BCT FSCOORD in OIF: targeting by LOOs.

The targeting meeting at the brigade combat team (BCT) level is the most important meeting of the week--at least that is the mantra with the 2nd Infantry BCT (IBCT), 2nd Infantry Division, currently forward deployed in east Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

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The 2nd IBCT is focused on multiple operations simultaneously to return Baghdad--deemed the "center of gravity" for Iraq--to provincial Iraqi control by late summer 2007. Provincial Iraqi control would mean that the Baghdad province is self-governing and provides its own security, an incredible undertaking within a limited time span.

How does the 2nd IBCT "get at it"? Through line-of-operation (LOO) targeting. Brigades are resource managers and synchronizers for their battalions to ensure critical assets are at the right place and time for the success of their subordinate units. LOO targeting helps keep units on track and focused on each of the multiple LOOs.

Training for the Targeting Meetings. The biggest challenge for a developing organization is conducting the targeting meeting. Training environments don't inject enough of the realistic problem sets into scenarios designed to train the development and running of an effective targeting meeting. In training, our brigade talked about the targeting meeting; we attended briefings and concepts on how to run the targeting meeting; we even went to the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, and attempted to run a targeting meeting there.

But the concepts and methods did not "click" across the brigade staff and battalions until we were in the midst of our relief-in-place (RIP) and transition of authority (TOA). Suddenly, the complexity of the environment and the competition for resources identified the need for a developed method of targeting to complete the BCT commander's mission and achieve his end state.

The battalions require focus for success, and the brigade staff requires focus to ensure the battalions' requirements are satisfied. Here's where the BCT fire support coordinator (FSCOORD) comes in.

The BCT FSCOORD. In today's environment, the BCT FSCOORD looks at more than just fire support integration. He is expected to integrate all lethal fires and nonlethal effects. For every kinetic operation, the BCT FSCOORD must weave in a number of before, during and after nonlethal effects to ensure the BCT is on track and aware of second and third order effects. He is also the targeting bridge between the battalions and the brigade.

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The battalions' fire support officers (FSOs) share the same "effects" role and also look out to their battalions' long-term operations. They ensure the missions and operations at the battalion level have the long-term significance with task and purpose to achieve their battalion commanders' and, ultimately, the brigade commander's end states.

Finally, the FSCOORD is the bridge between the S2 and S3. As intelligence develops and maneuver assets are required, the FSCOORD determines the priority of missions and assets in support of the overall brigade planning effort. Intelligence drives operations, targeting and effects prioritize the assets and point to the proper course of action, and operations allocate the assets for mission success.

Targeting Meeting. The 2nd IBCT's targeting meeting is conducted weekly. See Figure 1 for the meeting attendees. Each battalion provides the brigade commander its top three targeting priorities by LOO. In our brigade, we use the following four LOOs: security, transition, economics/governance and communications.

The battalions each brief their top three priorities within their LOOs as they compete for assets. See Figure 2 for the targeting meeting agenda. During the meeting, essential staff members are present to understand the overall concept and help the battalions, as necessary.

The focus of the entire meeting is bottom-up. After the S2, S3 and FSCOORD explain the threats over the next week, the adjacent unit operations over the next seven days that may impact on future operations and the focus of efforts in respect to the commander's end state, the units brief the main effort. Each LOO is briefed by all battalions, and the staff listens to each of the battalion's top three targets. The battalions define their targets using the target, purpose, method, assess and end state methodology.

Security LOO. For the security LOO, the targets are linked to a specific cell and tied to a named operation. Given the assets available in a battalion, the number of named operations in a given week is manageable, but what can occur is "resource fratricide." If each battalion decides to conduct an operation on the same day, the BCT resources are not available or, worse, the division's main effort is elsewhere.

The FSCOORD and S3 planner attempt to coordinate operations along BCT boundaries to complement each other or divert operations, other than time-sensitive operations, to de-conflict resource requests. This LOO drives the calendar of events for the BCT S2, the collection manager (to prioritize collection assets) and the S3 for fragmentary orders (FRAGOs) to prioritize and allocate essential resources to units for upcoming operations.

Transition LOO. For this LOO, the targets currently are the "frictions" in transitioning security over to Iraqi forces. Engagements with Iraqi counterparts or requested engagements by higher headquarters can better shape the transition efforts.

This LOO drives the calendar of events for the BCT liaison officer and NCOs working with Iraqi counterpart units.

Economics/Governance LOO. The targets in this LOO are means to help the district councils and neighborhood councils achieve legitimacy both within their own governmental structure and among the community. The targets can range from projects to improve issues plaguing the councils to meeting engagements with critical leaders to improve legitimacy within the community.

This LOO drives the calendar of events for the upcoming week for the BCT civil affairs (CA) officer (S9) and the CA team (CAT) detachment commander.

Communications LOO. For the communications LOO, the targets are events to exploit--successful partnership operations, upcoming project completions, upcoming humanitarian assistance missions or certain populations requiring special focus. The brigade has a number of assets to help the units with their targeting requests: tactical psychological operations (PSYOP) teams (TPTs), Combat Camera, public affairs (PA) reporters, embedded media, radio and television airtime, etc.

This LOO drives the calendar of events for the upcoming week for the BCT information operations (IO) officer (S9), senior PSYOP NCO, TPT detachment, the PA team and Combat Camera.

Prioritizing Targets. After the meeting, the BCT FSCOORD, S3 and S2 prioritize all the targets for the brigade. In a brigade with four maneuver battalions, there will be about 12 targets, three per LOO per week. Once the commander approves the prioritized targets, they are published and then the staff is in motion until the following week's targeting meeting. (See Figure 3.)

These methods and techniques are one way to tackle targeting in the complex environment of Iraq, revolving around four different LOOs. The brigade must focus simultaneously on all four LOOs to achieve successful effects within a constrained timeline. The targeting meeting focuses the battalions and staff for optimal efficiency and steers the course through the commander's vision to his final endstate.

Major Christopher W. Wendland is the Brigade Fire Support Coordinator (FSCOORD) for the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 2nd Infantry Division, currently deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) V. In his previous assignments, he was a Fire Support Officer (FSO), Fire Direction Officer (FDO), Firing Platoon Leader and Service Battery Executive Officer (XO) with 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery (4-1 FA), 1st Armored Division, at Fort Riley, Kansas; an FSO and FDO in Seoul, Korea, in support of the Combined/Joint Forces G3 Deep Operations; and a Battalion S2, Maintenance Officer and Battery Commander with 1-27 FA, 41st FA Brigade, in Germany. During OIF I, he commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st FA Brigade, V Corps Artillery. He holds a Master of Science in Space Systems Operations from Webster University at St. Louis, Missouri.

By Major Christopher W. Wendland

Command Group
* DCO
* XO

Intelligence Cell
* S2
* Assistant S2
* S2 Planner
* Collection Manager

Maneuver/Mobility
* S3
* S3 Plans
* Engineer
* EWO
* PMO
* BAE

Effects Cell
* FSCOORD
* Targeting Officer
* Targeting NCO
* ALO
* S7
* IQATF
* PSYOP
* S9
* CA
* PAO
* SJA

Admin/Logistics Cell
* S4
* S1/S4 Representative (Rep)
* S6 Rep
* Medical Operations Rep

Unit Rep.
* 1-26 Spader (North)
* 1-8 Mustang (Central)
* 2-17 Steel (West)
* 3-61 Destroyer (Southeast)
* 2, BSTB, Diehard
* 2 BSB, Strike Support
* 759th MP Battalion, Sentinel

Legend:
ALO = Air Liaison Officer
BAE = Brigade Aviation Element
BSB = Brigade Support Battalion
BSTB = Brigade Special Troops Battalion
CA = Civil Affairs
DCO = Deputy Commanding Officer
EWO = Electronic Warfare Officer
FSCOORD = Fire Support Coordinator
IQATF = Iraqi Advisor Task Force
MP = Military Police
PAO = Public Affairs Officer
PMO = Provost Marshal Officer
PSYOP = Psychological Operations
SJA = Staff Judge Adjutant
XO = Executive Officer

Figure 1: Attendees of the Brigade Combat Team's (BCT's) Weekly
Targeting Meeting

