts, facilitate adjacent unit coordination, or allocate protection resources.
z Considers various time horizons from the current organizational battle rhythm through future
operations.
5-7. While there are subtle differences, each is organized along similar lines and can perform similar
functions. The division and corps differ in that the corps is more likely to be a joint or multinational
headquarters, and it often has a larger AO. All protection cells, especially at the theater level, have unique
characteristics with different organizations, coordinators, sections, and abilities, depending on the mission
they are conducting.
5-8. The protection cell helps develop a concept of protection tailored to the type of operation the unit is
conducting. Figure 5-1 shows an MEB supporting a division with three BCTs and one aviation brigade. A
mission analysis for the operation determined requirements that could be best satisfied by one or more
MEBs. Based on the mission variables, the protection working group in the division main command post
recommended the mix of capabilities needed for the MEB. Here, the MEB is focused on completing
specific protection tasks and providing support to maneuver units. The MEB typically adjusts command
and support relationships accordingly. The protection cell may make recommendations to the division on
the task organization of protection assets or the type of C2 relationship needed to reduce high risks. This
example depicts the employment of an MEB for protection tasks; however, in operations without an MEB,
the protection cell may recommend protection strategies from reinforcing and complementary capabilities
found in other formations for use in primary and economy-of-force roles.

5-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Cells

Figure 5-1. Sample protection concept for offensive operations

COMPOSITION
5-9. The protection cell membership does not require representatives from every functional element of
protection. However, these members provide a dedicated staff that is able to coordinate with other
appropriate coordinating, personal, and special staff elements. Primary members of the protection cell
typically include the chief of protection, AMD officer, PR officer, OPSEC officer, provost marshal, CBRN
officer, EOD officer, engineer officer, and AT officer.

CHIEF OF PROTECTION
5-10. The chief of protection may be designated by tables of organization and equipment or by the unit
commander. He is the principal advisor to the commander on all matters relating to the protection
warfighting function. A chief of protection—
z Plans and coordinates protection functions and missions.
z Advises the commander on where to allocate and employ protection capabilities.
z Chairs protection working group meetings, coordinates input, and makes recommendations to
the commander regarding CALs and DALs.
z Manages the writing of the protection annex and provides input to plans, orders, branches, and
sequels.
z Synchronizes with other staff cells, nodes, and functional groups.
z Provides guidance on the execution of protection tasks and systems.
z Continually monitors and assesses the overall protection effort.

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Chapter 5

AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE OFFICER

5-11. The AMD officer coordinates and synchronizes the AMD tasks in the AO. He—
z Advises, monitors, and makes recommendations regarding the current enemy air and missile
threat.
z Collaborates with higher headquarters to protect critical and defended assets.
z Coordinates current operations of subordinate air defense artillery forces.
z Coordinates adjustments of sensor and engagement coverage based on changes in the mission
variables.
z Leads or augments other protection components when operating in a low-threat air environment.

PERSONNEL RECOVERY OFFICER

5-12. The PR officer advises the commander on all aspects of PR operations. He plans and coordinates
operations necessary to obtain the release or recovery of captured, missing, or isolated personnel from
uncertain or hostile environments and denied areas.

OPERATIONS SECURITY OFFICER

5-13. The OPSEC officer identifies and recommends critical information requirements. He—
z Analyzes adversaries and vulnerabilities as part of the IPB process.
z Assesses OPSEC risk.
z Develops, coordinates, and applies OPSEC measures across the staff.
z Writes the OPSEC estimate and tab to the protection appendix.
z Monitors, assesses, and adjusts OPSEC measures in terms of their MOE and MOP.
z Reviews internal staff documents, information system logs, and news releases for sensitive
information and compromised EEFI.
z Searches news sources, weblogs, and other Web sites for sensitive information and compromised
EEFI.

PROVOST MARSHAL
5-14. The provost marshal plans military police support for operations and provides advice on military
police capabilities. He—
z Makes recommendations on developing and allocating military police resources that protect
CALs and DALs.
z Synchronizes military police operations and law enforcement guidance between main and
tactical command posts and among subordinate, adjacent, and higher units.
z Provides military police and physical security planning expertise, including—
„ Area security.
„ Police engagement.
„ Internment/resettlement and detainee operations.
„ Area damage control.
„ Consequence management operations.
„ Base defense operations.
„ Response force operations.
„ Critical site and asset security.
„ C2 node protection.
„ Straggler and displaced-civilian control.
„ Law enforcement.
„ Criminal investigations.

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 Protection Cells

„ U.S. customs operations.

„ Host nation police development and transition operations.
„ AT operations.
„ Police intelligence operations.
z Makes recommendations on assigning protective service details to HRP. These protective
service details may be organic unit assets or an adjacent or higher unit passing through the
division AO.
z May serve as a member of a vulnerability assessment team.
z Coordinates with the engineer officer to plan support and protection of river-crossing operations
and main supply route security and protection.

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR OFFICER

5-15. The CBRN officer conducts planning for and oversees all CBRN operations. He—
z Provides response analysis, written estimates and plans, and advice.
z Provides staff supervision for CBRN site assessments and consequence management operations
in the AO.
z Plans CBRN support with higher and adjacent units.
z Supports the CBRN warning and reporting system.
z Recommends how to employ CBRN assets.
z Coordinates with the engineer officer for explosive hazard operations by identifying the
appropriate mix of complementary and reinforcing capabilities.

EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL OFFICER

5-16. The EOD officer incorporates EOD requirements into plans and orders. He—
z Recommends how to implement EOD-unique skills.
z Tracks UXO, IED, and WMD incident support.
z Recommends reinforcing support.
5-17. If assigned to the headquarters, the explosive hazards coordination cell can assist the protection cell
through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of explosive hazard information. This cell is a
specialized Army engineer force pool unit assigned to corps, division, or brigade staffs. Within the theater,
it can predict, track, distribute information on, and mitigate explosive hazards that affect force application,
focused logistics, survivability, and situational awareness.

ENGINEER OFFICER
5-18. The engineer officer identifies requirements and prioritizes engineer capabilities and assets. He—
z Identifies current and future operations that require force packaging to meet operational
requirements.
z Identifies and synchronizes requirements for the mobility of friendly forces.
z Identifies requirements for safeguarding bases.
z Advises on the aspects of survivability as defined in chapter 2.
z Facilitates the sustainment of friendly forces.
z Identifies general engineering operations.
z Synchronizes with the CBRN officer to apply battlefield obscuration and decontamination
support as appropriate.
z Provides reachback to the Army Corps of Engineers.
z Contributes to a clear understanding of the physical environment.
z Provides support to noncombatants, other nations, and civilian authorities and agencies.

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Chapter 5

ANTITERRORISM OFFICER
5-19. The AT officer—
z Establishes an AT program.
z Collects, analyzes, and disseminates threat information.
z Assesses and reduces critical vulnerabilities (conducts AT assessments).
z Increases AT awareness in Soldiers, civilians, and family members.
z Maintains defense according to the FPCON.
z Establishes civil/military partnerships for terrorist incident crises.
z Conducts terrorism threat/incident response planning.
z Conducts exercises and evaluates/assesses AT plans.

PROTECTION IN BRIGADES AND BELOW

5-20. Commanders at brigade and below echelons are not organized with dedicated protection staff cells,
but they are still responsible for integrating the protection warfighting function into full spectrum
operations. Protection integration at these echelons may require commanders to designate a staff lead
(protection officer) who has the experience to integrate risk management and other integrating processes.
These duties could be accomplished by the deputy brigade commander, executive officer, operations
officer, or a sergeant major. Assistant operations officers and other staff members could be designated as
protection coordinators to facilitate the integration of the twelve protection tasks and systems into
operations. In all cases, protection officers and coordinators work with higher and lower echelons to nest
protection activities with complementary and reinforcing capabilities.

DIVISION PROTECTION CELL

5-21. The protection cell in the main command post consists of seven staff groups, including the chief of
protection. The staff members focus their particular areas of expertise and on the integration and
synchronization of division protection efforts. The protection cell informs the commander of changes or
threats to CALs and DALs.
5-22. The tactical command post contains a small protection cell that consists of provost marshal, AMD,
and CBRNE sections. It plans, coordinates, and synchronizes protection and functional capabilities for
units under the tactical command post C2. Staff members in the main command post provide other critical
protection information to the tactical command post organization as required. These members work
throughout the coordinating and support staff and in designated cells. The two groups work closely together
to integrate and synchronize the protection effort across the AO (internally and externally) with joint,
interagency, and multinational assets.

CORPS PROTECTION CELL

5-23. The protection cell at the corps level is similar in organization and purpose to the division protection
cell. It is comprised of CBRN, EOD, engineer, military police, and AMD personnel and is typically led by
the chief of protection. This cell serves to coordinate, synchronize, and integrate complementary and
reinforcing capabilities supporting the corps headquarters to provide protection throughout corps
subordinate units and in the corps AO. The corps protection cell integrates and monitors OPSEC actions at
all levels, while managing the effects of CBRNE, physical and area security, survivability, and air and
missile threats to corps operations. The corps protection cell is typically augmented for stability operations
and may serve as the center of consequence management efforts to manage and mitigate problems resulting
from natural and man-made disasters or terrorist incidents.

ARMY SERVICE COMPONENT COMMAND PROTECTION CELL

5-24. Theater command posts have a dedicated protection element instrumental for reachback. Reachback
is the process of obtaining products, services, and applications, or forces, or equipment, or material from

5-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Cells

organizations that are not forward deployed. (JP 3-30) Theater command posts can exploit resources,
capabilities, and expertise while physically located outside the theater or in a joint operations area. They
also coordinate unified actions and oversee protection for the theater within the combatant commander’s
area of responsibility.
5-25. Figure 5-2 shows the operational protection directorate at the theater level, which is where corps or
other task-organized units normally receive protection guidance from higher headquarters. Similar to the
cells at corps and division, the operational protection directorate requires expertise from other staff sections
to synthesize the information required to oversee the entire protection function.

Figure 5-2. Sample protection directorate at theater level

5-26. The theater is the first level of command with a dedicated AT and protection division that adds an in-
theater source of staff support for subordinates. This command is also the first level with a dedicated
surgeon cell to conduct casualty prevention planning. Protection cells at division and corps require
assistance from these elements when planning casualty prevention measures. The early-entry command
post protection cell is tailored to the needs of the mission at hand but has full reachback to main and
operational command posts. Protecting information in the theater is not the responsibility of the operational
protection directorate; the theater G-6 and G-7 share responsibility for information protection.
5-27. With the exception of U.S. Army North, the theater typically resources the protection warfighting
function to support Army forces in theater and joint and allied forces. Often, the theater may be designated
as the joint security coordinator and be responsible for the joint security area. (See JP 3-10 for more
information.) The theater protection cell (with augmented joint, interagency, and multinational forces)
provides the nucleus of the joint security coordination center. The theater may designate an MEB to serve
as its operational protection headquarters, receiving mission orders to supervise selected forces (including
TCFs). Rear operations centers (area) may provide specified base C2 and security management for critical
bases and facilities.

PROTECTION WORKING GROUP

5-28. OCONUS, the theater typically resources the protection warfighting function to support Army forces
in theater and joint and allied forces. Consequently, Army service component commands have several
theater level commands and brigades that contribute force in support of the protection function.
5-29. The protection cell forms the core membership of the protection working group and includes other
agencies as required. Protection cell and protection working group members differ, in that additional staff
officers are brought into the working group. These additional officers meet operational requirements for
threat assessments, vulnerability assessments, and protection priority recommendations. The protection
working group does not merit additional manpower, but calls upon existing resources across the staff.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 5-7

Chapter 5

5-30. Commanders incorporate daily, weekly, or monthly protection working group meetings into the unit
battle rhythm as needed. The meetings have the same purpose, regardless of the echelon. Protection
functions at different echelons of command differ mostly in the size of the AO and the number of available
protection capabilities. The protection working group—
z Determines likely threats and hazards from updated enemy tactics, the environment, and
accidents.
z Determines vulnerabilities as assessed by the vulnerability assessment team.
z Establishes and recommends protection priorities, such as the CAL.
z Provides recommendations for the CAL and DAL.
z Reviews and coordinates unit protection measures.
z Recommends FPCONs and random AT measures.
z Determines required resources and makes recommendations for funding and equipment fielding.
z Provides input and recommendations on protection-related training.
z Makes recommendations to commanders on protection issues that require a decision.
z Performs tasks required for a force protection working group and a threat protection working
group according to Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 2000.16.
z Accesses assets and infrastructure that are designated as critical by higher headquarters.
5-31. Table 5-1 shows a sample purpose, agenda, and composition of a protection working group with staff
inputs and outputs, and Table 5-2 shows a sample protection working group created for vulnerability
assessments.

Table 5-1. Sample protection working group activities

PURPOSE AGENDA
The protection working group monitors and • Operations/intelligence update.
assesses the risks and threats to forces in the AO • CCIR/concept of operation review.
and implements control measures to maintain the
protection by— • DAL update.
• Reviewing threats and hazards. • New vulnerabilities (next 72 hours).
• Identifying vulnerabilities. • Extremely high/high-risk mitigation measures.
• Recommending countermeasures, FPCON • Recommendations (security posture adjustments, troop behavior,
levels, assessments, missions, and tasks to command information engagement, resource allocation, required
components. training).
• Monitoring corrective actions. • Conclusion.
• Directing vulnerability assessment teams.
COMPOSITION INPUT OUTPUT
• Chief of protection (chair). • Commander’s guidance and • Updated protection
• G-2. intent. assessment.
• Major subordinate command and FOB AT • Current and emerging • Identified vulnerabilities.
officers. threats and trends. • Recommended FPCON.
• Staff judge advocate. • Current operations update. • Recommended mitigation
• EOD officer. • Major subordinate TTP and tasks.
command/FOB vulnerability • Recommended changes to
• Engineer officer.
assessments. EEFI.
• Provost marshal.
• Vulnerability assessment • Recommended changes to
• Surgeon. team assessments and the CAL and DAL.
• Safety officer. trends.
• CBRN officer.
• OPSEC officer.
• Others, as required.

