FM 17-98 SCOUT PLATOON

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element can cover. Once deployed, the outpost maintains surveillance of the avenue of approach until the rest of the scout element returns. In doing so, the outpost can provide security through early warning of enemy activity that the mounted element would not have detected. SECTION 8 — ACTIONS ON CONTACT When scouts encounter enemy forces during a reconnaissance or security mission, they must quickly execute actions on contact. Whether they remain undetected or are identified by the enemy, the scouts must first take measures to protect themselves, find out what they are up against, and then decide on a COA. To properly execute actions on contact, scout must take action consistent with the following fundamentals of reconnaissance. • Remain focused on the reconnaissance objective. • Report quickly and accurately. • Maintain contact with the enemy. • Retain the freedom to maneuver. • Develop the situation rapidly. THE SEVEN FORMS OF CONTACT In all types of operations, contact occurs when an individual soldier, squad, or section of the scout platoon encounters any situation that requires an active or passive response to the enemy. These situations may entail one or more of the following forms of contact: • Visual contact (friendly elements may or may not be observed by the enemy). • Physical contact (direct fire) with an enemy force. • Indirect fire contact. • Contact with obstacles of enemy or unknown origin. • Contact with enemy or unknown aircraft. • Situations involving NBC conditions. • Situations involving electronic warfare tactics. THE FOUR STEPS OF ACTIONS ON CONTACT The commander should specify actions on contact for the scout platoon. These specific instructions should include engagement criteria and the desired COA, based on the size and activity of the enemy force encountered. By knowing these details ahead of time, the scout can develop the situation more rapidly and arrive at and execute the desired COA. The platoon should strive to make contact with the smallest possible element: the dismounted scout. Visual contact, in which the enemy is observed but the scout remains undetected, is the goal. This gives the platoon the greatest possible flexibility to maneuver and develop the situation. The steps that make up actions on contact must be thoroughly trained and rehearsed so that the platoon can react instinctively as a team whenever it encounters enemy forces. The four steps, which are executed to allow the platoon to accomplish its mission in accordance with reconnaissance fundamentals, are the following: • Deploy and report. • Evaluate and develop the situation. • Choose a COA. • Execute a COA. Step 1 - Deploy and report When a scout makes contact with the enemy, he reacts according to the circumstances of the contact. (NOTE: Refer to the seven general categories of contact discussed earlier in this section.) The scout section or squad that makes initial visual contact with the enemy deploys to covered terrain that affords good observation and fields of fire. If the scouts receive fire from the enemy, they return fire. The scout in contact sends a contact report (see FKSM <strong>17</strong>-<strong>98</strong>-3) to the platoon leader and follows as soon as possible with a spot report using the SALUTE format (size, activity, location, unit identification, time, and equipment). If the scout in contact is unable to report or cannot report quickly, another squad in the section must report.
The scouts that are not in contact temporarily halt in covered terrain, monitor the incoming reports, and plot the situation on their maps. Once they determine that they cannot be influenced by the enemy in contact, they continue their mission with the platoon leader’s approval. The platoon leader or PSG relays the contact report to the commander, followed as soon as possible by a spot report and updates. Step 2 - Evaluate and develop the situation The scouts next concentrate on defining what they are up against. If they have not sent a spot report to this point, they initially focus on getting enough information to send one. If they have not been detected by the enemy and time is available, the scouts reconnoiter the enemy position, emphasizing stealth and dismounted reconnaissance. If the enemy is aware of their presence, the scouts use a combination of mounted and dismounted reconnaissance, as well as reconnaissance by fire. Dismounted reconnaissance will be conducted to get detailed information on enemy dispositions. Mounted reconnaissance will be used to move additional assets into the area to support the scout element in contact. Indirect and direct fires are used to suppress the enemy while scouts maneuver to get information. The scouts attempt to confirm or determine in detail enemy size, composition, activity, orientation, and weapon system locations. They search for AT ditches, minefields, wire, or other obstacles that could force friendly forces into a fire sack. Scouts find the flanks of the enemy position and look for other enemy elements that could provide mutual support to the position. Once the scouts determine what they are up against, they update their spot report. Step 3 - Choose a course of action Once the element in contact has developed the situation and the platoon leader has enough information to make a decision, he selects a COA that is within the capabilities of the platoon, that allows the scouts to continue the reconnaissance as quickly as possible, and that supports the commander’s concept of the operation. He considers various possible COAs, including the six discussed in the following paragraphs. Disengage from enemy contact. The scout platoon cannot conduct its mission if it becomes decisively engaged by the enemy. Should the platoon become decisively engaged, it must have a plan on how to break contact with the enemy. As a general rule, the platoon, section, or squad should disengage from the enemy as early in the contact as possible. This will allow for continuation of the mission and reduce the chance of any loss of combat power. At platoon level, OPs gain contact with the enemy main body, then report and prepare to displace to successive positions. The platoon members occupying the OPs should report the enemy contact to the overwatching vehicles and to the platoon leader, requesting permission to return to the vehicles. When permission has been granted, they use covered