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ADP 3-90 & ADRP 3-90 Offense and Defense 

1. Q. What does ADP 3-90 cover?
A: Offense and Defense

2. Q. Para 1. What is Tactics?
A: is the Employment and Ordered Arrangement of Forces in Relation to each other

3. Q. Para 3. What do Tactical Operations Always Require?
A: Tactical Operations Always Require Judgment and Adaptation to the Unique Circumstances of a Specific Situation

4. Q. Para 3. What provides Commanders with a Set of Tools to use in Developing a Solution to a Tactical Problem?
A: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) 

5. Q. Para 5. What is an Engagement?
A: An Engagement is a Tactical Conflict, usually Between Opposing, Lower Echelon Maneuver Force


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6. Q. Para 5. How long do Engagements Usually Last?
A: They are Usually Short, Executed in terms of Minutes, Hours, or Days

7. Q. Para 6. What is a Battle?
A: a Battle Consists of a Set of related Engagements that lasts Longer and Involves Larger Forces than an Engagement

8. Q. Para 8. Why must Commanders Master the Art of Science and Tactics?
A: to Solve the Problems that will Face them on the Battlefield


9. Q. Para 8. What does the Acronym METT-TC stand for?

A: Mission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support available, Time available, and Civil considerations

10. Q. Para 9. Why must Commanders Continue to Change their Tactics?

A: Because the Enemy Changes and Adapts to Friendly Moves during the Planning, Preparation, and Execution of an Operation, there is No Guarantee that Tactics which worked in one Situation will work Again


11. Q. Para 10. What does Every Commander Need to Outwit a Willing and Able Opponent?

A: a High Degree of Creativity and Clarity of Thought 


12. Q. Para 11. What makes Combat one of the Most Complex Human Activities?

A: Because Combat is Characterized by Violent Death, Friction, Uncertainty, and Chance. 


13. Q. Para13. What is the Science of Tactics?

A: The Science of tactics Encompasses the Understanding of those Military Aspects of Tactics—Capabilities, Techniques, and Procedures—that can be Measured and Codified


14. Q. Para 14. What is a Hasty Operation?

A: an Operation in which a Commander Directs Immediately Available Forces, using Fragmentary Orders, to Perform Activities with Minimal Preparation, Trading Planning and Preparation Time for Speed of Execution 

15. Q. Para 14. What is an Example of a Hasty Operation?

A: The 9th Armored Division’s Seizure of the Bridge at Remagen in March 1945


16. Q. Para 14. What is a Deliberate Operation?

A: an Operation in which the Tactical Situation allows the Development and Coordination of Detailed Plans, including Multiple Branches and Sequels


17. Q. Para 14. What is an Example of a Deliberate Operation?

A: The 1st Infantry Division’s Breach Operation during the Opening hours of Operation Desert Storm in 1991

18. Q. Para 15. What does the Commander base the Decision to Conduct a Hasty or Deliberate Operation on?

A: Current Knowledge of the Situation and an Assessment of whether the Assets Available (to include time) and the Means to Coordinate and Synchronize those Assets are Adequate to Accomplish the Mission


19. Q. Para 16. What are the Two Things Inherent in Tactical Operations?

A: Uncertainty and Risk 


20. Q. Para 17. When can a Commander be less Deliberate in Planning and Preparing for an Operation?

A: when Facing a Clearly Less Capable and Less Prepared Enemy


21. Q. Para 18. What is an Important Factor in Reducing Risk?

A: How much Intelligence is Available About the Enemy


22. Q. Para 19. How can a Commander Reduce Risk associated with Any Situation?

A: by Increasing Knowledge of the Terrain and Friendly, Neutral, and Enemy Forces

23. Q. Para 19. How does a Commander have a Greater Risk or Making a Poor Decision?

A: if that Individual’s Situational Understanding is Incomplete or Faulty


24. Q. Para 20. How can a Commander partially Compensate for a Lack of Intelligence?

A: by Being Flexible in Troop Dispositions through an Increase in the Depth of the Security Area, the Size and Number of Security
Units, and the Size of the Reserve


25. Q. Para 22. What is Joint Interdependence?

A: the Purposeful Reliance by one Service’s Forces on another Service’s Capabilities to Maximize the Complementary and Reinforcing Effects of both

26. Q. Para 23. What are the Twelve Principles of Joint Operations?

A: 1. Objective 2. Offensive 3. Mass 4. Maneuver 5. Economy of Force 6. Unity of Command 7. Security 8. Surprise 9. Simplicity 10. Perserverance 11. Legitimacy 12. Restraint


27. Q. Para 24. What are the Eight Operational Variables?

A: 1. Political 2. Military 3. Economic 4. Social 5. Information 6. Infrastructure 7. Physical Environment 8. Time 