5-8 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection Cells

Table 5-2. Sample protection working group for vulnerability assessment

MISSION ASSESSMENT OUTLINE
The protection working group works with the higher • AT/force protection plan review (all).
headquarters vulnerability assessment team. It • Local threat assessment (G-2).
evaluates implemented protection measures and
identifies existing vulnerabilities at specified sites and • Physical security (provost marshal).
all locations, facilities, and bases used by contractors • Entry control point procedures (provost marshal).
and coalition personnel. The end result is that the • Perimeter defense (protection noncommissioned officer).
protection working group provides a safe, secure
• Base defense operations center (chief of protection).
environment in which friendly forces can live and
perform their duties by— • High-density facilities (protection noncommissioned officer).
• Identifying and assessing threats and • Emergency medical response (surgeon).
vulnerabilities. • Structural and facility force protection standards (engineer
• Recommending countermeasures. officer).
• Reporting through the chief of protection to the • CBRN defense (protection noncommissioned officer).
commander. • HRP (provost marshal).
COMPOSITION REFERENCES/STANDARDS
• Chief of protection. • OPORDs.
• Protection noncommissioned officer. • Protection Plans.
• OPSEC officer. • GTA 90-01-010, JCOB Force Protection Handbook.
• G-2. • DOD O-2000.12-H.
• Engineer officer. • DODI 2000.16.
• Provost marshal. • UFC 4-010-01.
• Surgeon. • UFC 4-010-02.
• Safety officer.
• G-7.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 5-9

This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix A
Protection in Force Projection Operations
Army forces need strategic and operational reach to deploy and immediately conduct operations with little
or no advanced notice anywhere in the world. Expeditionary operations require units that can deploy and
conduct extended operations. Units depend on joint-enabled force projection and protection for
deployment, sustainment, and protection across intercontinental distances in full spectrum operations. Units
available and ready to deploy begin the force projection process upon receiving a warning order or
deployment order. Army and joint operations require successful onward movement, protected personnel,
and accompanied materiel. Continuing protection measures must be taken from home station, to reception
in theater, and to integration into the AO. In each phase, deploying and supported commanders apply
elements of the protection warfighting function based on the analysis and recommendations of their
respective protection cells.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION DURING PREDEPLOYMENT

ACTIVITIES
A-1. During the movement from home station to the deployment location, unit personnel and equipment
may arrive at different ports of debarkation. Protection during movement can be difficult as units pass
through various areas of responsibility. The Army uses five steps in planning and preparation during
predeployment activities. During deployment, commanders apply protection measures in each step to
protect the force.
z Step 1. Analyze the mission.
z Step 2. Structure the forces.
z Step 3. Refine the deployment data.
z Step 4. Prepare the force.
z Step 5. Schedule movement.

Note. See FMI 3-35 for more information.

ANALYZE THE MISSION

A-2. Commanders examine the mission and develop COAs, using employment considerations as the
primary planning factor. A primary protection consideration depends on the type of entry operation
conducted. Forced-entry operations require extensive mission analysis to adequately protect the force.
Deployment into a permissive environment requires forces to assess the host nation security, police forces,
and port security operations. Planners do not assume that existing or host nation units at the site will
automatically provide protection. All deployed U.S. units arrive prepared to protect themselves based on
the threat at the site location.

STRUCTURE THE FORCE

A-3. While developing COAs, planners identify forces based on their capabilities to accomplish specific
missions. Commanders establish protection measures and force requirements based on the threat
assessment of theater ports and intermediate staging bases. Intelligence and threat information is critical in
determining the force structure. Commanders factor protection requirements into time-phased, force and
deployment data planning. Experiences from worldwide deployments, especially those in Operations Iraqi
Freedom and Enduring Freedom, demonstrate how early protection planning and the execution of
protective measures can substantially reduce the risk to deploying forces.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 A-1

Appendix A

REFINE THE DEPLOYMENT DATA

A-4. As planners identify forces, they begin developing time-phased, force and deployment data. The
supported combatant commander defines the intent for deployment. The commander’s intent may be
specific and direct the sequence of units or simply identify a general deployment timeline. Protection
considerations often determine the first deployers for protection-related missions and tasks in the joint
operations area. Commanders compare the situation in the joint operations area against available lift assets
to determine the appropriate deployment sequence. Host nation restrictions and sensitivities may limit
protection options, creating a need for close coordination with assets already in the joint operations area.
While protecting the initial-entry force, commanders balance the need for rapid response with the mix of
combat power and resources that accomplish the mission. This balance provides protection, efficient
deployment, and a range of options for responding to possible conditions.

PREPARE THE FORCE

A-5. Planners develop force packages to ensure that the right capabilities, in the proper combinations,
support the combatant commander. Protection considerations include determining the casualty prevention
measures required to protect the force against health risks. Before deploying, units conduct risk
assessments to determine their vulnerabilities. These assessments provide a baseline from which to
implement appropriate protection measures that reduce or mitigate risk.

SCHEDULE MOVEMENT
A-6. Correctly sequencing forces to deploy provides the commander with capabilities to achieve the
desired objectives. Once commanders put a strategic lift schedule into motion, it is difficult to change
without losing the transportation capacity. Protection considerations consist of front-loading appropriate
units to provide protection and security. The units draw equipment first and then support follow-on units
with staging and onward movement. These units should arrive in theater early in the deployment process to
provide better protection and movement security. Protection and security are essential to promptly move
combat forces forward.
A-7. Commanders also implement another protection consideration—proactive OPSEC measures. These
measures limit public knowledge of in-transit force movements, including U.S. military ship and aircraft
flights and intratheater movements of key personnel, equipment, and logistics.
A-8. A final protection consideration includes reviewing and, if necessary, modifying contracting
processes and transportation agreements. This consideration meets DOD protection and AT standards.

DEPLOYMENT
A-9. Table A-1 lists theater and deploying division or corps protection cell requirements for the
synchronization and execution of protection measures during deployment.
A-10. During the force projection process, four distinct and interrelated deployment phases occur. These
phases may not be sequential; they can overlap or occur simultaneously.
z Predeployment activities.
z Movement to and activities at the port of embarkation.
z Movement to the port of debarkation.
z Reception, staging, onward movement, and integration (RSO&I).

A-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Force Projection Operations

Table A-1. Protection synchronization for deployment

Protection
Movement to Port of Movement to Port of
Tasks and Predeployment Activities RSO&I
Embarkation Debarkation
Systems
• Perform AMD threat • Coordinate transportation • Maintain transportation • Coordinate advance
assessment. protective measures for protective measures for deployment of force
AMD • Prepare force packages. sensitive arms, sensitive arms, packages.
ammunition, and ammunition, and
explosives. explosives.
• Complete DD Form 1833 • Establish PR • Establish PR organization. • Transfer unit isolated
(Isolated Personnel Report). organization. • Cross-staff coordination. personnel report data
• Establish PR organization. • Cross-staff coordination. • Analyze PR gap. to theater staff.
• Cross-staff coordination. • Analyze PR gap. • Integrate diplomatic/ • Establish PR
• Analyze PR gap. • Integrate diplomatic/ military/civil PR. organization.
• Integrate diplomatic/ military/civil PR. • Exercise PR SOPs. • Cross-staff
military/civil PR. • Review PR SOPs. • Exercise/rehearse. coordination.
PR • Establish PR SOPs. • Exercise/rehearse • Coordinate PR support • Analyze PR gap.
• Exercise/rehearse. • Coordinate PR support while in transit. • Integrate diplomatic/
while in transit. military/civil PR.
• Exercise PR SOPs.
• Exercise/rehearse.
• Coordinate PR
support while building
combat power.
• Deconflict host nation • Prestage critical BCCS • Ensure immediate satellite • Assist in coordinating
frequency, taboo data at OCONUS area access to retrieve current business continuity
frequencies (911), friendly processing centers. battle command data and disaster recovery
radars, or jammers. • Support en route mission updated during solutions.
• Ensure uninterrupted access planning and updating of communications blackout. • Assist in updating risk
to joint distributed planning critical information • Deploy liaison officers to analysis.
Information (virtual collaboration) and (orders, overlays, OCONUS area processing • Assist in meeting
protection training amongst intelligence). centers to ensure or legal and regulatory
geographically dispersed coordinate access to unit compliance.
units. prestaged data. • Assist in coordinating
• Gain theater network physical
configuration and resource (environmental)
allocation to DISN services security.
or SATCOM.
• Train on combat • Maintain situational • Maintain situational • Review fratricide
identification processes and awareness. awareness. prevention
Fratricide procedures. procedures with
avoidance Soldiers and check
equipment.
• Plan for adequate protection • Coordinate and assess • Assign supercargoes. • Ensure that adequate
during RSO&I. port security • Store cargo and measures security forces are
• Plan for proper sequencing transportation protective in place. available to protect
Operational of forces to ensure adequate services. • Ensure that the Army the force during
area security combat power. • Coordinate movement Criminal Investigation RSO&I and
• Establish CAL. with local police. Command conducts movement to tactical
logistics security assembly areas.
operations.
• Provide Level I AT training. • Coordinate interagency • Track all units during • Conduct port
• Complete threat security measures. transit. vulnerability
assessment. • Submit AT plan to • Employ countersurveillance assessments.
• Complete criticality combatant commander. and counterintelligence • Brief unit on threat
AT assessment. • Assemble port readiness resources. levels.
• Complete vulnerability committees. • Brief unit on ROE.
assessment. • Develop HRP security • Implement planned
• Form installation force measures. security measures.
protection working group.
• Assess Soldier, equipment, • Conduct survivability. • Conduct survivability. • Conduct necessary
Survivability and vehicle protective survivability support.
requirements.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 A-3

Appendix A

Table A-1. Protection synchronization for deployment (continued)

Protection
Movement to Port of Movement to Port of
Tasks and Predeployment Activities RSO&I
Embarkation Debarkation
Systems
• Coordinate for individual • Conduct continual • Conduct continual • Continue to execute
medical readiness processing assessment. assessment. the mission plan,
programs. adjusting to protect
• Survey the AO to determine Soldiers from
health threats. potential health
• Plan and coordinate for threats.
preventive medicine support
requirements.
• Perform food and water
vulnerability assessments.
• Plan and coordinate for
veterinary services.
• Develop procedures to
FHP inspect, monitor, and submit
food and water samples.
• Plan for animal disease
prevention and control
program.
• Develop a plan to meet or
improve the stress control
needs of Soldiers and units.
• Inform Soldiers about good
oral hygiene and preventive
dentistry measures.
• Plan and coordinate area
medical laboratory
deployment.
• Complete CBRN threat • Maintain situational • Maintain situational • Review AT plan with
assessment and enemy awareness. awareness. combatant
CBRN capability evaluation. commander
operations • Complete friendly forces unit (command
status evaluation. authority).
• Develop CBRN defense plan.
• Train and license Soldiers in • Provide quality • Provide troop rest and • Acclimatize troops.
handling hazmat. assurance specialist hydration. • Train with night
• Conduct safety oversight. ammunition surveillance • Review accident/near-miss vision.
• Conduct safety awareness support. data to develop loss • Enforce safe vehicle
briefings. • Train load team to reduction plans. operations.
standards. • Train rollover and
• Review accident/near- recovery operations.
Safety miss data to develop • Conduct safety
loss reduction plans. oversight.
• Conduct safety
awareness briefings.
• Review
accident/near-miss
data to develop loss
reduction plans.
• Recommend CCIR. • Conduct OPSEC. • Conduct OPSEC. • Conduct OPSEC.
• Conduct OPSEC vulnerability
assessment.
OPSEC
• Conduct OPSEC training.
• Incorporate OPSEC into
planning activities.
• Provide EOD threat • Maintain situational • Maintain situational • Review current
assessment and enemy awareness. awareness. enemy procedures
evaluation. for future AO or
EOD • Provide IED awareness movement to tactical
training. assembly areas.
• Ensure equipment readiness. • Provide theater-
specific training.

A-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Force Projection Operations

PREDEPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES
A-11. During predeployment activities through the fort-to-port phase, the U.S. Army Installation
Management Command is a critical protection and force projection enabler. This command manages most
Army installations worldwide. Its garrison commanders play a critical role in successfully protecting
deploying forces as they execute force projection operations in CONUS. Installation provost marshals (with
military police) protect assets as the unit prepares to deploy. Safety, medical, and information management
personnel protect personnel and information. Division and corps protection cells coordinate closely with
the installation and garrison staff to identify which information and assets to protect and to apply
appropriate protection and security measures that are consistent with the threat analysis.
A-12. At Army installations, AT working groups work as forums to involve installation protection
personnel with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. Together, they identify potential threats
to the installation and improve interagency communications. Before deployment, division and corps
protection cells coordinate with the installation staff to develop protective measures as required by the local
threat assessments. In addition, coordination may be required with port security personnel and the
combatant commander for protection requirements in the AO.
A-13. OPSEC and information protection are also key protection tasks during predeployment activities.
Effective OPSEC keeps adversaries from exploiting friendly deployment and staging information.
Commanders also ensure that their rear detachment commanders and family readiness groups take
appropriate OPSEC measures.
A-14. Commanders consider the AT element of protection during predeployment activities. Each deploying
unit (battalion or larger) should have at least one assigned Level II AT officer. This individual must have
completed a service-sponsored certification course. The deploying unit commander (assisted by the AT
officer) ensures that AT plans are integrated into movements through high-threat areas. Before deployment,
units assess risk by conducting threat, criticality, and vulnerability assessments. Units conduct the
assessments far enough in advance of deployment to allow for the development of necessary protection
measures for deploying assets.
A-15. After the notification, commanders at all levels begin to issue planning guidance as they plan,
prepare, execute, and assess the deployment order. Unit commanders analyze the protection requirements
and determine which resources adequately protect the deploying force. Finding the proper balance between
protecting the force and rapidly projecting the force is critical. Commanders seek an appropriate balance of
protection, rapid deployment, and adequate support.
A-16. Before arriving in an area of responsibility, commanders submit protection plans through their higher
headquarters to the geographic combatant commander (this does not apply to the units deploying to the
USNORTHCOM area of responsibility). The protection measures in the deploying unit plan must match
the guidance developed by the geographic combatant commander, who coordinates and approves individual
plans.

MOVEMENT TO AND ACTIVITIES AT THE PORT OF EMBARKATION

A-17. During some phases of deployment, DOD transfers custody of its military equipment to non-DOD
entities, including foreign-owned ships crewed by non-U.S. citizens. The protection cell ensures that
contract processes for transportation movements meet DOD security requirements. Figure A-1, page A-6,
shows various deployment activities and the agencies responsible for them.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 A-5

Appendix A

Stagee
Activity

Load
L Tran
nsport Cargoo Transport by
y
Prottection Protection Protection
n Protection
Ma
aterial by Land
L and Loaad Sea
Vesseel
Insta
allation Installa
ation: Comm mercial Comme ercial Port Port authorityy U.S. Navy U.S. Navy
DA po olice rail and carrierss readinesss U.S. Coast
Military police moving g committeee Guard
Responsibility

carrierrs
Com
mmander Unit gu
uards Surfacce aw
Local la Unit Supercargoe
es Commercial Commercial
Deployyment enforce
ement carriers carriers
and
Distrib
bution
Comm mand
Unit Superc
cargoes Unit Superca
argoes NA NA Maritime Unit
administration
n supercargoes
Note. The protection
p cell mustt assess the assetss and carriers and, in coordination witth the Surface Deplloyment and Distrib
bution Command,
provide add
ditional protection measures
m consistennt with threat and sensitive-cargo
s requuirements.

