What equipment would a recon unit have in a urban environment?
blackops22
Donuts and coffee, possibly pizza as well.
- Binoculars
- Spotter Scope/Rangefinder
- Thermal Scope
- Wiretaps/Radio
- Monitors for surveillance cameras
- Digital Camera
- DV Recorder
- A desk
- Chairs
- Headphones
- Notebooks (and Pens)
- Laptop
- A van with "Vinnie's Plumbing Services" written on it
- Binoculars
- Spotter Scope/Rangefinder
- Thermal Scope
- Wiretaps/Radio
- Monitors for surveillance cameras
- Digital Camera
- DV Recorder
- A desk
- Chairs
- Headphones
- Notebooks (and Pens)
- Laptop
- A van with "Vinnie's Plumbing Services" written on it
Agree with above plus:
Thermos
wrappers and bags from fast food joints
Half eaten burrito shoved in the corner
Thermos
wrappers and bags from fast food joints
Half eaten burrito shoved in the corner
Lol, I really like the replies.
What kind of "Urban" surveillance team?
What environment?
What exactly are they surveilling?
What kind of "Urban" surveillance team?
What environment?
What exactly are they surveilling?
Blackops you might get more ifo with more detail from your end.
What country?
Combat, peacetime, covert?
Why are they reconing? Looking for a specific AQ terrorist, bomb maker, high priority target, IED planters etc.?
As for combat, a recon team is going in with a small footprint which means they have to blend very well or get hidden before they get spotted. The second option is the go in with like a whole squa to provide them security while they watch. As you can imagine it makes a difference what you take with you.
What country?
Combat, peacetime, covert?
Why are they reconing? Looking for a specific AQ terrorist, bomb maker, high priority target, IED planters etc.?
As for combat, a recon team is going in with a small footprint which means they have to blend very well or get hidden before they get spotted. The second option is the go in with like a whole squa to provide them security while they watch. As you can imagine it makes a difference what you take with you.
Steve - With all respect, a sniper team can be overrun. Urban environments are specially suitable in allowing an enemy to close in on oneself unobserved. In fact most units deploy snoiper teams with a security element or at a minimum QRF.
You might want to read this stoy about four marine snipers killed in Iraq.
Rooftop Execution - NCIS report provides details of sniper deaths
Of course we could also look at the failed Red Wing Op made famous in Lone Survivor.
Thre's a reason that even CAG (Delta) has Rangers pulling security on some of their missions.
BlackOps - I'm going to assume Iraq since Afghanistan really doesn't have REAL urban terrain. I don't think villages are really what you are thinking about.
Tweaking Paladin's list..
- Binoculars
- Spotter Scope/Rangefinder
- Thermal Scope
- Laser designator
- Radios - EMBITR, LST5 maybe w/TACSAT, VRC113 (deleted Wiretapsthe wiretap unless you "haapen" to have someone that speaks farsi on your team and to be honest we have a lot of assets listening to phones)
- Digital Camera
- DV Recorder
- Chairs
- Notebooks (and Pens)
- Laptop
Add
- a table away from the window to use as a platform to observe from
- curtain or veil for window
- Maps/sector sketches/overhead pictures
- Pictures of High Value Targets
- "MAYBE" a monitor connected to some UAV feed (this would have to be a pretty high priority mission or spec op type troops
- Claymores to augment local security
- Weapons and frags would be nice
Something like this is going to be done VERY rarely in a key building that could also be defended. You'd also have to find a way to explain to the locals that the inhabitants of the building suddenly changed their schedules. Most likely it would be a short duration mission with a huge driving purpose to support the risk or a relatively secure lcation.
From what I know urban recon missions in the current operating environment have only been successfully conducted by tier 1 operators like lSA, CAG, SAD, DEVGRU and maybe the Ranger Recon Company (regiment asset, not battalion). They would go in looking like the locals, probably have the place rented and sit for awhile. We did this stuff before going into Iraq to nail Saddam's location.
As for the conventional side the only successful urban "recon" missions were conducted by a SSG Coughlin a marine scout sniper and they were more sniper overwatch missions than recon and except for towards the end of the initil invasion most sites were occupied for at the most a couple of hours.
