CROSSING A DANGER AREA 4 June 2003 ICS

CROSSING A DANGER AREA 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 1

DANGER AREA A DANGER AREA IS ANY PLACE WHERE A MOVING ELEMENT IS VULNERABLE TO ENEMY OBSERVATION OR FIRE. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 2

CONSIDERATIONS FOR DANGER AREAS - A DANGER AREA SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED - A UNIT SHOULD NOT SPEND MUCH TIME DEALING WITH A DANGER AREA - UNIT’S DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT SHOULD NOT BE PARALLEL TO A DANGER AREA - AVOID A DANGER AREA, IF POSSIBLE 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 3

TYPES OF DANGER AREAS LINEAR DANGER AREA - VULNERABLE TO ENEMY OBSERVATION OR FIRE PREDOMINATELY FROM FLANKS. OPEN AREA DANGER AREA - VULNERABLE TO ENEMY OBSERVATION OR FIRE FROM THE FRONT AND FLANKS. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 4

CROSSING A DANGER AREA -THREE PHASES OF CROSSING DANGER AREAS: a. IDENTIFICATION: - POINT MAN HALTS PATROL. - PL DECIDES IT IS A DANGER AREA AND ACTIONS THE PATROL WILL TAKE. b. FAR SIDE RECONNAISSANCE: - SCOUTING FIRE TEAM CONDUCTS RECONNAISSANCE - SCOUTING TEAM NORMALLY CONSISTS OF POINT MAN, COVER MAN, NAVIGATOR, AND SECURITY TEAM LEADER. c. CROSSING: -CONTROLLED BY APL. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 5

ENEMY CONTACT DURING FAR SIDE RECONNAISSANCE IF THE ENEMY DETECTS THE SCOUTING FIRE TEAM ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE DANGER AREA: -THE FLANK SECURITY OPENS FIRE ON THE ENEMY. -MAIN BODY OF PATROL TAKES UP AN OVERWATCH POSITION AND FIRES ON ENEMY. -SCOUTING FIRE TEAM BREAKS CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY AND REJOINS PATROL. -SMOKE AND INDIRECT FIRES MAY BE USED TO SCREEN THE MOVEMENT OF THE PATROL TO A NEW LOCATION FOR CROSSING THE DANGER AREA. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 6

BOX SHAPED RECONNAISSANCE 50 - 60 RP 50 - 60 Near Side Flank Security 4 June 2003 50 - 60 Danger Area Patrol ICS 1103 Near Side Flank Security Direction of Movement 7

ZIGZAG RECONNAISSANCE 50 - 60 RP 50 - 60 Danger Near Side Flank Security Area Patrol Near Side Flank Security Direction of Movement 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 8

CROSSING LINEAR DANGER AREA DANGER 4 June 2003 AREA ICS 1103 9

TRAVELING OVER-WATCH Direction of Travel 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 10

AVOIDING A DANGER AREA PATROL ENCOUNTERS A DANGER AREA THAT THE PL DECIDES TO GO AROUND, THE PATROL AVOIDS DANGER AREA BY MAKING A SERIES OF 90 -DEGREE AZIMUTH CHANGES UNTIL THE PATROL BYPASSES THE DANGER AREA. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 11

AVOIDING A DANGER AREA 3 RD LEG DANGER AREA 2 ND LEG 1 ST LEG ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT 4 June 2003 (90 -DEGREE OFFSET) ICS 1103 12

ENEMY CONTACT AT DANGER AREAS - PL WILL ALWAYS DESIGNATE NEAR AND FAR SIDE RALLY POINTS TO AID IN THE REORGANIZATION OF THE PATROL IF SEPARATED WHILE CROSSING A DANGER AREA. - PL IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO CROSS A DANGER AREA AND THE APL IS ONE OF LAST TO CROSS DANGER AREA, SO IF THE PATROL BECOMES SEPARATED, THERE IS LEADERSHIP ON BOTH SIDES. 4 June 2003 ICS 1103 13