Leading scouting/counter-scouting theorists

[Tom Odom]

1. Reconnaissance- Human Observation
2. Surveillance- Technological Observation (UAV's, sensors, etc)

This simplified our work so when I use the term reconnaissance, I am referring to a group of soldiers collecting intelligence on the terrain or populace to covertly/overtly infiltrate and conduct observation. Likewise, surveillance covers intelligence collected from all the technological toys that we have to play with today.

Mike

As a former intel guy that is close to what we learned 30 plus years ago with the following caveats:

Reconnaissance is a time duration limited and target defined operation. Humans look at something and report back. But you can do recce with technical means as in aerial recce.

Surveillance is continuous in its goal against a target area with more general criteria for what is actually of interest. As such it is more conducive to use of technical means.

You are correct in that the confusion is rampant, especially with the abuse of the term(s) ISR as a catch all, mean nothing phrase. I sat in a trends refersal conference about 9 years ago and the representative from Ft Huachuca admitted that the school house could not define ISR even as it claimed there was a negative ISR trend that needed to be reversed.

At that same conference, Ft Huachuca and Ft Knox announced an epiphany: Huachuca said that ISR had to be fixed. Knox announced that movement to contact/actions on contact were largely the same (they are not) and that both were in need of a fix. The fix came with a Huachuca statement that in essence claimed it was possible to see all and understand all (gave no vote to the enemy) and Knox gave the Guiness "brilliant" salute with the concurring statement that achieving said goal would eliminate the need for a movement to contact because you would know where the enemy is and would then attack him. Again the enemy had no vote --and neither did I sitting and listening.

The 3 star and all the one stars nodded their heads north and south while I picked my jaw up off the floor.

So if you find confusion in this arena today do not be surprised. It is a tradition.

Best
Tom

[carl]

You are correct in that the confusion is rampant, especially with the abuse of the term(s) ISR as a catch all, mean nothing phrase. I sat in a trends refersal conference about 9 years ago and the representative from Ft Huachuca admitted that the school house could not define ISR even as it claimed there was a negative ISR trend that needed to be reversed.

At that same conference, Ft Huachuca and Ft Knox announced an epiphany: Huachuca said that ISR had to be fixed. Knox announced that movement to contact/actions on contact were largely the same (they are not) and that both were in need of a fix. The fix came with a Huachuca statement that in essence claimed it was possible to see all and understand all (gave no vote to the enemy) and Knox gave the Guiness "brilliant" salute with the concurring statement that achieving said goal would eliminate the need for a movement to contact because you would know where the enemy is and would then attack him. Again the enemy had no vote --and neither did I sitting and listening.

The 3 star and all the one stars nodded their heads north and south while I picked my jaw up off the floor.

So if you find confusion in this arena today do not be surprised. It is a tradition.

Best
Tom

This story should be Appendix I of the next edition of Parkinson's Law.

[William F. Owen]

Reconnaissance is a time duration limited and target defined operation. Humans look at something and report back. But you can do recce with technical means as in aerial recce.

Surveillance is continuous in its goal against a target area with more general criteria for what is actually of interest. As such it is more conducive to use of technical means.

Clear, concise and excellent pointer. Owe you a drink for that (even if it was in a manual somewhere) and I'll buy you two if it wasn't!

[Tom Odom]

Clear, concise and excellent pointer. Owe you a drink for that (even if it was in a manual somewhere) and I'll buy you two if it wasn't!

Thanks, mate. Just memory and practice. Headed east tomorrow.

Best
Tom