Whenever you observe something out of the ordinary, it should be
reported. Although the item may not seem important to you, when placed with
bits of information gathered elsewhere, it may be significant. Intelligence
is very like putting together a picture puzzle.
That piece of seemingly
insignificant information may be the piece that completes the picture.
Anything that poses a threat to the traffic flow must be noted.
Put yourself in the enemy's position. If you wanted to interfere with the
traffic flow, or stop it, what would you do? Some of the more common things
to look for during a route recon are discussed below.
Enemy influence along a route may vary from none, to nuisance, to
stubborn defensive resistance.
A route, regardless of its location, is
always vulnerable to interdiction by enemy air, missile, and/or artillery
attack. Likely target areas include bridges, road junctions, and defiles.
b.
Enemy Activity.
Any enemy activity that you see should be
reported. In many cases, it will require an intelligence spot report. What
type of report is required will have been specified in your mission order.
The information to be gathered is the same as that which you gather for an
MP report--who, what, where, when, and how. The most important thing is to
remember that yours is not a combat patrol. Unless otherwise specifically
instructed, a route recon should avoid contact and engage the enemy only
when necessary to defend itself.
c.
Ambush Sites.
Even if not specifically mentioned, you must
always look for places that present the enemy the opportunity to ambush
vehicles.
You should particularly note areas close to the road that
provided cover and concealment.
Such an area located where vehicles must
naturally slow down, such as a hill, curve, or urban area, are particularly
well suited as ambush sites. The ideal spot would be one that combined the
preceding two with an area that could be easily blocked, such as a defile or
bridge.
Such a location is a critical point on the route and should be
marked on the overlay as such. It is of such importance that it probably
will require a sketch as well.
d.
Mine Activity.
Even in rear area mines pose a major threat to
the lines of communication (LOC).
They are easily laid by saboteurs,
sympathizers, or guerrillas. Great care should be exercised and all of your
personnel should be reminded to keep a watch out for mines.
Your patrol
should also be alert for sites the enemy might choose to mine in the future.
e.
Areas of Cover/Concealment.
Any area you observe that provides
the enemy with cover or concealment should also be noted. These may or may
not be good ambush sites. Areas of cover and concealment may also be areas
in which the enemy can move undetected. Equally important, such sites may
also provide protection and concealment for friendly vehicles using the
road.
f.
NBC Contaminated Areas. Your mission order should have told you
the likelihood of encountering contaminated areas.
Based on that
information, you should have determined what type NBC monitoring equipment
the patrol should
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