Identify tactically significant terrain along movement route — ROUTE RECONNAISSANCE (AST-f8986eec)

W224/OCT 03/VGT- ROUTE RECONNAISSANCE Identify tactically significant terrain along movement route. Identify tentative rally points along route. Identify platoon release point. W224/OCT 03/VGT- RECONNAISSANCE OF NEW ASSEMBLY AREA Identify Key Terrain features: Enhances or degrades platoon’s mission. Enhances or degrades defense of platoon. Identify likely enemy avenues of approach. Identify tentative Squad/Section areas. W224/OCT 03/VGT- OBSERVATION POSTS Secure adjacent key terrain to prevent enemy use. Cover avenues of approach to provide advanced warning of enemy movement. Platoon leader designates the general location. Squad leader establishes the specific observation post (OP). W224/OCT 03/VGT- OBSERVATION POSTS (CONT) Minimum manning is two soldiers per OP. When covering a large area, the platoon establishes more than one OP, and the squads patrol in between them. W224/OCT 03/VGT- PASSIVE MEASURES Observation by passive devices such as night vision devices, including— Thermal sights. Early warning devices such as ground sensors. Camouflage of personnel, equipment, and positions. W224/OCT 03/VGT- PASSIVE MEASURES (CONT) Movement control that denies the enemy the ability to count personnel. Noise, light, and sound discipline to prevent the enemy from pinpointing locations. Radiotelephone discipline to deny the enemy operational information. W224/OCT 03/VGT- TYPES OF POSITIONS Primary Position: Provides a soldier, weapon crew, or unit the best means to accomplish the assigned mission. W224/OCT 03/VGT- TYPES OF POSITIONS (CONT) Alternate Position: Allows coverage of the same sectors as the primary positions when the primary positions become untenable. W224/OCT 03/VGT- TYPES OF POSITIONS (CONT) Supplementary Position: Provides the best means of accomplishing a task that you cannot accomplish from the primary or alternate positions, such as covering additional enemy avenues of approach and to protect flanks. W224/OCT 03/VGT- DISTANCE BETWEEN FIGHTING POSITIONS Requirement to cover the squad’s assigned sector by fire. Need for security--Prevention of infiltrations. Prevent enemy from using hand grenades effectively to assault adjacent positions, should he gain a fighting position. W224/OCT 03/VGT- POSITIONING OF MACHINE GUNS Leaders position machine guns to— Concentrate fires where they want to kill the enemy. Fire across the squad front. Cover obstacles by fire. Tie-in with adjacent squad. W224/OCT 03/VGT- GRENADE LAUNCHERS The squad leader uses the grenadier to— Provide indirect fire coverage. Cover machine gun dead space. Cover protective wire obstacles. Engage lightly armored vehicles. M203 gunner also assigned a rifle sector. W224/OCT 03/VGT- REDCON 1 and 2 REDCON 1: Full Alert. Period of maximum preparedness. All soldiers are alert and prepare for action. All squads, OPs recalled. All weapons manned. REDCON 2: Full Alert. Equipment stowed except for wire and telephone equipment. Weapons manned, squads, OPs, and chemical alarms still deployed. W224/OCT 03/VGT- REDCON 3 and 4 REDCON 3: Reduced Alert. Fifty percent of each team/squad stands down for feeding, rest, maintenance, or troop leading procedures. Crew-served weapons and OPs manned. REDCON 4: Minimum Alert. Seventy five percent of each team/squad stands down for feeding, rest, maintenance, or troop leading procedures. Crew-served weapons and OPs manned. W224/OCT 03/VGT- REPEL AN ATTACK Repel an attack by— Shifting squad members and key weapons within the squad’s positions as needed to maintain security and repel attack. Rifles and AT-4s fire at designated PDF. M203 gunners fire at enemy in dead space or attempting to breach wire obstacles. W224/OCT 03/VGT- REPEL AN ATTACK (CONT) If available, call for and adjust indirect final protective fires (FPF). Report the situation to the platoon leader. Reposition squad on order of platoon leader.