28. Q. Para 24. What is Operational Variables?

A: those Aspects of the Operational Environment, both Military and Nonmilitary, that may differ from  one Operational Area to another and affect Operations 


29. Q. Para 25. What are the Six Mission Variables?

A: 1. Mission 2. Enemy 3. Terrain & Weather 4. Troops & support available 5. Time available 6. Civil considerations


30. Q. Para 25. What is Critical during the Military Decision-Making Process?

A: Analyzing Mission Variables


31. Q. Para 26.  What are the Fifteen Basic Tactical Concepts?

A: 1. Area of Operations 2. Combined Arms 3. Concept of Operaitons 4. Decisive Engagement 5. Defeat in Detail 6. Flanks 7. Maneuver 8. Operation 9. Operational Frameworks 10. Piecemeal Commitment 11. Reconstitution 12. Reserve 13. Rules of Engagement 14. Tactical Mobility 15. Uncommitted Forces

32. Q. Para 27. What are the Army’s Tactical Echelons?

A: the Fire Team or Crew, through the Squad, Section, Platoon, Company, Battalion, Brigade, and Division


33. Q. Para 28. What is Operational Initiative?

A: Setting or Dictating the Terms of Action throughout an Operation


34. Q. Para 28. How should Army Forces Strike the Enemy?

A: using Offensive Action in Times, Places, or Manners for which the Enemy is Not Prepared to Seize,  Retain, and Exploit the Operational Initiative


35. Q. Para 28. Defeating the Enemy will Ultimately Require what?

A: our Forces Being On the Offensive

36. Q. Para 29. What is the Main Purpose of the Offensive?

A: to Defeat, Destroy, or Neutralize the Enemy Force and to Secure Decisive Terrain, to Deprive the Enemy of Resources, to Gain
Information, to Deceive and Divert the Enemy, to Hold the Enemy in Position, to Disrupt his Attack, and to Set the Conditions for Future Successful Operations


37. Q. Para 30. What is the Main Feature of the Offensive Tasks?

A: Taking and Maintaining the Initiative


38. Q. Para 30. What Characterizes the Conduct of Offensive Tasks?

A: Audacity, Concentration, Surprise, and Tempo 


39. Q. Para 30. What is the Main Focus of the Commander for the Offense?

A: to Expedite the Outcome


40. Q. Para 31. If a Commander is in a Difficult Situation such as Numerical Inferiority, what could he do to have a Successful Outcome?

A: he Should Be Bold and Handle the Situation Audaciously


41. Q. Para 32. What is Concentration?

A: the Ability to Mass Effects Without Massing Large Formations and is therefore Essential for Achieving and Exploiting Success

42. Q. Para 33. How do Commanders Achieve Surprise?

A: by Striking the Enemy at a Time, Place, or Manner for which the Enemy is Not Physically or Mentally Ready and by Varying the Direction, Boldness, Means, and Force of the Attack


43. Q. Para 33. How does Surprise Effect the Enemy?

A: Surprise Delays Enemy Reactions, Overloads and Confuses Enemy Decisionmakers and Command and Control Systems, Induces  Psychological Shock in Enemy Soldiers and Leaders, and Reduces the Coherence of the Enemy Defense


44. Q. Para 33. What are some things Commanders can do to Gain Surprise?

A: Being Unpredictable and Using Military Deception, Cunning, and Guile also help to Gain Surprise

45. Q. Para 34. What is Tempo?

A: the Rate of Speed and Rhythm of Military Operations over Time with Respect to the Enemy


46. Q. Para 34. What is Essential for Maintaining the Initiative?

A: Controlling or Altering that Rate and Tempo


47. Q. Para 34. What Effect on the Enemy can an Aggressive Application of Maneuver and Fires? 

A: it Can Keep an Enemy Off Balance and in a Reactive State


48. Q. Para 34. What type of Tempo do Commanders want to Maintain Against the Enemy?

A: a Tempo that Maintains Relentless Pressure on the Enemy to Prevent the Enemy from Recovering from the Shock and Effects of the Attack


49. Q. Para 35. What are the Four Primary Offensive Tasks? 

A: Movement to Contact, Attack, Exploitation and Pursuit


50. Q. Para 36. What is Movement to Contact?

A: an Offensive Task Designed to Develop the Situation and to Establish or Regain Contact


51. Q. Para 36. What is the Goal of Movement to Contact?

A: to Make Initial Contact with a Small Element while Retaining Enough Combat Power to Develop the Situation and Mitigate the Associated Risk

52. Q. Para 37. What is Attack?

A: an Offensive Task that Destroys or Defeats Enemy Forces, Seizes and Secures Terrain, or Both


53. Q. Para 37. What are some Attack Types?

A: Ambush, Counterattack, Demonstration, Spoiling Attack, Feint, and Raid


54. Q. Para 38. What is Exploitation?

A: an Offensive Task—usually following the Conduct of a Successful Attack—Designed to Disorganize the Enemy in Depth


