Long-range surveillance (LRS) teams (pronounced "lurse") were elite, specially-trained

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

units of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

employed for

clandestine operation A clandestine operation (op) is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population or specific enemy forces. Until the 1970s, clandestine operations were primarily politic ...

Military Intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...

for gathering direct human intelligence information deep within enemy territory. Classic LRS employment is to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, construct hide and surveillance sites, and provide continuous

special reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind ...

of an intelligence target of key interest. LRS teams allow 24-hour

and analysis coverage unlike

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

s (UAVs), manned

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

, and most

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

s. Assuming there is no mission compromise, these teams typically remain in position for up to six days, as determined by the availability of food and water. As a result of an evaluation conducted using computer-modelling the U.S. Army's senior leadership made the decision to deactivate all active-duty and National Guard LRS units. By the end of January 2017 the three active-duty LRS companies had ceased to exist, with its personnel being reassigned to other units. The seven National Guard LRS units followed suit in 2018.

Mission

Long Range Surveillance Units (LRSU) have four primary missions and five secondary missions as per Field Manual 3-55.93 Long Range Surveillance Unit Operations. The four primary missions are

, zone and area reconnaissance,

target acquisition Target acquisition is the detection and identification of the location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of lethal and non-lethal means. The term is used for a broad area of applications. A "target" here is an e ...

, and target

interdiction Interdiction is interception of an object prior to its arrival at the location where it is to be used in military, espionage, and law enforcement. Military In the military, interdiction is the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy f ...

. Combat assessment/battle damage assessment is mentioned as not a standalone LRSU mission but inherent to all LRSUs. The five secondary missions are able to be completed if given the proper training and time to coordinate. The secondary missions include route

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

, emplacement and recovery of

sensor A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...

s, pathfinder operations, personnel recovery and combat search and rescue, and chemical detection and radiological surveillance and monitoring operations. LRS operations are characterized by the following: # Clandestine LRS operations require

operational security Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to determine whether friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to th ...

(OPSEC) and personnel security (PERSEC) measures and procedures before, during, and after mission employment. This is to protect the individual team members as well as maintain operational integrity of the LRS cell. # Team members depend on stealth, cover, concealment, infantry, and Ranger skills. # Team members avoid contact with enemy forces and local population. # Teams are employed to obtain timely information. # Teams have restricted mobility in the area of operations. # Team members depend on communications, knowing the enemy's order of battle, and equipment identification skills. # The

area is small, has a specified route, or is a specific location or installation. # Team equipment and supplies are limited to what can be man packed or cached. # Teams require detailed intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and debriefing from the

Intelligence Officer An intelligence officer is a member of the intelligence field employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a r ...

(G2) for employment.US Army Field Manual 7-93 Long-Range Surveillance Unit Operations. (FM 7-93)
/ref>

Organization

LRS units (LRSU) were

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

company-size elements that are assets within a

battlefield surveillance brigade The battlefield surveillance brigade (BfSB) was a United States Army surveillance/reconnaissance formation introduced from 2006 to 2015. The United States Army planned for the creation and transformation of nine intelligence brigades to a 'batt ...

reconnaissance and surveillance squadron A reconnaissance and surveillance squadron is a specialized unit within the US Army's battlefield surveillance brigade (BfSB) that blends ground cavalry troops with an elite long-range surveillance (LRS) Airborne forces, airborne infantry company, ...

(R&S squadron) designated as US Army

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

but were functionally airborne infantry units. The LRSU was structured as an LRS company comprising three LRS detachments, a communications

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

, and a troop headquarters. Within the LRS company, the LRS detachments typically have designated specialties. Typically, there were three teams, also known as "DETs." 1st DET typically specializes in mountainous terrain/warfare. 2nd DET specialized in airborne operations. 3rd DET was the dive detachment, specializing in water-borne operations such as scuba diving and infiltrating harbors and ports as well as employing the Zodiac. LRS detachments were organized as five unsupported

LRS team Long-range surveillance (LRS) teams (pronounced "lurse") were elite, specially-trained surveillance units of the United States Army employed for clandestine operation by Military Intelligence for gathering direct human intelligence information d ...

LRS team composition

As with

LRRP A long-range reconnaissance patrol, or LRRP, is a small, well-armed reconnaissance team that patrolling, patrols deep into enemy-held territory.Ankony, Robert C., ''Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri,'' revised ed., ...

units of the past each US Army LRS team was composed of six soldiers: * Team leader (TL)

staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...

(E-6) preferably Ranger qualified * Assistant team leader (ATL)

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

(E-5) preferably Ranger qualified * Senior scout observer (SSO) specialist/corporal (E-4) * Scout observer (SO) specialist/corporal (E-4) * Radio telephone operator (RTO)

specialist A specialist is someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research. Specialist may also refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist officer, military rank in ...

(E-4) * Assistant radio telephone operator (ARTO) specialist (E-4) All positions can be held by (E-1 up) to fill positions (upon meeting unit requirements)

Reconnaissance and surveillance squadrons (R&S squadrons)

From 2006 to 2015,

long-range surveillance units were reorganized into newly formed battlefield surveillance brigades (BfSBs). These

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

s contained a brigade

headquarters and headquarters company In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. Considered one unit, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company is essentially two elements within ...

(HHC), two

(MI)

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s, and a reconnaissance and surveillance (R&S) squadron. The BfSB’s R&S squadron was composed of one LRS unit (i.e., Company C), which contains 15 LRS teams. Additionally, the R&S squadron also had two cavalry

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troo ...

s (each containing two

s) that conducted basic mounted and dismounted operations, and a headquarters and headquarters troop (HHT). For a standard six-soldier LRS team, the primary method of insertion/infiltration behind enemy lines was at night by helicopter (night-time heliborne), while secondary methods included airborne and waterborne operations. In recent low-intensity conflicts, additional covert methods were added to enable enhanced operational capabilities.

Contrast with reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) units

Although both are types of units in the

, LRS units were not the same as

RSTA Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) squadrons are a type of unit in the United States Army. These are cavalry squadrons (though in IBCTs they typically contain at least one dismounted infantry troop), and act at the sq ...

units. During the Army-wide transfer to

brigade combat team The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic Military deployment, deployable Military unit, unit of maneuver in the United States Army, U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver Brigade (United States Army), b ...

s (BCTs), all combat divisions and separate brigades have transitioned to RSTA units. RSTA units have added light vehicle support in the form of

Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...

s (HMMWVs) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles (CFVs), due to being commissioned as Cavalry. RSTA squadrons also feature a company-sized dismounted reconnaissance troop, typically composed of infantry scouts, which conducts dismounted reconnaissance and surveillance operations. LRS units, in contrast, did not utilize a larger vehicle support element. Most RSTA units are not Airborne-capable, whereas most LRS units were. Exceptions typically include the RSTA squadrons of airborne infantry BCTs, such as the 2nd BCT (Airborne),

11th Airborne Division The 11th Airborne Division ("Arctic Angels") is a United States Army multirole infantry division made up of specialized light infantry and airborne infantry based in Alaska. Currently, this unit specializes in arctic warfare, airborne operat ...

; the 173rd Airborne BCT; and the four RSTA units in the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

Equipment

LRS soldiers typically carried weapons that include the following:

M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mi ...

M9 pistol The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 19 ...

M249 squad automatic weapon The M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), formally the Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the United States Armed Forces adaptation of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by FN Herstal (FN). The M249 SAW is manufactured in th ...

(SAW/LMG),

M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...

, as well as mission-specific gear, including (but not limited to), optics, A/V recording devices, secure communications gear, etc.

Training

LRS leaders typically graduated from the

United States Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

(see link and course list below). LRS soldiers were often graduates of other specialized military courses and training, including: * U.S. Army Air Assault Course * U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course * U.S. Army Military Free Fall Parachutist Course * U.S. Army Pathfinder Course * U.S. Army Ranger Course * U.S. Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course (RSLC)¹,² * U.S. Army Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course (SFCDQC) * U.S. Army Special Forces Sniper Course (SFSC)³ * U.S. Army Special Forces Waterborne Infiltration Course (SFWIC) * U.S. Army Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) * U.S. Army

Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is a training concept originally developed by the British during World War II. It is best known by its military acronym and prepares a range of Western forces to survive when evading or b ...

(SERE) * U.S. Army Sniper Course United States Army LRSUs have conducted training exercises and exchange programs with various U.S. allies. These exercises included deployments to England, Germany, France, Hungary, and Italy. Combined/Joint training exercises have involved units from Britain’s TA SAS, France's

13e RDP The 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes () or 13e RDP is a special reconnaissance unit of the French Army. It belongs to the French Army Special Forces Command, and therefore to the Special Operations Command. The regiment is based in Mar ...

, Belgium's ESR, Italy's 9th Parachute Assault Regiment, and Germany's FSLK200. The International Special Training Center (ISTC) trains NATO Special Operations Forces (SOFs) and similar units in advanced individual patrolling, battlefield medicine, close quarter battle (CQB), sniper, survival, planning, and recognition skills. Established in 1979, ISTC was originally named the International Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol School (ILRRPS), and was formerly located in Weingarten, Germany before later moving to Pfullendorf, Germany. # Formerly: United States Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course (LRRSLC) # Formerly: United States Army Long-Range Surveillance Leaders Course (LRSLC) # Formerly: United States Army Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC)

Citations

General and cited sources

Long Range Surveillance: True test for ‘quiet professional’
*

* * ttp://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/tradoc/usaic/mipb/1999-3/dick-lydon.htm LRSU: Eyes of the Commander by Staff Sergeants Brent W. Dick and Kevin M. Lydon
"Riding With the Posse Part I" By Mike Gifford

International Special Training Center and NATO celebrate 30 years of teaching special forces.
(July 2, 2009) By: Maj. Jennifer Johnson, 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command Public Affairs.

External links

* {{Cite book , last=Gebhardt , first=Major James F. , year=2005 , title=Eyes Behind the Lines: US Army Long-range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Units , url=http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/gebhardt_lrrp.pdf , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218172857/http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/gebhardt_lrrp.pdf , archive-date=18 December 2005 , series=Global War on Terrorism Occasional Paper 10 , location=Fort Leavenworth, Kansas , publisher=Combat Studies Institute Press , oclc=62330085
XVIII Airborne Corps Long-Range Surveillance Recruiting

Long Range Reconnaissance Association (LRRA)
Army reconnaissance units and formations Military intelligence units and formations Reconnaissance units and formations of the United States Army