Integrating The Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

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Integrating the Maneuver Enhancement Brigades into Corps and Division Operations

Maneuver enhancement brigades (MEBs) were activated in 2007, and since then, the Mission Command Training Program’s (MCTP) annual Key Observations reports continue to highlight that integrating them into corps and divisions and synchronizing their activities with the larger scheme of maneuver is still a challenge. When I asked the MEB integrator at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCOE) what the biggest inhibitors were to achieving better integration of MEBs at corps and divisions and synchronizing their activities with corps and divisions operations. The answer was surprisingly simple and echoed a variation of the old military maxim of the seven Ps – proper prior planning and practice prevents poor performance. First, corps and divisions need to fund the MEB’s participation in all corps and division military decision-making process (MDMP) planning events and rehearsals. Second, role and responsibilities for the rear command post (RCP) and the MEB must be clearly delineated and codified during planning.

The MEB integrator’s response points to poor planning as the root cause of the problem. This article offers commanders and staff at corps and division levels a non-exhaustive list of considerations and best practices to complement their planning processes. The structure mirrors the operations process of plan, prepare, execute, and assess with setting the conditions added to provide key pre-operations process activities to lay the groundwork that helps ensure a smoother transition to planning. Although the focus is on MEB integration, these considerations and best practices are also applicable to other Component (COMPO) 2 and 3 units.

All 19 MEBs are either COMPO 2 or COMPO 3 and each is a multifunctional headquarters with limited organic structure. The MEB’s mission is to provide mission command (MC) for a tailored force that conducts support area operations by employing assigned or attached capabilities to support the conduct of decisive action and stability operations in support of the Army’s divisions, corps, and joint, interagency or multinational headquarters to assure the mobility, security, protection, and freedom of action of the supported force. The task organization required for the MEB to accomplish its mission is based on mission requirements and identified during planning.

The Army National Guard Bureau aligned each MEB to a corps or division, as depicted in Figure 1. The intent is to establish a habitual relationship between MEBs and the corps or division they are aligned with. Thus, improved planning and coordination efforts between all involved. Frequently exercising this relationship allows corps and division and their aligned MEBs to identify and work through integration and synchronization issues. They also identify mitigation strategies for resource shortfalls. There is also the opportunity to refine their respective tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Figure 1. Army National Guard Bureau’s Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Alignment

Setting the Conditions

As COMPO 2 and 3 units, there is no command relationship between MEBs and corps and divisions until after they are mobilized and attached to the gaining corps or division. This limitation requires corps and division commanders and staffs to actively cultivate a relationship well before the MEB’s mobilization. This reduces the friction normally associated with the establishment of any new supported-supporting relationship. The Army’s cyclical personnel assignment process requires corps and divisions to be deliberate and consistent in their effort to establish and maintain a working relationship with the MEB. Below are some recommended best practices:

Establish dialogue with the MEB’s key leaders – commander, command sergeant major (CSM), deputy commander, executive officer, operations officer, etc. – to establish and maintain shared understanding. The objective is for corps, division, and the MEB to have a clear understanding of each other’s capabilities, limitations, dependencies, SOPs, planning horizons, TTPs, and current and future operations.
Corps and division G-2, Intelligence, obtain specific intelligence and assessment requirements from the MEB. This way the G-2 can factor in the MEB’s requirements before conducting intelligence preparation of the operating environment (IPOE).
Have commander-to-commander discussion on expectations. Provide commander’s intent and guidance to the MEB on operations in the rear and support areas. The discussion should also include the delineation of roles and responsibilities between the MEB and the RCP. The roles and responsibilities must be codified in corps and division tactical standard operating procedures (TACSOPs) once agreed upon by the commanders.
Establish and codify a “plan to plan” with the MEB’s commander and staff. The plan should be incorporated into the corps and division battle rhythm to help ensure execution.
Corps and divisions must create engagement opportunities with their aligned MEB to gain familiarity to the MEB and to also build and strengthen the bonds of trust that are crucial for success during exercises and operations. This includes, but is not limited to:
Get the MEB’s monthly drill and annual training (AT) schedule and coordinate a visit with them.
Provide MEBs with corps and division exercises or training events which would be mutually beneficial for them to support or participate in. The MEB’s ability to participate and their level of participation must be deconflicted with their drill and annual training schedule and funding limitations.
Invite the MEB’s leadership to attend key corps and division battle rhythm events (e.g., plans update, operations synchronization, logistics synchronization, semi-annual training brief, etc.) to create and maintain shared understanding. The means and methods to accomplish this must be addressed (i.e., in person, Microsoft Teams, secure video teleconference, etc.).
Explore and maximize the use of active duty for operational support, or some other funding mechanism. Bring onboard key MEB personnel to support corps and division planning efforts. Conversely, corps and division can send planners to the MEB during their monthly drills or annual training if time and circumstances permit.

