FRAGO Cards

Introduction. The need to prepare and issue rapid orders, as stated by COL Maggart above, has been echoed in trends identified at the NTC. Bullets such as ‘FRAGOs are critical to all battles,” or ‘ ‘ G O s given to one Bn/rr; or CoRm at a time result in piecemeal commitment,” or “a hasty attack must be a coordinated attack’’ have often occured in NTC AARs. The tendency to commit Co/Tms piecemeal without coordinating direct and inairect fire support in a timely manner in response to a deviation from the planned course of action has been all too frequent.

Aim. The aim of this article is to recommend a “fix” to assist com-Major Johnny Rogers has been the Briiish Army Exchange Officer at Fort Knox since May 1991, where he is a team chief on the Armor Officer Advanced Course. He was commissioned in the 11th Hussars (PAO) in 1968, graduated from Exeter University in 1972, and attended the British Army Staff College in 1982. During his service, he has soldiered on three different main battle tanks (Centurion, Chieftain, and Challenger), and has had assignments to Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, and Cyprus. He returns to England in Jude 1993. manders in the issuing of FRAGOs in the field The “fix” is called the FRAGO Card and it serves two purposes. First, it provides an operation-specific checklist to assist the commander to plan the operation and, second, it facilitates the delivery and the reception of the FRAGO to all vehicle commanders on the net. The FRAGO Card is designed for use at Bn/IIF and CoRm level, and to derive maximum benefit from FRAGO Cards, every vehicle equipped with a radio should be issued a set. An example of how to use a FRAGO Card can be seen at the end of this article.

Concept. The concept originated with the British Army’s Secure Orders Cards used throughout 1st British Corps’ combat and combat support units. Each FRAGO Card provides a number of “fill in the block options, which the commander completes (on an as required basis) as he gets the necessary information needed to execute the operation. The FRAGO Cards have been adapted to conform to U. S. Army Techniques and Procedures and are based on the same sequence as the five-paragraph field order. They can be used on secure or nowsecure nets. Operations. So far, FRAGO Cards have been developed for the following operations: (1) Movement to Contact

(3) WithdrawaVBreak Contact

(5) Movement (Out of Contact)

(8) Attack Helo Quick Attack DefenseKounter Attack by Fire Using the same conc pt and framework, further cards coc d be made for other types of operation. The example at the end of this article depicts a series of radio messages leading up to and including a FRAGO for a hasty attack Advantages Inte@on oftfie FRAGO Card concept into US Army procedures offers the following advantages:. Cross Attachments at B m and Comm level. The allocation to, and the use of, doctrinally approved FRAGO Cards by all battalions would improve the ability of cross-attached and combat support units to integrate successfully with their new TF. To achieve this would require the content of the FRAGO Cards to be standardized throughout the force. Similar advantages result from using the same standardized FRAGO Cards at CoRm level, particularly when teams are formed consisting of non-habitually associated units.. Formation Level. Units cross attached outside their division would fmd it easier to conform to their new formation if FRAGO Cards were in use by all divisions. Integrating round-out units, particularly NG units, would become considerably easier if they, and their parent formations, were trained to use the same set of mGO cards. oAllies/Coalition Level. A similar system is already in use by the British, Australian, and Canadian Armies at BMF and CoRm level. The development of a system understood and practiced by allies and coalition partners would be of considerable benefit.. With the introduction of IVIS, FRAGO Card formats could be inte-ARMOR - 35 grated in the software, filled in as required, and sent by burst transmission, thereby offering an improved orders transmission facility.

Video. For the integration of the FRAGO Card concept to be successful, their application should be taught at TRAMX: schools. In the meanwhile, should TO&E units require a taste of how this concept works, a video has been made illustrating how to use FRAGO cards, copies of which will be available to units at the Armor Conference in May 1993.

