U.S. Army Chemical School

949 Words2 Pages

The CBRN Survey Team is a vital part of a CBRN Reconnaissance platoon. It is multi-faceted , it can assume all critical tasks and duties of the Reconnaissance platoon while having the same capabilities and principles. Even though it is a part of a larger piece of the puzzle it still provides an important task – to determine CBRN contaminated affected areas and levels, and simultaneous mark them as hazardous.
Since a survey team is essentially a reconnaissance element its description of what it entails will be described via the reconnaissance perspective. The reconnaissance unit has 5 critical tasks that it performs: detection, identification, marking, reporting and sampling. It also has 5 duties within its mission: search, survey, surveillance, sample, and reconnaissance. Its capabilities are timeliness, survivability, reliability, suitability and connectivity. The 6 principles are: maximizing the probability of detection; retaining freedom of action; orienting on the reconnaissance objective; reporting information rapidly and accurately; developing the situation rapidly; ensuring continuous reconnaissance and maximizing the capabilities of NBC reconnaissance units (FM 3-11.19, 2004, ps. I-1 through I-3). FM 3-11.19 clearly defines survey by stating that it “determines the location and size of the contamination.” Surveying is only a part of the overall reconnaissance duties and is performed when operation dictates.
In addition, the survey team possesses the same personnel and equipment as that of the CBRN reconnaissance platoon/squad or element. It can have as many personnel as needed but it has to be a minimum of two: one to provide security, the other to take readings. Common vehicles that they use are the ubiquitous HMMWV, ...

... middle of paper ...

...es and overall mission help the Commander make the most informative COA to accomplish the objective at hand.

Works Cited

U.S. Army Chemical School. (2004). Field Manual 3-11.19 Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures For Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance. Fort Leonard
Wood: Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.
U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School. (2013). Army Techniques
Publication 3-11.37 Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures For Chemical,
Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Reconnaissance And Surveillance. Fort Leonard
Wood: Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.
U.S. Army Chemical School. (2006). Field Manual 3-11.5 Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and
Procedures For Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Decontamination. Fort
Leonard Wood: Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.

Open Document