COMBAT TRACKINGOVERVIEW

as instructed by

Centurion Training GroupSPQR

What good is visual track What good is visual track interpretation to interpretation to a Cav Trooper?a Cav Trooper?

“A set of tracks tells a story. It has a beginning, a middle and an end – a

bulletin board in the dirt.”

• “Where ever you go, what ever you do, you take something with you and you leave something behind.”

LOCARD’S PRINCIPLE OF TRANSFERENCELOCARD’S PRINCIPLE OF TRANSFERENCE

Most people could follow this trail…Most people could follow this trail…

……but would you notice these?but would you notice these?

Tracking Defined:Tracking Defined:Tracking is the process of recognizing and interpreting changes in the natural state of the environment to determine where someone or something has traveled.

It does not have to be in the woods, it does not even have to be outdoors (document cache, Fallujah, 3RD Recon BN, Col. George Bristol).

“…Tracking, simply put, is a reactive effort to close with and apprehend or destroy a fleeing quarry, whether terrorist, escaped criminal, or illegal border crosser who attempts to outrun and/or outwit friendly forces or the instruments of law and order….” David Scott-Donelan

“Tracks are clues, the most clues a perpetrator (insurgent) will leave behind

– one every thirty inches or so and as conclusive as fingerprints.”

Sherlock Holmes

Tracking MisunderstoodTracking Misunderstood

Two KindsTwo Kinds::Visual Visual TrackingTracking

Olfactory Olfactory (scent) Tracking(scent) TrackingWhat good is it to the Cav?What good is it to the Cav?

More to the point – why should you train under CTG?More to the point – why should you train under CTG?

THE AIMS OF COMBAT TRACKING

1. By the use of individual and team skills, techniques and tactics, conduct a follow-up and annihilate:

Armed Aggressors Insurgents, Infiltrators or Terrorists Enemy patrols, Recon teams, and Snipers… in a speedy and aggressive

manner.

2. By the use of patrolling and reconnaissance techniques, locate and follow tracks of insurgents or aggressors and destroy them.

3. During follow-up activities place such pressure upon aggressors so as to drive them into own forces ambushes or prepared positions.

THE AIMS OF COMBAT TRACKING

4. Locate, identify and interpret tracks left by aggressor activities.

5. To ascertain the direction of flight of insurgents so as to better concentrate blocking forces more effectively.

6. To recognize and calculate strengths of aggressor patrols and formations.

THE AIMS OF COMBAT TRACKING

7. Use anti-tracking skills and techniques enabling recon teams and snipers to move in and out of denied or hostile territory without leaving footprint evidence which may alert the enemy to our own forces presence or intentions. (*It was this particular use that seemed most applicable to the past Cavalry students CTG taught.)

8. To maintain contact with a fleeing or retreating enemy.

SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT TRACKERSTRACKERS

1. Pursuit to Contact.2. IED Detection at Range.

3. Locate arms caches.

4. Recovery of wounded personnel.

5. Counter surveillance.

SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT TRACKERSTRACKERS

6. Information/Intelligence collection.

7. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)

8. Maintain contact with a fleeing enemy.

9. Back-tracking to source.

SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT TRACKERSTRACKERS

9. Routes: infiltration and investigation.

10. Counter drug operations.

11. Sensor placement/site selection.

12. Area interpretation and analysis

SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT SITUATIONS TO EMPLOY COMBAT TRACKERSTRACKERS

13. Forensic analysis. (MP/CID)

14. Border patrol: corridors and routes.

15. Clandestine ops - movement to recon, sniping

or hide position.

16. Location of mortar/rocket firing sites.

Would a tracker have found this sooner…or been able to clear it of IEDs before they

moved in?

