TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01Sergeant First Class Mike Foster, the first platoon sergeant, was David’s ace in the hole.Both had worked together before in David’s first platoon command back in Germany. Rangerleaders normally had to command a line unit of comparable size before taking command in theRanger Regiment. David and Foster had seen action in Afghanistan. They had brought thatexperience to A Company, but this was special operations now and not a standard infantryplatoon.“Sergeant Foster, report,” David typed in.“In position, launching set one now.” Foster replied.An hour later, all the Hummingbirds had swept the area. Only one showed anything ofconcern—an emission from a cell phone on a GOI frequency from a small village two kilometersfrom David’s position. As he analyzed this data, the company and battalion analyses meshedwith TF Green’s larger view. It was Ibn Ander himself or at least someone from his inner circle!They could capture or kill him now and put an end to this operation!The information flow was fast, so fast that someone in Washington had already ordered animmediate engagement. Cruise missiles or smart bombs would obliterate the position in minutes.“Check fire! Check fire!” Foster broadcast. “Civilian women, children, and men detectedsleeping in tents all around the target site.” They would have to take the headquarters outconventionally or just keep an eye on it until the cavalry arrived.David suggested sending a patrol in closer and company agreed. He picked Foster to leadwhile he kept the rest of the platoon hidden in overwatch positions. Their piece of AO Aerie wasthree times the size of what a platoon covered ten years ago. They could surveil so much moreand put lethal and nonlethal fires virtually anywhere in their sector. “This is pretty dicey,”David thought to himself. They were hanging out way too far and with far too little force to takeon Ibn Ander’s army. Surely the Emir had a nearby protective force.“Stand off as far as possible,” he told Foster, “and get some more images and scans of thosetents. We don’t want to trigger an evacuation of Ander and his henchmen, but, if they start tomove, the rules of engagement are clear: take them out.”“Roger, sir,” Foster adjusted his faceplate. “I just hope we don’t run into any awakefarmers like that sea-air-land team (SEAL) in Afghanistan.”“Yeah, well, you know what to do if you do, right?”“Try the nonlethal stuff? You know that’s not very reliable, Lieutenant. Is this importantenough to not let some innocents compromise our mission?”“Just use your best judgment, Sergeant. Good luck.”78