Essentials of Company-Level and Below Reconnaissance and Security Planning

Reconnaissance is defined as, “a mission undertaken to obtain, by visual observation or other detection methods, information about the activities and resources of an enemy or potential enemy, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.”1 Reconnaissance organizations are designed to obtain information for the higher combatant commander to enable him to make informed and suitable decisions as to the application of future warfighting functions. The reconnaissance organization’s ability to conduct these operations in a thorough and timely manner is imperative to mission accomplishment and success. As the armor community continues to develop and refine reconnaissance task organizations, certain components and spe cific parameters are required to ensure the commander is afforded the information and intelligence necessary to achieve his desired endstate. Essentials of Company-Level and Below Reconnaissance and Security Planning by Captain Ryan T. Kranc The components described below must be driven and guided by two sets of fundamentals. The first set is the seven fundamentals of reconnaissance and is the linchpin of successful reconnaissance operations. If surveillance is the passive method, reconnaissance is the resultant active effect when information gathered during the surveillance period is analyzed and processed. The second set, the five fundamentals of security, is common to all security missions and provides essential elements required to provide the higher commander early warning, reaction time, and maneuver space. Maintaining these fundamentals during all reconnaissance and security operations ensures the fullest opportunities for mission accomplishment. A quick review of the standing fundamentals of reconnaissance and security is necessary to fully understand the requirements of all components that must be present during the planning and execution process: Fundamentals of Reconnaissance2 Below are the seven fundamentals common to all successful reconnaissance operations. Scout leaders must ensure that their plans adhere to these fundamentals during the execution of reconnaissance missions. Maximize reconnaissance assets. Although noncontiguous operations may necessitate orientation of reconnaissance assets in multiple directions, reconnaissance units must seek to maximize assets (TUAS [tactical unmanned aircraft system], sensors, SIGINT [signal intelligence], IMINT [imagery intelligence], HUMINT [human intelligence], and observation) on objectives, checkpoints, points of interest, [named areas of interest] NAIs and [target areas of interest] TAIs.

Orient on the reconnaissance objective. A reconnaissance unit’s scheme of maneuver is focused on reconnaissance objectives or series of defined objectives, which could be based on terrain, infrastructure, threat, or society. In noncontiguous operations, this could be a tribal meeting; bilateral engagement; assessment of sewage, water, electricity, education, trash removal, and medical services; or overall security in an area. Report all information rapidly and accurately. Commanders base decisions and plans on battlefield information that scouts find and report during reconnaissance. A quick and accurate report is required for the commander to make an informed decision on the proper application of his forces. Just as bad news doesn’t get better with time, neither does good news. The perfect report received 5 minutes late, although accurate, could spell disaster for the receiving commander. Retain freedom to maneuver. Fixed scouts are ineffective scouts. Scouts must retain an ability of flexibility and maneuverability in their plan or they will not accomplish their mission. Scouts must seek contact at the lowest possible level and maintain the initiative and ability to maneuver other smaller units within their formation. Gain and maintain threat contact. Scouts and reconnaissance formations actively seek contact through as many forms of contact as possible. The reconnaissance organization plans for and integrates the use of TUAS, ground sensors, and intelligence arms throughout the operation. Once contact is made, it is maintained until specific orders are given, a change of mission is dictated by specific instructions or engagement criteria, or the unit conducts either a battle handover or reconnaissance handover with other units. Rapidly develop the situation. Scouts and reconnaissance formations determine priority information requirements (PIR) and answer other related instructions or criteria in a timely manner — time is of the essence. Larger formations rely on information gained to project elements of combat power in the appropriate method at the decisive point. Ensure continuous reconnaissance. All missions embarked on by reconnaissance formations have the sole purpose of answering information requirements dictated by higher. No matter what a reconnaissance organization is tasked to do, by nature of their training and mission essential task list (METL), all reconnaissance formations continually conduct reconnaissance operations, seeking information that will be useful for the higher maneuver commander. Fundamentals of Security3 Below are the five fundamentals common to all successful security operations; again, leaders must ensure their plans adhere to these fundamentals during the execution of security missions. Orient on the main body. While reconnaissance operations (area, zone, route, urban) orient on the reconnaissance objective, security operations require the securing unit to understand and integrate into the larger main body’s scheme of maneuver to properly conduct security operations. Perform continuous reconnaissance. This mission uses the same definition as “orient on the main body” stated above. Although it is important to note that by adding this as a fundamental of security, it only strengthens the position that reconnaissance organizations always seek to gain information. Additionally, all security operations imply adherence to the fundamentals of reconnaissance. Provide early and accurate warning. When enabling the main body commander to make a timely and well-informed decision for the proper application of the elements of combat power, it is essential that the reconnaissance unit detects, orients, and observes, as quickly as possible, threat forces that could influence the main body. In larger security operations, this fundamental pairs with “report accurately and rapidly,” so the maneuver commander can make an informed decision that will enable success of the formation. Provide reaction time and maneuver space. Much like “provide early and accurate warning,” the ability for the reconnaissance unit to gain and maintain contact, and report accurately and rapidly, further affords the main body commander the time and space to make an informed decision regarding the use of his combat power. This can be enhanced by using long-range surveillance equipment or indirect fires. Maintaining threat contact. Real-time and accurate information affords the maneuver commander the ability to make correct decisions about the use of his combat power. Once contact is made, ensuring it is maintained is essential to enabling successful adherence to the fundamentals of security. Tempo Tempo refers to the level of detail and covertness required of the reconnaissance organization to best accomplish the mission. It is described by four terms: rapid, deliberate, stealthy, and forceful. Rapid and deliberate are levels of details and are mutually exclusive in all cases, as one cannot be rapid and deliberate at the same time. However, reconnaissance organizations can oscillate between the two from phase to phase, or even within sub-phases of an operation. Stealthy and forceful are levels of covertness and are mutually exclusive as well. Rapid reconnaissance dictates to the tasked subordinate unit that the reconnaissance operation’s level of detail is limited to a certain prescribed list of critical tasks or PIR related to the reconnaissance objective. Rapid reconnaissance tempo is appropriate when time is of essence and only a limited number of information requirements are necessary to accomplish the higher mission commander’s intent. Deliberate reconnaissance implies that all critical tasks of the reconnaissance mission are to be accomplished to ensure — 21 Figure 1. Variations of Tempo4 mission success. It allows the organization more time to answer all information requirements for the higher commander. Detailed and thorough reconnaissance is required, which implies a time-intensive, comprehensive, and meticulous analysis of NAIs or areas of operation. Stealthy reconnaissance requires the reconnaissance organization to remain as covert as possible while conducting operations. This often entails dismounted operations to ensure minimal opportunities for compromise during the mission. Additionally, use of cover and concealment, and identification of dismounted mobility corridors during intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) is essential to guarantee maximum success and mitigate opportunities for exposure to the enemy. Forceful reconnaissance is used when secrecy and stealth is not required or exposure is not detrimental to the mission. This is usually conducted in urban terrain and on occasions where threat contact can be mitigated through overwhelming combat power. Reconnaissance in force is a primary example of forceful reconnaissance tempo. Focus Focus defines the reconnaissance mission’s area of emphasis, and is made up of four categories, which include threat, infrastructure, terrain and weather effects, and society. More than one focus may be given for a reconnaissance mission; however, the tasking element must understand that abroad spectrum of focus will dilute the quality of the reconnaissance and information gathered. As stated in U. S. Army Field Manual (FM) 3-20.98, Reconnaissance Platoon, “focus helps the reconnaissance element narrow the scope of operations to get the information most important to the higher element’s operations.”5 Focus usually incorporates a number of commodity areas, such as obstacles, avenues of approach, key terrain, observation and fields of fire, and cover and concealment (OAKOC); area, structures, capabilities, organizations, people, and events (ASCOPE); and/ or sewage systems, water procurement and distribution, electricity requirements and capacities, academic institutional opportunities and capabilities, trash and rubbish removal, medical service coverage and capabilities, and local services (SWEAT-MS), to fulfill the given information requirements. Considerations related to focus include the following:  Threat prescribes the organization conducting reconnaissance identify enemy locations, composition, disposition, and strength within a prescribed NAI or area of operation.  Infrastructure dictates gathering information related to SWEAT-MS, as well as both the structures and capabilities sub-segments of ASCOPE. Determining the locations and loyalties of sites, such as churches, mosques, national libraries, hospitals, cemeteries, historical ruins, religious sites, cultural areas, and other protected sites will paint the picture for the commander as to the disposition of his area of operation.  Terrain and weather effects instruct the reconnaissance element to confirm step two of the IPB process (describe the battlefield effects) by analyzing and determining the influence OAKOC will have on follow-on forces. In the urban environment, this includes elements of area from ASCOPE, to include tribal boundaries, religious boundaries, political boundar- “As the armor community continues to develop and refine reconnaissance task organizations, certain components and specific parameters are required to ensure the commander is afforded the information and intelligence necessary to achieve his desired endstate.”

