to be taken upon engagement and disengagement. You should also discuss what
reinforcement will be done within the patrol. Information concerning fire
support and reinforcement from elsewhere should be made clear.
(d) Service Support.
You must brief the patrol on what
weapons and ammunition are available, and where it is located within the
patrol. If additional service support is to be made available from outside
the patrol, you should tell the team members what it is and when/how it is
to be obtained.
(e) Command and Signal. Even though the chain of command
within the patrol appears obvious, all members should be reminded what it
is. You should tell the patrol members where you will be located and where
the next in line will be. Patrol members should also be told by you what
reports are to be prepared. You must also specify any control measures that
may be in effect.
The radio frequencies and call signs to be used, to
include radio silence if appropriate, should be announced by you. You must
also remind everyone of the need for operations security (OpSec) throughout
the mission.
5.
Conduct a Hasty Route Reconnaissance.
a.
General.
Having analyzed, planned, and organized the mission, you are now
ready to lead it. As the patrol leader, you are responsible for conducting
it.
It is your job to ensure that all of the required information is
obtained.
Route Classification.
One of the primary, if not the primary, reasons that you have
been sent on a recon mission is to obtain the route classification. Route
classification is concerned with the trafficability of the entire route. It
is expressed by a route classification formula that has been standardized in
a specific sequence (STANAG 2174).
The route classification formula
describes a specific route in a sort of shorthand. It will be recorded on
the recon overlay.
The formula is made up of a series of numbers and
letters in a prescribed order.
They express, in order, the route width,
route type, lowest military load classification, overhead clearance,
obstructions, and special conditions. The route classification formula is
contained in FM 19-4, Appendix A.
Unless specified otherwise, it is
established for favorable conditions of light and weather.
b.
Route Width. The width of the route, including bridges, tunnels,
underpasses, and other constrictions, is the narrowest part of the traveled
way.
It is expressed in meters or feet (STANAG 2253).
Route widths are
illustrated in Figure 1-11.
The width of the traveled way determines the number of lanes.
The number of lanes determines the traffic flow.
In other words, it
determines if a route is one-way or two-way for wheeled or tracked traffic.
A width obstruction for single flow, wheeled traffic exists when the
traveled way is less than 5.5 meters. For tracked vehicles, it exists when
the traveled way
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