Selous Scouts (Rhodesia)Selous Scouts (Rhodesia)Koevoet (Southwest Africa)Koevoet (Southwest Africa)

During their 7 years of existence, the combat trackers of the Selous Scouts, Army of Rhodesia (1973 – 1980) During their 7 years of existence, the combat trackers of the Selous Scouts, Army of Rhodesia (1973 – 1980) accounted for accounted for 67% 67% of operational kills of terrorists of operational kills of terrorists for the entire Rhodesian militaryfor the entire Rhodesian military. They varied in strength from a . They varied in strength from a company sized to short battalion sized element. The had no organic AFVs, no artillery, and no aircraft (though they company sized to short battalion sized element. The had no organic AFVs, no artillery, and no aircraft (though they could call for support). The vast majority of kills were made by boots on the ground the old fashioned way, could call for support). The vast majority of kills were made by boots on the ground the old fashioned way, almost almost always always in squad sized elements—with rifles and grenades, typically against 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3 odds. This is typically in squad sized elements—with rifles and grenades, typically against 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3 odds. This is typically attributed to: strong NCO corps (1/4 ‘stick’), innovative techniques and self-initiative (Drake shoot, pursuit over borders) attributed to: strong NCO corps (1/4 ‘stick’), innovative techniques and self-initiative (Drake shoot, pursuit over borders) and the and the ability to follow their enemy wherever they went and kill them.ability to follow their enemy wherever they went and kill them.

During their existence, Koevoet (a specialized unit within a During their existence, Koevoet (a specialized unit within a civilian civilian police agency) consistently had kill and capture police agency) consistently had kill and capture rates far exceeding their military counterparts, including SOF units; primarily this is due to the incorporation of rates far exceeding their military counterparts, including SOF units; primarily this is due to the incorporation of trained trained visual trackersvisual trackers in in every every element. If you couldn’t track and couldn’t shoot, you couldn’t go. After the murder of a family element. If you couldn’t track and couldn’t shoot, you couldn’t go. After the murder of a family in 1979, 30 Koevoet trackers followed a band of PLAN rebels 200+ km over 5 days, stretching 2 days of food and in 1979, 30 Koevoet trackers followed a band of PLAN rebels 200+ km over 5 days, stretching 2 days of food and water, fearing resupply would spook the terrs or the rotor wash would ruin the spoor (water, fearing resupply would spook the terrs or the rotor wash would ruin the spoor (very very light spoor). At the end of light spoor). At the end of the 5the 5THTH day they killed 8, captured the rest and recovered intel that led to subsequent successful operations. This was day they killed 8, captured the rest and recovered intel that led to subsequent successful operations. This was not a fluke or a particularly exceptional operation, it was not a fluke or a particularly exceptional operation, it was typicaltypical for over a decade. (Note: read for over a decade. (Note: read Koevoet!Koevoet! by Jim by Jim Hooper)Hooper)

The uses of Combat Tracking within theThe uses of Combat Tracking within the US US Military today.Military today.

“Tracking is one of the best sources of

‘immediate use intelligence,’ information about the enemy that can be put to use immediately.”

US Army Manual – FM 17 - 98. The Scout Platoon …and yet it is NOT taught with frequency (if at all), or with any accuracy, and the tracking style that is taught

now is predicated on the 7-step jungle tracking originally taught by the Brits for service in Malaysia (and fhe U.S. in Vietnam), rather than the team track method taught by CTG—methods currently being used and proven in Iraq and Afghanistan, and based upon proven Rhodesian techniques…

GLOSSARY OFGLOSSARY OF

TRACKING TERMSTRACKING TERMS

SPOOR – SPOOR – For example, ‘followingFor example, ‘followingthe spoor.’ Spoor means a set ofthe spoor.’ Spoor means a set oftracks laid upon the ground andtracks laid upon the ground andvisible to a tracker. Spoor is visible to a tracker. Spoor is totally interchangeable with thetotally interchangeable with thewords ‘tracks, set of prints, or sign.’words ‘tracks, set of prints, or sign.’

FOLLOW-UP – For example, “The follow-up commenced at first light.” A follow-up is the physical act of a tactically trained tracking team, following a set of tracks on the ground made by insurgents or the enemy.

TRACKING-TEAM – When tracking or conducting a follow-up of armed and dangerous insurgents, a five-man team is employed. A Tracking Team consists of a Tracker, two Flank Trackers, a Controller and a Rear Security Tracker.

