There are many things you must consider when you develop the R&S plan. You will probably have to think about fire support, maneuver, engineer augmentation, and command and control (C2). You will also want to make sure the R&S plan fits into your commander’s overall scheme of maneuver.
You will want to make sure the R&S plan is closely tied to fire support and maneuver for the CR mission as well. You can synchronize these elements by completing the synchronization matrix as a staff. Once again, completing the matrix can only be done by war gaming.
We have discussed IPB and the importance of doing as much as you can ahead of time. The primary reason for this is because you will not have a lot of time for in-depth analysis in the field.
On one hand, your higher headquarters normally gives you a deadline to develop and forward a copy of your R&S plans to them. You want to get your assets out looking as soon as possible. On the other hand, you may feel you have to wait until your subordinates give you their R&S plans.
Do not wait! “Time is blood!” The faster your R&S assets are out looking, the more time they will have to find what you want.
Do not delay your planning because you do not have a complete situation template, or because you do not have all your subordinate units’ plans. If necessary, give your R&S assets an initial mission and update the mission when you have had the time to do more detailed planning.
The technique that allows you, your subordinate units, and your higher headquarters to conduct R&S planning simultaneously is the use of limits of responsibility. A limit of responsibility is a boundary defining where a particular unit should concentrate its R&S efforts.
In essence, a limit of responsibility is a “no further than” line; it tells the unit, “your R&S responsibility stops here.” Figure 2-15 is an example of limits of responsibility for battalions, brigades, and divisions. They may be tied to a unit’s AI or may depend entirely on mission, enemy, terrain, time, and troops available (METT-T).
The key is that limits of responsibility allow each echelon to formulate its R&S plan independently. It is important to note that an R&S plan is never a finished product. Because the situation and the operational plan will most likely change, the R&S plan must change to fit them.
This chapter discussed R&S and CR definitions, PIR, the contributions of IPB to R&S, and limits of responsibility. If you understand these concepts, you have a solid foundation on which to build your R&S plan. The next chapter talks about assets you may have available to you. These will be the bricks for you to actually build your plan.
Figure 2-15. R&S limits of responsibility.