The reserve may be
omitted when the outpost consists of less than two companies.
The reserve may comprise one-fourth to two-thirds of the strength of the
outpost.
The supports constitute a line of resisting and supporting detachments,
varying in size from a half company to a battalion. They furnish the
line of outguards.
The supports are numbered consecutively from right to left. They are
placed at the more important points on the outpost line, usually in the
line on which resistance is to be made in case of attack.
As a general rule, roads exercise the greatest influence on the location
of supports, and a support will generally be placed on or near a road.
The section which it is to cover should be clearly defined by means of
tangible lines on the ground and should be such that the support is
centrally located therein.
The outguards constitute the line of small detachments farthest to the
front and nearest to the enemy. For convenience they are classified as
pickets, sentry squads, and cossack posts.
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