ATP 3-13.3 — Army Operations Security For Division And Below
ATP 3-13.3 governs operations security for protecting essential elements of friendly information during combat operations at division and below.
- Publication number: ATP 3-13.3
- Title: ARMY OPERATIONS SECURITY FOR DIVISION AND BELOW
- Date: 07/16/2019
- Proponent: T2COM
- Status: ACTIVE
View ATP 3-13.3 on armypubs.army.mil
It covers OPSEC fundamentals, the staff OPSEC process, threat and vulnerability analysis, risk assessment, countermeasures, and the military decisionmaking process. It also addresses reviews, assessments, surveys, documentation, and tips for developing an operations security appendix.
Applies to: the primary users of this publication are tactical unit commanders, operations security planners, and staffs.
Topics covered
- Operations security fundamentals
- Essential elements of friendly information
- Threat analysis
- Vulnerability analysis
- Risk assessment
- Measures and countermeasures
- Military decisionmaking process
- Operations security reviews and surveys
Questions and answers
What information does OPSEC protect?
Army security programs focus on classified information, but OPSEC focuses on protecting unclassified information, which includes denying essential elements of friendly information to our enemies and adversaries. (paragraph 1-3)
What is the overarching goal of OPSEC?
OPSECs overarching goal is to eliminate, reduce, or conceal unclassified indicators that could compromise both classified information as well as essential elements of friendly information about an Army unit. (paragraph 1-3)
Who should fill the OPSEC planner and security manager positions?
Because the OPSEC planner and security manager are separate positions with distinct goals, they should be filled by different people. (paragraph 1-3)
When is OPSEC employed?
Effective and disciplined OPSEC is employed during all decisive actions. (paragraph 1-5)
What does an OPSEC review evaluate?
An OPSEC review is a documented evaluation of information or visual products intended for public release to ensure protection of essential elements of friendly information. (paragraph 4-2)