1-35. Commanders and staffs should consider the sizes and types of potential threats to friendly forces when determining and describing levels of threat. Threat levels should be based on the activity, capability, and intent of enemy agents or forces. They can be further described by looking at mission impact. A Level I threat may require only a routine response by base camp security forces and have a negligible impact on the mission, or a Level I threat may have a catastrophic impact. An example of this is the attack on the USS Cole by two suicide bombers. According to the chart, it was a Level I threat; however, the attack was catastrophic, killing 17 U.S. Servicemen and rendering the ship inoperable. A Level III threat could cause mission failure and requires a tactical combat force response. The following are descriptions of the levels of threat: