Which term describes the process of determining how many fires are available to each major component?

• A. Apportionment
• B. Allocation
• C. Deconfliction
• D. Targeting

Answer: (A)

Think of apportionment as the act of dividing the available firepower among the major components of the operation. It involves deciding how many fires each component—such as infantry, armor, air, or naval assets—will have based on priorities, mission needs, and overall limits. This step sets the distribution at a higher planning level before any specific unit is assigned fires. Allocation comes later, assigning those apportioned fires to particular units or tasks. Deconfliction focuses on preventing interference and safe execution, and targeting is about selecting and engaging specific targets. So the process described is apportionment.