Fig
gure A-1. Pro
otection resp
ponsibilities during deplo
oyment
A-18. Deploying un nits traditionallly focus prottection efforts on their imppending oversseas operationns.
Howevver, the protecction cell stafff must frequently coordinatte with CONU US-based agenncies. Protectioon
responnsibilities for Army units deploying
d throough commerccial seaports are a divided am mong joint annd
interaggency organizzations. These organizationss include the U.S. Army Materiel Com mmand (Surfacce
Deployment Distribution Commannd, Army Conntracting Com mmand, and Arrmy Sustainm ment Commandd),
U.S. Transportation
T n Command, Military
M Sealifft Command, USNORTHCO OM, and U.S S. Army Forcees
Comm mand. Because the protection tasks that the Army may connduct outside its i installationss are limited, thhe
protecction staff workks closely withh federal, statee, and local aggencies. Togethher, they ensurre that adequaate
protecction measures exist and that they
t are execuuted during depployments throuugh strategic seaports.
A-19. Although tran nsportation orgganizations annd activities may
m provide lim mited organic protection, thhe
deployying unit comm mander plans protection
p meassures for rail annd highway movements. Thee protection celll,
in cooordination with h the Surface Deployment
D annd Distributionn Command, continually
c asssesses the asseets
and caarriers. It also provides addittional protectioon measures coonsistent with the threat andd sensitive-carggo
requirements. These measures mayy include the use u of contractt security persoonnel or unit guards
g to protect
unit assets,
a but thee commander makes the fiinal determinaation based onn security reqquirements. Thhe
protecction cell coorddinates with the installation transportation
t o
officer (CONUUS) or movemeent control team m
(OCONUS) and auth horized railroadd or commerciial truck carrierrs on guard andd escort matterrs.
A-20. The protectionn cell coordinnates with the port readinesss committee at each strategic port. Thesse
mittees provide deploying uniit commanderss with commonn coordination structures forr DOD; the U.S
comm S.
Coast Guard; and othher federal, staate, and local aggencies at the port
p level. Wheen military equuipment is beinng
movedd, the committeees act as princcipal interfacess between DOD D and other offficials at ports.

A-6 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Protection in Force Projection Operations

A-21. In coordination with other DOD activities and port authorities, the U.S. Transportation Command
and Surface Deployment and Distribution Command administer the DOD transportation security program.
This program provides standardized transportation security measures, constant oversight, and central
direction. In CONUS, commanders plan protection measures for units and equipment en route to the port,
while the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command coordinates security at the port.
A-22. Depending on the threat assessment, units may guard equipment while at the installation, at
railheads, or en route to ports of embarkation. Units may consider assigning supercargoes to accompany the
equipment during transit from the seaport of embarkation to the seaport of debarkation.
A-23. DOD 4500.9-R specifies governing requirements for moving sensitive military cargo. It establishes
various levels of required protection and monitoring based on risk categories. Protection and monitoring
measures range from simple seals used in shipping to continuous cargo surveillance. The regulation
establishes protection requirements for cargo and outlines the transportation protective services available to
meet them. The cargo sensitivity and means of transportation determine how the Surface Deployment and
Distribution Command protects military cargo. Table A-2 provides examples of transportation protective
services required for various types of sensitive items and equipment.

Note. See DOD Regulation 4500.9-R, part II, chapter 205 for more information.

Table A-2. Examples of transportation protective services

Security Risk
Risk Category Example Minimum TPS
Code
Highest risk AA&E PSS/SNS/EXC
1 Man-portable missiles
CAT I SEV
1
Medium-high risk Automatic weapons, PSS/SNS/EXC
CAT II landmines SEV if FPCON Charlie
2 1
Medium risk 2 PSS/SNS/EXC
High-explosive grenades
CAT II SEV if FPCON Charlie
Low risk
3 Small arms, smoke grenades DDP/SNS
CAT III and IV
Low risk
4 Small arms, smoke grenades DDP/SNS
CAT III and IV
Weapons with secret PSS/SNS/EXC
5 CAT I
guidance systems SEV

Weapons with confidential PSS/SNS/EXC

6 CAT I
guidance systems SEV

Uncategorized demolitions Retrograde AA&E, howitzer

7 3 DDP/SNS
(Div 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 AA&E) cannons and barrels
1
Weapons with confidential PSS/SNS/EXC
8 Confidential CAT II 2
guidance systems SEV if FPCON Charlie
Uncontrolled/unclassified
U 3 Bombs, torpedoes DDP/SNS
(Div 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 AA&E)
4
S Secret Documents/hardware DDP/SNS
5
C Confidential Documents/hardware CIS
CIS and security tarps
Pilferable, uncontrolled/ Communications, electronics,
P required for open-bed
unclassified high-value items 5
trailers
1
SEV is required for all U.S. Army CAT II shipments when pickup or drop off is in FPCON Charlie locations; SEV is not
required for U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, or Navy CAT II shipments at FPCON Charlie. However, SEV is required for
CAT II shipments for all Services in FPCON Delta locations.
2
Examples are not all-inclusive.
3
For AA&E shipments weighing 150 pounds or less and 15 or fewer items, small arms weapons (CAT II through IV)
and M-16 rifles (excluding .50-caliber and above rifles) use CIS.
4
SNS is optional.
5
DDP replaces CIS when the mileage exceeds 150.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 A-7

Appendix A

A-24. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command supports force projection and protection operations
by providing logistics security to prevent theft, misappropriation, and other criminal acts.
A-25. During major combat operations, the U.S. Coast Guard conducts operations in littoral regions. These
regions include port security and safety, military environmental response, maritime interdiction, coastal sea
operations, and protection in territorial waters of the United States and overseas. In addition to waterside
physical security, Coast Guard duties include—
z Regulating the shipping, handling, and pier side storage of hazardous cargo.
z Interfacing with military authorities as the senior DOD port safety agent.
z Issuing hazardous-cargo permits.
z Supervising vessel fire prevention programs.

MOVEMENT TO THE PORT OF DEBARKATION

A-26. Supercargoes are personnel that accompany cargo on board a ship for the purpose of accomplishing
en route maintenance and security. (JP 1-02). Supercargoes represent the deploying unit commander when
moving unit equipment by ship. They perform liaison during cargo reception at the seaport of embarkation,
shipload and discharge operations, and clearance at the seaport of debarkation. The deploying unit may be
required to provide supercargoes to accompany cargo aboard ships. At a minimum, commanders protect
equipment against theft and pilferage.
A-27. Unit commanders recommend the composition of supercargoes. They determine the amount and
types of equipment loaded aboard the ship, the number of units with equipment on the ship, and the
required physical security measures. However, the Military Sealift Command determines the actual number
of supercargoes permitted onboard based on the berthing capacity of the ship. Offload preparation parties
may deploy with the advance party to help unload the vessel.
A-28. The size of the supercargo teams dedicated to each ship coincides with the team role. Commanders
ensure that enough members to guard and maintain equipment are onboard, enough resources are available
onboard, and enough money is available to finance additional costs for equipping and maintaining the team
during the voyage. To prevent unnecessary commitment of personnel and resources, commanders closely
coordinate supercargo teams with the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, commercial
carriers, and port facilities.

RECEPTION, STAGING, ONWARD MOVEMENT, AND INTEGRATION

A-29. RSO&I is the process of force closure in the AO. It requires a logistics infrastructure provided by the
host nation or deployed sustainment assets. Force closure is the point in time when a supported joint force
commander determines that sufficient personnel and equipment resources are in the assigned operational
area to carry out assigned tasks. (JP 3-35) Reception is the first and most critical step of RSO&I. It marks
the end of the strategic leg of deployment and the beginning of the operational use of forces. RSO&I aims
to build the combat power necessary to support the combatant commander’s concept of operation.
Protection for units undergoing RSO&I falls under the protection cell of the theater supporting the
combatant commander.
A-30. Planners carefully consider the threat assessment in the OE of RSO&I operations. A threat
assessment gives commanders details of potential threats that can disrupt or block operations. The
assessment also provides the level of infrastructure transportation and protection assets available to assist
with onward movement. Commanders use this information to develop CALs and DALs.
A-31. When developing CALs and DALs, protection planners consider how changes in the tactical
situation can create an urgent need for newly arrived units. Some units may be tasked for immediate
employment. Heavy-equipment transport, military police, engineers, fuel support, and other assets
necessary to move or protect equipment and personnel may become critical to mission success.
A-32. In a permissive environment, the host nation may be able to provide services and facilities to support
protection. These services can lessen the requirement for U.S. forces to provide equivalent capabilities,
thereby reducing the U.S. logistics footprint.

A-8 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection in Force Projection Operations

A-33. RSO&I operations can provide enemies with numerous opportunities to inflict serious casualties.
These operations can delay the buildup of combat power by exploiting the vulnerability of units in transit
from the theater staging base to the theater assembly area.
A-34. Units undergoing RSO&I present enemies with high-value, high-payoff targets. Any damage or
destruction could result in serious delays in force closure. The advance deployment of military police units
or other forces designated for area security become extremely important targets.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 A-9

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 Appendix B
Combat Identification
Combat identification gives U.S. forces the ability to avoid fratricide and differentiate
among friendly, enemy, neutral, and unknown personnel and objects. Obtaining
accurate combat identification is a problem as old as combat itself. Combat always
has been, and always will be, confusing, complex, and deadly. Combat identification
has become increasingly difficult with the advent of modern weaponry and tactics,
the introduction of rapid fire and non-line-of-sight systems, and the desire to
minimize collateral damage. A combat identification fratricide research study found
that surface-to-surface and air-to-surface mission areas encompassed more than 90
percent of fratricide incidents. Primarily, target identification error and the lack of
situational awareness caused these incidents.

DETECTION PROCESS
B-1. Combat identification is the process of attaining an accurate characterization of detected objects in
the OE sufficient to support an engagement decision. (JP 3-09) (See JP 3-0 for more information.) Units
achieve combat identification by applying situational awareness and target identification capabilities and by
adhering to doctrine, TTP, and approved ROE that directly support a Soldier’s engagement decision against
objects in an OE. Combat identification attempts to avoid fratricide and unnecessary collateral damage.
B-2. Proper identification provides an accurate characterization of potential targets to allow engagement
decisions with high confidence. Combat identification is not hardware-dependent; its capability combines
the following:
z Situational awareness. Situational awareness provides the immediate knowledge of operation
conditions, constrained geographically and in time.
z Target identification. Target identification provides the accurate and timely characterization of
detected personnel and objects as friendly, neutral, enemy, or unknown. It is time-sensitive and
directly supports a Soldier’s target engagement decision. Quick and accurate target identification
involves training and technology to maximize correct identification. Target identification
provides two methods to distinguish targets:
„ Cooperative. Cooperative target identification requires intentional collaboration by the
target.
„ Noncooperative. Noncooperative target identification exploits physical characteristics of
the object and requires no cooperative action or response by the target.
z Doctrine. Sound doctrine provides a source of common understanding and interoperability. This
knowledge directly contributes to Soldier ability to distinguish between friend and foe.
z TTP. TTP for combat identification provides the ability to identify a target, engage it while
maintaining awareness of unknown targets, and avoid fratricide. Inadequate TTP or failure to
rehearse them can cause hesitation, fratricide, and unnecessary collateral damage.
z ROE. ROE are directives issued by competent military authority that delineate the
circumstances and limitations under which U.S. forces will initiate and/or continue combat
engagement with other forces encountered. (JP 1-02) Critical to ROE is the rapid, accurate
identification of potential targets. ROE are standardized throughout the AO to comply with
higher headquarters guidance. If too restrictive, ROE could reduce combat effectiveness and put
the force at greater risk. However, if ROE are too lax, they can lead to unnecessary collateral
damage and fratricide. The greater the Soldier’s ability to discriminate among friendly, enemy,
neutral, and unknown personnel and objects, the less restrictive ROE may become. The military

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 B-1

Appendix B

authority developing ROE R should coonsider combaat identificatioon capabilities when defininng
engagemeent criteria. Figure B-1 com mpares nonrestrrictive and resstrictive ROE and shows how
they relatee to casualties caused by enem
my or friendlyy fires.

Figure
e B-1. Relatio
onship betwe
een ROE and
d combat ide
entification

LINKA
AGE
B-3. The range at which currennt weapons are effective exceeds e the huuman ability to quickly annd
accuraately identify all
a entities in thhe AO. Not onnly are Soldiers unable to fullly exploit weaapon advantagees
due too combat identification lim mitations, but these limitatiions also incrrease potentiall fratricide annd
unnecessary collaterral damage. Enemies
E may use
u equipmentt with the sam me characteristtics as those of o
friendlly forces, or th
hey may blend into the civiliaan populace duuring operationns. To counter the enemy, U.S.
forces can maneuverr over larger arreas, in more dispersed
d formaations, and in contiguous
c andd noncontiguouus
AOs. However, thesse abilities plaace more stresss on existing fire control measures.
m Wheen these factors
combiine with multin national operatiions (whose foorces may havee different or noo combat identtification aids or
o
proceddures), leaders must remain aware
a of how combat
c identification is functiioning at all tim
mes.
B-4. Regardless off the combat identification, commanders need n to interfaace technologyy with doctrinne,
TTP, and
a ROE. Com mbat identificaation standardizzes the approach in decidingg the appropriatte level of forcce
againsst all types of taargets. It consiists of—
z Detection n—the discoveery of any phenomena (persoonnel, equipmeent, objects) thhat are potential
targets. Commanders
C caan use detection from variouss means (visuaal observation, radar detectionn,
electronicc signals measuurement).
z Location— —the determinnation (by direcction, reference point, or gridd) of where a potential
p militarry
target is lo A (ground or air).
ocated in the AO
z Identifica ation—the dettermination off the friendly, hostile, unknoown, or neutraal character of a
detected, potential targeet by its physicaal traits (size, shape,
s functionnal characteristtics).
z Classifica ation—the cattegorization of o a potential target by thee relative leveel of danger it
representss.
z Confirma ation—the rappid verification of a target in terms of the initial ideentification annd
classificattion. Soldiers and leaders coonfirm identification and claassification of the target as an a
enemy beefore engaginng. When enggagement is considered, c Sooldiers answerr the followinng
questions:
„ Can I engage the tarrget based on ROE?
R
„ Whatt are the secondd- and third-orrder effects if I engage the tarrget?

B-2 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Combat Identification

„ Which target should I engage first (if there are multiple targets)?
„ What is the best weapon system to use?
B-5. Planners and executors must remember that current cooperative target identification technology does
not identify friend or foe—it only identifies friendly or unknown. Soldiers must decide whether to engage
the target. Cooperative target identification is a tool for a final check before engagement; Soldiers should
never use it as the sole criterion for target engagement.
B-6. Combat identification capability can be enhanced before detecting a potential target. It starts before
operations, with planned fire and maneuver controls that minimize potential fratricide. Maintaining an
accurate common operational picture provides continuously updated situational awareness to commanders
and units, allowing leaders to control fires more effectively. Consequently, when Soldiers engage a target,
they increase the likelihood of engaging correct targets with fewer or no negative, second- or third-order
effects. These factors apply with surface-to-surface, air-to-surface, and surface-to-air engagements.