Summary. Experiences in Operation DESERT STORM and in training at the NTC have shown that improvement is needed in the preparation, issue, and execution of rapid orders. The proposed concept of standardized operation-specific W G O Cards offers the commander a checklist to assist in planning and synchronizing the use of the Battlefield Operational Systems under his command. In addition, all crews on the command net would be able to receive and record the FRAGO in format form. The main advantages of this concept are, fmt, that it provides the commander with a 'tool' for the planning and issuing of FRAGOs; second, standardized FRAGO Cards would improve the ability of cross-attached units to integrate into their new units/formations; and, finally, the integration of operation-specific FRAGO Card formats into the M S software would complement the considerable C2 enhancements M S has to offer. SCenatlO. TF 1-10 AR is moving to contact to exploit quickly an enemy withdrawal. The mission is to destroy all enemy en route. Pockets of enemy are anticipated - locations unconfirmed. You are the commander of Team B. At 0650 hrs, the lead platoons of the TF come under fire. The sequence at right illustrates the use of the FRAGO Card to achieve a coordinated hasty attack. A map and overlay of the situation appears on the following page, along with a typical FRAGO card filled out to illustrate its use in this situation.

Figure 1.

Sequence of Events: Using the FRAGO Card to Organize a Hasty Attack 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Tim 0650-0700 -0700 0705 0710-071 5 0720 Denotes 'break' Lead plts report 3x l72s, 3 x BMPs and dug in inf at 678980 and 685970 TF Cdr orders Tm B to destroy enemy, and rest of TF bypass and continue mission with Tm A leading 'Guidons, this is V20 Warning Order. FRAGO Card #2 Line 6: 2xl72s. lxBMP and dug in mP at 678980' Line 8: lxl72,2xBMPs and dug in inP at 685970' Mission - Line 3 7 Line 40: Ph 1: 685970' Phase 2: 678980' Line 65: 0720' H31 and M31 to ID possible Line 58s 8 76s for Ph 1 8 2. over' The lead pits report good SBF positions (58) at 668970 (Ph 1) and 680975 (Ph 2); and good asslt positions (77) at 693962 (Ph 1) and 668970 (Ph 2). 'Guidons, this is V20, FRAGO Card 62. No change to Warning ader.'

Additional lines follow:

Line 41: Ph 1 Right Flank Ph 2 Frontal' Line 51: Ph 1 M31 and S31 Ph 2 H31 and 131' Line 56: Ph 1 H31 Ph 2 M31' Line 58: Ph 1668970 Ph 2 680975' Line 59: Ph 1 I31 at SBF position Ph 2 S31 on Ph 1 obj' Line 66: Ph 1 0730 Ph 2 0745' Line 67: Ph 1 H to H+3 Ph 2 H-12 to H+3* Ph 2 H-12 to H+3' Line 69: Ph 1 H-8 to H+3 Line 77: Ph 1 693962 Ph 2 668970' Line 89: For both phases Acknowledge, Over. concurwt ActMtyl Explanation Tm Cdrs pass mfo to TOC Cdr Tm B completes lines 5 8 6 of FRAGO Card w 2, decides to go right flankng, IDS serials on Card # 2 he wants to use, and at 0705 issues a warning order.

This Warning Order focuses Tm B on enemy strength 8 locations, the mission, a 2-phase operation with a LD time of not before 0720, and tasks 2 plts to find good support by fire and assault positions for both phases. H31 = 1st Tank Plt M31 = 2d Tank Plt I31 = 3d Mech Plt S31 = 4th Msh Plt B Tm Cdr confirms these positions, and completes the rest of the selected lines of the FRAGO Card.

B Tm Cdr goes with Asdt element. B Tm XO goes with SBF element (TF SOP).

This FRAGO illustrates a synchronized 2-phased hasty attack with Asslt, SBF, and Reserve elements supported by smoke and FA for each phase.

ARMOR -

-67 FRAGO Card 2 Used to plan a hasty attack -err-

ARMOR - March-April1993