NOTE: For planning purposes, assume each generator will burn approximately one drum of fog oil and three
gallons of gasoline per hour.
The smoke commander or leader does the detailed planning for smoke operations conducted under the
command and control of the battalion/brigade; company teams or platoons perform this function independently.
The actual planning considerations for the smoke mission always includes METT-T as follows:
Mission -- What is the mission? Where is the mission? How long is the mission? How large is the area to be
covered? What are operational activities of the supported unit?
Enemy -- What is the current threat?
Terrain and Weather -- What does the SWO or micro weather tables say about expected weather during the
period of the smoke mission?
Troops -- Are the troops of the unit requesting smoke trained for operations under obscured conditions (that
is, maneuver, defense, target acquisition)? What effect will the smoke have on other adjacent friendly
Time -- How long is the mission? Can the smoke unit get to the location to begin making smoke in sufficient
time? Will smoke screening be considered an offensive act before and during the transition phase to actual
Smoke limits maneuver capability. Observation of surroundings is limited. The longer an operator moves or
is in smoke the less he knows about his relative position to other vehicles and units. Vehicles and units usually
slow their progress and move more cautiously and at times use ground guides. Smoke may degrade the electro-
optical target acquisition of enemy forces. Smoke on friendly positions draws attention and enemy fire. To
counter this situation you should --
Place smoke on or in front of the objective before the enemy can pinpoint targets.
Make the smoke haze or blanket large enough to prevent the enemy from covering the entire area with fires.
Avoid prominent terrain features or man-made structures which preclude the enemy from adjusting fire from
known points on the map.
AFTER THE MISSION
The assessment process continues to mission completion. After the mission, assessment takes the form of an
after-action report. Problems and solutions encountered during the mission are identified and recorded for future
reference. This will greatly increase unit efficiency for future missions.
Learning Event 3
CONDUCT SMOKE RECONNAISSANCE
The most important planning factor for a smoke mission in reconnaissance of the selected area. There are
three methods of reconnaissance: map, ground, and air. Of the three methods, map reconnaissance alone is the