*FM 3-96
Field Manual
No. 3-96
Headquarters
Department of the Army

Washington, D.C., 19 January 2021

Brigade Combat Team

The Army provides readily available, trained and equipped, and globally responsive forces to shape the operational environment, prevent conflict, and prevail in large-scale ground combat while consolidating gains as part of unified action. Army forces, which consist of trusted Army professionals of character, competence, and commitment, maintain proficiency in the fundamentals of unified land operations, the Army’s operational concept, and possess capabilities to meet specific geographic combatant command requests. Army forces provide combatant commanders with BCTs—a combined arms, close combat force that can operate as part of a division or a joint task force. BCTs, with unified action partners, conduct land operations to shape security environments, prevent conflict, prevail in ground combat, and consolidate gains. BCTs provide the Army with multiple options for responding to and resolving crises. The BCTBCTBasic combat training, within the division or corps scheme of maneuver, defeats enemy forces, controls terrain, secures populations, and preserves joint force freedom of action. FM 3-96 defines the employment and ordered arrangement of forces within the BCTBCTBasic combat training during the conduct of decisive action across the range of military operations. The tactics addressed in this manual include the ordered arrangement and maneuver —movement in conjunction with fires (ADP 3-0)—of units in relation to each other, the terrain, and the enemy. Tactics vary with terrain and other circumstances; they change frequently as the enemy reacts and friendly forces explore new approaches. Applying tactics usually entails acting under time constraints with incomplete information. Tactics always require judgment in application; they are always descriptive, not prescriptive. FM 3-96 addresses the tactical application of tasks associated with the offense, the defense, and operations focused on stability. FM 3-96 does not discuss defense support of civil authorities. Employing tactics addressed in FM 3-96 may require using and integrating techniques and procedures. Echelon-specific Army techniques publications address techniques, non-prescriptive ways or methods used to perform missions, functions, or tasks (CJCSM 5120.01B) and procedures, standard, detailed steps that prescribe how to perform specific tasks (CJCSM 5120.01B). This manual incorporates the significant changes in Army doctrinal terminology, concepts, constructs, and proven tactics developed during recent operations. It also incorporates doctrinal changes and terms based on ADP 3-0, FM 3-0, and ADP 3-90. Note. This manual is written based on the current structure of the BCTBCTBasic combat training and its subordinate units. Future changes to the organizational structures of the BCTBCTBasic combat training will be published as change documents to the manual. The following is a brief introduction and summary of changes by chapter.

Brigade combat teams (BCTs) organize to conduct decisive action —the continuous, simultaneous execution of offensive, defensive, and stability operations or defense support of civil authorities tasks (ADP 3-0). BCTs are the Army’s primary combined arms, close combat force. BCTs often operate as part of a division or joint task force. The division or joint task force acts as a tactical headquarters that typically directs the operations of between two to five BCTs across the range of military operations. The tactical headquarters assigns the BCTBCTBasic combat training its mission, area of operations, and supporting elements. The headquarters coordinates the BCTBCTBasic combat training’s actions with other BCTs in the formation. The BCTBCTBasic combat training might be required to detach subordinate elements to other brigades attached or assigned to the division or task force. Usually, this tactical headquarters assigns augmentation elements to the BCTBCTBasic combat training. Field artillery, maneuver enhancement, sustainment, and combat aviation brigades can all support BCTBCTBasic combat training operations. (See ATPATPArmy Techniques Publications 3-91 for additional information on division operations.) Note. This FM does not address defense support of civil authorities. (See ADP 3-28 and ATPATPArmy Techniques Publications 3-28.1 for information.) BCTs include capabilities across the command and control, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment, and protection warfighting functions. These capabilities are scalable to meet mission requirements. All BCTs include maneuver; field artillery; intelligence; signal; engineer; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRNCBRNChemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear); and sustainment capabilities. Higher commanders augment BCTs with additional combat power for specific missions. Augmentation might include aviation, Armor, Infantry, field artillery, air defense, military police, civil affairs, a tactical psychological operations (PSYOP) company, engineers, additional CBRNCBRNChemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear capabilities, cyberspace, and information systems. Organizational flexibility enables the BCTBCTBasic combat training to accomplish missions across the range of military operations. Chapter 1 provides the doctrinal foundation for the three types of BCTs: the Infantry brigade combat team (IBCT), the Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT), and the Armored brigade combat team (ABCT). The chapter addresses the mission, capabilities, limitations, and internal organization of each BCTBCTBasic combat training.

Environment This chapter discusses the brigade combat team’s (BCTBCTBasic combat training) role in military operations and its interactions with operational environments. The chapter addresses key doctrinal concepts on how the Army fights regardless of which element of decisive action (offense, defense, or stability) currently dominates the BCTBCTBasic combat training’s area of operations.

Threats are a fundamental part of an overall operational environment. A threat is any combination of actors, entities, or forces that have the capability and intent to harm United States forces, United States national interests, or the homeland (ADP 3-0). Threats may include individuals, groups of individuals (organized or not organized), paramilitary or military forces, nation states, or national alliances. When threats execute their capability to do harm to the United States, they become enemies.

Mission command is the Army’s approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision making and decentralized execution appropriate to the situation. (ADP 6-0). The brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) commander uses mission command, with its emphasis on seizing, retaining, and exploiting operational initiative, through mission orders. Mission orders are directives that emphasize to subordinates the results to be attained, not how they are to achieve them (ADP 6-0). Disciplined initiative—as it relates to mission command describes individual initiative. Mission command requires the BCTBCTBasic combat training commander to convey a clear commander’s intent and concept of operations. These become essential in operations where multiple operational and mission variables interact with the lethal application of ground combat power. Such dynamic interaction often compels subordinate commanders to make difficult decisions in unforeseen circumstances. Based on a specific idea of how to accomplish the mission, commander and staff refine the concept of operations during planning and adjust the concept of operations throughout the operation as subordinates develop the situation or conditions change. Often, subordinates acting on the higher commander’s intent develop the situation in ways that exploit unforeseen opportunities. The commander uses the mission command approach to command and control to exploit and enhance uniquely human skills. The commander, supported by the staff, combines the art and science of command and control to understand situations, make decisions, direct actions, and lead forces toward mission accomplishment. This chapter addresses the fundamentals of mission command, to include the principles of mission command, command presence, and the Army’s approach to command and control. It addresses the command and control warfighting function and the exercise of command and control.

Reconnaissance and security is essential to all operations. Brigade combat teams (BCTs) develop and sustain situational understanding to defeat the enemy. Reconnaissance and security forces within the BCTBCTBasic combat training provide flexibility, adaptability, and depth to the maneuver commander’s plan by synchronizing and integrating combined arms teams based on a relevant understanding of the situation. BCTBCTBasic combat training commanders understand the tactical, human, and political environment, visualize operations, develop the situation, and identify or create options to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative through reconnaissance and security. Reconnaissance and security forces protect the force being protected from surprise, reduce the unknowns in any situation, and answer the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs) to enable the commander to make decisions, and direct forces to achieve the mission.

The brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) conducts offensive operations to defeat and destroy enemy forces and seize terrain, resources, and population centers. Offensive actions impose the BCTBCTBasic combat training commander’s will on the enemy. Offensive actions capitalize on accurate and timely intelligence and other relevant information regarding enemy forces, weather and terrain, and civil considerations. Protection tasks, such as security operations, operations security, and information protection prevent or inhibit the enemy from acquiring accurate information about friendly forces. As the commander maneuvers forces to advantageous positions before contact, contact with enemy forces before the decisive operation is deliberate and designed to shape the optimum situation for the decisive operation. When committed, the decisive operation is a sudden, shattering action that capitalizes on subordinate initiative and a common operational picture (COP). This chapter addresses the characteristics of the offense, common offensive planning considerations, forms of maneuver, offensive operations, and planning considerations when transitioning to other tactical operations.

The brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) conducts defensive operations to defeat enemy attacks, gain time, control key terrain, protect critical infrastructure, secure the population, and economize forces. Most importantly, the BCTBCTBasic combat training sets conditions to transition to the offense or operations focused on stability. Defensive operations alone are not decisive unless combined with offensive operations to surprise the enemy, attack enemy weaknesses, and pursue or exploit enemy vulnerabilities. This chapter addresses the characteristics of the defense, common defensive planning considerations, forms of the defense, defensive control measures, defensive operations, and planning considerations when transitioning to other tactical operations.

The requirement for military formations to conduct operations focused on stability is not new. Our involvement in military conflict from the Revolutionary War to Operation Enduring Freedom consists of only eleven conventional military operations. Conversely, that same history reveals hundreds of operations focused on stability with recent history proving no different. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the United States led or participated in over fifteen operations in places such as Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While the magnitude of violence may not match conventional operations, history often measures the duration of stability operations in decades. This fact combines with the disturbing spread of international terrorism, fragile states allowing safe haven to terrorist organizations and or possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), along with an endless array of humanitarian and natural disasters illustrates the increasing requirement for operations focused on stability. Military formations conduct operations focused on stability to transition the security and governance of populations to legitimate civilian authorities. The brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) lacks the organic capability to stabilize an assigned area of operations independently. The BCTBCTBasic combat training’s central role in operations focused on stability is to establish and maintain unity of effort towards achieving the political objectives of the operation. To do this the BCTBCTBasic combat training employs combined arms formations that execute offensive and defensive operations, and stability operations tasks to identify and mitigate critical sources of instability. Essentially, the BCTBCTBasic combat training unifies governmental, nongovernmental, and elements of the private sector activities with military operations to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative and consolidate gains. The first three sections of this chapter discuss the doctrinal foundation, stability environment, and the Army’s six stability operations tasks for operations focus on the stability element of decisive action. Sections IV and V focus on the challenges confronting the BCTBCTBasic combat training commander and staff and subordinate commanders and leaders in accomplishing stability-focused missions or tasks, specifically area security operations and security force assistance (SFA). The final section addresses transition to offensive or defensive operations if the focus of the operation changes from stability. This section concludes with a discussion of transitions during SFA.

Sustainment operations provide support and services to ensure freedom of action, extend operational reach, and prolong endurance. Brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) sustainment organizations synchronize and execute sustainment operations in support of the BCTBCTBasic combat training under all conditions to allow the BCTBCTBasic combat training to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. BCTBCTBasic combat training subordinate units and sustainment staffs anticipate future needs to retain freedom of movement and action at the end of extended and contested lines of operation. The brigade support battalion (BSB) commander is the BCTBCTBasic combat training’s senior logistician. The BSB commander is responsible for sustainment synchronization and execution across the BCTBCTBasic combat training’s area of operations. This chapter describes sustainment operations in support of the BCTBCTBasic combat training, specifically the functions, command and staff roles and responsibilities, and unit relationships throughout high tempo and decentralized operations.

The glossary lists acronyms and terms with Army or joint definitions. Where Army and joint definitions differ, (Army) precedes the definition. Terms for which FM 3-96 is the proponent are marked with an asterisk (*). The proponent publication for other terms is listed in parentheses after the definition.

Entries are by paragraph number.