PLATOON CORDON AND SEARCH - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

Section
7
PLATOON CORDON
AND SEARCH
Key Points
1 Purpose of a Cordon and Search
2 Cordon and Search Planning
3 Conduct of the Search
4 Lessons Learned in the COE
Tactics and
Techniques Track
e
A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.
GEN George Patton

Platoon Cordon and Search n 221
Introduction
Cordon and search operations have gained importance with military commanders
in the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE) because of the need to flush out
insurgents and terrorists—and to find and destroy the weapons caches that support
their attacks against coalition forces and the local people. This section will review the
purpose, participants, roles, doctrine, special teams, and planning considerations of
cordon and search, which every platoon leader must understand.
US Soldiers find Iraqi weapons cache.

222 n SECTION 7
cordon and search
operation to seal off
and search an area
counterinsurgency
forces
government forces
taking military,
paramilitary, political,
economic, psychological,
and civic actions
to defeat insurgency
counterterrorist
forces
government forces
taking military,
paramilitary, political,
economic, psychological,
and civic actions
to defeat terrorists
Purpose of a Cordon and Search
Cordon and search is an operation in which military forces seal off an area and search it
while controlling entrances or exits during the search. Counterinsurgency and counterterrorist
forces frequently use cordon and search operations while conducting other offensive
missions as a means to locate insurgent or terrorist weapons caches; apprehend wanted
terrorists or enemy combatants; deny the enemy freedom of maneuver; or drive enemy
fighters from small centers of populations or subdivisions of a larger community. Units
engaged in stability and support operations will also conduct cordon and search missions,
as the vignette below from Iraq demonstrates.
“Roughriders” Nab Latifiyah Bombmaking Cell
LATIFIYAH, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2005—Continuing operations in the Latifiyah area of
north Babil, the US Army’s 3rd Platoon ‘Roughriders’ of Company A, Task Force
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment conducted a search in a farming village
Jan. 16, which resulted in the detainment of an improvised-explosive-device
manufacturing cell.
The find contributes to the task force’s four-week streak of finding weapons
caches and detaining anti-Iraqi forces in this previously unpatrolled area along
the Euphrates River. So far, the Roughriders platoon has contributed to the streak
by finding over nine significant weapons caches and detaining dozens of suspects
during continuous operations in the area that started when the task force arrived
late December.
“We’ve been going and hitting different locations with the intent of just
looking around and seeing if we uncover anything,” said US Army Sgt. 1st Class
Freddie Bonetti, a Roughriders squad leader from Brady, Texas. “We keep
[the insurgents] guessing about what we’re going to do next. We don’t know
if we’re going to get a hit when we go out, but it’s always a possibility.”
“Sometimes we’ll get lucky and where we don’t think there’s anything,
wham, suddenly we come right on top of something,” Bonetti added.
Taking down a cell of improvised-explosive-device makers might have been
a lucky find, but the Roughriders used their infantry skills to make it happen.
They rolled up in Bradley Fighting Vehicles under the cover of darkness, and
taking the neighborhood by surprise, sealed it from escape. Being infantry,
they’re always prepared for anything, Sgt. Steven Mabry, a Roughriders team
leader from Mohanas, Texas, explained.
“We don’t know what to expect going into each house,” Mabry said. “Each
house is a different [obstacle]. Most of them are built the same, but as you go
in you don’t know [who’s] hiding where.”
Going into the house where the improvised-explosive-device makers were
located, Mabry and his team noticed something strange.