Quarry – Used as an alternative to ‘insurgent,’ ‘target,’ ‘suspect,’ or the ‘pursued.’

Time and Distance Gap – The theoretical distance which insurgents could move over the ground between the time of the incident and the time which the Combat Trackers arrive to commence the Follow-up.

Conclusive Evidence – Tracks or other evidence, left on the ground, that are indisputably left by the quarry.

Substantiating Evidence – Evidence left on the ground which is inconclusive in itself, but taken into account with other evidence is considered as likely to have been left by the quarry.

Active Track – Follow-up conducted while the quarry is still on the move ahead of the tracking team.

Passive Track – Follow-up conducted when the tracks are ‘cold.’ Normally used for intelligence gathering purposes or to look for base-camp sites and other evidence of insurgent activities.

Action Indicators – Foot, body, equipment or weapon marks left upon the ground indicating that a certain identifiable action has taken place. A skilled visual tracker can look at action indicators to determine everything from the number of insurgents being followed to whether they’re armed with rifles or PKMs or RPGs.

• If he knows what he’s looking for, the imprint of these weapons at rest (or if deployed by a prone shooter), can tell a visual tracker what kind of armament he may be facing. RPG-7s, for instance, have a very unique and easily read signature on each end of the weapon—which a tracker will see if the insurgent either rests for a moment and sets it butt-down in the sand, or gets sloppy and allows the point to drag. A shooter than goes prone will leave specific rubs and compression from the pressure of the knees, elbow and ultimately the bipod or the magazine of the weapon, etc.

Track Line – The continuous line of observable clues visible to the tracker indicating the path of the insurgents being followed.

Lost Spoor Procedures – A systematic and sequential set of procedures designed to relocate the spoor when it is lost. Commencing with initial procedures conducted by the Tracker, lost spoor procedures escalate into ever increasing search patterns using the entire team, but, with the proviso, – only if the Controller considers it safe to do so.The last Cav students taught by CSC utilized lost spoor procedures so effectively that they conducted a follow-up in the fastest time we’d had to date, tracking two subjects with a 40-minute head start over extremely difficult and rocky terrain (first having to locate their quarry’s starting point). It had been over a month since the last previously recorded precipitation. They ultimately caught up to and engaged the two subjects after a five-klick track with numerous direction changes and several attempts to counter-track and erase signs of passage.

Contamination – tracks and disturbances made from anyone or anything, other than the quarry, that obscures or completely obliterates the quarry’s spoor. Examples: other peoples tracks, animal sign, vehicle tire tracks, etc.

To be successful in their mission Trackers must do their best to ensure that contamination is kept to an absolute minimum.

Natural State. – the established, natural state

of the ground unaffected by any tracks or sign.

The tracker seeks any changes or disturbance to

the ‘natural state’ which may indicate that the

quarry passed that way.

These boot prints are several days old; they were placed when the stream was still flowing.

Snuff (Skoal, Copenhagen), Chewing Tobacco (Red Man, Levi Garrett) and other oral eject (chewed gum, sunflower seeds) are often the easiest

examples of sign by which to track or follow American troops.

(FAUO) Taliban incident, Afghanistan late ’05(FAUO) Al Qaeda incident, Pakistani border, Feb. ’06

(FAUO) RPG Attack, FOB in AfghanistanJoie Armstrong Murder

Koldodski MurderCounter-ambush in Al Anbar province May ‘06

IED detection at range, backtrack to counter-ambush

Ultimately, it’s not voodoo, it’s not even all that difficult, but it does require training and it does

require practice—and it can kill “them what need killing” as easily as it can help keep soldiers alive (the most important one).

Questions?Questions?

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments• Centurion Training Group would like to extend our deepest thanks and

appreciation to our mentor, David Scott-Donelan of the Tactical Tracking Operations School, who has taken the Rhodesian tactics he learned in 30 years of counter-insurgency warfare in Africa, and melded it with modern technology and lessons learned. CTG teaches a basic Visual Track Interpretation class with Mr. Donelan’s blessing; TTOS does instruct a 100-hour, two-week Combat Tracking course for those who are interested. TTOS is on the web at www.combattracking.com.