7-56. Corps and division orders for the offense include the minimum control measures required to coordinate the operation. Control measures describe and illustrate the plan, maintain separation of forces, concentrate the effort, provide subordinates freedom of action, assist the commander in the mission command of forces, and add flexibility to the maneuver plan. At a minimum, control measures prescribe a line of departure (LD), a time of attack, and the objective. In addition, commanders could assign AOs and an axis of advance, routes, PLs, checkpoints, and FSCMs. They optimally allow subordinates the maximum freedom of action consistent with necessary synchronization.