SOP (Radio) - The SITREP

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SOP (Radio) - The SITREP (Situation Report)

In special forces operations, often events never go according to plan. Besides a structured training regime for young warriors which teaches them to "adapt, improvise, persevere and overcome" in order to handle these unforeseen events, the TL (Team Leader) is constantly assessing the current situation in real time so he can adjust tactics to the fluidness of the engagement when this happens.

Individual members of the fire team can help the TL maintain tactical SA (situational awareness) by efficient use of SITREPS. All military units are trained to use a standard NATO form of radio procedure for SITREPS. The reason for standardizing the format of the SITREP is to minimize extraneous radio traffic by creating a clear and concise common approach. Therefore, everyone listening on the radio net understands exactly the nature and scope of the enemy threat, as well as the general status of their fire team's condition. In our virtual Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter world we don’t use actual military radios, but with TeamSpeak, virtually the same methodology can be utilized.

SITREPS are either requested by the TL to clarify a specific team member's status, or they may be sent unprompted by any team member based upon changing events in his own geographic area of operations. Often a SITREP is sent as a follow-up to a standard SOP (Radio) - The Contact Report, where the sender has previously engaged (or is observing) the enemy. The purpose would be to update the entire fire team as to the results of the engagement, or any significant change in the status of enemy movement being observed. The SITREP is also a mechanism whereby individual fire team members make recommendations to the TL to alter mission objectives, the tactics being used, or suggest changes in routings that may be taken to achieve objectives. Finally, SITREPS serve as a method for individual fire team members to report any critical administrative needs or shortfalls, such as being low on primary ammunition, or perhaps shortages of a specific kind of secondary weaponry (i.e. anti-tank rockets or demo charges) that may be needed in order to accomplish mission goals.

The form of the SITREP may be remembered by using the term EFAR:

Enemy Forces (What is their status? What are they doing?)
Friendly Forces (What is your status? What are you doing? Do you have a visual on any other friendly call-signs from other units?)
Administrative Needs (Do you require anything, such as ammo?)
Recommendations (Do you have any tactical suggestions for the TL's consideration?)

Let's demonstrate the use of the SITREP as a follow-up to a Contact Report using FriedFish reporting to Player who is the Team Leader.

Example with fire team under Fire Condition RED:

Unknown voice over TeamSpeak says: "Leader, this is FriedFish, CONTACT, Grid Reference A9, lightly armed enemy infantry in patrol strength, moving northeast through woods, threat imminent, am observing."

Player says over TeamSpeak: "FriedFish, this is Leader, ENGAGE, team disperse, go GREEN."

FriedFish responds by typing "cc." This results in Player seeing on his chat screen the words "FriedFish: cc", which gives him direct confirmation that FriedFish has received and understood his transmission.

.... LONG PAUSE IN ACTION AND RADIO TRAFFIC ....

FriedFish says over TeamSpeak: "Leader, this is FriedFish, SITREP, Enemy neutralized, call-sign Bubba is down, need CHARGES to complete objective, recommend maintaining defensive posture at this location until additional call-sign with requirements arrives."

Note: Use of EFAR format sequence (clear and concise).

Player says over TeamSpeak: "FriedFish, this is Leader, understood, hold position until call-sign Trooper arrives, then continue with mission."

FriedFish responds by hitting a pre-defined hotkey he's programmed. This results in Player seeing on his chat screen the words "FriedFish: cc", which gives him direct confirmation that FriedFish has received and understood his transmission.

Player says over TeamSpeak: "Trooper, this is Leader, take your CHARGES and move to Grid Reference A9 to support FriedFish, team provide cover, Trooper move NOW."

Trooper responds by hitting a pre-defined hotkey he's programmed. This results in Player seeing on his chat screen the words "Trooper: cc", which gives him direct confirmation that Trooper has received and understood his transmission.

Note: Refer to SOP (Radio) - Phonetic Alphabet for details on pronouncing grid references over radio net.

Note: Refer to SOP (Radio) - "cc" for details on use of radio acknowledgments.

Note: Refer to SOP (Tactics) - Fire Discipline for details on use of GREEN/YELLOW/RED RoE.

Note: SITREPS can be abused and over used. They're most useful in a situation where various fire teams are geographically separated performing individual mission tasks. If the entire 12-man fire team is geographically on the same ground and everyone sees the same threat, often it's redundant to send either Contact Reports or SITREPS, except if you believe that other team members can't see the actual threat, or have possibly lost SA (situational awareness) as to what's happening around them. Therefore, information such enemy activity and intentions, who (friendlies) you can see or not see, suggestions for adapting the current mission plan, or sending administrative requirements such as low ammo might prove useful. The key is to use one's own best judgment. It should be noted that if there was a higher command structure above the 12-man GRAW team we play in this game, then even if the team were all together, the Team Leader would send periodic SITREPS to that higher authority regardless.

After a bit of practice using this technique, it becomes almost second nature and makes it much easier to communicate enemy threats, providing the team leader better command and control capability, plus improving the overall SA (situational awareness) of the entire fire team. We would encourage all players on any Tactical Gamer Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter public server to utilize this standard NATO SOP methodology for sending SITREPS as much as possible.