Infantry Drills

6-170: Civil Reconnaissance



Previous: 6-169: Contact Reconnaissance

6-170. Civil reconnaissance patrol is a targeted, planned, and coordinated observation and evaluation of specific civil aspects of the environment. Civil reconnaissance focuses on the civil component, the elements of which are best represented by ASCOPE. Priority information requirements focus on civil reconnaissance for purposes of collecting civil information to enhance situational understanding and facilitate decisionmaking. (Refer to FM 3-57 for more information.) Potential sources of civil information which a coordinated civil reconnaissance plan considers include:

  • Ongoing ASCOPE assessments of the area of operations.
  • Identified unknowns in civil information:
    • Gaps identified during collation and analysis.
    • Gaps remaining in the area study and area assessment.
  • Civil affairs interaction, including but not limited to:
    • Host-nation government officials.
    • Religious leaders.
    • Tribal or clan leaders.
    • Dislocated civilian camp leadership.
    • Dislocated civilians on the move.
    • Infrastructure managers and workers.
    • Local industry personnel.
    • Medical and educational personnel.

Next: 6-171: Tracking Reconnaissance

Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad