The purpose of this manual is to provide a compendium of techniques and procedures used by reconnaissance teams (RTs). The success of any recon operation depends on the ability of the unit to develop its own procedures and to adapt and exploit those which prove successful. Ultimately, success depends on the motivation and training of the RT. This manual will provide an introduction to the required training and a basis for continuation of training. While no technique represents the final answer, those described here have been proven successful in several years of Recondo-style operations. To the beginner, this manual will serve as a summary of the techniques he must master; to the "old timer", it will be a refresher and review. There is only one type of recon man that has stopped learning recon - the dead type.
This manual is directed only towards RT employment. Therefore, always keep in mind that the tactics and techniques described are directed towards one goal - the collection of intelligence. The patrolling tactics, insertion techniques, communications, etc. are only a means to accomplish that end.
Developed for use at Recondo (Recon Commando) schools by the US Army Institute for Military Assistance in 1970 as a means to capture the operational knowledge of Studies and Observation Group Recon Teams from Command & Control North, Central and South. It contains information very difficult to find elsewhere, much of it presented in the form of "lessons learned" from operations in Vietnam.
Presented in Special Operations Press' distinctive ERDL camouflage cover, denoting a Vietnam-era publication, this edition is an easy-to-read 6 x 9 inch perfect-bound paperback printed on first quality paper in the USA.