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Previous: Section VI: Movement to Contact

2-165. Purposeful and aggressive movement, decentralized control, and hasty
deployment of formations from the march to conduct offensive, defensive, or stability tasks characterize the movement to contact. The fundamentals of movement to contact—

• Focus all efforts on finding the enemy.
• Make initial contact with the smallest force possible, consistent with protecting the force.
• Make initial contact with small, mobile, self-contained forces to avoid decisive engagement of the main body on ground chosen by the enemy. This allows the leader maximum flexibility to develop the situation.
• Task-organizes the force and uses movement formations to deploy and attack rapidly in all directions.
• Keep subordinate forces within supporting distances to facilitate a flexible response.
• Maintains contact regardless of the course of action adopted once contact is gained.

Next: 2-166: Organization of Forces

Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad