Initial Planning and Coordination

Leaders plan and prepare for patrols using troop-leading procedures (TLPs) and the estimate of the situation. Leaders identify required actions on the objective, then plan backward to the departure from friendly lines and forward to the reentry of friendly lines. They normally receive the OPORD in the battalion or company command post (CP), where communications are good and key personnel are available.

Because patrols act independently, move beyond the direct-fire support of the parent unit, and operate forward of friendly units, coordination must be thorough and detailed. Leaders normally coordinate directly with three different elements: higher headquarters (usually battalion staff or the company commander); the unit through which the platoon or squad will conduct its forward and rearward passage of lines; and the leaders of other units that will be patrolling in adjacent areas at the same time.

Patrol leaders use checklists to preclude the omission of any items vital to the accomplishment of the mission. For an example, see the coordination checklists on pages 39–41.

Higher Headquarters Coordination. Items coordinated between the leader and the battalion staff or company commander include:

•Changes or updates in the enemy situation.

•Best use of terrain for routes, rally points, and patrol bases.

•Light and weather data.

•Changes in the friendly situation.

•The attachment of soldiers with special skills or equipment (for example, engineers, sniper teams, scout dog teams, FOs, or interpreters).

•Use and location of LZs.

•Departure and reentry of friendly lines.

•Fire support on the objective and along the planned routes, including alternate routes.

•Rehearsal areas and times.

•Special equipment requirements.

•Transportation support, including transportation to and from the rehearsal site.

•Signal plan (call sign frequencies, code words, pyrotechnics, and challenge and password).

Forward Unit Coordination. The departure from friendly lines must be thoroughly planned and coordinated. The leader should consider the following sequence of actions:

1.Make contact with friendly guides at the contact point.

2.Move to the coordinated initial rally point.

3.Complete final coordination.

4.Move to and through the passage point.

5.Establish a security-listening halt beyond the friendly unit’s final protective fires.

The coordination includes signal operation instructions (SOI) information, signal plan, fire plan, running password, procedures for departure and reentry lines, dismount points, initial rally points, departure and reentry points, and information about the enemy. The platoon leader provides the forward unit leader with the unit identification, size of the patrol, departure and return times, and AO. The forward unit leader provides the patrol leader with the following:

•Additional information on terrain.

•Known or suspected enemy positions.

•Likely enemy ambush sites.

•Latest enemy activity.

•Detailed information on friendly positions and obstacle locations, including the location of OPs.

•Friendly unit fire plan.

•Support that the unit can provide (for example, fire support, litter teams, guides, communications, and reaction force).

Completion of the Plan

As the platoon leader completes his plan, he considers the following:

Essential and Supporting Tasks. The leader ensures that he has assigned all essential tasks to be performed on the objective, at rally points, at danger areas, at security or surveillance locations, along the route(s), and at passage lanes.

Key Travel and Execution Times. The leader estimates time requirements for movement to the objective, the leader’s reconnaissance of the objective, the establishment of security and surveillance, the completion of all assigned tasks on the objective, the movement to an ORP to debrief the platoon, and the return to and through friendly lines.

Primary and Alternate Routes. The leader selects primary and alternate routes to and from the objective. The return routes should differ from the routes to the objective.

Signals. The leader should consider the use of special signals, such as arm and hand signals, flares, voice, whistles, radios, and infrared equipment. All signals must be rehearsed so that all soldiers know what they mean.

Challenge and Password Forward of Friendly Lines. The challenge and password from the SOI must not be used beyond the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA). In the odd-number system, the leader specifies an odd number. The challenge can be any number less than the specified number. The password is the number that must be added to it to equal the specified number.

The platoon leader can also designate a running password. This code word alerts a unit that friendly soldiers are approaching in a less than organized manner and possibly under pressure. This may be used to get soldiers quickly through a compromised passage of friendly lines. The running password is followed by the number of soldiers approaching (for example, “Moosebreath five”). This prevents the enemy from joining a group in an attempt to penetrate a friendly unit.

Location of Leaders. The leader considers where he and the platoon sergeant and other key leaders should be located for each phase of the patrol mission. The platoon sergeant is normally with the following elements for each type of patrol:

•On a raid or ambush, he normally controls the support element.

•On an area reconnaissance, he normally stays in the ORP.

•On a zone reconnaissance, he normally moves with the reconnaissance element that sets up the linkup point.

Actions on Enemy Contact. Unless required by the mission, the platoon avoids enemy contact. The leader’s plan must address actions on chance contact at each phase of the patrol mission. The platoon’s ability to continue the mission will depend on how early contact is made, whether the platoon is able to break contact successfully (so that its subsequent direction of movement is undetected), and whether the platoon receives any casualties as a result of the contact.

The plan must also address the handling of seriously wounded soldiers and those killed in action (KIAs), as well as the handling of prisoners who are captured as a result of chance contact and are not part of the planned mission.

Contingency Plans. The leader leaves for many reasons throughout the planning, coordination, preparation, and execution of his patrol mission. Each time any element departs or separates from the main body, a five-point contingency plan, abbreviated as GOTWA, should be given:

1.Going (where the element is heading).

2.Others who are going with them.

3.Time that the element will depart and return.

4.What to do if the element does not return.

5.Actions on contact (the departing unit and the main body).

Abort Criteria

Every operation should have pre-established abort criteria. This is the critical analysis of the mission and what the mission-essential elements and equipment are. If elements or equipment are lost during the mission, it may have to be aborted. Determining the abort criteria in the planning phase keeps emotions out of the decisions leaders will have to make under stress.

RALLY POINTS

The leader considers the use and locations of rally points. A rally point is a place designated by the leader where the platoon moves to reassemble and reorganize if it becomes dispersed.

Selection of Rally Points

The leader physically reconnoiters routes to select rally points whenever possible. He selects tentative points if he can conduct only a map reconnaissance. He confirms them by actual inspection as the platoon moves through them. Rally points must: