4-25. The consolidation area does not necessarily need to surround—nor contain—the support area base clusters. It requires a purposefully task-organized, combined arms unit to perform area security and stability tasks and employ and clear fires. This unencumbers units conducting close operations and enables the higher echelon headquarters to focus on close operations, deep operations, and future planning. Corps and divisions may designate multiple consolidation areas. Units designated to a consolidation area conduct decisive action to defeat remnants of defeated or by-passed forces and stabilize the area for transition to legitimate authority. The forces necessary to consolidate gains represent a separate and distinct requirement beyond the BCTs and divisions required to conduct close and deep operations. To consolidate gains properly, the theater army plans and requests the additional required forces through the force-tailoring process.