Cavalry Operations in the Republic of Korea: Phase 0 Reconnaissance

Today there are many adversaries in locations across the globe that have the potential to erupt into armed con flict. Many of these locations are iden tified as areas of interest for the Unit ed States which, if engulfed in conflict, would destabilize the region and dis rupt partnered and allied nations. As these potential conflict areas are identified, it is important to understand as much about the adversary and location as possible to be in the best position to react should diplomacy or military deterrence fail.

This is where Phase 0 reconnaissance becomes a critical factor in the United States’ ability to effectively respond should armed forces be required to deploy to at-risk areas. This is true for U. S. forces deployed to deter conflict as well as for U. S. forces deployed to respond to an ongoing conflict. The more detailed information that can be collected on the adversary, operation al environment, terrain, infrastructure, population and weather before the commencement of hostilities, the bet ter prepared combat forces will be. This is the role of Phase 0 reconnaissance. Reconnaissance during this phase can answer critical information requirements concerning each of the preceding factors before U. S. forces are engaged in large-scale operations, and it has the ability to drastically in crease the effectiveness of an armed response against an adversary. Phase 0 examples Examples of the importance of Phase 0 reconnaissance can be seen through out history. During the Korean War, a detailed understanding of the massive tidal range around Inchon allowed U. S. forces to successfully conduct an am phibious assault that dramatically re versed the course of the war. Without this information, the assault would have been much more difficult. The amphibious operation during the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I also highlights the importance of Phase 0 reconnaissance but in a nega tive manner. Lacking updated maps and information regarding the coast line and water depth, the amphibious landing parties struggled to get ashore to their assigned landing zones. This resulted in the deaths of many Soldiers, as the enemy engaged their landing craft as they searched for a clear route to the beaches. Many oth er Soldiers drowned or were killed by machinegun fire while attempting to wade ashore in deep water. Phase 0 recon’s purpose Phase 0 reconnaissance can take place in many different forms – from satel lite imagery, to identifying the loca tions of enemy missile systems, to scouts on the ground collecting information on road networks and the lo cal population. Regardless of the method, the goal of reconnaissance is still the same: to answer critical intel ligence requirements that leaders need to make the most informed decisions about when and how to employ U. S. forces and capabilities. When compared to reconnaissance performed in other phases of the The cavalry squadron in Korea is the eyes and ears for U. S. Forces Korea’s counterfire task force (CFTF), which is designed to defeat the artillery threat in North Korea. The squadron is the main organization available to the CFTF commander for his reconnaissance needs. By leveraging information gained from conducting Phase 0 reconnaissance, the cavalry squadron provides an advantage in complex terrain. The advantage in Korea is the ability to train where one fights. Due to the megacity environment, the terrain changes con stantly; buildings are constructed in open areas and the road networks change frequently. It is paramount that troops main tain a thorough understanding of the area where they will operate. Seasonal change affects rural terrain – for instance, Korean farmers flood their rice crops, making the terrain severely restrictive for heavy combat platforms during spring and summer. Those same fields become frozen in winter and make this terrain usable for combat operations. Finally, the ter rain is changing from rural to urban as 25 million people live in and around the CFTF’s area of operations. As the squadron commander, I expected troops and platoons to constantly conduct Phase 0 reconnaissance patrols to up date observation post (OP) locations, link-up locations, changes in terrain, fording sites, patterns of life and changes in concealment based on seasonal effects. Being able to train and conduct reconnaissance where we would fight gives us an ad vantage over the enemy and must be seized. I expected our platoons to go to their designated battlespace without maps, just as they would in their hometown. For example, in driving to Wal-Mart the first couple of times in anew location, you might use Google Maps, but after that the route is committed to memory. We had the same opportunity in Korea, and this is how I defined Phase 0 reconnaissance. Conducting effective Phase 0 reconnaissance allows the cavalry squadron to achieve its purpose: to provide accurate and timely information to the brigade commander so he can make decisions ahead of the threat. Phase 0 reconnaissance needs to be seized as the rotational brigade combat teams continue conducting rotations to Korea, Europe and Kuwait. MG Scott D. McKean constantly taught us to train to ensure “we can do the things we say we can do,” and Phase 0 reconnaissance ensures the cavalry squadrons are in a position to fight tonight, and keep fighting until we win. –LTC Greg McLean, commander, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 1st Armored Division operation, Phase 0 has the distinct ad vantage of being conducted in the absence of flying bullets. This dramati cally increases the freedom of maneu ver scouts on the ground enjoy and al lows them to conduct operations that would otherwise have been much more difficult.