Planning Phase

There is less friction during the transition to planning and subsequent phases if corps and divisions are successful in setting the conditions. This requires that corps and divisions monitor, assess, and adjust (as necessary) their setting efforts. Appendix A, Example MDMP with recommended best practices, provides amplifying details to supplement this phase. The following are some recommended best practices for the planning phase when a mission is received or anticipated:

Request key planners from the MEB to participate for the entirety of MDMP. They provide the MEB’s perspective and requirements as it relates to their mission in the rear and support areas. The MEB’s task organization and resource shortfalls are identified upon conclusion of mission analysis, which are then given to the proper staff sections for appropriate action. The resulting planning products (e.g., situation template, modified combined obstacle overlay (MCOO), civil considerations, etc.) enable the MEB to further their own planning and preparation. See Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 2-01.3, Intelligence Preparation of the Operating Environment for additional details.
Have MEB prepare and submit initial running estimates and other “fighting products” (e.g., synchronization and decision support matrices, etc.) along with a submission timeline for updates to these products.
Corps and division commanders provide their intent and clear and concise guidance to the MEB commander – priorities by phase, objectives, desired end state, and risk acceptance.
Corps and division identify liaison officers (LNOs) needed from the MEB. This mitigates integration issues and helps ensure and maintain shared understanding throughout the operations process between corps, division, and the MEB. It is recommended that MEB LNOs are sourced with the following corps and division staff sections: G-2, Intelligence; G-3, Operations; G-4, Logistics; G-5, Plans; G-33, Current Operations; G-34, Protection; and G-35, Future Operations.
Corps and division commander’s assign an area of operation (AO) to the MEB, normally the support area. This decision is informed by mission analysis and IPOE. It is recommended that the corps and division commanders delegate tactical control of all friendly forces for protection, defense, and security to the MEB commander.
The MEB’s participation in the protection working group better informs protection-related decisions since the bulk of the corps and division protection capabilities (e.g., military police; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN); engineers, etc.) are located in the rear area.
Ensure that MEB planners engage in developing the risk assessment plan for operations in the rear and support areas. See Appendix B, Risk Management in the MDMP for additional details.
Corps, divisions, and MEBs operational activities must be underpinned by deliberate collection and assessment plans to maintain shared understanding of current and future operations, and any adjustments made to the plans.
The corps and division must develop a plan for consolidating gains. The rear area expands as the operation unfolds and maneuver forces move forward. It is beyond the MEB’s capability to control or manage at some point unless augmented with additional resources or the rear area’s boundaries are adjusted. A tactical combat force (TCF) must be planned as part of the MEB’s task organization so that they are able to respond to Level III threats or bypassed enemy units.
Ensure that MEB has a clear understanding of commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs), particularly those that pertain to the rear and support area.
Although not specific to the MEB, the corps and division must ensure that knowledge management processes and procedures, including the systems used therein, are codified in the unit TACSOP. “A way” to do this is to ask the following questions:
What do I know?
Who needs to know?
Have I told them?
Was information received and understood?
The corps and division prepare and produce orders, estimates, and other staff products upon the commander’s approval of a course of action. An indicator of how well the MEB has been integrated into the corps and division is the clear alignment of task, purpose, and intent with that of the corps and division when the MEB publishes their order.
Schedule a confirmation brief and/or backbrief with the MEB to ensure shared understanding across the corps and division.

Preparation Phase

This phase assumes that the MEB has been mobilized and has been attached to the corps and division. As with the other steps in the operations process, “prepare” is continuous and is informed by assessments. Some recommended best practices are:

The corps and division obtain from the MEB specific information to get accountability of the MEB and its starting combat strength. It is critical that each corps and division staff section engage with either the MEB LNOs or their counterparts at the MEB to get information pertinent to their staff sections. Some important considerations include but are not limited to:
Detailed personnel breakdown of the MEB’s task-organization.
Detailed breakdown of MEB mission essential equipment and its current readiness. Corps and division G-4 must have visibility of on-hand supply of class I (rations), III (bulk fuel, POL), critical class V (ammunition), VII (major end items), and IX (repair parts) stockage levels required to sustain operations.
Ensure embarkation data and all other required information and documents required by the supporting installation to receive and process the MEB’s personnel and equipment for deployment are accurate. This must be submitted in a timely manner so that the supporting installation can effectively and efficiently conduct deployment operations. Corps and division’s deployment from fort to the area of operations will be contested so corps and divisions, in coordination with the supporting installation, must plan accordingly.
Conduct functional checks of all command and control systems to ensure that corps, divisions, and MEBs can communicate. Any issues or shortfalls, as well as a primary, alternate, contingency, emergency plan, must be identified and resolved before deploying.
The corps and division review the battle rhythm with the MEB and provide them with expectations associated with it (i.e., required participants, inputs, outputs, etc.).
The corps and division schedule and conduct rehearsals with the MEB to synchronize staff processes and procedures and help identify any gaps or issues with the plan.

Execution Phase

The MEB’s planning and operations can remain integrated and synchronized with corps and division operations throughout execution, by implementing the following best practices:

The corps and division receive and integrate MEB LNOs identified during the planning phase into corps and division battle rhythm events (i.e., bureaus, boards, centers, cells, and working groups).
The corps, divisions, and MEBs actively monitor and assess operations to make timely decisions based on operational assessments (e.g., adjust control measures to deconflict space and control movements, adjust boundaries, modify airspace control measures, adjust protection priorities, etc.).

Assessment Phase

Assessments, and their associated measures of effectiveness and performance, must be continuous, deliberately planned for, appropriately prioritized, and properly resourced so that they can inform subsequent planning, preparation, and execution activities. This requires the corps, division, and MEB to identify specific information requirements that are needed to monitor and analyze conditions in the rear and support area. Doing so allows corps and division commanders to make timely decisions that affects current and future MEB operations. Thus, driving the commander and staff to fight the enemy and not the plan. Questions to help inform the assessment process are:

How will we know we are achieving commander’s intent and meeting intermediate objectives?
What information do we need?
Who is best postured to provide that information?
How has the operating environment (OE) changed?
Why do we think the change occurred?
Do changes in the OE impose additional risk or provide additional opportunities?
Is the current plan still suitable to achieve the objectives?
What do we need to do?

Conclusion

The best practices in the preceding pages are merely starting points for corps and divisions. Best practices were informed by relevant doctrinal publications, MCTP’s key observations, unit after action reports (AARs), key leader interviews, and relevant training and evaluation outlines obtained from the Central Army Registry (CAR). Corps and divisions must temper and tailor each recommendation to meet requirements unique to their organization and operating environment. The more “sets and reps” with the MEB that corps and divisions can perform while in garrison, the more it helps improve MEB integration during each step of the operations process and validates the truism of the 7 Ps - proper prior planning and practice prevents poor performance.

Appendix A