Custom FMP Notepad

[Matt_Fisher]

We're looking at doing a run of Rite in the Rain notepads in the same size (4.5" wide x 6 3/4" long) as the CF FMP notepad.  I'm looking for ideas you may have on what, if anything that would be useful to have printed on the inside covers of this notepad, i.e. 9 Line Medevac, IED Report, etc.

Any and all ideas are welcome.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[vonGarvin]

Here are some Reports and Returns for Land Operations that would be good to have (in addition to the 9 Liner and IED Report)
Location Report ("LOCREP")
Incident Report ("INCREP")
Bombing/Shelling/Rocket/Mortar Report ("BOMBREP/SHELLREP/ROCKREP/MORTREP")
Fire Mission Call for Fire (For FOOs only)
Calls for Indirect Fire by the supported arm (aka "All Arms Call for Fire")
Obstacle Report ("OBSREP") (NB: This report is the formal can also be used for reporting Booby traps and IEDs)
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Incident Report ("EODINREP")
Patrol Report ("PTLREP")
Bomb Threat Warning ("BOMBWARN") (to provide imminent warning of the threat of an imminent bobm attack or detection of a suspected explosive device)
Situation Report ("SITREP")
Repair/Recovery Request ("REPRECREQ")
Delivery Point Request ("DPREQ")
And, finally:
Contact Report

But, for fun, throw in "Friendly Nuclear Strike Warning" ("STRIKEWARN NUC")

;D

 

[MikeL]

If you are going to add in a 9 Liner the MIST would need to be added as well.

 

[vonGarvin]

If you are going to add in a 9 Liner the MIST would need to be added as well.

Agreed

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

I'm not aware of any CF-wide standard for reports and returns.  I was asked to put together a reports and returns booklet for issue to the 3 RCR BG before we deployed and I ended up having to cross reference 3 different standards: the standard being used by the 2 PPCLI BG, the standard 3 RCR had used throughout trg, and the standard from the 2 CMBG aide memoire we were issued just prior to deployment.  From what I've seen, every Brigade has a different format and in cases where the Brigade doesn't issue an approved format then units develop their own (particularly the case in the reserve force).  So the question becomes what standard are you going to use in your FMP?

On the other hand if you sell enough of them maybe your format will become the de-facto CF standard and we'll all be on the same page for once.

 

[vonGarvin]

Hey Willy
From B-GL-334-001/FP-001
(Dated 01 July 2009)
There are the SOPs, army-wide, for reports and returns.  All the examples I gave above are in there.  Available on the Internet:
Example Contact/Sighting report:
CONTACTREP/SIGHTINGREP (Note 1)
A Time of contact/sighting
B Location of contact/sighting
C Location of observer (Note 2)
D Description of target (number and type of enemy units/eqpt)
E Action being taken by target (Note 3)
F Action being taken by own forces
NOTES:
1. In a Contact Report, it is assumed that the enemy is aware of friendly forces
present, usually because an exchange of fire has taken place. A Sighting Report is
used when enemy forces are sighted, no exchange of fire has taken place, and it is
assumed that the enemy is unaware of the observer.
2. While all other serials are normally transmitted, loc of observer is mainly used in
low intensity ops.
3. Following initial voice report, target must be entered and disseminated on avail
C2IS by originator.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Some reports, like the contact rep, have been around forever and haven't, to my recollection, ever changed.  You can pretty much count on those.  But some others are not as reliable.  When I get a chance later tonight I will dig through my closet and find the multiple refs I was talking about and try to post some of the discrepancies.

Also I should have noted in my earlier post that it's not just up to the CF to establish a standard for everything: 9 liners and the like end up getting distributed throughout multinational contingents and so there has to be one standard between all the relevant players.  To my recollection those standards changed several times between the time our BG started training and the time we left theatre, including at least one change I can recall while we were actually over there.

 

[Fusaki]

I've been refining the cheat sheets for my signallers over the past few years, using the SOPs from TF 3-06 and TF 3-08 as a guide.  These are the reports that I include, cut down to what I think are the most important ones for infantry nets up to the Coy level.

9Liner
MIST
EOD 10Liner
Contact Report
SITREP
Consolidated SITREP
ADREP
Repair Recovery Request
Patrol Report
AMMO CASREP
All Arms Call for Fire

There are some things guys should know without looking at the sheet: CONTACT, and SITREP, for example.  You have to gear it to the lowest common denominator, though.

Matt,

I agree with Willy here.  This is one area where the PAM is not likely to match up with real life.  I think the best thing you can do is ask a guy who's just come back from overseas in the job you're gearing this FMP to.  From 2006 to 2009 the 9Liner changed a few times.  It's probably changed since.  If you're going to market this, I think you need to accept the fact that the reports are in a constant state of evolution and you'll need to update your product every few months to keep it current.

 

[dangerboy]

Funny thing even with the contact report there are variations.  From B-GL-309-003/FT-001 Infantry Section and Platton in Battle, they have a contact report going as follows:

- Grid of enemy (never encoded)
- Description of enemy (what, how many, what they are doing)
- Time of sighting if there was a delay
- Action the observer is doing.

This is the format I have seen and heard used at the Platton and Coy level.  I have never been exposed to Brigade level radio nets so I can't comment on that level. While the format that Technoviking is going by the source the more correct version, I would wager more people are familiar with this one.

Of course I am pretty broke right now so my wager would be low. ;D

 

[vonGarvin]

B-GL309-003/TF-001 is out of date and currently in revision.  (I know, I know, the cheque is in the mail).  Anyway, we have to remember that these FMPs would not be just for the Infantry (hence putting the format in for Call for Fire: FOO version). 

Having said that, I don't know production costs, but putting those formats in from the latest CF reference (which turns one year old on Thursday) in a way such that they could be "changed out" in the way we did with the old publications may make it worth while to have them printed out.  When the CF or NATO comes up with a new format, the new edition gets made.

Of course, not ever having anything to do with production of FMP covers, I'll just again point out that this document is the source document for CF reports and returns.  And remember, after July 2011, we will no longer be in Kandahar (according to Parliament), so it cannot be Afghan Centric (nor should it be anyway).