1. S2 Update (5 Min)
* Light/Weather for the Week
* Intel Assessment of the AO for the Next 7 Days
* Current PIRs (Division and BCT)
* BCT HVTL, Division HVTL
* Significant Cultural Events to Impact Future Operations

2. S3 Update (5 Min)
* Status of Current Operations and Future Impacts
* Current EEFI and FFIR
* Division Directed and Implied Tasks
* Adjacent Units' Ops Affecting BCT Ops for Next 7 Days
* Task Organization Review and Troop-to-Task

3. FSCOORD (5 Min)
* Campaign Plan Changes
* Current HPTL (Division and BCT)
* Review of Last Week's Issues

4. Battalion Targeting Priorities by LOO (40 Min, 10 Min per LOO)
* Security (North, Central, West, Southeast)
* Transition (North, Central, West, Southeast)
* Governance/Economics (North, Central, West, Southeast)
* Communications (North, Central, West, Southeast)

5. Command Group Comments (5 Min)

Legend:
AO = Area of Operation
BCT = Brigade Combat Team
EEFI = Essential Elements of Friendly Information
FFIR = Friendly Forces Information Requirements
HPTL = High-Payoff Target List
HVTL = High-Value Target List
LOO = Line of Operation
PIRs = Priority Intelligence Requirements

Figure 2: BCT Targeting Meeting Agenda

BCT
Priority  Target                                           Unit[degrees]

Security (ISR Priorities and S3 Mission Focus)
1         IED Network ("Named" HVIs Associated with Cell)  Bn AO
2         VBIED Cell ("Named" HVIs Associated with Cell)   Bn AO
3         Security along a "Named Route"                   Bn AO

Transition (SOI Priorities)
1         Joint Security Station Establishment             Bn AO
2         Appointment of New IA Commander                  Bn AO
3         Integration of a "Named ISF" Unit into Bn AO     Bn AO

Governance/Economics (S9/CA Priorities)
1         DC Assassination Consequence Management          Bn AO
2         DC Chairman Meeting across BCT AO                All
3         Conduct of an Economic Reconnaissance            All

Communications (PAO/PSYOP/IO Priorities)
1         "Named" Mosque Condolence Payment                Bn AO
2         Announcement of "Named" Bank Opening             Bn AO
3         ISF Run MEDOP in "Named" Town                    West

BCT
Priority  Desired Effects                        Method

Security (ISR Priorities and S3 Mission Focus)
1         Reduce IED attacks on the ISF and      "Named" Operation
          Coalition Forces.
2         Deny VBIED activity in the "named"     ISR/Engineer/MiTT
          district.                              Coordination
3         Reduce attacks on the route for        ISR/Patrols
          freedom of maneuver.

Transition (SOI Priorities)
1         Improve cooperation and increase       SOI/MiTT/NPTT/
          security.                              PTTCoordination
2         Improve visible security in AO.        SOI/MiTT Coordination
3         Improve team relationships; improve    "Named" Operation
          ISF relationships.

Governance/Economics (S9/CA Priorities)
1         Help transition and provide sympathy.  SOI/CA
2         Gain political support for future      SOI/CA/PRT
          operations.
3         Identify methods to employ for local   "Named" Operation
          nationals.

Communications (PAO/PSYOP/IO Priorities)
1         Regain mosque and local support.       PSYOP/IO/SOI
2         Increase legitimacy of governance.     PSYOP/IO/PAO/CA
3         Inform local populace; showcase ISF    PSYOP/IO/PAO/CA
          support.

Legend:
Bn = Battalion
DC = District Council
HVIs = High Value Individuals
IA = Iraqi Army
IED = Improvised Explosive Device
IO = Information Operations
ISF = Iraqi Security Forces
ISR = Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
MEDOP = Medical Operation
MiTT = Military Transition Team
NPTT = National Police Transition Team
PRT = Provincial Reconstruction Team
PTT = Police Transition Team
SOI = Sphere of Influence
VBIED = Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device

Figure 3: BCT Targets Prioritized by LOO for One Week. These priorities
become the enduring staff focus for the week, pending any time-sensitive
targets (TSTs). Resources the BCT can't provide or issues it can't
resolve internally are sent to division and addressed in order of
priority; the brigade also leverages the division commander's update
briefing (CUB) to gain resources or resolve issues.