

 Patrolling - The Warning Order 

Patrolling 
It has been over fifteen years since I led a patrol. Those of you who have more 
recent experience are encouraged to criticize.  Virtually all of what follows 
came right off the top of my head. While trying to write the warning order and 
patrol order, I realized just how long it had been! I'm sure I have left out 
some important information just because I can't remember everything. I do 
remember spending three or four days minumum preparing OPORDS.(Operations Order)  
That was with the assistance of several others. Each team, ie. demolitions, 
snatch, river crossing, etc. would prepare their own "annex" to the main order. 
By breaking up the problem we were able to create very detailed OPORD's.  Since 
I'm working by myself here, and have to earn a living doing other things, I've 
not spent the time required to do a thorough job on this subject. I would like 
to get it online, therefore I'll go ahead with it as is, and add to it as I 
think of things.  My thanks to Sgt. Guajardo, who taught my first patrolling 
class. I hope I can remember most of what he taught me.

To an individual soldier, everything is a patrol.  Any movement of a group of 
men is in essence a patrol. A Patrol Order is just a more specific Operations 
Order. Either one is just a detailed set of plans that communicates the 
situation, mission, concept of operation, and specific requiremenrts to the men 
who will make up the operation. In combat, murphy's law usually results in 
death. It is essential that a leader expend extraordinary effort and creativity 
when he plans a patrol. If you don't plan for a contingency, and rehearse for 
it, when it rears it's ugly head your men may die as a consequence. After you 
embark on your mission, if ANYTHING happens or changes that was not allowed for 
in the original patrol order, the leader must prepare a "frag" order. (Depending 
on the immediacy of the situation of course). The leader will use the same 
patrol order format to describe the change of plans. Once men in a special op's 
unit become used to this it becomes second nature. A young Pfc with a Ranger tab 
will know the instant you have missed something! An easy way to keep your 
sanity, and speed communication, is to develop SOP's (Standard Operating 
Procedure's). If you ALWAYS do something in a certain way, SOP it and have your 
men rehearse this SOP during normal training excercises. When developing a 
patrol order, something a leader does a lot of, you will not have to write the 
section for this common action over and over again. If for example, you will 
always enter an DC-9 in the same manner, your assault team will have an SOP that 
they follow for this. If the situation requires you to modify the SOP so be it, 
but in training you will always do it the same way. This allows your team to 
develop the speed needed to clear an aircraft of terrorists before the 
terrorists have time to react. They way we did it was thus:

 Man 1 & 2 enter with .45's and begin engaging specific targets, two shots to 
the head for each.
 Right behind them are two men armed with sub-sonic sub-machineguns. They fire 
over the two point men's head's -- spraying bullets over the passengers heads 
and down the aisles.

Human nature will hopefully prevail here, meaning that the terrorists will 
instinctively try to protect themselves first, before trying to detonate 
explosives. Passengers will instinctively duck, anyone standing up or armed gets 
taken out. This whole drill, from start to finish takes about three (3) seconds 
when rehearsed. The terrorists have only three seconds before your team is 
halfway down the aisle killing anything that stands or holds a weapon. If the 
terrorists are determined and ready, the first two guys are probably going to go 
down. Their back-up must be right behind them firing madly at anything that 
remotely represents a threat. These jobs go to people who are aggressive, 
motivated, and very good shots! There is no time to reload with the slide locked 
back. The first two men must instinctively count their shots and reload in a 
fluid, very fast manner. This takes a lot of practice. They must be able to run 
in a crouch, make head shots, and keep killing until the terrorists are dead, or 
they are. If this is done well, there is a very good chance of success.
(Sniper Note: I think the policy of non-negotiation is foolish. It put's a lot 
of people at risk in hostage scenarios for no other reason than pride. I think 
terrorists should be given most anything they want (within reason), and when the 
hostages are safe. Kill every one of them, or destroy the country that gave them 
asylum. Why we let international diplomacy considerations affect our decisions 
is beyond me. If the other guys what to play this game with us, make them pay a 
heavy price for it)
It doesn't matter whether you are just going on a recon mission, taking out 
terrorists, kidnapping, or sniping. The things that you do in this business must 
be planned in excruciating detail if you want to be successful on a consistent 
basis. (meaning that you want to live, there is no second place in a gunfight).
 One thing that I found lacking in  line units was a lack of information 
sharing. In order to assure mission success, it is very important for everyone 
involved in the mission to understand what the mission is, and all of the 
details. If only one person knows how to signal the slicks for extraction, and 
that person is killed, how does anyone else call in the extraction? I could go 
on and on with examples.  
Junior officers who have never been in combat are likely to take the attitude 
that only they understand all of the important stuff, and therefore everyone 
else's job is to just follow them. Most Lieutenants will give all pertinent info 
to their squad leaders. If the platoon sergeant doesn't make sure his NCO's get 
the info to every man under their supervision, the stage is set for tragedy. 
Patrol Orders are the mechanism for getting everyone's program together.  All 
NCO's are not equal. Some are dumb, incompetent, and lack leadership skills. 
Special Operations units use only the cream of the crop, and that is why they 
win engagements with the enemy, and have a much higher kill ratio per man.

Navigation Skills
I may add a section on the map & compass. For now, if you don't know how to use 
them you should learn. Reading is not enough, you have to practice.  I have 
never tried it but I think that orienteering would be a good way to learn these 
skills. I think those folks do a lot of running on their courses and that is 
very good training. To call yourself competent, you should be able to run a 
compass course, only stopping long enough to steady the compass, and then take 
off again. You must be able to do this at night.
 
Terrain association is the next biggy. Some people have a real problem with 
this. I would call it common sense. But that means many things to different 
people. You must be able to look at a topo map and relate the elevation contour 
lines to the physical terrain that surrounds you. This can be difficult in heavy 
vegetation, or in climates that where physical changes occur faster than the map 
makers can keep up. Heavy rainfall areas and wind blown deserts are places that 
can change rapidly. This does not make it impossible to read the map, only 
harder. 
I mention these because on a patrol you have to know where you are going, how to 
get there, and how to get out. If bad things happen, you must be able to find 
prearranged rally points, LZ's(Landing Zones), etc.
It is very important that everyone in the patrol unit know how to do this. They 
must also have all of the information that time allows them to be given. One or 
two leaders who know everything and a gaggle of soldiers who are just following 
the guy in front of them is an invitation to disaster. 

Sniping Patrols
The sniper goes out on patrol. He is accompanied by a spotter (another sniper) 
and one or two security men. I call them security men because that is their 
primary role. That does not mean that they are deadbeats whose only job is 
accompany you and try to protect you. Ideally, your security team will be better 
than you are. They will be masters of stealth, deception, and camouflage. They 
will know everything you know and more, they just don't carry rifles with 
scopes.
Patrol
A patrol is a detachment sent out to perform an assigned mission of 
reconnaissance, combat or both.
The patrol must be tailored to suit the mission. Snipers do not need machine 
guns, mortars, recoilless rifles, or antitank weapons. You may want to take one 
automatic weapon. It will provide additional firepower if you get in a jam. When 
I say automatic weapon I'm referring to an M60 machine gun or maybe one of those 
new SAW's, not an M16. Small patrols must avoid contact, or make contact when 
conditions are favorable, as in an ambush.

Types of Patrols
Combat -- Engages the enemy
Recon - Spies on the enemy, avoids detection at all costs.
Combination - In a way, snipers operate as both. Their mission is to engage the 
enemy. But they will also record and report everything they see or hear.


