Which methods does a commander use for the distribution of forces?

A commander employs the methods of main effort, reserve, and supporting effort to effectively distribute forces during operations. The concept of main effort highlights the primary focus of the attack or operation, ensuring that resources are allocated to the most critical areas that will have the greatest impact on mission success. The reserve acts as a flexible force that can be deployed as needed to exploit opportunities or respond to unexpected developments, maintaining the ability to reinforce or adjust the primary focus as the situation evolves. Supporting efforts are additional actions or forces that are tasked to assist the main effort, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the operation and providing depth to the attack or defense.

In contrast, the other options present different organizational structures or strategic roles that might not clearly align with the principles of force distribution within the military context. For example, the notion of attack force, defense force, and reserve focuses more on combat roles rather than on how to best allocate and manage those forces in an operational scenario. Similarly, strike force and strategic placement imply specific tactical roles but do not encompass the flexible, hierarchical approach to managing resources and priorities inherent in the main effort, reserve, and supporting effort framework. The idea of forward, lateral, and rear units describes positional deployments rather than a strategic distribution of forces tailored to mission