1-116. Preparation is essential to effective execution of any movement plan. Preparing before actual events gives commanders, subordinate leaders, and Soldiers clear ideas of what to expect. Applicable unit SOPs enable execution. This section addresses key preparation activities for the march. (See ATP 3-21.20 and ATP 3-21.10 for additional information on preparation activities.)
March Rehearsals
1-117. Well-planned rehearsals are critical aspects of preparation for march operations. With limited time, rehearsals must concentrate on battle drill reactions to likely enemy threats. Rehearsals ensure everyone in the march understands and demonstrates the ability to execute the plan and essential drills. Rehearsals instill confidence in all march participants and ensure they are fully prepared.
1-118. Good rehearsals happen if they are planned and prepared carefully. Subordinate leaders supervise individual and crew drill rehearsals. Rehearsals are scheduled early in the preparation cycle, linking individual and crew rehearsals with PCCs and PCIs. Drills are practiced until individuals, teams, and crews can execute the drill to standard. On-the-spot corrections are made during rehearsals and throughout preparation activities.
Precombat Checks and Precombat Inspections
1-119. PCCs and PCIs are critical to the success of missions. These checks and inspections are leader tasks and cannot be delegated below the team-leader level. For example, at the platoon echelon, the platoon sergeant spot checks throughout the unit’s preparation for combat. The platoon leader and platoon sergeant make a final inspection. For the squad echelon, team leaders spot check throughout preparation, and the squad leader makes a final inspection. They ensure the Soldier is prepared to execute the required individual and collective tasks supporting the mission.
1-120. PCCs determine if equipment required for the march is available and serviceable. PCCs are effective if they are organized and conducted using an up-to-date checklist. Unit SOPs tailor these lists to specific missions. Follow through is essential. Missing or unserviceable equipment must be reported, repaired, or exchanged immediately. These checks should be conducted soon after the WARNORD is issued.
1-121. PCIs are a series of inspections scheduled early in the preparation sequence to ensure all PCCs have been performed properly and all weapons, communications, vehicles (when required), and special and individual equipment are available and functioning. PCIs are effective when organized and conducted to exact standards by first-line supervisors, with systematic spot checks made by unit leaders. An effective technique is conducting full PCCs and PCIs during the march recovery period to ensure individuals and unit equipment are immediately ready for the next mission. (See ATP 3-21.8 for additional information.)
Note. See chapter 3, section II for an example of a packing list checklist.
Equipment Maintenance
1-122. Commanders and subordinate leaders plan for regular maintenance halts throughout extended marches. Weapons, night-vision devices and optical equipment, and vehicles require regular maintenance to perform consistently throughout operations. Weapons and other equipment, including vehicles, can become not mission capable due to direct or indirect enemy fire, mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle accidents, parts failures, and other unforeseen or unexpected events.
1-123. Commanders and subordinate leaders enforce regular preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) of all unit equipment. PMCS are operator-level maintenance conducted before, during, and after operations. Comprehensive PMCS identifies actual and potential problems and ensures repairs are made promptly to minimize equipment downtime. DA Form 5988-E (Equipment Maintenance and Inspection Worksheet) or the manual DA Form 2404 (Equipment Inspection and Maintenance Worksheet) are used to record these deficiencies.
1-124. Early detection and correction of these deficiencies can decrease the possibility of combat equipment breaking down during marches and prevent minor deficiencies from becoming major faults. Every individual is responsible to conduct PMCS. Subordinate leaders are responsible to ensure PMCS is conducted regularly and to standard before, during, and after the operations. (See ATP 3-21.8 for additional information.)
Tier and Prioritize Resources and Assets
1-125. Leaders must tier and prioritize the use of the resources and assets during the execution of the mission. Not all resources can support the dismounted unit during all portions of the march. When prioritizing available assets, leaders should consider three factors: responsiveness, accuracy, and method. To better determine which assets to use, leaders should ask themselves a series of questions for each factor. Some example questions determined by responsiveness, accuracy, and method include the following:
- Responsiveness—
- How quickly can the asset deliver the necessary supplies or equipment?
- In an emergency, what is the asset’s response time?
- If it is an asset not habitually aligned to the unit, how does that impact its delivery timeline?
- Accuracy—
- How accurate do I need the delivery to be?
- Can I risk it being off target?
- Is there a high or consistent margin of error with the delivery?
- Will an off-target delivery risk mission accomplishment?
- Method—
- Will the delivery require me to deviate from my planned route and expend more effort?
- Will the unit compromise its position or lose the element of surprise due to the delivery?
1-126. As the leader evaluates each load plan and its ability to manage the load, the leader continues to analyze the mission. The load management and analysis completed during the troops analysis portion of METT-TC (I) contributes to the leader’s overall tentative plan and provides vital information for planning routes, logistics, rates of march, and many other aspects of the operation.
1-127. Managing the Soldier’s load is a critical leader task. The Soldier’s load is always METT TC (I) dependent and must be closely monitored. Soldiers cannot afford to carry unnecessary equipment into the battle. Not every contingency can be covered.
Next Page : Chapter 2 – March Execution