Orienting Point

an immobile object (natural or artificial) or an element of the terrain clearly visible on the ground, used for the control of subunits and fire.

Orienting points aid in selecting observation and fire sectors, assigning targets, executing movements along a given axis, and assigning combat missions on the terrain. In combat, orienting points are designated by the senior commander and numbered from right to left and along the lines of the terrain (from the observer toward the enemy). If necessary, junior commanders may designate additional orienting points. To make it easier to remember them, orienting points are given ordinal numbers and conventional appellations reflecting characteristic features, for instance, “first orienting point, fallen tree,” “second orienting point, hill with a tree.”