Platoon Cordon and Search n 223
“I could tell by the two guys that were standing outside. They didn’t seem
right,” Mabry said. “You could tell by just looking at them when we first came in.”
“Most of the time they already know the routine. We walk in and all the males
will come out. They didn’t really seem like they wanted to do the routine, so
we made sure that we kept those [men] separated,” Mabry added. “There was
something fishy about them.”
The team’s next tip came when an elderly man in the village pointed the
men out as bad guys. The Roughriders don’t see that kind of thing every day,
Bonetti said.
“[There was an] old man pointing and screaming ‘ali babba.’ That usually
doesn’t happen, especially if these are big league bad guys,” Bonetti said.
“For an old man to do that, it shows a lot of courage.”
When the names of these men were checked against a list of known
anti-Iraqi forces by an interpreter, a close match was found. With the help of
their interpreter, the Roughriders made a positive identification of the men,
and took another improvised-explosive-device maker off the streets of Iraq.
“My platoon has been very good at following up on leads with the
interpreter,” 1st Lt. Ramiro Roldan, the Roughriders platoon leader from
San Antonio, Texas, said. “They’ve been very successful. Usually every time
they get somebody it’s one of the bad guys.”
Defend America: US Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism
Normally US Army units conduct cordon and search operations to:
• Identify and apprehend persons hostile to US efforts
• Gather and exploit information on insurgents
• Target people, material, buildings, or terrain.
Cordon and Search Planning
In planning cordon and search operations, you should consider the following:
• Include sufficient forces to effectively cordon off and thoroughly search target areas
• Augment the cordon and search forces with psychological operations (PSYOP),
civil affairs (CA), local translators, local leadership, and interrogation-specialist
teams
• Schedule ample time to conduct thorough search and interrogation of residents
in the affected area
• Rehearse operations thoroughly
• Treat all civilians fairly but firmly at all times
• Avoid any incidents that unnecessarily alienate the local people.
psychological
operations (PSYOP)
planned operations
to convey selected
information and
indicators to foreign
audiences to influence
their emotions, motives,
objective reasoning, and
ultimately the behavior
of foreign governments,
organizations, groups,
and individuals—the
purpose of psychological
operations is to induce
or reinforce foreign
attitudes and behavior
favorable to the
originator’s objectives

224 n SECTION 7
Command and Control
According to Army doctrine, the civilian police or local forces control a search with the
military in support. A search involving a large force may be controlled by the military
commander with the civilian police in support. Regardless of the controlling agency,
doctrinally, host nation police perform the actual search when they are available in adequate
numbers and have been trained in search operations. In the COE, however, US forces are
conducting cordon and search operations in response to attacks, intelligence, or tips
provided by a local person sympathetic to the new regime or the coalition’s efforts. US
forces will turn over the task of cordon and search as more local police are properly trained
and the numbers are available to conduct such searches.
Conduct of the Search
Whether you are searching a few isolated huts or buildings or well-developed urban
neighborhoods, you should use Army search techniques. You must thoroughly prepare
and rehearse these techniques before undertaking search operations, especially in built-up
areas. Training your unit in these techniques is as important as training in battle drills.
During searches of built-up areas, divide the areas into zones and assign a search party
to each. A search party generally consists of three elements:
• a search element to conduct the search
• a cordon element to encircle the area to prevent entrance and exit and to secure
open areas
• a reserve element to assist as required.
Search Element
The search element conducts the mission assigned for the operation. You organize the
search element into special teams that include Soldiers and equipment for handling of:
• Prisoners
• Interrogation
• Documentation
• Demolitions
• PSYOPS/civil affairs
• Mine detection
• Fire support
• Scout dog employment
• Reconnaissance.
Cordon Element
The cordon element surrounds the area, taking up position before the search element
moves in. The cordon element moves quickly into position to encircle the search area,
securing open areas and establishing roadblocks and checkpoints to prevent escape and
to keep out insurgents who may be trying to reinforce the areas.

