CHAPTER 3 - OPERATIONS
Operations conducted by LRS teams provide critical information to the corps and division commanders. LRS teams accomplish this by collecting the commanders' PIR. Without answers to PIR, the commander cannot make an informed decision as to how to fight the battle. By contrast, the well-informed commander can develop feasible courses of action and make logical decisions on how to fight the battle. The success of LRS operations depends on thorough planning and acquiring PIR and reporting it in a timely manner, while at the same time avoiding detection. LRS team operations are divided into five distinct phases--planning, infiltration, execution, exfiltration, and recovery. However, an LRS element may be involved in more than one phase at the same time, while controlling or supporting deployed teams.
Section I. PLANNING PHASE
The planning phase covers the G2 conception of the mission to the final inspection of the LRS team. Specific actions that normally occur in this phase are--
Mission folder preparation. (See Appendix G, paragraph G-2.) G-staff coordination. Warning order. Movement to the planning area. Operations order from the LRSU headquarters with mission folder. Mission analysis by the LRS team leader. Briefback by the LRS team leader. Planning, operation order, rehearsals, inspections, and coordination by the LRS team. Briefback by the LRS team. Final inspection.
3-1. CONTINGENCY PLANS
Each LRS operation requires specific contingency plans for evasion and escape, inflight abort, downed aircraft, emergency resupply, emergency extraction, and lost communications.
3-2. CONTROL MEASURES
Select control measures assist in controlling the team during a mission. These include--
Time of departure and return. Points of departure and reentry. Checkpoints. Routes. Forward line of own troops. Phase lines. Restrictive-fire areas. Forward edge of the battle area.
3-3. PLANNING AREA ACTIVITIES
Detailed planning ensures mission success and team survival. On receipt of the warning order, the team begins an intensive preparatory phase at the operations base. The team receives its initial mission briefing there. The planning area is a secure place in which teams that have been committed to operations do their planning and preparing.
a. The team leader and the assistant team leader (and preferably the entire team) receive the mission briefing from the commander or the operations section. The team leader receives the mission folder at the beginning of the briefing to ensure he understands all facets of the operation. New and relevant data can be added to the original data during preparation. (See Appendix G for mission folder information and Appendix H for orders format.) Mission folders normally include--
The operation order. Maps and overlays. An intelligence update. The intelligence indicators. Terrain, weather, and visibility data. LZ or DZ photographs and data. Photographs of the operations area. The planning area time schedule. Blank manifest cards (DA Form 1306, AF Form 96). Overlay paper. Observer report pads. One-time pads and other cryptographic material. b. Following the briefing, the surveillance team leader begins his planning. He may conduct a visual reconnaissance of the area of operation. The assistant team leader supervises the initial equipment and personnel preparation, while the team leader is reconnoitering. The TOC personnel are available for coordination throughout the planning phase.
c. The team leader uses specific steps in planning, preparing, and executing LRS missions. These procedures are comprehensive, yet flexible enough to adapt to any situation. The success of the plan depends on the team leader using the OPORD as his primary planning tool. The briefback is a form of rehearsal and should not be the focus of the planning effort. The following are specific planning steps.
(1) Receive and study the mission.
Conduct a mission analysis. The team leader identifies the specified, implied, and essential tasks necessary to execute the mission. The team leader also identifies any limitations the team has to contend with. This analysis results in a restated mission containing the essential task(s). Study strengths, locations, dispositions, and capabilities of both friendly and enemy forces that may affect the team's mission. (2) Plan use of time.