Infantry Companies Need Intelligence Cells

Abstract

Abstract : While a squad is out on patrol, a squad member receives information about a known insurgent leader traveling into their area of operation (AO). Upon completion of the patrol, the patrol leader sends his report up to the battalion intelligence section. The battalion intelligence section reads all the patrol reports provided for that day, and upon discovering the information on the insurgent leader, corroborates the information, which requires finding at least two other sources that claim the same. The intelligence section then disseminates the refined intelligence providing grid coordinates, pictures of the leader, and possible information about the known vehicle in which the insurgent leader may be traveling. In turn, the company sends out a patrol with the intent of killing or capturing the insurgent leader. Everything is going as plan except for one thing: The insurgent leader has come and gone through the area of operation, and while he was there, he met with other leaders and discussed future attacks on coalition forces. The current operating environment calls for distributed operations causing infantry companies to operate in a somewhat autonomous role. However, without adequate intelligence staffing at the battalion level, information can not be quickly processed, and insurgents will elude capture. Therefore, infantry battalions need to develop an intelligence cell composed of 03XX due to the manning shortfalls of the 02XX and the required manning of intelligence personnel at the Tactical Fusion Center (TFC). The construct of the intelligence section serves to fuse and answer the battalion commander's priority information requirements, otherwise known as PIR's.