SURFACE TO SURFACE
B-7. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps developed combat identification capabilities to improve combat
identification. Those capabilities are partitioned into the categories of information management tools,
active and passive marking tools, and training tools:
z Information management tools. This category provides automatic locations of friendly forces,
reported enemy sightings, obstacles, and known battlefield hazards. It provides satellite
communications links to key leaders and critical platforms. There is a man-portable component
that provides one-way, location data to the common operational picture. The system is typically
composed of software and a hardware device.
z Active marking tools. Active marking tools include near-infrared programmable emitters for
vehicles and flashing beacons for dismounted troops; second- and third-generation radar;
forward-looking infrared imagers; active radio frequency identification tags that can be queried
at standoff ranges; and digital line-of-sight hazard markers.
z Passive marking tools. Passive tools include combat identification panels that provide a
contrast against a vehicle hull, cloth thermal identification panels, infrared strobe lights,
dismounted combat identification marking devices, highly reflective markers to identify
battlefield hazards and noncombat sensitive sites; individual glow tape; and infrared helmet
markers. The passive capabilities are enhanced by night vision equipment, long-range optics,
close combat optics, vehicle fire control systems, and vehicle thermal viewers.
z Training tools. Virtual and live training tools include conduct-of-fire trainers, close combat
tactical training systems, active targets, and vehicle recognition systems.
B-8. Technologies include, but are not limited to, the following:
z The Joint Combat Identification Marking System consists of combat identification panels, cloth
thermal identification panels, infrared strobe lights, dismounted combat identification marking
systems, individual glow tape, and infrared helmet markers.
z The U.S. military has many units equipped with differing combat identification capabilities.
Although commanders know the capabilities within their command, the challenge is to integrate
these capabilities across echelons to complement ROE.

AIR TO SURFACE
B-9. Air-to-surface combat identification begins after detecting an object and ends with exchanging
information between the detectors and the shooter. Major tasks in air-to-surface combat identification
include—
z Detecting objects in the AO.
z Locating object positions.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 B-3

Appendix B

z Identifyinng the object as friendly, eneemy, neutral, or unknown. Iff unknown, perrsonnel continuue
identificattion procedurees until determiining object chharacteristics or they shift to another target if
there is no
o immediate thhreat.
z Classifyinng informationn relevant to the targeted enemy. Personnnel categorizze the target in i
relation too the level off danger it reprresents. The proximity
p of frriendly and neeutral entities in
i
relation to
o an identifiedd target may im mpact the decission to engagee due to secondd- or third-ordeer
effects, su
uch as blast or rubble damagee.
z Confirmin ng the initial iddentification annd classification of the target..
z Providing g and verifying the informatioon exchange too and from the shooter.
s
B-10. Achieving these tasks requirres a weapons platform
p that can—
z Detect, lo
ocate, and identtify the potentiial target beforee engaging it.
z Receive situational
s awaareness on thee target and the t relevant taarget area, including friendlyy,
enemy, an nd neutral entitties.
z Communiicate with a coontroller, such as an observer on the targett or a C2 nodee. The controller
quickly trransmits relevaant informationn in an easily unnderstood form mat before targeet engagementt.
z Engage thhe target.
z Assist witth target assesssment.
B-11. Air-to-surfacee attacks begin by a request frrom a ground or
o aerial observver. When an attack
a is initiateed
by a ground obserrver, friendly forces may be b close to enemy
e targets, thus requiriing clear target
identiffication. Perso
onnel mark friiendly and eneemy locations by multiple means when operating o under
dangerrously close coonditions. Aeriial and ground combatants shhould agree thaat they understtand the locatioon
me aircraft, suuch as the AC-130, can paint a
of all relevant forcess before engaggement. (See fiigure B-2.) Som
target with infrared before
b engagemment so that a ground
g observeer can verify thhe target identification.

Figure
e B-2. Multip
ple target identification

B-4 FM 3-37 30 Septe

ember 2009
 Combat Identification

B-12. Before initiation by an aerial platform, the pilot already has situational awareness and situational
understanding of the target and surrounding target area. A pilot engages a target only after accessing all
available knowledge providers and obtaining a positive visual confirmation.
B-13. Other air-to-surface considerations include the following:
z Combat identification features that ground forces can easily identify are not always as
identifiable from an aviation platform.
z The Target Identification Panel System is a thermal, tape-marked cloth that mounts atop a
vehicle. This surface-to-air identification device has limited surface-to-surface utility.
z Terminal attack controller training and equipment fully integrates with ground forces to ensure
teamwork and understanding.
z Ground observers use a geographic designation system visible to aerial platforms.
z Communication links connect all aircraft and ground forces when maneuvering and fighting,
including during darkness and limited visibility. Ground forces can “see” each other using Blue
Force Tracker and are better able to avoid fratricide. All aircraft is not capable of interrogating a
ground target as friendly before a lethal engagement occurs. One option is to pair the aircraft
with a C2 aircraft that is equipped with Blue Force Tracker to quickly clear targets for
engagement. If an aircraft lacks a combat identification system, leaders ensure that SOPs compel
pilots to contact ground elements for aircraft clearance before engaging.

SURFACE TO AIR
B-14. Preventing enemy aerial attack is the responsibility of all joint force components. The correct
identification of airspace users protects the force from enemy air attack and the erroneous engagement of
friendly aircraft. Identification, friend or foe (IFF) is a device that emits a signal positively identifying it as
friendly. (JP 1-02) (See FM 44-100 for more information.) It is the primary means of identifying friendly or
unknown aerial platforms at an extended distance. Training must emphasize IFF procedures, manual
identification procedures when IFF is not available, and the coordination requirements and procedures for
engaging threats while protecting friendly aircraft. One technology used for IFF is the Mark XII (Mode 4),
the current air-to-air and surface-to-air identification system that consists of a transponder on aircraft and
an interrogator on air defense artillery sensors.
B-15. Army and other forces (joint, coalition, multinational) use airspace to conduct air operations, deliver
fires, conduct air defense operations, and conduct intelligence operations. AC2 is the Army’s operational
approach to integrate airspace users and maximize the effectiveness of systems, while minimizing risks to
friendly aircraft. By maintaining complete situational awareness of airspace users, AC2 enables early
identification and coordinated air defense engagements of threat aircraft to prevent aerial attacks of friendly
forces.
B-16. AC2 does not denote that any airspace contiguous to the AO or other geographical dimension of
airspace is designated “Army” airspace. Neither does it imply command of any asset that is not assigned or
under operational control to an Army commander. Under joint doctrine, airspace is not owned in the sense
that assignment of an AO confers ownership of the ground. Airspace is used by multiple components and
the joint force commander designates an airspace control authority (usually the joint force airspace control
authority) to manage airspace.
B-17. AC2 personnel can effectively integrate Army, joint, and multinational airspace users operating
within the ground commander’s AO by maintaining complete situational awareness of the airspace, and
maintaining communications with airspace users. As components of the Army Air Ground System, AC2
and AMD elements develop SOPs and annexes to facilitate AC2 and air defense operations that
consistently follow joint procedures defined in JP 3-01, JP 3-30, JP 3-52, and the theater Airspace Control
Plan:
z AMD and AC2 staff elements are organic to modular forces (brigade and higher).
z Multifunctional BCTs and support brigades (except sustainment) contain a version of an air
defense airspace management (ADAM)/brigade aviation element (BAE) that is responsible for
integrating brigade AC2, including AMD and aviation functions.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 B-5

Appendix B

z Division and corps units contain an AC2 element in their main and tactical command posts.
z Numbered armies contain an AC2 element in their main and contingency command posts.
z The U.S. Army also has airspace managers as part of the battlefield coordination detachment, the
combined arms liaison organization to the Air Operations Center.

B-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Appendix C
Protection of Military Bases
Campaigning Armies have always required areas from which military operations and
combat power can be supported, generated, and protected. These areas are generally
known as FOBs, base camps, installations, or facilities. The static nature of these
areas over time can lead to vulnerability of the force due to the inability to conduct
offensive maneuver. Effective protection is generally achieved at these locations by
developing protection strategies that utilize the forms and principles of protection and
often benefit by collective security efforts with response forces.

PERMANENT BASES AND BASE CAMPS

C-1. A base is a locality from which operations are projected or supported. (JP 1-02) Army bases overseas
typically fall into two general categories: permanent bases (or installations) and base camps. A base camp
is an evolving military facility that supports the military operations of a deployed unit and provides
the necessary support and services for sustained operations. Base camps consist of intermediate staging
bases and FOBs and support the tenants and equipment. While base camps are not permanent bases or
installations, they develop many of the same functions and facilities the longer they exist. A base or base
camp can contain one or more units from one or more Services. It has a defined perimeter and established
access controls and takes advantage of natural and man-made features. Terrain around many permanent
installations in CONUS, Korea, and Europe has changed since initial occupation; some installations lost
initial terrain advantage due to urban growth and changes in the physical environment. This may present
protection planning challenges in relation to standoff distances and traffic and access control.
C-2. Generally, permanent bases are in host nations where the United States has a long-term lease
agreement and a status-of-forces agreement. Intermediate staging bases are bases that are established near,
but not in, the AO.
C-3. A FOB is an area used to support tactical operations without establishing full support facilities.
(FM 3-0). FOBs are located in friendly territory and are established to extend C2 or communications or to
provide support for training and tactical operations. Commanders may establish a FOB for temporary or
enduring operations. A FOB may include an airfield, unimproved airstrip, anchorage, or pier. FOBs range
from small outposts to large, complex structures encompassing joint, interagency, and multinational forces.
A large, intermediate staging base or FOB may require dedicated units, such as an MEB to serve as the
base C2 headquarters and provide management for the protection warfighting function.
C-4. Units often conduct operations from a FOB in a noncontiguous AO. These FOBs provide four key
services: protection, critical infrastructure, C2, and sustainment. Whether establishing a FOB in
Afghanistan, establishing an intermediate staging base in Iraq, or protecting an installation in Germany,
leaders consider protection when planning mission accomplishment.
C-5. Protecting bases and the units occupying the bases depends on units identifying and mitigating
vulnerabilities based on the vulnerability assessment. Several levels of vulnerability assessments exist with
varying degrees of scope and focus:
z Higher headquarters assessment. This is an overall assessment by a higher headquarters of
how an organization is managing its AT program, including the management and compliance
efforts by subordinate organizations. The higher headquarters assessment can include a joint
staff-integrated vulnerability assessment.
z Local assessment. Local assessments are conducted by installation or unit AT officers, using
key force protection working group members as the assessment team in a collaborative effort.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 C-1

Appendix C

z Specialized assessment. Specialized assessments include assessments that are specifically

aimed to test base defenses and assessments that are directed by commanders to assess specific
threat capabilities.
C-6. Vulnerability assessments help base and unit commanders identify weaknesses, inefficiencies, and
enhancements in security and protection programs. They need to be continuous and identify areas where
protection efforts and resources should be focused.
C-7. Commanders are responsible for protecting military bases. They consider the twelve protection tasks
and systems when developing military base protection plans.

AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE CONSIDERATIONS

C-8. Air and missile attacks can pose significant threats to units in the AO. Bases in the AO often protect
themselves from enemy air threats with passive air defense measures. Base commanders are responsible for
base defense. Most bases lack support from short-range air defense systems. Instead, they receive
protection from high-to-medium altitude missile air defense systems. Base commanders do not normally
control positioning of these systems since they are a theater level asset. However, base and unit
commanders ensure that they have adequate air defense procedures in place to defend their units and bases.
C-9. Air defense commanders have the authority to establish local ADWs that are higher but not lower
than the ADW established by the area air defense commander. An early warning alerts units and bases to a
possible air attack before it occurs. Commanders identify threat aircraft early enough to sound the local
warning system. Base commanders ensure that the base defense operations center receives information and
warnings from the air battle management operations center. Base commanders prepare units to face an air
threat with no supporting air defense artillery.
C-10. During an air threat, bases and units comply with passive air defense measures. Base and unit
commanders address passive air defense measures in SOPs at all levels and develop a routine to implement
these measures. Hazard assessment includes analyzing enemy air activity. This analysis drives the
implementation of select measures. For example, if enemy air activity is likely to occur during the day
only, most movement should occur during hours of limited visibility. Passive air defense measures become
more significant when changes in ADWs exist. Units follow specific passive air defense measures if
defense systems issue a notification of imminent enemy air attack.
C-11. Some bases may have a dedicated, indirect-fire protection capability, including a base targeting
surveillance system. The base defense operations center often controls this asset. Indirect-fire protection
intercept systems, like all air defense artillery systems, cannot protect all base assets and personnel with
100 percent surety. Therefore, commanders prioritize which assets receive dedicated, indirect-fire
protection.

FRATRICIDE AVOIDANCE CONSIDERATIONS

C-12. Fratricide can occur anywhere on the battlefield, including bases. Unit commanders must have a plan
to reduce the risk of friendly fire that results in fratricide. Key fratricide avoidance principles include—
z Control measures. Commanders distribute adequate control measures to the lowest level.
z Operation concept. Commanders ensure that all Soldiers understand the commander’s concept
of operation and that of adjacent units. When operating from FOBs in large urban environments,
units remain aware of operational friendly forces and NGOs in the AO.
z Rehearsal. Commanders ensure that Soldiers understand the operation and rehearse the plan to
become familiar with the unit orientation during the mission.
z Navigation devices. Soldiers need to become familiar with and use available navigation devices
to avoid becoming lost or disoriented. SOPs ensure that lost or disoriented units know how to
immediately contact higher headquarters for instructions and assistance.
z Common operational picture updates. Units and Soldiers constantly update their operational
picture to keep up with changes to enemy and friendly situations.

C-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection of Military Bases

z Positive identification. Leaders ensure that Soldiers make positive identification before
engaging targets.
z Visual identification panels. Units mark vehicles so that other friendly units operating in the
area can identify them.
z ROE. Commanders ensure that Soldiers clearly understand the ROE.

OPERATIONAL AREA SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

C-13. Commanders establish bases for a defined mission or purpose, and the base location should support
that mission or purpose. When considering a base location, commanders select a site that they can defend,
not one that is convenient. Units often operate without a well-defined support area. In some cases, support
units are not colocated with combat units. This means that support units are centrally located in the AO and
have to provide their own security. (See FMI 2-01.301 for more information.) Base locations also benefit
from established lines of communications that are sustainable and defensible. To maximize protection,
commanders select base locations based on OAKOC.
C-14. All bases are designed and manned to defeat Level I and Level II threats. Three levels of threat
categories exist:
z Level I—a small enemy force that can be defeated by a unit’s organic resources.
z Level II—an enemy activity that requires the commitment of a reaction force to defeat it.
z Level III—a threat that requires the commitment of a TCF to defeat it.
C-15. In some operations and areas, a conventional force, Level III threat (insurgents that have
consolidated to form a Level III threat) may exist. In these situations, the base response force or mobile
security force engages the Level III threat until another response force or TCF arrives to help defeat the
enemy. (See JP 3-10 for more information.)