Platoon Cordon and Search n 225
Reserve Element
The reserve element is a mobile force positioned in a safe and easily defendable location
centrally located to easily reinforce or support the cordon or search elements. Its specific
mission is to assist the other two elements as required. In addition, it can replace or reinforce
either of the other two elements should the need arise.
The cordon and search mission is doctrinally a deliberately planned mission that requires
a company or larger force to cordon off and search a city block, small subdivision, or village.
The larger the populated area, the larger the force required to conduct the cordon and
search. Owing to the nonlinear and unpredictable battlefield of the COE, however, many
units find themselves conducting hasty cordon and searches as the result of insurgent or
terrorist attacks on friendly forces. Such was the case of Soldiers from C Troop in the
following vignette.
Task Force Baghdad Soldiers Defeat Terrorists in Suburb
BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Nov. 21, 2005)—Task Force Baghdad Soldiers
successfully repelled a terrorist attack near Jisr Diyala Nov. 15.
Two terrorists were killed, one was wounded, and two suspects were detained
after the exchange of fire in the Baghdad suburb. There were no American
casualties.
“We received small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from the edge
of a small village,” said Capt. Michael Burgoyne, commander of C Troop, 3rd
Squadron, 7th Cavalry. “We immediately placed well-aimed fire on the enemy
and killed one and severely wounded another.”
Iraqi Police evacuated the wounded terrorist to a nearby medical facility.
“We could see the terrorists trying to maneuver on us and they were
attempting to mix with civilians who were in the area,” said 2nd Lt. Arnold Lee,
a platoon leader in C Troop. “We used good weapons discipline to engage the
terrorists without hitting the civilians.”
After engaging the enemy, troopers moved into the village to search for
more terrorist activity.
“The Squadron massed forces for the most effectiveness,” said Lt. Col. Michael
Johnson, 3/7 Cav. commander. “All elements of the Squadron were able to provide
the necessary assistance for this mission.”
In the town, the troopers conducted a hasty cordon and search.
“One terrorist tried to escape in a van and was killed,” Burgoyne said.
During the search for more terrorists, two additional suspects were detained.
“I think (the terrorists) were testing us,” said Col. Joseph DiSalvo, commander
of Coalition Forces in east Baghdad. “I imagine the only thing they will have
learned by this is that they should not provoke us with small-arms fire; the
outcome is almost always certain when terrorists try to engage us—they die.”
Army News Service

226 n SECTION 7
Your platoon will normally conduct a cordon and search as part of a larger force assigned
a cordon and search mission. In the COE, however, many platoons are required to conduct
both hasty and deliberate cordon and search missions, only at a smaller scale. At the platoon
level, one squad becomes the search team, one becomes the cordon team, and one squad
is the reserve. As platoon leader, you will call in size, activity, location, uniform, time,
and equipment (SALUTE) to higher headquarters and continue the search and cordon
until you receive orders from higher headquarters to disengage, wait for reinforcements,
or continue until reinforcements arrive.
Considerations
You may focus a search on people, materiel, buildings, or terrain. Remember that misuse
of search authority can undermine the overall mission, whereas proper use of search
authority gains the respect and support of the local people.
Military personnel should conduct searches only in areas under military jurisdiction.
The search teams should have lists of prohibited or controlled items. Platoons and squads
tasked with a search should have interpreters as needed.
A search operation should proceed as slowly as necessary to allow for an effective search
but quickly enough to prevent the enemy from reacting to the search’s threat. To improve
or maintain local support, the search should be conducted as rapidly as possible to allow
life to return to normal as quickly as possible for those being searched.
If resistance develops, the platoon or squad should use the least force possible in
responding. In cases of high threat, the unit may conduct the search as a tactical mission.
For example, when preparing to search a building, you organize and prepare your unit to
assault it, but the searchers open fire only in self-defense. The two or three Soldiers use
the techniques for clearing a room—but instead of coming through a window or kicking
in a door, they knock and inform the occupants of their actions. They cover each other
with their weapons and are prepared to fight at any time.
Anyone in a search area may be an insurgent, terrorist, or an enemy sympathizer.
Searchers must take care, however, to avoid making an enemy out of a suspect who may,
in fact, support the government.