In many situations, conducting Phase 0 reconnaissance enables the collection of detailed information over the course of along period. U. S. forces stationed in Germany as a deterrent to Soviet aggression were able to collect information on infrastructure, terrain and adversary positions for years, making them intimately familiar with the area they could be required to fight in.

The freedom of maneuver possible during Phase 0 is also dependent on host-nation governments. The local government’s rules and regulations concerning the movement of U. S. forces within their country can either be restrictive or permissive to U. S. forces operating there. Regardless of these rules, it is important to abide by them rather than risk damaging relations with the host-nation government, which may lead to increased restric tions.

Phase 0 reconnaissance must begin with a route reconnaissance of both the identified primary and alternate routes. There are two main purposes for conducting these route recons. The first is based on painting the picture for the supported unit. By conveying information on bridges, canalizing portions of the route and locations with enough clearance to enable convoys to turn around, scouts will enable their supported unit to be able to choose the most effective route. Also, lateral routes, bypasses to bridges and the general level of civilian traffic must be identified during Phase 0 to reduce friction on the route during the actual operation.

The second purpose is to build familiarity with the route within a scout’sown organization. The officers, non commissioned officers and drivers in the organization must know how to reach the reconnaissance objectives with the same degree of familiarity as they have with driving to their local grocery store. Also, route reconnais sance should be conducted at differ ent times of the day to establish a pat tern for civilian traffic based on time. This information will enable a more accurate estimated time of arrival and will help produce specific windows of time that are optimal for movement.

Upon reaching the reconnaissance objective(s), it is essential to transition to an area reconnaissance to develop understanding of the potential enemy as well as the hydrological and geo graphical features. Unlike an area re connaissance in the more traditional “tactical” sense, these area recons will generally be at either the key-leader level or as part of a reduced force. This must be decided carefully based on the level of covertness the force must maintain to prevent revealing portions of its plan via observation by a poten tial threat.

Within the reconnaissance objective(s), the first priority is to de termine primary avenues of approach, infiltration routes and retrograde routes. This can be determined through both amounted and a dis mounted reconnaissance, with the patterns of life within the reconnais sance objective(s) factored in to deter mine the suitability of each route at different times of day.

The next focus should be on the loca tion of primary, alternate and subsequent battle positions for the support ed unit in addition to potential loca tions for the placement of command-and-control and sustainment nodes. Terrain must be understood and the effects accounted for to provide an ad vantage to the supported unit and en able achievement of its task and purpose.

It is important to note that during this portion of an operation, enemy con tact is unlikely. The recon element must use this time and maneuver space to its advantage by carefully planning a transition from reconnais sance to security.

After identifying suitable locations for the supported unit to achieve its tac tical task and purpose, the focus can switch to how to provide area security to provide the protected force ade quate time and maneuver space. The security plan must incorporate both mounted and dismounted OPs that use the terrain to advantage. Mount ed OPs should be positioned to make full use of their long-range optics, while dismounted OPs can provide se curity within identified avenues of approach in restricted or severely re stricted terrain.