Organization of Patrols
Patrols are organized in to elements and teams. Teams are subdivisions of 
elements.
Recon Patrol Organization (Modified for sniping mission)
Recon and Security Element - Provides early warning enroute to/from and while on 
the objective. Maintains surveillance.
 Point team
Right, left, rear security
special security (far side security on river crossings, etc.)
Special recon elements
Sniper Element -- Engages the enemy at the objective
Headquarters - Mentioned only because there will be some chain of command, 
Patrol Leader (PL), Assistant Patrol Leader (APL), RTO (Radio Telephone 
Operator), and medic will usually be the HQ element. If your patrol has attached 
people such as ASA (Army Security Agency), CIA, FAC (Forward Air Controller), or 
other special purpose people they will normally be in the headquarters element, 
close to the PL during movement, and in the CP (Command Post) during halts and 
patrol bases. These folks are not usually trained in the art of clandestine 
patrolling and mmust be watched carefully to insure they don't screw up. The men 
on the patrol must be told to respect and protect these guys. They are important 
to the mission or they wouldn't be there. Your men don't like these guys along 
because they usually have to babysit them. They are more apt to make noise, step 
where they shouldn't, and remain standing when everyone else drops. If you make 
contact, they will not instinctively do the right thing. As a patrol leader you 
should assign each special member of your patrol to another man. Instruct him to 
do whatever your man does, walk where he walks, stop when he stops, get down 
when he does, and run the direction he does.




This is a sample formation for seven men. The APL doubles as rear security. When 
the formations closes up during conditions of limited visibility it will 
resemble a file formation. Files are dangerous when visibility is good because a 
gun in enfilade position can fire down the patrol hitting everyone very quickly. 
A good sniper  with a self loading rifle can hit 5 men in under three seconds at 
900 meters! A machine gun in the hands of a good gunner can hit everyone in the 
patrol two or three times.
The smaller your patrol is, the easier it is to travel silently, and control is 
greatly enhanced. One man can effectively control up to 5 other men directly. 
When you have more than this you will need to organize your patrol into multiple 
'manuever elements'. In this manner the PL can direct multiple elements by 
directly controlling the element leader. Each element leader then controls up to 
five men under him.
Crew served weapons should be located near the PL in a formation (small patrol). 
It makes it easier for the PL to direct the fire of the gunners when he does not 
have to crawl around under fire trying to get his gunners in action.
A good patrol leader leads by example. In a fire fight the men in the patrol 
look to the leader for direction, and sometimes courage. If the PL inspires and 
motivates his men, by displaying courage, leadership, and audacity in the face 
of the enemy, the patrol members will respond favourably and take the fight to 
the enemy when it's needed. A patrol leader who is indecisive, hides under fire, 
and fails to LEAD, will cause the fighting effectivness of his patrol to 
collapse.
In a fight, the patrol leader, with the assistance of the APL, must constantly 
redistribute ammo and give encouragement to his men. This means crawling under 
fire from position to position, inspiring the men, and insuring that each has a 
constant supply of ammo. Some men fire more often than others. If the enemy is 
hitting you on the right then your men on the right will expend ammo faster than 
those on the left. You cannot just move every one online because the enemy could 
flank you, or come around behind. Amidst the roar, fury, and smoke of combat, 
good leaders distinguish themselves by this type of conduct under pressure. Some 
leaders rise from the most unlikely places in the "ranks". A good patrol member 
must always be ready to take command when the PL /APL is unable to do so (dead 
or wounded). The patrol leader must always display unselfish courage so that 
when he does go down, Pfc Joe Rag Bag will step forward, and do as he has seen 
his leader do under fire.
Patrol leaders never eat, or drink, until the men have been fed and watered. 
This is a rule that should NEVER be violated. The mission, and men, in that 
order, always without exception.
A patrol order is always preceded by a warning order.
Warning Order
The warning order is a statement issued by some higher authority that authorizes 
the patrol, states the mission, and the required time frame.
This is an example warning order.
Signal intelligence units, recon satellites, and information from other 
intelligence sources indicates that the enemy has established a headquarters 
area in grid square ZZ1044. The enemy is using the road running east-west 
through the area to move equipment and supplies. All road junctions and trails 
are under enemy control and the entire area under surveillance. You mission is 
to get in there and recon the area without being caught for a period of not less 
than  48 hours. 
You must find their HQ. On 22 November 1995 you will set your sniper team in the 
best position you can find, kill as many officers or key personnel as you can, 
and  get the hell out. You will let your relay station know when you are on your 
way out. They will launch your slicks to the LZ. Intelligence indicates that 
this is a  Regimental HQ and the probability of at least Field grade officers is 
very high.

There will be a full S2 briefing in 1 hour at Battalion. You will be able to 
meet afterwards with the Air Liaison. The area is 125 miles north and well 
beyond artillery support. The enemy has extensive sig intel capabilities and you 
can expect artillery or rocket fire within 2 minutes of any radio transmissions.

Well, you heard it. The AO is crawling with  [insert expletive here]'s. You have 
one hour to get your team together. Since the AO is hot, you will need a good 3 
man security team just in case you get into trouble. They'll have to be cool 
heads though, the last thing you want is to be compromised 120 miles behind 
enemy lines. 
You will need helo extraction standing by 24 hr. a day through out the 
operation. Hopefully good weather will prevail. You'll find out all about that 
at the S2 briefing. For Now, Pick your spotter and three good LRP men.

S2 Briefing
Often this is done when the initial warning order is given. In this example, I 
only set it apart because a bunch of officers aren't going to drop what they are 
doing to put on a dog and pony show for a sniper team. There probably won't even 
be an officer at your briefing, and that's just as well.
 
This is the most important part of the warning order. Anything that the briefer 
does not cover you must ask about. Don't assume it's because they don't know. If 
you piss them off with a lot of questions they'll let you know.


Enemy Forces
Identification - Unit name/numbers, commanding officer, XO, political advisors, 
etc. Pictures if they are available.
Strength/Size - All elements including fire support, air assets, mobility.
Equipment -- Individual, heavy weapons, vehicles, markings on vehicles
Training - Are they well trained?
Discipline - Are their combat forces in the area? Are they guarded by military 
police, etc.?
Expected reactions if you are discovered -- What will they do? Do they have the 
resources to mount a  major search and destroy?


Indigenous Personnel 
Customs, dress, traditions, life styles.
Will we be there during a holiday? 
Do they work? Where? Farmers? 
Are they friendly? How have they been treated by the enemy? 
Do we have a contact in a partisan group we can use if necessary? Can they be 
trusted? 
Do they keep dogs? 
Do they have electrical power? Vehicles? 

We could write a book on this subject and we won't. 
Preferably everyone on your team should be able to speak the local language and 
should already have received  some training on the religious and cultural 
customs of the population.


Friendly Forces
Locations of all adjacent friendly units. 
Frequencies to use on the days in question to contact them. 
Inter-unit call signs and passwords. 
CEOI codes.



Weather
All major weather systems. 
Forecast - Rain is the soldiers best friend -- It will limit air support, but 
who counts on those guys anyway? Rain softens the sounds of your movement. It 
allows you to move silently and hide. It also keeps you from being spotted from 
the air. Heat will have an adverse effect. It will make you consume more water. 
Wide fluctuations in temperature can be expected in mountainous or desert 
terrain. It will make sentries sleepy, extreme cold will drive undisciplined 
soldiers indoors or into sleeping bags when they should be alert and watchful
Effect on terrain, infantry and vehicles -- tracked and wheeled. 
Sunrise and Sunset
Moon Rise and set. Moon Phase
Before morning and early evening nautical twilight

Maps and  Aerial Photos
If they are available, each member of your team should have their own map. 
Aerial phots can help with locating vegetation densities like forests, fields, 
etc. To identify and fix enemy resources you will need assistance from the photo 
interpretation guys. By using stereoscopic lenses and overlays, they can 
identify vehicles, positions, structures, etc. that you cannot see looking at a 
flat two-dimensional aerial photo. These photo's must be used to markup  maps. 
You will need an extra set of maps with plastic laminates to mark on with grease 
pencils. You must never mark a map you will carry on your operation.
We will use this information to build our sand table.