Platoon Cordon and Search n 227
Special Considerations
When planning or conducting a cordon and search operation, make sure that all your
subordinate leaders and Soldiers keep the following considerations in mind:
• Enemy material you find may be booby-trapped. Consider it dangerous until
investigation proves it safe. This goes for material as mundane as propaganda signs
and leaflets
• Search underground and underwater areas—use mine detectors or metal detectors
to locate metal objects in these locations
• Suspect any freshly excavated ground—it could be a hiding place for a person, a
weapons cache, or an explosive device.
Lessons Learned in the COE
In the nonlinear environment of the COE, where cordon and search takes on added
significance, you and your Soldiers must adapt current doctrine in order to defeat terrorists
and insurgents.
In the COE, many units, down to the platoon and squad levels, execute cordon and
search immediately following an enemy improvised explosive device (IED) ambush in
order to prevent the initiator or ambushers from escaping. The Army unit may or may
not have host nation authorities or CA support immediately on site. The intent is to capture
the initiator and any appliance that the insurgents or terrorists used to set off the IED.
Enemy fighters quickly adapt to US Army tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) in
the COE and are constantly changing their methods for emplacing and initiating IEDs
against US and coalition forces as well as Iraqi Police (IP) and Iraqi Army (IA) forces.
It has become critical for commanders and the intelligence community to identify new
technology as well as TTPs that insurgents use when conducting IED attacks. Doing so
allows US forces to develop counter-TTPs to locate and defeat IEDs.
When an IED explodes near your platoon, you must make a split-second decision to
either accelerate through the kill zone and continue your mission or dismount from your
vehicles and execute a rapid cordon and search. Your rapid decision must meet your
commander’s intent for the mission, and your decision may be largely driven by unit
standing operating procedure (SOP). If the IED was not effective and your unit did not
receive any casualties, your SOP may dictate that you accelerate and continue along your
route and report. On the other hand, your unit SOP may call for you to initiate a unitspecific
“react to IED” battle drill in which: a) one element is to identify the initiator and
either pursue the initiator or direct another element to pursue the initiator; b) one element
moves quickly to cordon the area; and c) one element secures the dismount site and acts
as the reserve, while also receiving and directing follow-on CA, IP, IA, or interpreters to
assist in the cordon and search.
A frequent insurgent tactic is to initiate the ambush using cell phones. A cell phone
is rigged to the IED and the initiator simply sets the IED cell phone’s number as a speed
dial on his cell phone. If Soldiers can capture the initiator, other programmed numbers
as well as numbers for calls made and received can provide crucial information to identify
the terrorist or insurgent cell. Other favored detonation devices in the COE are washing
machine timers that can be rigged to the IED with the dial set to go off at a prescribed time.
IED patrols have become a daily mission for all units, including combat support (CS)
and combat service support (CSS) Soldiers.

228 n SECTION 7
Soldiers should look for fresh dirt or asphalt repairs in roads, boxes, bottles, animal
carcasses, and abandoned or parked vehicles along the route. All can conceal IEDs.
Suicide bombers are another threat in the COE. Warning signs of suicide bombers
include civilians loitering in the area, slow-traveling vehicles along the route, or fast-moving
vehicles approaching the convoy from a merging lane or from behind.
You must consider many factors of METT-TC when you make the decision whether
to fire warning shots at suspicious vehicles first in order to avoid an attack, accelerate
and continue along your route if attacked, or dismount and pursue the attackers once
attacked. Many units make this decision based on whether they can spot the IED initiator.
If they do spot the initiator, the element that spots him or her becomes the search team.
The logic behind this technique is that it’s easier for the search team members to find the
initiator if they’ve already seen him or her, rather than trying to communicate to another
element what the initiator looks like, what he or she is wearing, and the direction of travel.
The platoon leader or patrol leader (PL) immediately designates as the cordon team
another element that is in the best position to seal off the city block or, a unit’s SOP may
dictate that the platoon leader or PL, as part of the battle drill, immediately move to high
ground or a building that provides a vantage point for the area that will be cordoned and
searched in order to better direct the cordon and search teams. Each unit may have a slightly
different SOP or technique in such situations, depending on elements of METT-TC that
are unique to the unit’s area of operation.
Some units may have a pre-established limit of advance (LOA) when reacting to an
IED ambush. For instance, a platoon may be limited to a one-block cordon and search.
This technique preserves combat power by limiting the distance the squads can move away
from each other’s direct support and covering fires. It also prevents the pursuit element
from overextending the pursuit and becoming cut off from the unit’s main body.
The enemy the Army faces in the COE is intelligent, studies Army TTPs, and adapts
accordingly. Enemy fighters have recognized that US IED countermeasures are to identify
and pursue the initiators. They have adapted their own countermeasures accordingly. It
is a likely enemy course of action, after the IED is initiated, for the initiator to withdraw
noticeably along a designated route to lure the pursuit element into a pre-planned point
ambush. Leaders must be aware of this likely enemy course of action—they must maneuver
or position the search and cordon elements in ways likely to locate or disrupt the enemy
in the ambush site before friendly forces enter the kill zone. It is also very important that
the reserve element leader closely monitor the fight and know the exact locations of the
search and cordon elements in the event the reserve must move to reinforce or rescue an
ambushed element.
The following vignette gives a feel for some of the cordon and search operations that
take place in Iraq. In this case, a company conducts the cordon and search with the platoons
playing various roles in the operation.
Critical Thinking
e
Which techniques that you have learned in conducting offensive and defensive
operations are useful in conducting rapid cordon and search operations?

Platoon Cordon and Search n 229
Cordon and Search in Iraq
FORWARD OPERATING BASE BRASSFIELD MORA, SAMARRA, Iraq (12/14/2004)—
As the sun slowly rises in the distance, each Soldier, wearing an intense look,
scanned his sector of fire like a hawk.
One team disappeared around the corner of a wall into the house. . . .
The other team took up security around the wall. Next, the commander and
an interpreter strolled through the gate to talk with the occupants.
This is [an] average day [in the] life of an infantryman Soldier.
A cordon search is common knowledge for an infantryman, but for others
in the military it is a foreign topic. A cordon means an element of a company
size surrounds the outside of an area. They make it impossible to go in or out
of the area. Once the area is secured, the other elements search each house
within that area.
“We search everything in the area and look for designated targets,” said
Capt. George Rodriguez of Salisbury, Vt., and commander of Charlie Company,
2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment. The National Guard unit is based
in Gloversville, NY.
Charlie Company, along with elements of 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment;
415th Civil Affairs Battalion; 324th Psychological Operations Company; Special
Forces and Iraqi National Guard conducted two cordon searches during the
last week of July.
Each element present had a specific mission while in the village of Al Maejeel,
located south of Samara.
The ING, which is attached to the 2-108th, had the cordon of the outer
perimeter while the platoon from the 1-26th provided security on the cordon
along with their M2A2 ODS Bradley fighting vehicles. Charlie Company had
the responsibility of searching the houses while maintaining security.
Civil Affairs talked to the local village leaders and [assessed] the area. PSYOPS’
mission was to observe the local populace and distribute radios for the local radio
station that’s in the works. Special Forces also provided security.
Rodriguez said that the ING Soldiers were in the training phase of the cordon
search, and eventually they want the ING to take over the actual searches. For
now, the ING conducts the outer cordon where it searches all vehicles coming
and going through the cordon.
Along with the ING, a platoon of Apache Company, 1-26th also executed
the outer cordon. They along with their Bradleys were strategically placed along
the high traffic areas.

230 n SECTION 7
While they were responsible for the outer security, Charlie Company provided
the security and the search team. They also talked to the local leaders along with . . .
Civil Affairs.
“At first they (local populace) were standoffish and didn’t really want to
become involved with the coalition forces,” said Rodriguez, adding that the locals
didn’t want to be perceived by neighbors as helping the coalition.
“After [we’ve gone] there continuously . . . showing the folks that we’re there
to help, they have become a lot friendlier.”
Additionally, returning to these villages every so often has opened up a form
of communication with the locals, he said.
The civil affairs Soldiers [assess] each village they go in to determine what they
can do to help the locals.
Coalition forces distribute candy and toys, and contribute to the local economy
by purchasing such items as sodas. The purchases are a way of showing the people
that the troops are there to help them, said Maj. Victor Jones of the 415th
Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Detroit native said his unit gave the kids toys and candy to prevent them
from playing with explosives and to keep them busy.
The 324th PSYOPS Company is an Army reserve unit out of Denver, Colo.
Its mission is to relay messages to the local populace.
“We handed out radios today to let the people of this village listen to the
program that we broadcast from Brassfield Mora,” said Spc. John Winfield
of Denver.
He also mentioned that the radio would play Arabic music [interspersed
with messages from coalition forces].
Each of these elements will continue [to search the village twice a week or
more often for at least a month longer]. Before July, the units were conducting
cordon searches more often.
While each unit has other missions to accomplish, all agree on one thing:
It’s good for each unit to meet the people in the villages and make its
presence known.
Rodriguez also said that the ING have come a long way, and its Soldiers want
to do the right thing.
“I think the ING feel they have a big brother to look out for them and that’s
basically what we are doing,” Rodriguez said.
National Guard Bureau