BASE COMMANDER
C-16. A base commander—
z Integrates the protection warfighting elements to protect and secure personnel, physical assets,
and information.
z May appoint a base defense force commander to help execute base defense functions. (The base
defense force commander tasks units to provide Soldiers and materiel needed to form a base
defense force.)
z Organizes the base defense force as required by the threat assessment and the types of units
located on or near the base.
z Requests support from specialized forces (EOD, CBRN reconnaissance) if required.

BASE DEFENSE OPERATIONS CENTER

C-17. The base defense operations center is a C2 facility. The base commander establishes the center to
serve as the focal point for base security and defense. It plans, directs, integrates, coordinates, and controls
all base defense efforts. If the base commander is a battalion commander, the base defense operations
center forms on the nucleus provided by the battalion staff. On large bases with multiple units conducting
varied missions, the base defense operations center consists of units tasked with base defense
responsibilities.
C-18. A base cluster in base defense operations is a collection of bases, geographically grouped for mutual
protection and ease of C2. (JP 3-10) A base cluster normally lacks a defined perimeter or established access
points. The base cluster commander and base cluster operations center provide C2 to multiple bases and
integrate protection efforts and defense plans.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 C-3

Appendix C

BASE DEFENSE FORCE

C-19. Base defense forces are troops assigned or attached to a base for the primary purpose of base defense
and security as well as augmentees and selectively armed personnel available to the base commander for
base defense from units performing primary missions other than base defense. (JP 3-10) This security
element provides local perimeter security and base defense. It may consist of one unit or a combination of
units assigned to the base. It consists of the guard force, which may include static or roving elements
comprised of joint, multinational, host nation, contracted security, or quick-reaction forces based on the
mission variables. The quick-reaction force often has a squad- to platoon-size element located on the base.
It reinforces the guard force in the event of a Level I or Level II attack.

MOBILE SECURITY FORCE

C-20. The mobile security force is a dedicated security force designed to defeat Level I and Level II threats
on a base and/or base cluster. (JP 3-10) A platoon- or company-size mobile security force may be assigned
to one base, but may support multiple bases. Regardless, planners incorporate the mobile security force into
the base defense plan. These units reinforce threatened areas, block enemy penetrations of primary security
positions, and counterattack. They often arrive as mechanized or motorized elements with armor protection.
The mobile security force “shapes” a Level III threat until a TCF arrives that is capable of destroying
armor-protected vehicles and dismounted infantry.

PROTECTION CONSIDERATIONS
C-21. Base AT protection requires the close cooperation and integration of activities, units, and planning.
Most failures to protect bases from terrorist attacks can be attributed to the failure of various organizations
to coordinate activities, share responsibilities, and disseminate intelligence information.
C-22. The same principles of defense apply to base AT protection. Considerations for access to the base
perimeter and various clusters, effective communications, control measures, and integrated barrier systems
play an important role in building necessary protection against prospective terrorist attacks.
C-23. Contracting is often part of base defense. Base defense responsibilities should include necessary
checks on contracts. Whether the contract involves products (food, water, construction) or personnel
(contracted guards, workers) it should be vetted through a system which ensures that AT considerations are
taken into account.

ACCESS CONTROL
C-24. Thorough base protection includes identification checks of all personnel entering bases in high-threat
areas. The proper vetting of host nation support and contract personnel enhances security. Incorporating
random AT measures into the access control plan varies the level of detail required for access. This keeps
the guard force alert and keeps the enemy off balance. Additional identification measures (biometrics,
metal detectors, X-ray devices) are critical to effective access control.

PERIMETER DEFENSE
C-25. An effective and alert base defense force best deters Level I and Level II threats. Adequate standoff
distances from buildings and other structures outside the perimeter greatly enhance perimeter defense. An
accurate threat assessment, combined with defense in depth, helps determine the standoff distance required.
The staff EOD or engineer can help determine the appropriate standoff distances to protect against blasts
from IEDs. Random patrols inside and outside the perimeter (as part of the base random AT measures and
direct-fire positions on key access points and critical locations) also enhance security. In addition, some
strategies randomly use countersurveillance teams to defeat enemy surveillance.

PROTECTION AND DEFENSE IN DEPTH

C-26. Protection and defense in depth include available friendly forces and physical barriers. Both should
be deployed in depth, in a concentric fashion, to allow maximum protection. The base defense force

C-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection of Military Bases

deploys physical barriers in depth beginning with the perimeter fence line. It also clears fields of fire and
uses barriers and other entry control measures to control pedestrian and vehicle egress from and ingress to
the base. The base defense force uses barriers to protect critical assets and infrastructures inside the base.

AIR BASE APPROACH AND DEPARTURE CORRIDOR SECURITY

C-27. Aircraft are especially vulnerable when operating in the “low and slow” takeoff and landing flight
regimes. Airbase approach and departure corridor security operations protect aircraft from shoulder-
launched, surface-to-air threats when they take off and land at airbases. Base commanders of any Service
who command installations with active airfields identify considerations for planning and securing air
operations that are subject to threat systems. This includes approach and departure corridors used by the
aircraft. (See JP 3-10 for more information.)

CONTROL MEASURES
C-28. Control measures in base defense operations resemble those used in other defense operations. The
area commander establishes base boundaries in coordination with the base or base cluster commander.
Area, base, and base cluster commanders coordinate base boundaries and establish phase lines, contact
points, objectives, and checkpoints that are necessary to control base clusters. The base boundary is not
necessarily the base perimeter. Rather, it is established on the mission variables, specifically balancing the
need of the base defense forces to control key terrain with their ability to accomplish the mission. The base
boundary may or may not be contiguous to other base AOs. Commanders may further subdivide the unit’s
assigned area into subordinate AOs, bases, and base clusters and assign maneuver forces to assembly areas
and battle positions. They establish fire support coordination measures to permit or restrict fires in and
around the base. (See FM 3-09.32 for more information.) No-fire areas may be required to protect civilians;
prevent the disruption of sustaining operations; or protect combat outposts, observation posts, and patrols
from friendly fire. Commanders coordinate all established control graphics with host nation organizations
to minimize interference, misunderstandings, and collateral damage. The base defense force commander (in
coordination with the base commander) designates the base perimeter, target reference points, and sectors
of fire to organizations located at the base.

PHYSICAL SECURITY, BARRIER, AND SURVIVABILITY PLAN

C-29. Commanders use obstacles to provide Soldiers, equipment, facilities, and supplies with a level of
survivability in the event of an attack or attempted attack. Obstacles can be categorized as tactical or
protective:
z Tactical. Tactical obstacles directly attack the enemy’s ability to move, mass, and reinforce.
z Protective. Protective obstacles provide close-in protection for the friendly force and are
categorized as hasty or deliberate. They range from tetrahedrons and concrete barriers to
networked munitions.
C-30. Physical barriers provide a protection capability and are available in many forms; some are
inexpensive and flexible (such as tetrahedrons), and others are resource-intensive and inflexible (such as
walls). Networked munitions replace conventional mines and provide a rapidly emplaced intrusion
detection and denial system for base and perimeter security. These munitions are remotely controlled from
a central station and provide scalable, lethal and nonlethal effects. The base survivability plan includes
other measures of hardening and the construction of supporting structures, such as entry control points and
guard towers.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

C-31. All bases should have an electronic and audio early warning system that personnel on the base can
understand. For an effective defense, bases rehearse immediate battle drills to protect Soldiers and units.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 C-5

Appendix C

SURVIVABILITY AND BARRIER CONSIDERATIONS

C-32. The development of a base and the ability to defend it relies on the innovation, adaptability, and use
of engineer assets. Local contractors often make up for shortages in organic equipment and personnel.
Commercial engineer equipment can often provide the greatest versatility throughout base development
and maintenance.
C-33. Commanders construct protective shelters and defensive positions to protect Soldiers from direct and
indirect fire and explosives. They might modify existing structures to meet survivability needs. Units
construct structurally sound fighting positions under the supporting engineer’s supervision. The supporting
engineer determines the required construction materials and whether the positions meet safety
considerations.
C-34. Reduced vulnerability to explosives occurs if units establish adequate perimeters and move critical
areas as far from the perimeter as practical. Standoff distances and window protection reduce blast effects.
The supporting engineers can determine adequate standoff distances based on the threat.
C-35. All barrier plans include measures to block high-speed avenues of approach to the entrance and high-
risk targets.

Note. See United Facilities Criteria (UFC) 4-010-01, UFC 4-010-02, UFC 4-022-01, FM 5-103,
and GTA 90-01-010, Joint Contingency Operations Base Force Protection Handbook for more
information.

FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION CONSIDERATIONS

C-36. Base commanders are responsible for protecting the health of their Soldiers. One of the most
important FHP considerations is ensuring the quality of base food and water supplies. Base commanders
develop procedures to protect these supplies from environmental threats and intentional tampering.
Otherwise, personnel may risk exposure to harmful levels of contaminants, such as physical hazards, TIM,
radiation, or biological agents. Harmful levels of contaminants can be high-level or low-level exposures:
z High-level exposure. High-level exposure results in immediate health effects.
z Low-level exposure. Low-level exposure results in delayed, long-term effects.
C-37. Base and unit commanders use the Army’s CRM process to evaluate risks posed by hazards.
Through the protection cell, a commander can implement a specific team that looks at food and water
security. A multidisciplinary approach systematically reviews and assesses food systems. This team
consists of—
z Protection officer.
z Preventive medicine officer.
z Veterinary corps officer.
z Unit food advisor.
z Provost marshal representative.
z Military intelligence representative.
C-38. The exact process for the base and unit food and water security program varies. The program
depends on information such as base or unit type, location, and size; distribution chain; and personnel
involved. The protection working group considers the unique conditions of each food system when
developing a program. The group evaluates food supply and distribution systems for current safety and
security operations. After developing initial procedures, the protection working group completes periodic
reviews to validate vulnerabilities and verifies and updates the program assumptions, guidelines, and
restrictions.

C-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection of Military Bases

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR

CONSIDERATIONS
C-39. Base commanders coordinate CBRN defense of their base and of bases designated in their AO. The
base commander and the protection staff identify the CBRN threat and notify units and at-risk civilians of
the threat. They recommend appropriate training and early warning measures based on the threat, assess
readiness and vulnerabilities, and identify CBRN defense requirements. Defensive planning should account
for likely transient units that may only occupy the base for a short term. (See FM 3-11.34 for more
information.)
C-40. Base commanders ensure that CBRN defense planning integrates closely with AMD planning. They
consider that threat missile delivery systems range from mortars to surface-to-surface missiles. (See the
following vignette.)
CBRN Defense
On 27 March 2003, an Iraqi surface-to-surface missile was launched against coalition forces at
Camp Doha, Kuwait. PATRIOT missile batteries successfully intercepted the inbound missile 7
kilometers east of Camp Doha, headquarters of the Combined Forces Land Component
Command, which controlled ground forces involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
About 90 minutes later, an unknown biological agent triggered several aerosol sensors within
the Mishref District of Kuwait City. The sensors were the first line of defense and could detect
biological agents with particles of a certain size. The Czech contingent of the task force
deployed a biological sampling team. The team determined the agents to be Escherichia coli
(E. coli) bacteria, which the team believed to be the result of high winds blowing the bacteria
from an unregulated dump near Kuwait City. Since the alarms were sounded on the basis of a
missile attack, Kuwaiti officials issued a warning to residents in Mishref to stay in their homes
or to don protective masks. Once the Czech analysts gave the all clear, Kuwaitis went about
their business.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
C-41. The proper storage of arms and ammunition critically affects mission accomplishment and the safety
of deployed Soldiers. Even in high-threat areas, where renewed combat operations can happen, base
protection requires properly stored arms and ammunition.
C-42. A significant loss of combat power resulted from the Camp Doha explosion shown in the following
vignette. This incident nearly destroyed an entire squadron and sharply reduced the regiment’s overall
combat power. Logisticians estimated total losses at more $40 million.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 C-7

Appendix C

Improper Storage of Arms and Ammunition

Causes Damage and Destruction
In June 1991, four months after Operation Desert Storm ended, the 11th Armored Cavalry
Regiment (ACR) deployed from Germany to occupy Camp Doha, Kuwait, and serve as a
deterrent and rapid response force. By July 1991, the 11th ACR was the only U.S. ground
combat unit remaining in the Gulf Theater. Due to the threat of renewed hostilities, the 11th
ACR kept its combat vehicles “combat loaded” with ammunition while in garrison. The regiment
stored an equal amount of ammunition in military vans (containers) located in the north
compound motor pool complex near the combat vehicle parking ramps.
On the morning of 11 July 1991, the 11th ACR deployed two of its three combat formations to
the field, leaving behind a single squadron to serve as a guard force. The squadron was
parked in Camp Doha’s north compound. This fenced-off area contained several motor pool
pads, some administrative buildings, a wash rack, and living quarters for about 250 British
soldiers.
At approximately 1020 hours, a defective heater in an M992 ammunition carrier caught on fire.
The carrier was loaded with 155-millimeter artillery shells. Troops unsuccessfully tried to
extinguish the fire before being ordered to evacuate the north compound. This evacuation was
still underway when the burning M992 exploded at 1100 hours, scattering artillery
submunitions over nearby, combat-loaded vehicles and ammunition stocks.
This set off an hours-long series of explosions and fires that devastated vehicles and
equipment in the north compound and scattered UXO and debris over much of the camp. The
fires produced billowing clouds of smoke that rose hundreds of feet into the air and drifted
across portions of the north and south compounds, in the direction of Kuwait City.
By midafternoon, the fires had died down enough to allow a preliminary damage assessment.
There were no fatalities; however, 49 Soldiers were injured, 2 seriously. Most injuries were
fractures, sprains, contusions, or lacerations suffered when Soldiers scrambled over the 15-
foot-high perimeter wall. The destruction was overwhelming. The fire and explosions damaged
or destroyed 102 vehicles, including 4 M1A1 tanks and other combat vehicles, and more than
2 dozen buildings sustained damage. The fires destroyed about $15 million worth of
ammunition and highlighted the importance of having ammunition supply point accident
cleanup procedures in place

OPERATIONS SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

C-43. OPSEC is vital to protecting information. In addition to protecting classified information, a good
OPSEC program denies the enemy access to unclassified, critical information about friendly forces. This
critical information could allow an enemy to delay or disrupt friendly plans, operations, or missions;
determine the base commander’s next move; or assess base vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and strengths.
Examples of a weakness or vulnerability include—
z Perimeter surveillance cameras not working properly.
z Perimeter gates malfunctioning.
z Guard force reductions.
z Communications vulnerabilities.
z Access control vulnerabilities.
C-44. The base or unit OPSEC officer works with the AT officer to create a CAL. The CAL changes
according to the threat environment, and commanders adjust it periodically. They brief it only to
appropriate personnel in a need-to-know status.