After the warning order you must find out what assets you will have to work 
with. If air transport and TACAIR are available, make arrangements with the 
liaison officers to meet with you after you have worked out your patrol order. 
It won't do you any good to plan for choppers or a fly over if none are 
available. Find out what you will have to work with first. Incorporate the air 
assets into your patrol order, then meet with your liasion to give them all of 
the details. Do this early enough so that if they have a problem with something 
you want to do, you'll have the time to work it out. Hopefully, your chain of 
command has a good relationship with the rotor heads so you won't have a problem 
getting the priorities your people need.
In the warning order given above, a fly over might be inadvisable. You don't 
want the enemy to think you might know where he is. Use maps and aerial photos 
to find your insertion point. 
Now you must prepare a plan for your patrol. You will give your own people the 
warning order all over again, with a few additions.

Study the mission
Plan use of time and prepare time table
Study terrain and situation, prepare sand table
Organize the patrol
Select men, weapons and equipment
Issue Warning Order to your men
Coordinate - (Continuous throughout)
Make reconnaissance if possible, if not use maps and photos
Complete detailed plans
Issue Patrol Order
Supervise, Inspect, Rehearse
Execute the mission

Example
We are going to plan on being in position 1 day sooner than required so we can 
scope out the situation, and move to a better site if necessary. That means we 
will move into our hide on during the night of the 20th.  Scope the sit out on 
the 21st, make our shots and air strike on the 22nd, move to the LZ and get out. 
Lets back up from there


Sample Time Table
ActionDateTimeEquipment/Pers.
Debriefing22 Nov.1700All Personnel
Extraction22 Nov.1500All
Call Choppers22 Nov.1400All
Make Shots22 Nov.1400Snipers
On Objective21 Nov.0200All
Movement to OBJ20 Nov.2000All
Dissem. Intel20 Nov.1800All
Sleep20 Nov.0600All
Split-up/Recon18 Nov.0600All
Sleep18 Nov.0100See patrol base annex
Movement to AO17 Nov.2100All
Parachute Jump17 nov.2030All
Takeoff17 Nov.1930All
Board Aircraft17 Nov.1830All
Sleep/Eat17 Nov.1030All
Move to Airfield17 Nov.0930All
Final Inspection17 Nov.0830All/APL to conduct
Draw Ammo17 Nov. 0700All but PL
Chow17 Nov.0600All
Sleep16 Nov.2200All
Night Rehearsals16 Nov.1800All - Excercise
Chow16 Nov.1700All
Patrol Order16 Nov.1400All - Classroom
Command/Control16 Nov.1200All PL to conduct
Chow16 Nov.1100
Air Reqt's Turned In16 Nov.1000Patrol Leader
Fire Support Overlays16 Nov.0900Patrol Leader
Extraction Class16 Nov.1000Everyone else
Danger Areas Class16 Nov.0900Everyone else
Fire Missions Class16 Nov.0800Everyone
Chow16 Nov.0700All
Sleep15 Nov.2300All
Night Compass class15 Nov.1800All, 1 MRE, LBE, Compass, Map, NB&Pencil
Chow15 Nov.1700All
Patrolling15 Nov.1300All
Chow15 Nov.1200All
Patrolling15 Nov.0800All
Inspection15 Nov.0700All
Chow15 Nov.0600All
Sleep14 Nov.2300All
Photo Intel Class14 Nov.1900All - S2 NCO conducts
Patrol Order Development12 Nov.1000All
Warning Order 12 Nov.0900All


Well, we are back to the 12th and have a few days to work with. We should 
probably move everything back a day to allow more recon time, and another day to 
allow everyone one full day to sleep and eat. this patrol will take a toll on 
everyone. We want to be well rested and fed when we board the choppers. Our ass 
holes will be so tight you couldn't drive a 10 penny nail up them with a sledge 
hammer. We will need the extra sleep and food. If things go bad we could wind up 
without a ride home and be forced to escape & evade the 120 miles back to 
friendly lines. We want a lot of good food in our system, vitamin supplements, 
high energy foods, foot powder and socks.

Looking back over the time table I can see that I have allowed too much time for 
some things and not enough for others. It is important that all personnel know 
what they are doing so that you can cover the basics quickly and use the rest of 
the time to develop the operations order. As we shall see, all of the details 
will be planned for and included in our OPORD.
Back to HQ, Continue  Patrolling