ies, social enclaves, criminal enclaves, agricultural, mining, labor regions, trade routes, government centers, police centers, military centers, and temporary settlements for displaced civilians.  Society includes gathering information on organizations, people, and events from ASCOPE. This includes nonmilitary groups in the area of operations, such as tribes, political wings of insurgent groups, provincial reconstruction teams, nongovernment organizations, private sector companies, International Red Cross, other government organizations, contractors, and media. Gathering this information may require a census or similar local survey. Engagement Criteria Engagement criteria prescribe events and conditions that allow the reconnaissance organization to initiate or return direct and/or indirect fire. Discreet engagement criteria dictate restrictive rules of engagement (ROE), which may include reserving opportunities for direct fire only in cases of self-defense. Aggressive engagement criteria may allow for more permissive ROE, giving the reconnaissance organization a broader range of authority to initiate direct or indirect fire contact. Regardless of engagement criteria, it is not merely enough to state in the operations order (OPORD) that engagement criterion is aggressive or discreet; exact conditions or requirements must be stated to ensure complete guidance. Disengagement Criteria Disengagement criteria prescribe the events and conditions that necessitate disengaging from threat contact or temporarily break threat contact. Again, certain conditions must be stated in the operations order specifically outlining the events and conditions that require disengaging from threat contact. Although it is important to remember that “gaining and maintaining threat contact” is a fundamental of reconnaissance and the similarly termed “maintain threat contact” is a fundamental of security. However, scouts who are compromised or placed in positions of tactical disadvantage provide no intelligence or security value to the higher command. In these cases, it is prudent to temporarily break direct or indirect fire contact with the intent of reestablishing observation on the threat as soon as the tactical situation permits. In this case, specific and detailed disengagement criteria must be dictated within the OPORD to ensure the complete and thorough mission accomplishment in accordance with the commander’s intent. Displacement Criteria Displacement criteria define conditions and events that require reconnaissance organizations engaged in security operations to displace or retrograde from established mounted or dismounted observation posts. Much like engagement and disengagement criteria, the conditions and parameters set out in displacement criteria are designed to integrate the higher commander’s intent with tactical feasibility. The conditions of displacement criteria may be event driven (associated PIR being met, threat contact not expected in the area, and observed NAIs or avenues of approach denied to the enemy); time driven (information-is-of-value time is reached in accordance with the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance annex of the OPORD); or threat driven (observation posts have been compromised by threat or local civilian contact). As with engagement and disengagement criteria, failure to specifically and thoroughly dictate the conditions of displacement criteria in the OPORD may result in mission failure. The prescribed criteria of tempo, focus, engagement, disengagement, and displacement criteria during the planning process and OPORD development phase of an operation are essential to the mission accomplishment of the reconnaissance organization. Failure of the higher commander or staff to dictate these five essential sub-elements of the scheme of maneuver sub-paragraph of paragraph 3, may cause less than desirable results. It is the responsibility of the troop commander and platoon leader to ensure these five elements are dictated and methodically understood at the lower levels of the reconnaissance organization to ensure fulfillment of the commander’s intent and comprehensive mission success. Notes 1Headquarters, Department of the Army, U. S. Army Field Manual (FM) 1-02, Operational Terms and Graphics, U. S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC, September 2004, p. 1-158. 2FM 3-20.98, Reconnaissance Platoon, GPO, Washington, DC, December 2002, paragraph 3-5 through 3-13, pp. 3-2 through 3-4. 3Ibid., paragraphs 4-8 through 4-13, pp. 4-2 through 4-3. 4FM 3-20.971 (DRAFT), Reconnaissance Troop, May 2007, Figure 3-1, p. 3-7. 5FM 3-20.98, Reconnaissance Platoon, paragraph 3-28, p. 3-7. Captain Ryan T. Kranc is currently serving as commander, L Troop, 2d Squadron, 16th Cavalry, Fort Knox, KY. He received a B. A. from Gonzaga University. His military education includes the Armor Captains Career Course and Engineer Officer Basic Course. He has served in various command and staff positions, to include reconnaissance tactics instructor, Armor Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) III, 2d Squadron, 16th Cavalry, Fort Knox; commander, Q Troop, 4d Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), Ninewah Province, Iraq, and Fort Carson, CO; scout platoon leader, F Troop, 2d Squadron, 3d (2/3) ACR, Al Anbar Province, Iraq, and Fort Carson; tank platoon leader, H Company, 2/3 ACR, Al Anbar Province and Fort Carson; and engineer platoon leader, 43d Combat Engineer Company, 3d ACR, Fort Carson. “Commanders base decisions and plans on battlefield information that scouts find and report during reconnaissance. A quick and accurate report is required for the commander to make an informed decision on the proper application of his forces. Just as bad news doesn’t get better with time, neither does good news. The perfect report received 5 minutes late, although accurate, could spell disaster for the receiving commander.” — 23