Platoon Cordon and Search n 231
The enemy may have hit your unit with an IED or ambushed you with small-arms and
rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire. You may have received casualties or even suffered
killed in action. Still, it is important that all Soldiers, regardless of rank or leadership
experience, understand that the cordon and search is a task that intrudes on the local
populace and can lessen support for the long-term goal in the COE—to win the hearts and
minds of those you are trying to protect. The cordon and search is an aggressive offensive
operation, but as you will read in the following vignette, all Soldiers must think about
public relations when conducting offensive operations in the COE—and understand the
old adage that you can catch more flies with honey.
New Soldiers Patrol Streets of Mosul
MOSUL, Iraq (Army News Service, Nov. 23, 2005)—They’re the new guys on
the block, and they’re not hard to spot. Not because they rumble through the
streets in their Stryker light-armored vehicles, for those have been there before.
It’s a new attitude; it’s a new uniform on smiling faces with determination to
get the job done.
Soldiers from Fort Richardson, Alaska, have assumed responsibility for the
streets of Mosul in northern Iraq. They smile at the Iraqi citizens on the streets,
but at the same time they will kick the doors in on the insurgents who plan
to spread upheaval.
“We are out here doing what we like to call PR—public relations,” said Sgt.
1st Class Thomas M. Pickerel, platoon sergeant, 3rd Plt., Co. B, 4th Battalion,
23rd Infantry Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska. “Our patrols are designed to let
the citizens of Iraq know we are here for them, and we are out here every day.”
Soldiers hit ground running
The unit [members] spend parts of their days in their vehicles, driving around
with a “hey, we’re here” attitude before dismounting to walk the streets on foot.
“We get on the ground as much as possible because that’s really the only way
you get to know the people in the area,” Pickerel said. Co. B recently replaced
Soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of Fort Lewis, Wash., and has
hit the ground running.
“This used to be called the wild, wild west, but the unit ahead of us did a lot
of work here,” said Pickerel, a St. Joseph, Mo., native. “We’ve got all the kinks
worked out, and things have calmed down quite a bit since we’ve moved in.”
Take the next left on Broadway
Patrolling streets of New York fame . . . named “Canal,” “Broadway,” and an area
known as “Yankee Stadium,” complete with alleys called “1st Base Line” all the
way around to “Home Plate” doesn’t come easy.

232 n SECTION 7
Along with shaking hands and giving candy to kids, the Soldiers of Co. B move
up and down miles of concrete laden with weapons, ammunition, and forty
pounds of armor strapped to their backs. Despite temperatures rising into the
130 degree range, all that gear is essential when the troops have to get down to
the business of being infantrymen.
“We’re out here looking for the bad guys,” said 1st Lt. Anthony E. Cerullo,
platoon leader, 3rd Plt.
And the bad guys are out there. The unit takes on sporadic gunfire when
loading into their vehicles and has to deal with drive-by shootings and improvised
explosive devices on an almost daily basis, said Cerullo.
“We take intelligence that has been gathered, and we look for certain vehicles
that we know . . . to be possible insurgent vehicles. We do standard patrols
where we look for suspicious activity—anything out of the ordinary,” Cerullo said.
“We do improvised explosive devise (IED) sweeps, looking for IEDs before they
go off, and we also take care of guys we catch emplacing them.”
“We talk to citizens in the neighborhoods and do random searches to see
if we can find anything, information or otherwise,” he said.
“It’s a dual-facet mission,” said Staff Sgt. Austin S. Fernandez, a squad leader
with 3rd Plt. “We let the citizens know we are here to help them, but we are
also here to let them know that we don’t take any (mess).”
Equal opportunity patrols
On top of the patrol mission, a day isn’t complete without a trip to see their
counterparts-in-arms. The platoon stops in daily to speak with the Iraqi Army
and Iraqi Police, seeing what they need and talking about future missions.
“We’ve done joint patrols with the IA and the IP, and we are going to do even
more now because it’s their country, and they are going to be the ones doing
it after we leave here,” Cerullo said. “The more we can teach them how to do it
the right way and help them along in that process, the better off they’ll be.”
Helping the cause is a Soldier in the platoon with the ability to speak Arabic.
Fernandez has picked up the language from interpreters, and it has helped
tremendously with relations, he said.

