Long Range Surveillance Company
Encyclopedia
In the United States Army
, a Long Range Surveillance Company (LRS-C) is a company
with a special reconnaissance
role in an intelligence
brigade.
s are airborne
and Ranger
qualified. All other personnel in the company are Pre-Ranger and airborne qualified. All Company Personnel undergo a week long assessment and selection in addition to psychological evaluation
. There are two types of selection, LRS selection and LRS Support personnel selection. The LRS Company is broken down into platoons. There is a Headquarters platoon, Communications platoon and three Infantry/LRS platoons. Although all LRS team members can infiltrate via Land, Sea or Air; each platoon specializes in one method of infiltration. Each platoon is broken down into one of three infiltration specialties; Water, High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and Desert Mountain.
A. Headquarters Platoon. The headquarters platoon contains two sections for the command and control of the company in the areas of administration, logistics, and operations.
Headquarters section. This section contains the personnel necessary for the command and control of the company and supply support.
Operations section. The personnel in this section plan and control the employment of the teams, coordinate insertion and extraction of the teams to include external support, receive and report information from committed teams, and maintain the operational status of all teams. Liaison duties and planning for future operations are important functions of the operations section.
B. Communications Platoon. The communications platoon operates the base radio stations. It helps the operations section plan and maintain communication with deployed teams. It works with the operations section or separately to relay information from deployed teams. It also performs unit maintenance on communication equipment organic to the unit. The platoon has a headquarters section and four base radio stations.
Headquarters section. The personnel in this section establish command and control over assigned communications elements. They coordinate and set up communication procedures, transmission schedules, frequency allocation, and communication sites. They issue and control encryption code devices and materials. They ensure continuous communication between deployed teams and base radio stations. They provide communication support to detached LRS platoons. They augment division Long Range Surveillance Detachment
's (LRS-D's) with communication support when directed. They also provide unit maintenance for company communication equipment.
Base radio stations. The four base radio stations maintain communication between the operations base and the deployed teams. They operate on a 24-hour basis to make sure all message traffic to and from teams is processed immediately.
C. Long-Range Surveillance Platoons. These three platoons contain a headquarters element and six surveillance teams each.
Headquarters section. This section contains the personnel necessary for command, control, and training of the platoon.
Surveillance teams. (LRS Team
) Each team consists of a team leader, an assistant team leader, Senior Scout, scout observer, a RATELO and assistant RATELO. The teams obtain and report information about enemy forces within the corps' area of interest. LRS teams also conduct Combat Search And Rescue missions. The teams can operate independently with little or no external support in all environments. Each team member is cross trained in the duties and responsibilities of the others. Every team member is responsible for at least two duties and responsibilities. LRS teams are often seen as the most elite infantryman. They are lightly armed with limited self-defense capabilities. To be easily transportable, they are equipped with lightweight, man-portable equipment. They are limited by the amount of weight that they can carry or cache. Because all team members are airborne qualified, all means of insertion are available to the commander when planning operations.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, a Long Range Surveillance Company (LRS-C) is a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
with a special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organisations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations,...
role in an intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
brigade.
Organization
Consisting of a headquarters platoon, communications platoon, and three LRS platoons (each made up of a Headquarter section and six surveillance teams.) All non-commissioned officerNon-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s are airborne
United States Army Airborne School
The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion , 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia...
and Ranger
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
qualified. All other personnel in the company are Pre-Ranger and airborne qualified. All Company Personnel undergo a week long assessment and selection in addition to psychological evaluation
Psychological evaluation
A psychological evaluation or mental examination is an examination into a person's mental health by a mental health professional such as a psychologist. A psychological evaluation may result in a diagnosis of a mental illness...
. There are two types of selection, LRS selection and LRS Support personnel selection. The LRS Company is broken down into platoons. There is a Headquarters platoon, Communications platoon and three Infantry/LRS platoons. Although all LRS team members can infiltrate via Land, Sea or Air; each platoon specializes in one method of infiltration. Each platoon is broken down into one of three infiltration specialties; Water, High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and Desert Mountain.
A. Headquarters Platoon. The headquarters platoon contains two sections for the command and control of the company in the areas of administration, logistics, and operations.
Headquarters section. This section contains the personnel necessary for the command and control of the company and supply support.
Operations section. The personnel in this section plan and control the employment of the teams, coordinate insertion and extraction of the teams to include external support, receive and report information from committed teams, and maintain the operational status of all teams. Liaison duties and planning for future operations are important functions of the operations section.
B. Communications Platoon. The communications platoon operates the base radio stations. It helps the operations section plan and maintain communication with deployed teams. It works with the operations section or separately to relay information from deployed teams. It also performs unit maintenance on communication equipment organic to the unit. The platoon has a headquarters section and four base radio stations.
Headquarters section. The personnel in this section establish command and control over assigned communications elements. They coordinate and set up communication procedures, transmission schedules, frequency allocation, and communication sites. They issue and control encryption code devices and materials. They ensure continuous communication between deployed teams and base radio stations. They provide communication support to detached LRS platoons. They augment division Long Range Surveillance Detachment
Long Range Surveillance Detachment
The United States Army Long Range Surveillance Detachment is organized as a detachment organic to the military intelligence battalion at division level for the purpose of Long Range Surveillance. The LRSD's are organized into a headquarters section, communications section , and six surveillance...
's (LRS-D's) with communication support when directed. They also provide unit maintenance for company communication equipment.
Base radio stations. The four base radio stations maintain communication between the operations base and the deployed teams. They operate on a 24-hour basis to make sure all message traffic to and from teams is processed immediately.
C. Long-Range Surveillance Platoons. These three platoons contain a headquarters element and six surveillance teams each.
Headquarters section. This section contains the personnel necessary for command, control, and training of the platoon.
Surveillance teams. (LRS Team
Long Range Surveillance
Long Range Surveillance units are specially trained elite Surveillance units of the United States Army that are employed by Military Intelligence Units for gathering information from deep within hostile territories....
) Each team consists of a team leader, an assistant team leader, Senior Scout, scout observer, a RATELO and assistant RATELO. The teams obtain and report information about enemy forces within the corps' area of interest. LRS teams also conduct Combat Search And Rescue missions. The teams can operate independently with little or no external support in all environments. Each team member is cross trained in the duties and responsibilities of the others. Every team member is responsible for at least two duties and responsibilities. LRS teams are often seen as the most elite infantryman. They are lightly armed with limited self-defense capabilities. To be easily transportable, they are equipped with lightweight, man-portable equipment. They are limited by the amount of weight that they can carry or cache. Because all team members are airborne qualified, all means of insertion are available to the commander when planning operations.