Previous: B-29: Distributing Fires
B-30. A standard means of orienting friendly forces is to assign a principal direction of fire (PDF), using a TRP, to orient each element on a probable enemy position or likely avenue of approach. To provide all-around security, the SOP can supplement the PDF with sectors using a friendly-based quadrant. The following example SOP elements illustrate the use of these techniques:
- The center (front) squad’s PDF is TRP 2 (center) until otherwise specified; the squad is responsible for the front two quadrants.
- The left flank squad’s PDF is TRP 1 (left) until otherwise specified; the squad is responsible for the left two friendly quadrants (overlapping with the center squad).
- The right flank squad’s PDF is TRP 3 (right) until otherwise specified; the squad is responsible for the right two friendly quadrants (overlapping with the center squad).
Next: B-31: Avoiding Fratricide and Friendly Fire
Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad