Estimate of the Situation – Practical Application 1
THINGS TO THINK
ELEMENT FACTS FROM HIGHER’S ORDER
Specified Mission: You are a SE. On
order (O/O) you will destroy the enemy
on Co Obj A in order to prevent the
enemy from interfering with the company
M main effort attack.
Co Cmdr’s Endstate:
Enemy destroyed, Bekal Village secured,
Mission and forward passage of lines with Echo
Company complete.
SALUTE: There is an enemy platoon
reinforced in three squad battle positions
defending the town of Bekal. They are
preparing defensive positions in order to
block our offensive toward the northwest.
They are armed with Soviet Block small
arms, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs),
light and medium machine guns and
have limited indirect fire capability from
82mm mortars. The en is wearing
woodland pattern utility uniforms.
Yesterday Scout/Sniper teams identified
E an en sqd (+) establishing a deliberate
defensive BP on the forward military
crest of hill 207 (Co Obj A). The defense
Enemy appears to have been improved for
several days already since they have
triple strand concertina wire obstacles,
sand bags, hardening materials, and
supplementary fighting positions built on
flanks. The Scout/Sniper teams also
identified an en FTm (+) LP/OP on hill
183. The FTm (+) was dug in and had a
radio. No en patrols were sighted.
DRAW-D: The platoon reinforced is
capable of defending when engaged and
is also capable of bring up
reinforcements in 3 hours.
ASSUMPTIONS & RECON INFO
ABOUT
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, Implied Mission: Prevent the EN from
WHERE, & WHY: interfering with the company main effort
attack.
(Your task from Higher’s
Order) Be prepared to continue the attack.
Higher commander’s intent Be prepared to support the company main
effort attack by fire.
Be prepared to repel enemy reinforcements
approaching through the town of Bekal.
CMP/DIST/STR: SALUTE The enemy squad has been reinforced with a
machine gun team and will utilize its LP/OP
CAP/LIM: DRAW-D (EN on hill 183) for early warning. The
enemy does not have any patrols out and is
Based on your estimate of relying on the LP/OP for security.
the situation (METT-T), The enemy has oriented his fighting positions
determine your enemy’s: including a machine gun team NE on the
CG, CV, and EMPCOA (see main avenue of approach.
below) The enemy is well prepared to stay and fight,
but is stretched out over 3 KM. The
supplementary fighting positions built on the
two flanks are likely intended for the least
engaged squad to displace into from the far
side of the platoon BP. On contact, the
enemy will defend, call for reinforcements
and then displace the least engaged unit into
those supplementary positions.
 Estimate of the Situation – Practical Application 1
ELEMENT FACTS FROM HIGHER’S ORDER
Bekal Village is uninhabited as the
majority of the locals joined the tide of
refugees when the violence began three
weeks ago. The village is mainly
comprised of one story brick and adobe
houses that now serve as a weapons and
supply cache for enemy forces operating
in this area. The terrain is comprised of
dry plains along with hills that rise
steadily into the piedmont of the Halsob
Mountain range 30km to the Northwest.
The vegetation is made up of primarily
grassy plains (that turn dusty after the
summer’s heat) with low scrub brush and
T hardy forests with evergreen and
hardwood trees. Visibility in the AO is
approximately 1000m from the hilltops,
Terrain and
300m from the low lands, and not more
Weather than 100m in the forested areas. BN
Scout/ Snipers have identified that hill
154 provides better than 2000m visibility
West down the MSR.
THINGS TO THINK
ASSUMPTIONS & RECON INFO
ABOUT
OKOCA-W (Obstacles, Obstacles: Enemy obstacle belts in front of
Key Terrain, Observation, the BPs.
Cover & Concealment,
Avenues of Approach, and Key Terrain: Hill 183 will serve as an
Weather) excellent support by fire position, but must
be seized from the en LP/OP.
Observation: Visibility from Higher’s Order.
Cover and Concealment: Good
concealment in the dense vegetation and
good cover when hills are between enemy
and friendly. Vegetation west of hill 165 and
183 will provide good concealment during
approach. The dense vegetation south of Co
Obj A will provide concealment for our
movement into the Plt Aslt POS. (MAP
RECON)
Avenues of Approach: Rt Gold is a good
avenue of approach to the Obj as it is the
most direct from our position. The enemy
will focus down that avenue and thus allow us
to move around to his western flank
undetected.
Weather: The sunny skies and light breeze
will not hide our movement or noise like
wind, low visibility and rain would but will
allow the enemy to further prepare his
positions and stay alert.
 Estimate of the Situation – Practical Application 1
ELEMENT FACTS FROM HIGHER’S ORDER
Three squads in the platoon.
One medium machine gun squad. Two
SMAW teams.
Platoon has priority of 81mm mortars
until Co Objective A is secure.
T The Company has priority of Artillery, but
we are second in the company for
artillery.
Troops and
Fire The Company 60mm Mortars are in GS of
Support the company but we are third in the
Available company for 60s.
2 day of supply (DOS) for ammo, chow,
water.
3 sets flex cuffs and 3 pole–less litter per
squad.
It is now 0730, so we have 8 hours to
prep and cross the LD by the Time of
Attack at 1530.
The EN has had several days and 24
T hours since they were observed
yesterday and will have at least 8 more
hours before we load the Ass Pos.
Time
THINGS TO THINK
ASSUMPTIONS & RECON INFO
ABOUT
Your unit’s task We can request fires primarily from 81s but
organization can also request artillery and 60s until
company objective A is secure.
Attachments identified in
higher order Our platoon will likely need resupply after the
attack and Company Objective A is secure.
Supporting identified in
higher order
Logistics
How much time will you Dismounted infantry can move about
have? 2km/hour over cross-country unopposed so it
will take about an hour and a half for us to
How long will it take your move from the LD to the Co Obj A. (MAP
unit to get where you have RECON)
to go or do what you need
to do? The EN will have had several days and about
10 hours to prepare before we reach the
How much time will the objective.
enemy have had by the
time you get there or he
gets here?
 Estimate of the Situation – Practical Application 1
Your estimate of the situation above allows you to determine your EMPCOA, EN CG, and EN CV. These have been done for you
below.
- Use the EMPCOA to develop your own scheme of maneuver.
- Use the CG to find the CV and then determine how to exploit that CV.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT ASSUMPTIONS AND RESULTING DETERMINATIONS
Based on your estimate of the situation you EMPCOA: I believe our enemy squad has placed his machine gun on
EMPCOA determine the details of what you think the a PDF down the MSR. Since he has an LP/OP out, I believe the
enemy will do. Includes assessment of enemy will not conduct any patrols. I do not believe the enemy will
what DRAW-D he will do and all other have any forces in the supplementary positions adjacent to our
Enemy Most assumptions you have about him. objective or be able to shift forces into those positions based on the
Probable Course EMPCOA is critical to developing your own company’s SOM.
of Action scheme of maneuver— to counter what the
enemy will do.

Those factors critical to the enemy that he CG: Enemy’s CG is his well prepared and hardened defensive
CG cannot do without, which, if eliminated will positions.
bend him most quickly to our will. The
enemy’s key strength is usually a thing,
Center of Gravity
unit, or capability.

A vulnerability that, if exploited, will do the CV: The enemy’s critical vulnerability his exposed right (western)
CV most significant damage to the
enemy's ability to resist us. His key
flank.

weakness that provides me with a pathway

Critical to attack his Center of Gravity.
Vulnerability