REDCON
Encyclopedia
In the U.S. military
, the term REDCON is short for Readiness Condition and is used to refer to a unit's readiness to respond to and engage in combat operations. There are five REDCON levels, as described below in this excerpt from Army Field Manual 71-1.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, the term REDCON is short for Readiness Condition and is used to refer to a unit's readiness to respond to and engage in combat operations. There are five REDCON levels, as described below in this excerpt from Army Field Manual 71-1.
- REDCON-1: Full alert; unit ready to move and fight.
- WMD alarms and hot loop equipment stowed; OPsObservation postAn observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
pulled in. (A hot loop is a field telephone circuit between the subunits of a company). - All personnel alert and mounted on vehicles; weapons manned.
- Engines started.
- Company team is ready to move immediately.
- WMD alarms and hot loop equipment stowed; OPs
- REDCON-1.5
- WMD alarms and hot loop equipment stowed; OPsObservation postAn observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
pulled in. - All personnel alert and mounted on vehicles; weapons manned.
- Company team is ready to move immediately.
- WMD alarms and hot loop equipment stowed; OPs
- REDCON-2: Full alert; unit ready to fight.
- Equipment stowed (except hot loop and WMD alarms).
- Precombat checks complete.
- All personnel alert and mounted in vehicles; weapons manned.
- (NOTE: Depending on the tactical situation and orders from the commander, dismounted OPs may remain in place.)
- All (100 percent) digital and FM communications links operational.
- Status reports submitted in accordance with task force SOP.
- Company team is ready to move within 15 minutes of notification.
- REDCON-3: Reduced alert.
- Fifty percent of the unit executes work and rest plans.
- Remainder of the unit executes security plan. Based on the commander’s guidance and the enemy situation, some personnel executing the security plan may execute portions of the work plan.
- Company team is ready to move within 30 minutes of notification.
- REDCON-4: Minimum alert.
- OPs manned; one soldier per platoon designated to monitor radio and man turret weapons.
- Digital and FM links with task force and other company teams maintained.
- Company team is ready to move within one hour of notification.
External links
- REDCON levels from Army Field Manual 71-1 on Globalsecurity.org