A soldier at a mounted heavy machine gun position watches smoke rise over a mountainous desert landscape.

Friendly Force Information Requirements as Protection-Informed Decisions

By LTC Michael Carvelli

Read Time: < 14 mins

While battle plans rarely survive first contact, military headquarters still struggle to translate critical friendly-force failures into timely, life-saving command decisions. Through the sobering lessons of Operation Anaconda and Combat Outpost Keating, this article reveals how a redesigned Friendly Force Information Requirements (FFIR) framework can force deliberate, protection-informed actions when conditions on the ground degrade.

A group of soldiers walking in front of a helicopter.

Read Time: < 12 mins

42nd Infantry Division Protection Cell: Breaking the Reactive Cycle

During WFX 25‑3, the 42nd Infantry Division protection cell shifted from reacting to immediate threats to proactive, 96‑hour planning. A tiered protection prioritization list, deeper integration with FUOPs and targeting, and predictive intelligence improved anticipation of risk and mission resilience.

By MAJ Joshua Tosi

A U.S. Army soldier in OCP camouflage uniform, tactical goggles, and a helmet bearing the 1st Armored Division Old Ironsides patch aims an M249 light machine gun from a prone-adjacent position at a live fire range

Read Time: < 9 mins

A Layered Approach to Active Protection

Army doctrine for using military deception as a primary protection layer. Covers narrative shaping, physical decoys, emissions discipline, and maneuver deception through feints and demonstrations to preserve combat power and disrupt enemy targeting.

By LTC Michael Carvelli

Read Time: < 6 mins

A New Horizon For Maneuver Support Experimentation: The Final MSPIX and a Vision For The Future

Analysis of the final Maneuver Support Protection Integration Experiment (MSPIX) held in May 2025, marking the transition to Concept-Focused Warfighting Experiments and showcasing innovative approaches to military technology experimentation.

By Captain Adam R. Robinson

Read Time: < 12 mins

Further Defining Protection Support Planning

Protection planning often breaks down when it matters most. This article examines why current processes leave units without clear, actionable guidance and how adapting the TTLODAC targeting framework can help commanders prioritize critical assets and...

By Lieutenant Colonel Michael Carvelli

Failing to Consider Protection in Large-Scale Combat Operations: The Siverskyi Donets River Crossing
Analysis of Russia's failed Siverskyi Donets River crossing in 2022. Learn critical protection lessons on survivability, air defense, and area security for military wet gap operations.

By Major Peter J. Witcomb
Protection: The Australian Army Combat Engineer Regiment Approach
Major Peter J. Witcomb examines how the Australian Army Combat Engineer Regiments (CERs) contribute to the protection warfighting function, emphasizing that protection extends far beyond physical force protection and survivability positions. He demon...

By Major Peter J. Witcomb
Enabling Convergence: How Engineers Protect the Multidomain Battlespace
Enabling Convergence: U.S. Army engineers integrate protection, mobility, and infrastructure across land, air, cyber, and space domains to secure operational freedom and achieve decisive advantages in multidomain operations.

By Chief Warrant Officer Three Aren Hansen
Protection: The Fabric of the Warfighting Functions
This article examines the U.S. Army’s protection warfighting function, its role as the connective fabric among other functions, and how risk management principles preserve combat power and enable operational success.

By Lieutenant Colonel Michael Carvelli
Fight to Protect the Force
Lieutenant Colonels Bryan B. Ault and Douglas D. Bazil discuss the challenges of protecting Soldiers and critical assets in modern combat. They explore solutions for force protection, signature management, and integrating the protection warfighting f...

By Lieutenant Colonel Bryan B. Ault and Lieutenant Colonel Douglas D. Bazil
War-Gaming
This article highlights the need to revitalize and standardize war-gaming in the U.S. Army at the battalion and brigade levels. Captain Aleksandrs V. Schuler advocates for integrating modular, resource-light war-gaming into the military decision-maki...

By Captain Aleksandrs (Aleks) V. Schuler
Protection in an Armored Division- The Iron Way
This article details how the 1st Armored Division improved its protection strategy during Warfighter Exercise 25-1. It explains their Converse of Targeting methodology, Protection Working Group adjustments, tiered Protection Prioritization List imple...

By Major Luke J. Grieder
Prioritizing Protection: Creating Synchronized Success
This article examines the critical integration of the protection warfighting function within modern military operations. It emphasizes synchronized planning, stakeholder integration, training requirements, and institutional knowledge development. The...

By Sergeant First Class Mark D. Moore
Protective Fires
The Line of Departure is the premier platform for accessing the latest articles, insights, and discussions from official U.S. Army branch journals. Designed to fuel your Professional Military Education (PME) journey, our mobile-friendly hub empowers ...

By Captain Michael E. McCallister
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General
Major General Christopher G. Beck reflects on the progress made in Protection capabilities over the past year at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the U.S. Army to safeguard its forces and operati...

By Major General Christopher G. Beck
reimagining how we fight
Reimagining How We Fight" by Colonel John F. Antal (Retired) discusses the evolving nature of warfare, highlighting key disruptors such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and the transparent battlespace that are reshaping military strate...

By Reviewed by Colonel Barrett K. Parker (Retired)
Protection warfighting function professional media list
This list is an important reference for the professional development of all protection leaders in the Army. Continuous self-development is one of the ways that we can maintain and improve our skills, challenge and refine our beliefs, and reach our fu...

By The Protection Staff
The Inaugural Protection and Maneuver Support Senior Leader Forum
The inaugural Protection and Maneuver Support Senior Leader Forum took place from July 23-25, 2024, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, bringing together Army leaders to discuss the importance of the protection warfighting function for the Army of 2030 a...

By Colonel Barrett K. Parker (Retired) and First Sergeant Michael A. Koren (Retired)
Impact of the 52d BEB Mounted CBRN R&S Platoon Throughout KRF-13
This article examines the role of the 52d BEB CBRN R&S Platoon in KRF-13, highlighting its contributions to CBRN reconnaissance, M1135 NBCRV maintenance, mission-essential training, and cultural immersion in South Korea. It showcases the platoon’s im...

By First Lieutenant Addison S. Sanders
The Application of the U.S. Army RM Process is Broken
The Line of Departure is the premier platform for accessing the latest articles, insights, and discussions from official U.S. Army branch journals. Designed to fuel your Professional Military Education (PME) journey, our mobile-friendly hub empowers ...

By Major Courtney A. Zimmerman