How to Fill Out and Submit DA Form 4655-R: Row-by-Row Guide

DA Form 4655-R, the Army’s Target List Worksheet, is filled out one row per target: assign the next number from your unit’s target-number block, then work left to right through description, grid location, altitude, attitude, size, source and accuracy, and remarks. Submission runs through your higher headquarters, which validates the targets and returns the consolidated worksheet with official numbers assigned. The form is prescribed by ATP 3-09.30 and is locally reproducible, so units print copies as needed rather than requisitioning them.

Getting a Blank Copy

The “-R” in the form number means reproducible. Units are authorized to print the form on standard paper. Blank copies appear in the appendices of several fire support field manuals, including earlier editions such as FM 6-20-40 and FM 6-20-50, and the form is referenced as a figure in ATP 3-09.42.¹ Check the Army Publishing Directorate at armypubs.army.mil for the latest revision. Many units also keep blank copies loaded in their tactical SOPs for quick field access.

Filling Out the Worksheet Row by Row

Each row profiles a single target. The columns run left to right across the page, and what you enter in some of them depends on the target’s shape.

Line Number

A sequential counter: 1, 2, 3, and so on. It keeps the list orderly for internal reference and nothing more.

Target Number

Higher headquarters assigns each subordinate unit a block of alphanumeric target numbers before the operation. Pull the next available number from your assigned block when you add a target. Every element in the fire support chain uses these numbers to reference a specific point on the ground, so never duplicate or skip numbers without coordination.²

Description

Write a short, clear description of what the target actually is: “enemy OP,” “mortar position,” “supply point,” or similar. It needs to be detailed enough for someone who has never looked at the map to understand what kind of asset or position is being targeted and to make an informed decision about how to attack it. Skip vague labels like “enemy position” when something more specific is known.

Location

Enter the target’s grid coordinates. Use at least a six-digit grid (100-meter precision), and include the grid zone designator if the operation spans multiple map sheets.³ For point targets, enter the single grid of the target. For rectangular and linear targets, enter the center-point grid.² Accuracy here directly affects whether rounds land on target, so use the most precise coordinates the best available source can give you.

Altitude

Record the target’s altitude in meters.³ This figure feeds ballistic calculations, and getting it wrong can shift the impact point significantly at longer ranges or in mountainous terrain. Pull altitude from the map’s contour lines, or from a digital terrain database if one is available in your tactical system.

Attitude

Attitude applies only to linear and rectangular targets. It describes how the target is oriented on the ground, expressed as a direction in mils between 0 and 3200 (0 mils is due north, 1600 mils is due east, 3200 mils is due south). A determination to the nearest 100 mils is considered sufficient.³ Leave this column blank for point and circular targets.

Size (L) and Size (W)

What you enter depends on the target’s shape:

Point target: leave both columns blank.
Linear target: enter length only, in meters, in the L column. Leave W blank.
Rectangular target: fill in both length and width.
Circular target: enter the radius in the W column.²

These dimensions tell the Fire Direction Center how to distribute fires across the target area. Estimate carefully: an undersized rectangle means the sheaf won’t cover the whole position.

Source and Accuracy

Record how the target was identified and how reliable that identification is. A target pinpointed by a survey team or a precision sensor carries more weight than one estimated from a map study. This column helps the commander and targeting officer decide how much confidence to place in the data before committing assets to engage.²

Remarks

Use this space for anything that doesn’t fit neatly into the other columns: special timing requirements, coordination needs with adjacent units, ammunition preferences, or amplifying details about the target description. If a target should only be engaged during a specific phase of the operation, note it here.

Using the Work Columns for Scheduling

Several unlabeled columns sit to the right of the Remarks column. They track which fire support schedules a target has been assigned to. When a target is designated for inclusion in a particular schedule, mark a single diagonal slash (/) in the box under that schedule column. Once the target has actually been entered into the scheduling worksheet (DA Form 4656-R), add an opposing slash to form an X, confirming the scheduling action is complete.³ Any box with just a slash represents a target that still needs to be scheduled.

Submitting the Completed Worksheet

Submission follows a specific flow between echelons. Subordinate units start by compiling a List of Targets, a request document containing every target the commander believes needs indirect fire support. This list does not include target numbers; it is purely a proposal. It goes up to the Combat Operations Center for coordination and approval. Once higher headquarters approves the targets and removes redundancies across all subordinate submissions, the consolidated result comes back as the Target List Worksheet, now with officially assigned target numbers.³

The validated worksheet then feeds into the overall Fire Support Plan, which governs indirect fire activities for the operation. From that point forward, the target numbers on the worksheet become the common reference for every element in the fire support chain. Observers, fire direction centers, and firing units all use the same numbers to avoid confusion.

Targets of opportunity, meaning threats that appear unexpectedly during execution, are engaged through a call for fire rather than being pre-listed on the worksheet.³

Classification and Records Retention

A completed target list worksheet almost always contains classified information. Specific grid coordinates, target descriptions, and engagement plans can reveal operational intentions if compromised. Under DoD Manual 5200.01, Volume 2, every classified document requires banner lines at the top and bottom of each page showing the highest classification level present, along with portion markings on individual paragraphs and sections indicating each portion’s specific classification.⁴ Missing markings can lead to inadvertent disclosure if the document is handled by someone without the appropriate clearance.

For retention, AR 25-400-2 establishes that all record numbers, associated forms, and reports follow the retention periods set out in the Records Retention Schedule–Army, accessible through the ARIMS website.⁵ The specific retention period for targeting worksheets depends on the record number assigned to that category of document. Consult the current RRS-A at arims.army.mil for the applicable schedule rather than assuming a fixed timeframe. Once retention expires, documents are either transferred to long-term archives or destroyed using methods approved for their classification level, such as shredding or burning for classified materials.

1
U.S. Army. ATP 3-09.42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team
2
GlobalSecurity.org. FM 6-20-40 Fire Planning Terms, Symbols, Schedules, and Tools
3
Marine Corps Training Command. Introduction to Fire Support Planning
4
Washington Headquarters Services. DoD Manual 5200.01 Volume 2 – Marking of Information
5
Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-400-2 – Army Records Management Program