Platoon Cordon and Search n 233
SPC Andrew D. “Doc” Nelson, a medic with 3rd Platoon, Company B, 4th Battalion,
23rd Infantry Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska, looks over his shoulder while providing
cover for fellow Soldiers in Mosul, Iraq.
“I don’t have any kids, but I can speak Arabic pretty well and the kids come
to me naturally,” Fernandez said. “It helps out a lot with relations, being able
to talk to the Iraqis a little.”
A recent patrol had a gaggle of 20 Iraqi children hanging onto and holding
hands with Fernandez; the M-4 assault rifle was put out of harm’s way for the
time being. The infantrymen had parents lining the streets with smiles on their
faces and gestures of “thumbs up” for blocks.
Army News Service

234 n SECTION 7
e
CONCLUSION
Cordon and search is an essential tool for anyone leading full spectrum operations
today. In many locations, you’ll participate in carefully planned cordon and search
operations as backup to local police or military authorities. In others, you may
launch into a rapid cordon and search in response to an attack on your platoon
while patrolling city streets.
Army doctrine calls for specific procedures during a cordon and search
operation. But shifting conditions in the COE demand that units on the ground
adapt procedures and techniques to fit the evolving threat they face. After action
reviews (AARs) from other Army units, as well as intelligence supplied by your
battalion intelligence officer, will be invaluable to you in understanding the
enemy’s TTPs and most likely courses of action—what insurgents are up to and
how they may behave. Training and careful preparation for cordon and search
operations will help you bring your Soldiers home safely while at the same time
winning the hearts and minds of those you are trying to protect and empower
with individual freedoms.
Key Words
cordon and search
counterinsurgency forces
counterterrorist forces
psychological operations (PSYOP)
Learning Assessment
1. Explain the purpose of cordon and search.
2. Describe how to task organize a platoon for a cordon and search.
3. Describe the three missions that a platoon may receive as part
of a company cordon and search.
4. Describe how enemy and friendly forces in the COE have adapted
to the TTPs used by both.

Platoon Cordon and Search n 235
5. Compare and contrast the cordon and search technique used by small units
when reacting to an IED or ambush to the offensive mission of movement
to contact.
6. Explain how a limit of advance for the initial search team after an ambush
or IED can save lives.
7. Explain why some platoons are faced with conducting cordon and search
operations in the COE when doctrinally the cordon and search is a battalion,
task force, or at minimum, a company mission.
References
Crisp, J. (23 November 2005). New Soldiers Patrol Streets of Mosul. Army News Service.
Retrieved 14 December 2005 from http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/print.php?story_id_
key=8246
Field Manual 3-07, Stability and Support Operations. 20 February 2003.
Field Manual 3-21.10, The Infantry Rifle Company. 27 July 2006.
Miles, D. (1994). One Army, Two Fronts. Soldiers, Volume 49, No. 12. Retrieved 27 October
2005 from http://www.army.mil/soldiers/dec94/p4.html
Miller, A. (20 January 2005). “Roughriders” Nab Latifiyah Bombmaking Cell. Defend
America: US Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism. Retrieved 14
December 2005 from http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jan2005/a012005wm2.html
Musil, A. (21 November 2005). Task Force Baghdad Soldiers Defeat Terrorists in Suburb.
Army News Service. Retrieved 14 December 2005 from http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/
read.php?story_id_key=8235
Sydenstricker, L. P. (14 December 2004). Cordon Search. National Guard Bureau. Retrieved
8 November 2005 from http://www.ngb.army.mil/news/story.asp?id=1365