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL CONSIDERATIONS

C-45. Commanders consider protection as it pertains to contractor personnel. Commanders decide whether
to use contractors and then determine whether to use U.S. contractors. The type of contractor employed
affects protection considerations. (See the following vignette.)

C-8 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Protection of Military Bases

Coordinating Non-DOD Contractor Support

In many contingencies, Army commanders coordinate with the DOS or other government
agencies to integrate non-DOD contractor support into the overall joint security plan. For
example, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, DOS coordinated directly with Multinational Force–
Iraq. This coordination properly integrated major DOS-sponsored reconstruction efforts into the
military security plan. Such efforts included DOS-funded, contracted security forces. Protection
requirements became so challenging that commanders created a combined DOS-DOD
contracting coordination center. This center provided the necessary planning capabilities,
information sharing, and coordination measures. It directly linked regional reconstruction
coordination centers into area commander operations centers. These regional coordination
centers provided area commanders with key information on DOS missions being conducted in
their AOs. This critical information assisted area commanders when they provided backup
security support to DOS missions, facilities, and personnel.

C-46. From the base security perspective, commanders carefully consider using local or third-country
national employees. In some operational situations, using such personnel creates significant risks. The
theater subordinate Army force planners and their contract oversight organizations assess the security risk
of using local or third-country national personnel instead of U.S. contractors and military support
capabilities. This assessment includes an analysis of security risks versus the negative strategic impact of
not employing these personnel. Based on joint force and component commander decisions, base
commanders conduct a local vulnerability assessment as it relates to using local or third-country national
personnel. Answer the following questions when considering the use of local or third-country national
employees to support base operations:
z Will contractor personnel reside on or off base? If they live off base, what base access control
measures are required?
z How will access be controlled to specific areas within the base?
z Is there a vetting and badging process in place? If so, who will enforce it and how will it be
enforced?
z Will contractor personnel be physically screened or searched in order to enter the base?
z Will armed escorts be required? If so, who will do this and how will it be resourced?
z Are special technologies (metal detectors, X-ray machines) needed and available?
C-47. Area, base, and supported unit commanders provide individual protection support. Sometimes, they
provide security to contractors as determined by the Army force commander. To perform such tasks
properly, area and base commanders maintain requisite visibility over supporting contingency contractors
in their AOs.

Note. See FM 3-100.21 for more information.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 C-9

This page intentionally left blank.
 Appendix D
Operations Security
Leaders and Soldiers implement OPSEC as part of protection. OPSEC is not a
collection of specific measures to apply to every operation; it is the part of the CRM
process that protects information. OPSEC applies to all operations and activities at all
levels of command.

OPERATIONS SECURITY APPLICATION

Note. See chapter 2 for a definition of OPSEC.

D-1. OPSEC is how commanders manage risks to information. All units conduct (plan, prepare, execute,
and continually assess) OPSEC to preserve essential secrecy. OPSEC is vital to the success of operations.
Information that friendly forces take for granted is often what adversaries need to obtain defeat. Practicing
effective OPSEC, however routine, denies adversaries information and protects friendly forces.
D-2. Everyone must practice OPSEC and understand the cost of OPSEC compromises. It covers a range
of activities, from avoiding predictable patterns of behavior to camouflaging equipment. Good OPSEC
involves communicating why OPSEC is important and what Soldiers are supposed to accomplish.
Understanding why they do something and what their actions are supposed to accomplish allows Soldiers
to perform tasks more effectively. Successful OPSEC requires Soldiers to take deliberate and
knowledgeable actions. (See AR 530-1 for more information.)

OPERATIONS SECURITY AS PART OF THE COMPOSITE RISK

MANAGEMENT PROCESS
D-3. The OPSEC officer helps the G-3 integrate OPSEC into the operations process. Risk management is
an integral part of protection and the MDMP.

Note. See FM 5-19 for more information.

D-4. Commanders practice OPSEC to protect information. OPSEC planning produces a set of coordinated
OPSEC measures and tasks that Soldiers and units perform to protect the force. OPSEC measures are
methods and means to gain and maintain essential secrecy about EEFI. Throughout the MDMP, the
protection cell treats OPSEC measures as protection tasks. During orders production, planners incorporate
OPSEC measures as protection tasks and tasks to subordinate units.

STEP 1. IDENTIFY HAZARDS

D-5. The first step of OPSEC is to identify hazards. Hazards within the context of OPSEC are identified
by analyzing the EFFI, the capability and intent of adversaries to collect EEFI, and friendly vulnerabilities
that may aid enemy collection. Figure D-1, page D-2, shows how OPSEC integrates with the operations
process and CRM.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 D-1

Appendix D

Operations Process Operations Security Risk Management

Activity Action Step
• Identify EEFI. • Identify hazards.
ASSESSMENT PLANNING
• Analyze adversaries. • Assess hazards.
• Analyze vulnerabilities. • Develop controls and
• Assess risk. make risk decisions.
PREPARATION/ • Apply appropriate
• Implement controls.
EXECUTION OPSEC measures.
• Supervise and
ASSESSMENT
evaluate.
Figure D-1. Integration of OPSEC

Essential Elements of Friendly Information

D-6. The first element of hazard identification is to identify the EEFI. EEFI is the critical aspect of a
friendly operation that, if known by the enemy, would subsequently compromise, lead to failure, or limit
success of the operation, and, therefore, must be protected from enemy detection. (FM 3-0)
D-7. Identifying EEFI begins with the commander’s initial guidance during mission receipt. The OPSEC
officer recommends initial EEFI if the commander does not name any in the initial guidance. Several
sources can help determine information to recommend as EEFI, such as—
z Commander’s guidance.
z Intelligence estimate (information about the enemy and enemy intelligence intentions and
capabilities).
z Counterintelligence estimate produced by the G-2 analysis and control element (normally an
appendix to annex B of the OPORD or OPLAN or a tab to the intelligence estimate).
z Higher headquarters security classification guide for the operation. The security classification
guide identifies classified information and EEFI related to the operation. It consists of sensitive
information since it names (by classification level) the operation’s most sensitive areas.
z Laws and executive orders that require protection of unclassified controlled information.
D-8. The staff identifies possible EEFI and submits them for command approval. Once approved, the staff
develops OPSEC measures to shield EEFI from enemy collection systems. The EEFI differ from the CCIR;
however, they are on the same level as CCIR since they are approved by the commander and covered in the
base OPORD.
D-9. Facts, assumptions, and essential tasks may reveal EEFI that apply to the operation. In addition, each
COA may have EEFI that apply only to it. As the staff war-games a COA, the G-2 identifies friendly
information that, if known to adversaries, would allow them to counter the COA. The OPSEC officer adds
these elements of information to the EEFI for that COA and records them in the running estimate. Upon
COA approval, the EEFI for the approved COA become part of the EEFI for the operation.
D-10. When identifying EEFI, the OPSEC officer determines how long each element needs protection. Not
all elements of information need protection for the duration of an operation. Some elements need protection
only during specific events; others may not need protection until a branch or sequel is executed. Additional
EEFI may be added during the execution of a COA because of circumstances that were unknown when the
original EEFI were developed.
D-11. After identifying the EEFI, the OPSEC officer analyzes the enemy’s capability and intent to collect
friendly EEFI. The OPSEC officer also determines the enemy’s potential to determine friendly
vulnerabilities.

Enemy Capability and Intent

D-12. The second element of hazard identification is an analysis of the threat, summarized as most
dangerous and most likely. The most dangerous situation occurs when an enemy has the capability

D-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Operations Security

(intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets) and intent to collect data from friendly vulnerabilities
and is able to determine EEFI. The most likely situation stems from how the enemy used its assets during
past operations. The G-2, G-3, and OPSEC officer analyze threat characteristics as part of IPB. Enemy
intentions and collection capabilities are identified by asking the following questions:
z Who are the adversaries?
z Who has the intent and capabilities to act against the planned operation?
z What are probable enemy objectives?
z What are likely enemy actions against friendly operations?
z What information do adversaries already know?
z What collection capabilities do adversaries possess or have access to by financial arrangement,
shared ideologies, or coordinated coalitions or alliances?
z Which OPSEC indicators can be faked to deceive adversaries?

Friendly Vulnerabilities
D-13. The final element of hazard identification is to determine OPSEC vulnerabilities of an operation or
activity. It has two parts—identify OPSEC indicators and identify OPSEC vulnerabilities.
z OPSEC indicator. An OPSEC indicator is a friendly detectable action or open-source
information that an enemy can interpret or piece together to derive EEFI. The G-2, G-3, and
OPSEC officer examine all aspects and phases of the operation to find OPSEC indicators. Then,
they compare them with the enemy targeting cycle and collection capabilities, considering these
questions:
„ What OPSEC indicators will friendly forces create during the operation?
„ What OPSEC indicators can the enemy actually collect?
„ What OPSEC indicators will the enemy be able to use to the disadvantage of friendly
forces?

Note. The answers to these questions identify OPSEC vulnerabilities.

z OPSEC vulnerability. An OPSEC vulnerability is a condition in which friendly actions provide

OPSEC indicators that may be obtained and accurately evaluated by an enemy in time to provide
a basis for effective enemy decisionmaking. An OPSEC vulnerability exists when a threat can
collect information from an OPSEC indicator, correctly analyze the information, make a
decision, and take timely action to degrade friendly operations or place itself in an advantage
over friendly forces. Analyzing OPSEC vulnerabilities continues through all phases of the
operations process.
D-14. An OPSEC officer abides by the following methodology:
z Examine each part of the operation, in coordination with the intelligence staff and other staff
elements, to find actions or information that will provide indicators in each area (human
resources, logistics, communications, movement activities, aviation).
z Compare the identified indicators with threat intelligence collection capabilities. One method is
to develop a mission timeline and identify anything along the timeline that the commander wants
protected.
z Ensure that participants identify actions along the timeline that must be accomplished for the
mission to be accomplished.
z Identify which must-be-accomplished actions can be indicators that a threat could use. Compare
each indicator with each threat collection capability. Where there is a match, there is
vulnerability.
D-15. An OPSEC vulnerability is a type of hazard related to EEFI. Unprotected OPSEC vulnerabilities
entail risk. CRM allows the OPSEC officer to integrate risk assessments from OPSEC vulnerabilities with
assessments of other risks. The OPSEC officer records OPSEC vulnerabilities and further analyzes them
during the next step.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 D-3

Appendix D

STEP 2. ASSESS HAZARDS

D-16. The OPSEC officer begins hazard assessment by analyzing the OPSEC vulnerabilities identified
during mission analysis and COA development and then identifies possible OPSEC measures for each one.
The OPSEC officer concurrently assesses the risks posed by existing threats and OPSEC vulnerabilities.
This assessment has four parts:
z Complete a hazard assessment for each OPSEC vulnerability.
z Select one or more OPSEC measures to counter the OPSEC vulnerability.
z Determine residual risk for each OPSEC vulnerability.
z Decide which OPSEC measures to implement.
D-17. Some OPSEC measures may protect more than one OPSEC vulnerability. During assessment, the
OPSEC officer evaluates the sufficiency of standard security measures. This evaluation covers such areas
as personnel, physical, cryptographic, document, special access, and automated information systems
security and may include an OPSEC review. Continuing OPSEC measures in these areas may protect some
OPSEC vulnerabilities.
D-18. The OPSEC officer determines the residual risk for each OPSEC vulnerability after applying the
appropriate OPSEC measures. Residual risk is the level of risk remaining after controls have been
identified and selected for hazards. In this context, OPSEC measures are controls.

Note. See FM 5-19 for more information.

STEP 3. DEVELOP CONTROLS AND MAKE RISK DECISIONS

D-19. Risk assessment drives the development of appropriate controls to mitigate the risk. Planners strive
to develop OPSEC measures that shield OPSEC vulnerabilities and require the fewest resources. The most
desirable OPSEC measures provide the needed protection at the least cost to operational effectiveness.
D-20. OPSEC measures come in three forms:
z Action control. Action control eliminates indicators or the vulnerability of actions to
exploitation by threat intelligence systems. OPSEC officers select the actions to undertake;
decide whether to execute actions (Weblog restrictions, trash control, mandatory use of secure
communications, OPSEC reviews); and determine the “who,” “when,” “where,” and “how” that
are necessary to accomplish the actions.
z Countermeasures. Countermeasures disrupt effective threat information gathering or prevent
their recognition of indicators when processing collected materials. OPSEC officers use
diversions, camouflage, concealment, jamming, threats, police powers, and force against threat
information gathering and processing capabilities as countermeasures.
z Counteranalysis. Counteranalysis is accomplished by using deception techniques, and it
prevents accurate interpretations of indicators during threat analysis of collected materials.
D-21. The OPSEC officer develops proposed OPSEC measures based on the hazard assessment. The cell
compares the residual risk with the risk posed by the OPSEC vulnerability if the OPSEC measure is not
executed. The difference forms an estimate of the benefit gained from the OPSEC measure. In deciding
which OPSEC measures to recommend, staffs consider questions such as—
z What is the cost in terms of combat power if an OPSEC measure is employed?
z Does the cost jeopardize mission success? The OPSEC officer may recommend a no-measures
alternative if cost outweighs the risk.
z What is the risk to mission success if an OPSEC measure is not executed?
z What is the risk to mission success if an OPSEC measure fails?
D-22. The OPSEC officer coordinates OPSEC measures as they are developed to minimize redundancy and
ensure that they do not create new OPSEC indicators. The OPSEC officer double-checks these factors
during the COA analysis. Coordination requirements may include—
z Determining the effects of some OPSEC measures on public affairs operations.
z Obtaining guidance on the termination of OPSEC measures.

D-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Operations Security

z Obtaining guidance on the declassification and public release of OPSEC-related activities.

z Obtaining administrative and logistics support for OPSEC tasks.
z Establishing OPSEC coordination and C2 measures.
z Establishing assessment (monitoring and evaluation) mechanisms.
z Submitting requests for information to support the assessment of protection tasks and systems.
z Conducting OPSEC checks.
z Arranging input for after-action reviews.
z Arranging support of OPSEC-related communications requirements.

STEP 4. IMPLEMENT CONTROLS

D-23. The OPSEC officer submits appropriate OPSEC measures for command approval. These measures
may entail significant expenditures of time, resources, or personnel. Commanders normally approve
OPSEC measures during the COA approval. Approved OPSEC measures become OPSEC tasks. The
OPSEC officer determines the MOEs and MOPs for the OPSEC tasks, ensures that the OPLAN or OPORD
includes them, and arranges to assess them throughout preparation and execution. The G-3 directs the
execution of OPSEC measures through warning orders, OPORDs, or fragmentary orders.
D-24. After the commander approves OPSEC measures, the OPSEC officer monitors their implementation
and evaluates their MOP and MOE. The OPSEC officer adjusts measures, if necessary, based on this
assessment. The OPSEC officer coordinates the monitoring of OPSEC measures with the G-2 and
counterintelligence staffs so that the measures receive appropriate priority. Monitoring may generate
information requests, and the OPSEC officer passes these requests to the G-2 for inclusion in the collection
plan. Some requests may become priority information requirements.
D-25. Commanders continuously maintain OPSEC. Assessing OPSEC measures includes collecting lessons
learned. Most lessons arise while monitoring the execution of OPSEC measures, but others arise from an
evaluation of a completed operation or program.