and concealed routes back to the vehicle positions and remount the vehicles. When the enemy force reaches the OPs’ break point (the point at which the OPs must displace or risk detection and/or engagement by the enemy), the OPs pass off responsibility for tracking the enemy to other OPs in depth. The platoon then displaces its OPs to successive positions in depth while maintaining contact with the enemy. Once the initial contact has been reported to higher headquarters and the order to break contact has been given, disengagement should be executed with one section or squad acting as overwatch for the displacing section/squad as it moves. The section or squad that moves first will keep its weapon systems oriented on the enemy as it uses covered and concealed routes to move to a designated rally point that precludes enemy observation and provides cover and concealment. This element may also use on-board smoke generators or smoke grenades to cover its movement. The overwatching section/squad provides suppressive fires, both direct and indirect, to cover the movement of the displacing section/squad. Once the displacing section/squad has arrived at the rally point, it takes up defensive positions and reports its arrival to the overwatch section/squad. The overwatching element then calls for protective fires and uses an alternate covered and concealed route to move to the rally point. When the entire platoon or section has moved back to the rally point, it consolidates and reorganizes, reports its status to the higher headquarters, and continues the mission. Figure 8-24 illustrates a situation in which the scout platoon breaks contact by sections.
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FIELD MANUAL No. 17-98 *FM 17-98 He
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Preface On the ever-changing landsc
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Figure 1-2. HMMWV scout platoon. VE
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Figure 1-4. CFV scout platoon two-s
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Eight-squad organization Figure 1-8
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general have capabilities and limit
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Figure 1-11. HMMWV characteristics.
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tactical and operational considerat
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• Models that depict the enemy’
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Figure 2-4. Example decision suppor
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Figure 2-6. Example R&S tasking mat
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The military decision-making proces
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Step 1 - Receive and analyze the mi
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• Where is the key terrain • Ho
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After the platoon leader has analyz
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leaders have issued their orders, t
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different colors for friendly and e
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Figure 2-11A. Optimizing battle spa
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Figure 2-12. Route chart for compas
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these means of communication must b
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Administrative/logistics. The scout
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• Use a brevity code that reduces
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The scout platoon’s scheme of man
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Figure 3-1. Area reconnaissance usi
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Converging routes method. The patro
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signatures of the vehicle and the l
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In each type of organization, the g
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EXAMPLE OF A ROUTE RECONNAISSANCE F
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Figure 3-8D. Route reconnaissance (
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Figure 3-8H. Route reconnaissance (
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oundaries, an LD, and an LOA or obj
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Figure 3-9D. Zone reconnaissance (c
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Figure 3-9H. Zone reconnaissance (c
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leader feels there may be enemy for
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Figure 3-10D. Area reconnaissance (
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Figure 3-10H. Area reconnaissance (
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troop-leading process (normally a m
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Recommending/executing a course of
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Figure 3-11D. Reconnaissance of a r
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Figure 3-12B. Reconnaissance of an
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Figure 3-12F. Reconnaissance of an
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Figure 3-13A. Infiltration scheme o
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Planning and coordination Figure 3-
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defensive operations, forcing it to
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CHAPTER 4 Security Operations In se
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Scouts maintain surveillance from a
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Redundancy. The platoon leader may
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most appropriate role for the scout
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ecause the scouts must move to the
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Figure 4-9b. Repositioning OPs in d
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Figure 4-10. Scout and tank team co
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With his troop commander’s guidan
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eposition to BP A5. The tank platoo
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A. OP J maintains contact with the
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Figure 4-21. Cavalry scout platoon
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Figure 4-24A. Convoy escort actioni
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Figure 4-25C. Escort breaking conta
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The following actions should be tak
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CHAPTER 5 Other Tactical Operations
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ACTIONS IN THE ASSEMBLY AREA As soo
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Checkpoints on a route are used for
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SECTION 3 — BATTLE HANDOVER AND P
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movement, movement formation, and e
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stationary unit is responsible for
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CHAPTER 6 Combat Support The scout
Page 131 and 132: • Scatterable mines. These includ
Page 133 and 134: Figure 6-2. Scouts requesting fire
Page 135 and 136: The scout platoon leader must be pr
Page 137 and 138: Figure 6-8. Attack helicopter batta
Page 139 and 140: movement. In addition, the air cava
Page 141 and 142: The first action in the handoff pro
Page 143 and 144: SECTION 3 — COMBAT ENGINEERS Brig
Page 145 and 146: Although passive measures are the f
Page 147 and 148: Figure 6-17. Stinger air defense sy
Page 149 and 150: sight range of 10,000 meters agains
Page 151 and 152: Whatever support the scout platoon
Page 153 and 154: should conduct resupply during miss
Page 155 and 156: of inspecting, testing, servicing,
Page 157 and 158: When a vehicle must be evacuated, t
Page 159 and 160: SECTION 5 — PRISONERS EPWs are ex
Page 161 and 162: CHAPTER 8 Basic Scout Skills Scouts
Page 163 and 164: This type of local security task is
Page 165 and 166: • Unobstructed observation of the
Page 167 and 168: is located with his vehicle in the
Page 169 and 170: Figure 8-7. Sample format and infor
Page 171 and 172: In this position, the vehicle comma
Page 173 and 174: Figure 8-13. Platoon column formati
Page 175 and 176: Figure 8-17. Section vee and wedge
Page 177 and 178: BOUNDING OVERWATCH Bounding overwat
Page 179 and 180: Figure 8-23. Mounted crest drill. D
Page 181: most vulnerable in wooded areas whe
Page 185 and 186: Maintain contact to support a hasty
Page 187 and 188: section/squad leader simply informs
Page 189 and 190: Deviation spotting As applied to de
Page 191 and 192: Figure 8-27. Bracketing Bracketing
Page 193 and 194: CHAPTER 9 Miscellaneous Field Data
Page 195 and 196: Figure 9-1. Reconnaissance overlay
Page 197 and 198: Figure 9-1. Reconnaissance overlay
Page 199 and 200: Figure 9-2. Example of overlay grap
Page 201 and 202: • Stretching a string or measurin
Page 203 and 204: 7 inches = 17.78 centimeters 8 inch
Page 205 and 206: the antenna connector on the radio.
Page 207 and 208: FOOD AND WATER Water collection Wit
Page 209 and 210: Figure 9-7. Enemy weapons, vehicles
Page 223 and 224: higher commander’s intent. The sc
Page 225 and 226: • Linkup time and location. • P
Page 227 and 228: APPENDIX B Nuclear, Biological, and
Page 229 and 230: Equipment MOPP level MOPP READY MOP
Page 231 and 232: Give the alarm. Have all unmasked s
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Figure B-1. NBC marking devices. UN
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contamination remains, so periodic
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movement in the direction of the co
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• Once the wing vehicles reach th
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APPENDIX C Stability and Support Op
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activities. Examples of these are l
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Because of the unique requirements
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US military forces may be tasked fo
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excellent hasty roadblocks because
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Figure C-5. Deliberate checkpoint o
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approaching traffic until it is too
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Photographic filter Instant cameras
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• Contact your checkpoint command
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Figure C-14. Ankle-to-ankle positio
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CORDON AND SEARCH OPERATIONS When i
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the armored unit’s mobility, prot
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APPENDIX D Military Operations on U
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The friendly commander should try t
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• It is vulnerable to enemy infan
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Figure D-3. Gaining a foothold in M
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Figure D-5. CFV provides support as
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Figure E-1. Figure E-1. Environment
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APPENDIX F Risk Management Risk is
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Moderate (M) Low (L) Expected degra
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• Thoroughly brief all aspects of
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APPENDIX G Fratricide Prevention Fr
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Lapses in individual discipline can
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target identification before they i
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Glossary A AA AAR ABF ACE ACR ADA A
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div DP DPICM DS DST DTD division de
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I J k ICM ID IEDK IFF IFSAS IPB IR
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NCO NCOIC NCS NEO NGO NLT NOD nonco
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RISTA ROE ROI ROUTEREP RP RSI rte R
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TTP tactics, techniques, and proced
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ARTEP 17-237-10-MTP Mission Trainin
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FM 17-98 SCOUT PLATOON

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