Ibolc Entrance Exam Study Guide

An instinctive process by which you receive, plan, and execute a mission. A way of thinking.
-Receive the mission
-Issue the warning order
-Make a tentative plan
-Initiate movement
-Conduct Reconnaissance
-Complete the plan
-Issue the complete Operations Order
-Supervise (inspect and rehearse)

METT-TC is a tool that assists in developing the situation you will encounter on the battlefield. Step one, Mission, refers to analyzing the commander's mission and intent and the mission essential task you have been assigned. This results in your restated mission, and allows you to then complete the estimate of the situation.
-Mission
-Enemy
-Terrain and Weather
-Troops Available
-Time
-Civilians

OAKOC is a tool that assists in your terrain analysis. You must consider every factor
-Observation and Fields of Fire(ability to see the battlefield and engage with fires)
-Avenues of Approach(air or ground route of an attacking force leading to its objective)
-Key Terrain(location which the control of affords a marked advantage to either combatant)
-Obstacles(existing or reinforcing obstacles that limit mobility)
-Cover and Concealment(terrain that provides protection from fire or observation)

The six war fighting functions depict the various capabilities in your unit. Your plan must take into consideration each of these systems.
-Intelligence
-Movement/Maneuver
-Fire Support
-Protection
-Sustainment
-Command and Control
-Leadership

The nine principles of war are not a checklist. They summarize the characteristics of successful Army Operations and must be taken into consideration in every operation.
-Mass
-Objective
-Surprise
-Security
-Maneuver
-Offensive
-Unity of Command
-Simplicity
-Economy of Force

The Tenets of Army Operations build on the Principles of War and further describe the characteristics of successful operations.
-Depth(extension of operations in time, space, and resources)
-Initiative(setting the terms of action throughout the operation)
-Versatility(ability to meet the global and diverse mission requirements of full spectrum ops)
-Agility(the ability to move and adjust quickly and easily)
-Synchronization(arranging activities in time, space, and purpose to mass maximum combat power at a decisive place and time)

The goal is to synchronize the elements of combat power to create overwhelming effects on the enemy at the decisive time and place in the battle in order to accomplish the mission.
-Firepower
-Leadership
-Information
-Protection
-Maneuver

The Army conducts four types of military operations that comprise the full spectrum of operations.
-Offensive
-Defense
-Support
-Stability

The definition of a decisive point varies depending on which FM you are reading.

A decisive point is a geographic place, specific key event, or enabling system that allows commanders to gain a marked advantage over an enemy and greatly influence the outcome of an attack.

The Commander's Intent will be developed by your commander. It is what he wants to accomplish during the mission regardless of how the situation develops. His intent will allow you to take the initiative to accomplish his mission as the battle unfolds

The Commander's Intent is a clear, concise statement of what the force must do and the conditions the force must meet to succeed with respect to the enemy, terrain, and the desired end state.

Offensive operations seek to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative to defeat the enemy decisively.

-Surprise (attacking in a time, place, or manner for which the enemy is unprepared)
-Concentration (massing of overwhelming effects of combat power to achieve a single purpose)
-Audacity (a simple plan of action, boldly executed)
-Tempo (controlling the rate of action to retain the initiative)

An attack is one of four types of offensive operations (attack, movement to contact, exploitation, and pursuit). It is characterized as an offensive operation that seeks to destroy or defeat enemy forces and is comprised of three main types.
-Hasty Attack (limited planning and used to seize opportunities or initiative)
-Deliberate Attack (highly synchronized and planned attacks)
-Special Purpose Attack(6 types)
Spoiling Attack (used to disrupt enemy while he is in the process of planning or preparing to attack)
Counterattack (used by defending force to den the enemy his goal in attacking)
Raid (Usually a swift attack followed by a planned withdrawal)
Ambush (an attack from concealed positions on an enemy force/maximizes surprise)
Feint (a deceptive attack that seeks direct fire contact with enemy but avoids a decisive engagement/used to deceive enemy as to time and place of main attack)
Demonstration (a deceptive attack that avoids direct contact with enemy/used to deceive enemy as to time and place of main attack)

Defensive operations are designed to defeat enemy attacks, buy time, economize forces, and develop conditions favorable for resuming offensive operations

-Preparation (arrive before the attacker and use available time to prepare)
-Massing Effects (mass the effects of overwhelming combat power where you choose)
-Security (deceive the enemy of friendly locations, strengths and weaknesses)
-Disruption (actions designed to disrupt attacker's tempo and synchronization to prevent them from massing combat power)
-Flexibility (ability to reposition combat power to defeat enemy attacks)

When you conduct urban operations the below fundamentals must be understood and applied. Your operations must always take into account the below fundamentals.
-Perform focused information operations and aggresive intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance
-Conduct close combat
-Avoid the attrition approach
-Control the essential
-Minimize collateral damage
-Separate combatants from noncombatants
-Restore essential services
-Preserve critical infrastructure
-Understand the human dimension
-Transition control

-Movement ot Contact, Search and Attack technique
-Attack on a single axis -
-Attack on multiple axes
-Cordon and attack
-Fix and Bypass
-Multiple nodal attacks

-Recon the Objective
-Move to the Objective
-Isolate the Objective
-Secure a foothold
-Clear an Urban area
-Consolidate/Reorganize and prepare for future operations

-Situation
-Mission (who, what, when, where, why)
-Execution
-Service and Support
-Command and Signal