STEP 5. SUPERVISE AND EVALUATE

D-26. OPSEC measures are supervised and evaluated continuously throughout the operations process.
Protection cell members stay alert for OPSEC indicators in their functional areas that may result in OPSEC
vulnerabilities. Continuous assessment contributes to refining OPSEC products.

Operations Security Review

D-27. The OPSEC review evaluates information or visual products to protect EEFI. A reviewed product
may be, but is not limited to, memorandums, e-mails, articles, academic papers, videos, briefings, contracts,
news releases, technical documents, plans, orders, responses to the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy
Act requests, Web pages, weblogs, or other visual or electronic media. ARs require the OPSEC officer to
review products related to U.S. government or military operations and other supporting programs before
release in the public domain. An OPSEC review is normally conducted with a public affairs review for the
release of official information to the public.
D-28. All staff sections review documents and automated information system logs to protect sensitive
information. SOPs should state which documents (news releases, Web pages, responses to Freedom of
Information Act and Privacy Act requests) automatically go to the OPSEC officer for review. They should
also provide standards for protecting, storing, and handling sensitive information and information systems.
When corrective action is necessary, such as an OPSEC assessment or review, the OPSEC officer provides
recommendations to the appropriate staff officer.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 D-5

Appendix D

Operations Security Assessment

D-29. OPSEC assessments monitor an operation to determine the unit’s overall OPSEC posture. They
evaluate compliance of subordinate organizations with the OPSEC program, plan, or guidance. OPSEC
officers conduct OPSEC assessments and submit results and recommendations to the commander. They
normally assess the—
z Identification of EEFI.
z Unit personnel knowledge of EEFI.
z Unit personnel knowledge of the collection threat.
z OPSEC measures in place to protect identified critical information.
D-30. The following are some questions that OPSEC officers should ask to determine the status of OPSEC
in the command:
z How often did subordinate commanders change daily movement plans?
z How many times did commanders conduct similar attack patterns consecutively?
z How many elements of EEFI were covered by two or more OPSEC measures?
z How many collection efforts were targeted against EEFI?
z How vulnerable was the friendly plan?
z How many friendly OPSEC vulnerabilities were exploited by threat action?
z How many times did threat detection disrupt friendly operations?
z How many support facilities were protected from threat observation?
z How many friendly operational movements were observed by threat overhead surveillance?
z How often did OPSEC and deception planners coordinate actions?
z How many OPSEC measures were selected based on the vulnerability analysis?
z How many times did OPSEC planners have access to compartmented planning efforts?
z How many times was OPSEC guidance received from higher headquarters?
z Was the timing or location of routine actions changed at least weekly?
z How many units were equipped with antisurveillance sensor and sensor jamming devices?

Operations Security Survey

D-31. The OPSEC officer completes the OPSEC survey in coordination with other staff members. This
survey determines if the command adequately protects EEFI. It analyzes the conduct of the operation to
identify sources of information, what the command discloses, and what can be derived from the
information. It aims to identify unprotected OPSEC vulnerabilities and helps the commander assess
OPSEC measures and adjust them if necessary.
D-32. Effective OPSEC surveys are resource-intensive and require careful planning, thorough data
collection, and thoughtful analysis. The OPSEC officer conducts surveys only when deemed necessary by
the commander and may execute an informal assessment to determine if a complete OPSEC survey is
needed.

Note. See AR 530-1 for more information.

Operations Security Estimate

D-33. The OPSEC officer maintains a running estimate to help supervise and evaluate OPSEC. A running
estimate is a staff section’s continuous assessment of current and future operations to determine if the
current operation is proceeding according to the commander’s intent and if future operations are
supportable. (FM 3-0)

D-6 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Operations Security

D-34. The OPSEC estimate contains up-to-date, OPSEC-related information; and the OPSEC officer
updates it continuously throughout the operation. In a time-constrained environment, a current OPSEC
estimate may be the only readily available source of OPSEC-related information. The OPSEC estimate
contains—
z Probable threat picture of friendly forces.
z Threat collection capabilities.
z Current EEFI.
z OPSEC indicators.
z OPSEC measures in effect.
z Contemplated OPSEC measures.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 D-7

This page intentionally left blank.
 Glossary
The glossary lists acronyms with Army, multi-Service, or joint definitions and other
selected terms. Terms for which FM 3-37 is the proponent manual (the authority) are
marked with an asterisk (*).

SECTION I – ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

AA&E arms, ammunition, and explosives

AC2 airspace command and control
ACP air control point
ACR Armored Cavalry Regiment
ADAM air defense airspace management
ADW air defense warning
AMD air and missile defense
AML area medical laboratory
AO area of operations
AR Army regulation
ARNG Army National Guard
ARNGUS Army National Guard of the United States
AT antiterrorism
attn attention
BAE brigade aviation element
BCCS battlefield command and control system
BCT brigade combat team
BHL battle handover line
C confidential
C2 command and control
CA civil affairs
CAIP critical asset identification process
CAL critical asset list
CARVER criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect, and
recognizability
CAT category
CBRN chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
CBRNE chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives
CBT combat
CCIR commander’s critical information requirements
CIS constant surveillance service (single noncleared driver)

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 Glossary-1

Glossary

CJCSI Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction

CMO civil-military operations
CND computer network defense
COA course of action
CONUS continental United States
CRM composite risk management
CSC convoy support center
CU see you
DA Department of the Army
DAL defended asset list
DCIP Defense Critical Infrastructure Program
DDP dual driver protective service (dual interim cleared drivers)
DISN Defense Information Systems Network
DIV division
DOD Department of Defense
DODD Department of Defense directive
DODI Department of Defense instruction
DOS Department of State
DP decision point
DSCA defense support of civil authorities
EA engagement area
E. coli Escherichia coli
EEFI essential elements of friendly information
ENY enemy
EO explosive ordnance
EOD explosive ordnance disposal
EXC exclusive use of the vehicles
FEBA forward edge of the battle area
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FHP force health protection
FM field manual
FMI field manual interim
FOB forward operating base
FPCON force protection condition
G guard
G-2 assistant chief of staff, intelligence
G-3 assistant chief of staff, operations
G-5 assistant chief of staff, civil affairs
G-6 assistant chief of staff, signal
G-7 assistant chief of staff, information engagement
G-9 assistant chief of staff, civil affairs operations

Glossary-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Glossary

HRP high-risk personnel

IDN initial distribution number
IE information engagement
IED improvised explosive device
IFF identification, friend or foe
inc incorporated
INFOCON information operations condition
IPB intelligence preparation of the battlefield
ISG isolated Soldier guidance
ISR intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
J3 Operations Directorate
JCOB joint contingency operations base
JFIRE A pocket-size, quick-reference guide for requesting fire support in
accordance with approved joint tactics, techniques, and procedures
JP joint publication
LRA local reproduction authorized
ltd limited
MANSCEN Maneuver Support Center
MCG mobile command group
MDMP military decisionmaking process
MEB maneuver enhancement brigade
METT-TC mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time
available, and civil considerations
MND-B multinational division–Baghdad
MOE measure of effectiveness
MOP measure of performance
MOPP mission-oriented protective posture
MP military police
MSHARPP mission, symbolism, history, accessibility, recognizability, population, and
proximity
MSR main supply route
NA not applicable
NAI named area of interest
NASAMS Norweigian Advanced, Surface-to-Air Missile System
NDMS National Disaster Medical System
NETOPS network operations
NGO nongovernmental organization
OAKOC observation and fields of fire, avenues of approach, key terrain, obstacles, and
cover and concealment
OCONUS outside the continental United States
OE operational environment
OPLAN operation plan

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 Glossary-3

Glossary

OPORD operation order

OPSEC operations security
P pilferable
PATRIOT Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target
PIR priorirty intelligence requirements
PL phase line
PMESII-PT political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical
environment, and time
PR personnel recovery
PSS protective security service (secret cleared drivers)
PVNTMED preventive medicine
ROE rules of engagement
RSO&I reception, staging, onward movement, and integration
RSP render-safe procedures
S secret; screen
S-3 operations staff officer
S-4 logistics staff officer
S-6 signal staff officer
SATCOM satellite communications
SEV security escort vehicle service
SOP standing operating procedure
SNS satellite navigation system
SPT support
STRATCOM Strategic Command
SUST sustainment
TAC tactical
TCF tactical combat force
TCP traffic control post
TIM toxic industrial material
TLP troop-leading procedures
TOC tactical operations center
TPS transportation protective services
TRP target reference point
TTP tactics, techniques, and procedures
U unclassified
UFC unified facilities criteria
U.S. United States
USAR U.S. Army Reserve
USCENTCOM U.S. Central Command
USNORTHCOM U.S. Northern Command
UXO unexploded ordnance

Glossary-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Glossary

VA vulnerability assessment
WFF warfighting function
WMD weapons of mass destruction

SECTION II – TERMS
*base camp
An evolving military facility that supports the military operations of a deployed unit and provides the
necessary support and services for sustained operations.
*critical asset list
A prioritized list of assets that should be protected; it is normally identified by the phase of an
operation and approved by the commander.
*critical asset security
The protection and security of personnel and physical assets and/or information analyzed and deemed
essential to the operation and success of the mission and the required resources for protection.
*defended asset list
A listing of those assets from the critical asset list, prioritized by the commander, to be defended with
the resources available.
*fratricide
The unintentional killing of friendly personnel by friendly firepower.
*operational area security
A form of active security operations conducted to protect friendly forces, installations, routes, and
actions within an area of operations.
*operations security measures
Methods and means to gain and maintain essential secrecy about essential elements of friendly
information.
*protection
(Army) The preservation of the effectiveness of mission-related military and nonmilitary personnel,
equipment, facilities, information, and infrastructure deployed or located within or outside the
boundaries of a given operational area.
protection
(Joint) 1. Preservation of the effectiveness and survivability of mission-related military and
nonmilitary personnel, equipment, facilities, information, and infrastructure deployed or located within
or outside the boundaries of a given operational area. 2. In space usage, active and passive defensive
measures to ensure that United States and friendly space systems perform as designed by seeking to
overcome an adversary’s attempts to negate them and to minimize damage if negation is attempted. (JP
3-11)

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 Glossary-5

This page intentionally left blank.
 References
SOURCES USED
These are the sources quoted or paraphrased in this publication.

ARMY PUBLICATIONS
AR 40-35. Dental Readiness and Community Oral Health Protection. 2 August 2004.
AR 40-656. Veterinary Surveillance Inspection of Subsistence. 28 August 2006.
AR 385-10. Army Safety Program. 23 August 2007.
AR 600-8-101. Personnel Processing (In-, Out-, Soldier Readiness, Mobilization, and Deployment
Processing). 18 July 2003.
DA Pamphlet 385-10. Army Safety Program. 23 May 2008.
FM 1-02. Operational Terms and Graphics. 21 September 2004.
FM 2-0. Intelligence. 17 May 2004.
FM 3-0. Operations. 27 February 2008.
FM 3-07. Stability Operations. 6 October 2008.
FM 3-09.32. (JFIRE) Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for the Joint Application of
Firepower. 20 December 2007.
FM 3-11. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical
Defense Operations. 10 March 2003.
FM 3-11.3. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological, Radiological,
and Nuclear Contamination Avoidance. 2 February 2006.
FM 3-11.4. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical
(NBC) Protection. 2 June 2003.
FM 3-11.5. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological, Radiological,
and Nuclear Decontamination. 4 April 2006.
FM 3-11.21. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and Nuclear Consequence Management Operations. 1 April 2008.
FM 3-11.34. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Installation CBRN Defense.
6 November 2007.
FM 3-13. Information Operations: Doctrine, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. 28 November
2003.
FM 3-19.1. Military Police Operations. 22 March 2001.
FM 3-19.30. Physical Security. 8 January 2001.
FM 3-20.15. Tank Platoon. 22 February 2007.
FM 3-34. Engineer Operations. 2 April 2009.
FM 3-34.2. Combined-Arms Breaching Operations. 31 August 2000.
FM 3-36. Electronic Warfare in Operations. 25 February 2009.
FM 3-50.1. Army Personnel Recovery. 10 August 2005.
FM 3-90. Tactics. 4 July 2001.
FM 3-90.31. Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Operations. 26 February 2009.
FM 3-100.21. Contractors on the Battlefield. 3 January 2003.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 References-1

References

FM 4-01.45. Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Tactical Convoy Operations.
5 January 2009.
FM 4-02.7. Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Health Service Support in a
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Environment. 15 July 2009.
FM 4-02.17. Preventive Medicine Services. 28 August 2000.
FM 4-02.18. Veterinary Services Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. 30 December 2004.
FM 4-02.19. Dental Service Support in a Theater of Operations. 1 March 2001.
FM 4-02.51. Combat and Operational Stress Control. 6 July 2006.
FM 5-19. Composite Risk Management. 21 August 2006.
FM 5-103. Survivability. 10 June 1985.
FM 5-415. Fire-Fighting Operations. 9 February 1999.
FM 6-20-10. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for the Targeting Process. 8 May 1996.
FM 7-15. The Army Universal Task List. 27 February 2009.
FM 44-100. U.S. Army Air and Missile Defense Operations. 15 June 2000.
FMI 3-35. Army Deployment and Redeployment. 15 June 2007.
FMI 3-90.10. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosives Operational
Headquarters. 24 January 2008.

JOINT AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PUBLICATIONS

CJCSI 3121.01B. Standing Rules of Engagement/Standing Rules for the Use of Force for U.S. Forces.
13 June 2005.
DOD 4500.9-R. Defense Transportation Regulations Part II: Cargo Movement. November 2004.
DODD 5525.5. DoD Cooperation with Civilian Law Enforcement Officials. 15 January 1986.
JP 1. Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States. 2 May 2007.
JP 1-02. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 12 April 2001.
JP 3-0. Joint Operations. 17 September 2006.
JP 3-01. Countering Air and Missile Threats. 5 February 2007.
JP 3-09. Joint Fire Support. 13 November 2006.
JP 3-10. Joint Security Operations in Theater. 1 August 2006.
JP 3-11. Operations in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Environments.
26 August 2008.
JP 3-13. Information Operations. 13 February 2006.
JP 3-13.1. Electronic Warfare. 25 January 2007.
JP 3-27. Homeland Defense. 12 July 2007.
JP 3-28. Civil Support. 14 September 2007.
JP 3-30. Command and Control for Joint Air Operations. 5 June 2003.
JP 3-33. Joint Task Force Headquarters. 16 February 2007.
JP 3-34. Joint Engineer Operations. 12 February 2007.
JP 3-35. Deployment and Redeployment Operations. 7 May 2007.
JP 3-40. Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction. 10 June 2009.
JP 3-50. Personnel Recovery. 5 January 2007.
JP 3-52. Joint Doctrine for Airspace Control in the Combat Zone. 30 August 2004.
JP 4-02. Health Service Support. 31 October 2006.
JP 6-0. Joint Communications System. 20 March 2006.