A plan for when to transition from short-duration to long-duration mounted OPs must also be carefully considered to provide maximum secu rity while the supported unit initially occupies the identified positions, and a specific trigger must be identified to transition to long-duration OPs to en able the recon element to be able to sustain its tempo. The recon element must identify all friendly OPs and submit no-fire-area requests to mitigate the possibility of fratricide. Also, the recon element must fully understand and be able to paint the security plan to the supported unit by identifying the location of friendly adjacent units while integrating any host-nation forc es (HNF) into the security plan. Transitions are periods of natural friction during any military operation. Major transitions during Phase 0 reconnaissance include a transition from route recon to area recon, a transition from area recon to area security, and the occupation of the reconnaissance objective by the supported force. To mitigate the risk of fratricide and to maintain the desired tempo, rapid but effective linkups must be conducted between adjacent friendly units and with the HNF. During Phase 0 reconnaissance, it is vital to develop and re hearse linkup procedures so they are readily understood by all participants. Far- and near-recognition symbols must be established, and the equipment available within HNFs must be understood to create a feasible plan. Operations graphics must be shared during Phase 0 to create a common understanding and to facilitate a quick linkup either in person or via radio. An example of validated linkup proce dures performed within the Korean Theater of Operations is contained in Table 1. It is important to note that this is not all-inclusive and will require adjustment based on the supported unit’s capabilities and mission set. Enablers are simply any asset or unit that can be used to aid mission success. Reconnaissance units must understand enabler capabilities, limitations and sustainment requirements to employ them effectively. The incor poration of these enablers is vital to create shared understanding for the operation and to allow the subject-matter experts, the enablers themselves, to provide bottom-up refine ment for the plan. By having physical access to the terrain before execution of the operation, enablers can select the optimal location to ensure surviv ability and achieve the desired effects. Reduced-force rehearsals can be con ducted on-site to enable early identification of friction points within the plan, and defined triggers can be es tablished to ensure that the right en abler is at precisely the right place, at the right time, to provide the right effect for the situation.

Phase 0 reconnaissance offers a rare opportunity to develop a detailed plan on the very terrain on which opera tions will be executed. Success en ables capturing detailed information on the terrain, infrastructure, threat and societal aspects within an area of operations before the start of hostilities. Of equal importance, success en ables the creation of shared under standing among the reconnaissance force, adjacent friendly forces and HNFs. Rehearsals among the afore mentioned elements and additional assigned enablers can take place on the actual terrain where a planned operation will take place. Time is one of the most precious resources that we as reconnaissance leaders have, and it must be put to good use! As Michael Elliot-Bateman so fittingly said, “If we arrive, as our forefathers did, at the scene of battle inadequate ly equipped, incorrectly trained and mentally unprepared, then this failure will be a criminal one because there has been ample warning.”1 CPT Colton Parr commands Headquarters and Headquarters “Hatchet” Troop (HHT), 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd ABCT, 1st Armored Di vision, Fort Bliss, TX. Previous assign ments include commander, Apache Troop, 2-13 Cav, Fort Bliss; squadron plans officer, 2-13 Cav, Fort Bliss; executive officer, Crazyhorse Troop, 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, Fort Table 1. Phase 0 recon checklist. Wainwright, AK; and reconnaissance-platoon leader, Crazyhorse Troop, 5-1 Cav, Fort Wainwright. CPT Parr’s mili tary schooling includes Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course (ABOLC), Army Reconnaissance Course (ARC), Air borne School, Cold Weather Leader’s Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course (MCCC), Cavalry Leader’s Course (CLC) and Bradley Leader’s Course. He holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in international relations from Middle Tennessee State University. CPT Parr’s awards and honors include the Parachutist’s Badge and the bronze-level Order of Saint George. CPT Andrew Robichaud commands Blackfoot Troop, 2-13 Cav, 3/1 Armored Division, Fort Bliss. Previous assignments include armor observer/ coach/trainer, Joint Modernization Command, Fort Bliss; executive officer, Palehorse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cav Regiment, Vilseck; and assistant operations officer, HHT, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cav Regiment, Vilseck. CPT Robichaud’s mili tary schooling includes ABOLC, Army Reconnaissance Course, Ranger School, Airborne School, MCCC, CLC and Air Assault Course. He holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in history from Salisbury University.