55. Q. Para 39. What is Pursuit?

A: an Offensive Task Designed to Catch or Cut Off a Hostile Force Attempting to Escape, with the Aim of Destroying it


56. Q. Para 41. What is Maneuver?

A: the Employment of Forces in the Operational Area through Movement in Combination with Fires to Achieve a Position of Advantage in Respect to the Enemy


57. Q. Para 41. What are the Forms of Maneuver?

A: Envelopment, Flank Attack, Frontal Attack, Infiltration, Penetration, and Turning Movement


58. Q. Para 44. What is the Primary Purpose Commanders choose to Defend?

A: to Create Conditions for a Counteroffensive that Allows Army Forces to Regain the Initiative


59. Q. Para 45. What is the Key Feature of Defensive Battle?

A: Striving to Regain the Initiative from the Attacking Enemy 


60. Q. Para 45. What are some Characteristics of the Defense that a Defending Commander will use to Regain the Initiative?

A: Disruption, Flexibility, Mass and Concentration, Preparation, and Security

61. Q. Para 46. How does the Defender Disrupt the Attacker’s Tempo and Synchronization?

A: by Constantly Seeking to Wrest the Initiative from the Attack and Preventing the Attacker from Massing Overwhelming Combat Power Against Elements of the Defending Force


62. Q. Para 46. Why would Defenders seek to Separate the Enemy’s Forces?

A: so that Selected Enemy Units or Capabilities can be Isolated and Then Defeated, Destroyed, or  Neutralized 


63. Q. Para 47. Who decides Where and When Combat will take place?

A: The Attacking Force 


64. Q. Para 47. What are the Four Major Activities of the Operations Process?

A: Plan, Prepare, Execute and Assess

65. Q. Para 47. What are the Three Integrating Processes?

A: Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield, Targeting, and Risk Management


66. Q. Para 47. How do Commanders add Flexibility to their Basic Plans?

A: by Organizing their Defense in Depth, Retaining Reserves, Designing Counterattack Plans, and Preparing to Assume the Offensive


67. Q. Para 48. What does Maneuver allow the Defender?

A: Maneuver allows the Defender to take Full Advantage of the Area of Operations and to Mass and Concentrate when Desirable


68. Q. Para 49. Why do Defending Commanders Retain Reserves?

A: as a means of Ensuring Mission Accomplishment and for Exploiting Opportunities through Offensive Action


69. Q. Para 51. What do Preparations Involve?

A: Positioning Forces in Depth, improving Terrain to Favor the Defense, Wargaming Plans, Integrating  Available Fires into those Plans, Organizing the Force for Movement and Support, Rehearsing, and Taking Measures to Protect the Force


70. Q. Para 52. What are the different Tasks that the Higher Commander can Assign the Security Force?

A: The Higher Commander can Assign the Security Force the Task of Cover, Guard, Screen, or Area Security for the Protected Force


71. Q. Para 53. What are the Three basic Defensive Tasks?

A: Area Defense, Mobile Defense, and Retrograde


72. Q. Para 53. What is Area Defense?

A: Area Defense is the Defensive Task that concentrates on Denying Enemy Forces Access to Designated Terrain for a Specific Time Rather than Destroying the Enemy Outright


73. Q. Para 53. What is Mobile Defense?

A: Mobile Defense is a Defensive Task that Concentrates on the Destruction or Defeat of the Enemy through a Decisive Attack by a Striking Force

74. Q. Para 53. What is Retrograde?

A: Retrograde is a Defensive Task that involves Organized Movement Away From the Enemy


75. Q. Para 54. What are the Three Forms of Retrograde?

A: The Three Forms of the Retrograde are Delay, Withdrawal, and Retirement


76. Q. Para 54. What is Delaying Operation?

A: Delaying Operation is an Operation in which a Force Under Pressure Trades Space for Time by Slowing Down the Enemy’s Momentum and Inflicting Maximum Damage on the Enemy Without becoming Decisively Engaged


77. Q. Para 54. What is Withdrawal?

A: Withdrawal is a Planned Retrograde Operation in which a Force in Contact Disengages from an Enemy Force and Moves in a Direction Away from the Enemy


78. Q. Para 54. What is Retirement?

A: Retirement is a Form of Retrograde in which a Force out of Contact Moves Away from the Enemy


79. Q. Para 57. What are the Three Forms of Defense?

A: Defense of Linear Obstacle, Perimeter Defense, Reverse Slope Defense

80. Q. Para 59. What are some of the Tactical Enabling Tasks?

A: Reconnaissance, Security, Troop Movement, Relief in Place, Passage of Lines, Encirclement Operations, and Urban Operations


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