References-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 References

OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Title 5, United States Code, Section 552.
Title 5, United States Code, Section 552a.
Title 10, United States Code.
Title 10, United States Code. Section 331-335.
Title 28, United States Code, Section 1385.
Title 32, United States Code.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED
These documents must be available to the intended users of this publication. DA forms are available on the
Army Publishing Directorate Web site (www.apd.army.mil). DD forms are available on the OSD web site
(www.dtc.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/formsprogram.htm).

DA Form 2028. Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms.

DD Form 1833. Isolated Personnel Report (LRA).

RELATED PUBLICATIONS
These sources contain relevant supplemental information.

ARMY PUBLICATIONS
AR 75-15. (O)Policy for Explosive Ordnance Disposal. 22 February 2005.
AR 525-13. (O)Antiterrorism. 11 September 2008.
AR 530-1. (O)Operations Security (OPSEC). 19 April 2007.
FM 1. The Army. 14 June 2005.
FM 3-05.40. Civil Affairs Operations. 29 September 2006.
FM 3-34.170. Engineer Reconnaissance. 25 March 2008.
FM 3-52. Army Airspace Command and Control in a Combat Zone. 1 August 2002.
FM 3-100.4. Environmental Considerations in Military Operations. 15 June 2000.
FM 4-02. Force Health Protection in a Global Environment. 13 February 2003.
FM 4-30.51. Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Procedures. 13 July 2006.
FM 5-0. Army Planning and Orders Production. 20 January 2005.
FM 6-0. Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces. 11 August 2003.
FMI 2-01.301. Specific Tactics, techniques, and Procedures and Applications for Intelligence
Preparation of the Battlefield. 31 March 2009.
FMI 3-01.50. Air Defense and Airspace Management Cell Operations. 27 February 2007.
FMI 5-0.1. The Operations Process. 31 March 2006.
STRATCOM Directive 527-1. Operations, Planning, and Command and Control: Department of
Defense (DOD) Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) System Procedures.
27 January 2006.
TC 1-400. Brigade Aviation Element Handbook. 27 April 2006.

JOINT AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PUBLICATIONS

DOD O-2000.12-H. (O)DOD Antiterrorism Handbook. 1 February 2004.
DOD 3020.45-V1. Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP): DOD Mission-Based Critical
Asset Identification Process (CAIP). 24 October 2008.

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 References-3

References

DOD 3020.45-V2. Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP): DCIP Remediation Planning.
28 October 2008.
DODI 2000.16. DoD Antiterrorism (AT) Standards. 2 October 2006.
DODI 3020.45. Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP) Management. 21 April 2008.
GTA 90-01-010. (O)Joint Contingency Operations Base (JCOB) Force Protection Handbook. October
2007.
JP 3-07.2. (O)Antiterrorism. 14 April 2006.
JP 3-13.3. Operations Security. 29 June 2006.
UFC 4-010-01. DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings. 8 October 2003.
UFC 4-010-02. DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standoff Distances for Buildings. 8 October 2003.
UFC 4-022-01. Security Engineering: Entry Control Facilities/Access Control Points. 25 May 2005.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Darley, William M. “Clausewitz’s Theory of War and Information Operations.” Joint Force
Quarterly. January 2006.
Hawley, John K., PhD. “PATRIOT Fratricides: The Human Dimension Lessons of Operation Iraqi
Freedom.” Air Defense Artillery. January–March 2006.
Riehn, Richard K. 1812: Napoleon’s Russian Campaign. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Von Clausewitz, Carl. On War. New York: Penguin Classics, 1982. Published in Pelican Classics,
1968. This translation published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd 1908. Von Krieg, published
1832.
Wong, Leonard and Gerras, Stephen. CU @ The FOB: How the Forward Operating Base is Changing
the Life of Combat Soldiers. <http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/>. March 2006.
Zucchino, David. Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. New York: Atlantic
Monthly Press, 2004.

READINGS RECOMMENDED
These readings contain relevant supplemental information.
Army Directive 2008-02. Army Protection. 9 April 2008.

References-4 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Index

high-yield explosives, 4-12, critical asset list, 4-7, 4-9, 4-11,

A
5-6 4-14, 4-17, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-6,
after-action review, 4-15, 4-17 element, 5-5 5-8
air and missile defense, 2-1, 2- civil support operations critical asset security
12, 4-5, 4-10, 5-1, 5-4, 5-6 definition, 3-15 definition, 2-8
antiterrorism, iv, 1-7, 1-9, 2-1, combat identification critical information, 4-3
2-9, 2-10, 2-11, 2-12, 2-18, definition, B-1
3-9, 3-14, 4-5, 5-7, 5-8 critical information
combat power requirements, 4-15, 5-4
area damage control, 2-9, 3-6 definition, 1-5
criticality assessment, 4-7, 4-
area of operations, 2-2, 2-3, 2- combined arms, 1-5, 1-9, 2-8, 13, 4-14
7, 2-8, 2-12, 2-14, 2-15, 2- 3-4, 3-8, 3-12, 3-13
16, 2-17, 3-2, 3-3, 3-14, 4- definition, 1-5 criticality, accessibility,
12, 4-13, 5-5, 5-6, 5-8 recuperability, vulnerability,
command and control, 1-5, 2-4, effect, and recognizability, 4-
area of responsibility, 5-7 2-5, 2-11, 3-3, 3-6, 4-1, 4-4, 14
assessment, 4-5, 4-7, 4-11 4-10, 4-16, 5-6, 5-7
definition, 4-5 key communications nodes, D
deliberate, 4-6 3-9 decisionmaking, 3-2
asset criticality, 4-15 nodes, 2-12, 3-5, 3-9, 5-4
decontamination, 5-5
command and support, 4-4
B defended asset, 4-14, 4-16, 5-4
command post, 5-7
base defended asset list, 4-7, 4-9, 4-
operational, 5-7
definition, C-1 11, 4-14, 4-17, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4,
command relationship, 5-2 5-6, 5-8
base camp
commander’s critical definition, 4-7
definition, C-1
information requirements, 2- defensive operations
base cluster 3, 2-7, 4-6, 4-11, 4-16 definition, 3-8
definition, C-3
composite risk management, 1- detainee operations, 5-4
base defense 1, 1-3, 1-11, 2-8, 2-9, 2-17,
definition, 2-8 3-12, 4-3, 4-9, 4-10, 4-14, 4- E
base defense forces 15, 4-17 economy of force, 4-11
definition, C-4 computer network defense electronic protection
battle command, 4-2, 4-16 definition, 2-6 definition, 2-5
definition, 4-2 concept of operations, 4-3 essential elements of friendly
battle drill, 3-14 conduct of operations, 4-4 information, 4-6
battle rhythm, 4-1, 5-8 consequence management, 1- definition, D-2
battlefield obscuration, 5-5 7, 2-18, 3-14, 5-5 execution, 4-16
brigade contingency, 4-16 definition, 4-16
functional, 4-4 continuous assessment, 4-15 explosive hazard, 5-5
support, 4-4
convoy security operations F
brigade combat team, 5-2, 5-4 definition, 2-9 force closure
C countermobility, 2-12 definition, A-8
casualty prevention, 5-7 countermobility operations, 2- force health protection, iv, 1-9,
12 2-1, 2-13, 3-11, 3-15, 4-11
chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear, iv, course of action, 1-11, 2-16, 2- force protection, 5-7
1-7, 1-10, 2-1, 2-12, 2-14, 2- 17, 4-10, 4-11, 4-13, 4-15, 5- force protection condition, 2-
16, 2-18, 3-6, 3-9, 3-14, 5-2 1 10, 4-10, 5-8
chemical, biological, critical asset, 4-7, 4-13, 4-16, forward operating base
radiological, nuclear, and 5-4 definition, C-1
loss, 4-16

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 Index-1

Index

fratricide, iv, 1-9, 2-1, 2-6, 2-7, military decisionmaking principles of protection, 4-11
3-3, 3-6, 3-9, 3-13, A-3 process, 4-1, 4-3, 4-5, 4-6, priority intelligence, 4-15
definition, 2-6 4-9, 4-10, 4-11
protection
friendly force, 4-11 mission analysis, 4-9 definition, 1-1
full spectrum, 1-11, 2-17, 3-1, mission variables, 4-12 protection analysis, 4-11
3-2, 3-4, 3-10, 3-13, 5-1, 5-6 mission, enemy, terrain and protection capabilitites, 5-2
full spectrum operations weather, troops and support
definition, 3-1 available, time available, civil protection cell, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 4-
considerations, 1-3, 2-8, 2- 7, 4-9, 4-11, 4-12, 4-13, 4-
functional integration, 4-1 14, 4-15, 4-16, 4-17, 5-1, 5-
16, 3-3, 4-12
H 2, 5-3, 5-7
mission, symbolism, history, composition, 5-3
hazard, 4-3, 4-9, 4-12, 4-13, 4- accessibility, recognizability,
15, 4-16, 4-17, 5-8 population, and proximity, 4- protection coordinator, 4-4, 5-2,
definition, 1-4 14 5-6
hazard assessment, 5-1 mission-oriented protective protection directorate, 5-7
high-risk personnel posture, 4-10 protection function, 5-7
definition, 2-8 mobile security force protection plan, 4-17
definition, C-4 protection posture, 4-15
I
mobility, 2-9, 2-12, 2-18, 3-9 protection strategy, 4-1, 4-5, 5-
identification, friend or foe
movement and maneuver, 1-5, 1
definition, B-5
2-12, 3-5, 3-6, 3-9 protection warfighting function
improvised explosive device, 2-
movement corridor, 2-9, 3-11 definition, 1-9
18, 2-19, 3-11, 4-12, 5-5
multinational, 5-7 protection working group, 4-17,
indirect fire, 2-1
5-3, 5-7, 5-8
information assurance N
protective measures, 5-1
definition, 2-6 named area of interest, 2-7
provost marshal, 5-2, 5-4, 5-6
information protection
definition, 2-4 O R
infrastructure, 3-14, 4-11 occupational and
reachback, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7
environmental health
integration, 4-17 definition, 5-6
surveillance
intelligence preparation of the definition, 2-14 rear operation, 5-7
battlefield, 4-1, 4-3, 4-7, 4- offensive operations risk, 4-9, 4-10, 4-13, 4-15
12, 5-4 definition, 3-5 risk assessment, 4-12
in-theater, 5-7 operation security measures risk calculation, 4-16
J definition, D-1 risk management, 4-17
joint security operational area security, 2-1, risk reduction, 4-15
area, 5-7 2-7, 2-12, 5-4
definition, 2-7 risk tolerance, 4-3, 4-15
coordinator, 5-7
operational concept, 4-10 rules of engagement, 4-16
L definition, B-1
operational environment, 4-3,
lessons learned, 4-17 4-5, 4-6, 4-12, 4-15, 5-1 rules of engagement, 4-10
M definition, 1-3 running estimate, 4-5, 4-7, 4-
operations process, 4-1 10, 4-11, 4-13, 4-15, 4-16
main command post, 5-2, 5-4 definition, D-6
maneuver enhancement operations security, 4-5, 4-10,
brigade, 2-7, 4-4, 5-2, 5-7 4-12, 4-14 S
definition, 2-18 situational awareness, 1-7, 1-8,
measure of effectiveness, 4-6,
4-10, 4-11, 4-13, 4-15, 4-16 opposing force, 4-15 2-7, 3-2, 3-6, 3-9, 4-5
definition, 4-6 definition, 2-7
P
measure of performance, 4-6, situational understanding, 1-3,
personnel recovery, 2-1, 5-4 1-10, 2-3, 2-6, 2-12, 3-2, 4-5,
4-10, 4-11, 4-13, 4-15 definition, 2-3
definition, 4-6 4-6, 4-11, 4-15, 4-16
physical security, 4-5 definition, 2-12
medical surveillance definition, 2-8
definition, 2-14 stability, 2-7, 3-2, 3-5, 3-8, 3-
preparation, 4-14, 4-15 10, 3-11, 3-12, 3-13, 3-14, 3-
definition, 4-14 15

Index-2 FM 3-37 30 September 2009

 Index

stability operations tactical command post, 1-7, 5- V

definition, 3-10 4, 5-6 vulnerability, 4-1, 5-7
staff element, 4-17 tactics, techniques, and vulnerability assessment, 4-7,
supercargoes procedures, 2-9, 2-12, 3-9, 4-14, 5-8
definition, A-8 3-11, 3-13, 3-14, 4-17, B-1, definition, 4-13
B-2
support area, 3-6, 3-9 vulnerability mitigation, 4-15
target identification
surveillance definition, 2-7 vulnerability reduction
definition, 2-9 mitigation measures, 4-11
task organization, 5-2
survivability, iv, 1-3, 1-7, 1-9, 2-
tempo, 4-16 W
1, 2-8, 2-11, 2-12, 3-6, 3-9,
3-14, 4-14, A-3 theater army, 5-1 warfighting function, 1-1, 1-3,
definition, 2-11 1-8, 1-9, 2-1, 2-3, 2-12, 2-17,
threat, 4-3, 4-9, 4-12, 4-15, 4-
3-4, 3-10, 4-1, 4-3, 4-4, 4-6,
survivability operations 16, 4-17, 5-7, 5-8
4-10, 4-11, 5-1, 5-3, 5-6, 5-7
definition, 2-12 definition, 1-3
definition, 1-9
sustainment, 1-5, 2-7, 2-12, 3- threat assessment, 4-7, 4-14, maneuver, 3-4
5, 3-6 4-15, 5-1 protection, 3-2
synergistic protection, 4-5 troop leading procedures, 4-9 wargaming, 4-6, 4-15
synergy, 4-5 U weapon control status
definition, 2-2
T unified action, 5-7
weapons of mass destruction,
tactical combat, 5-7 unit protection, 5-8
1-10, 2-10

30 September 2009 FM 3-37 Index-3

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 FM 3-37
30 September 2009

By order of the Secretary of the Army:

GEORGE W. CASEY, JR.

General, United States Army
Chief of Staff

Official:

JOYCE E. MORROW
Administrative Assistant to the
Secretary of the Army
0925208

DISTRIBUTION:
Active Army, Army National Guard,and U.S. Army Reserve: To be distributed in accordance with the
initial distribution number (IDN) 110512, requirements for FM 3-37.
PIN: 085751-000