Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
Thus I was ordered to:
Make reports on enemy activity and locations
Capture prisoners.

Discover the enemy's intent NEVER featured in a stated mission.
While "determine the enemy's intent" may have never been a stated mission, having and understanding of the full enemy situation: composition (what and possibly who-what unit or unit type) disposition (where-location(s)), capabiities (what he is able to do) AND intentions (he is likely planning on doing) is important for the commander to make correct decisions.

Somebody has to go up and punch the guy in the nose in order to determine actual intent. By restricting ourselves to passive surveillance, we open ourselves up to deception by the other side.

Could the HBCT use a CAB instead, sure, but with only two it limits the flexibility of the exiting HBCT.

A similar epiphany is occuring at the division, corps and JTF levels with the realization that the "old" dic cav and ACRs are gone and that the Battlefield Surveillance Bdes lack the resources to execute many their old tasks (conduct guard, conduct cover force, conduct economy-of-force, conduct reconnaissance-in-force etc). Div and above cdrs are now having to employ a BCT instead.