For a more typical mission google MSG Hollenbaugh. I believe it was 2006 when he and his SF team went into Falujah to do a recon mission with a marine squad to pull security. Long story short the mission was quickly comprimised and they had to fight their way out. Hollenbaugh recieved the DSC (2nd to the Medal of Honor). He basically held off insurgents singlehandedly on a roof for two hours by jumping around all four sides and picking off bad guys while tossing grenades to keep them from getting in the building.
The most likely missions where you going to have recon out like that is in a semi urban environmnt to watch a specific location for a future attack or document IED placement. Secondly might be a border mission in Iraq along the Syrian or Iranian border looking for folks crossing the border to determine how big the problem is.
Hope that helps...
You might want to read this stoy about four marine snipers killed in Iraq.
Rooftop Execution - NCIS report provides details of sniper deaths
Of course we could also look at the failed Red Wing Op made famous in Lone Survivor.
Thre's a reason that even CAG (Delta) has Rangers pulling security on some of their missions.
BlackOps - I'm going to assume Iraq since Afghanistan really doesn't have REAL urban terrain. I don't think villages are really what you are thinking about.
Tweaking Paladin's list..
- Binoculars
- Spotter Scope/Rangefinder
- Thermal Scope
- Laser designator
- Radios - EMBITR, LST5 maybe w/TACSAT, VRC113 (deleted Wiretapsthe wiretap unless you "haapen" to have someone that speaks farsi on your team and to be honest we have a lot of assets listening to phones)
- Digital Camera
- DV Recorder
- Chairs
- Notebooks (and Pens)
- Laptop
Add
- a table away from the window to use as a platform to observe from
- curtain or veil for window
- Maps/sector sketches/overhead pictures
- Pictures of High Value Targets
- "MAYBE" a monitor connected to some UAV feed (this would have to be a pretty high priority mission or spec op type troops
- Claymores to augment local security
- Weapons and frags would be nice
Something like this is going to be done VERY rarely in a key building that could also be defended. You'd also have to find a way to explain to the locals that the inhabitants of the building suddenly changed their schedules. Most likely it would be a short duration mission with a huge driving purpose to support the risk or a relatively secure lcation.
From what I know urban recon missions in the current operating environment have only been successfully conducted by tier 1 operators like lSA, CAG, SAD, DEVGRU and maybe the Ranger Recon Company (regiment asset, not battalion). They would go in looking like the locals, probably have the place rented and sit for awhile. We did this stuff before going into Iraq to nail Saddam's location.
As for the conventional side the only successful urban "recon" missions were conducted by a SSG Coughlin a marine scout sniper and they were more sniper overwatch missions than recon and except for towards the end of the initil invasion most sites were occupied for at the most a couple of hours.
For a more typical mission google MSG Hollenbaugh. I believe it was 2006 when he and his SF team went into Falujah to do a recon mission with a marine squad to pull security. Long story short the mission was quickly comprimised and they had to fight their way out. Hollenbaugh recieved the DSC (2nd to the Medal of Honor). He basically held off insurgents singlehandedly on a roof for two hours by jumping around all four sides and picking off bad guys while tossing grenades to keep them from getting in the building.
The most likely missions where you going to have recon out like that is in a semi urban environmnt to watch a specific location for a future attack or document IED placement. Secondly might be a border mission in Iraq along the Syrian or Iranian border looking for folks crossing the border to determine how big the problem is.
Hope that helps...
@major. rob, No brother I know what you're talking about, I was just adding to what everyone else said in their posts. All kinds of gear and I don't think anyone said a thing about using the long rifles. Early in OIF when we learned that our teams couldn't work well in the cities because of all the dogs but we still managed to do a lot of damage whenever we did set in our OPs. Outside the city was another thing, that's where all the "baiting" happened, but that's a whole other story.
I just read that story and I remember hearing something about that years ago. I don't want to hurt anyone feeling or speak ill of the dead and I love anyone who chooses to serve their country but I never operated like that. That team and command from what I read had a lot issues. I know that everyone that serves a branch of the military beats their chest about their unit and thinks their the "tip of the spear" and the best there is, hell we did, its part of the job. In my time in the service I've seen a lot of hard mofos and a lot of jokes, I've also worked with a lot of different branches of the government while in combat, I've seen what Marines do first hand, we're not Marines. Sorry its off topic for this thread but it was upsetting story because of the loss of life of some brave Marines but also because it shouldn't have went down like that.
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