7-51. Corps and division commanders assign subordinate commanders responsibility for AOs constituting the corps or division consolidation areas, respectively. Those subordinate commanders clear their AOs of stay behind forces and bypassed enemy units to ensure friendly freedom of action in those areas as their parent corps or division continues to advance. Initially these division and BCT commanders primarily perform attacks and area security tasks as they clear their AOs of enemy ground forces. These units should be combined arms organizations specifically task-organized for the consolidation of gains requirements in their AOs. These units begin performing selective stability tasks once they establish area security within the consolidation area. Consolidation areas reduce the area security and mission command burden in the support area because they allow the division or corps commanders to decrease the size of the MEB AO.