Long-range surveillance (LRS) teams were elite, specially-trained surveillance units of the United States Army employed for clandestine operation by Military Intelligence 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 surveillance/special reconnaissance of an intelligence target of key interest.
The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a colonel (O-6) although in some cases a brigadier general (O-7) may assume command. A brigade combat team contains combat support and combat service support units necessary to sustain its operations. BCTs contain organic artillery training and support, received from the parent division artillery (DIVARTY). There are three types of brigade combat teams: infantry, Stryker, and armored.
Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) squadrons are a type of unit in the United States Army. These are cavalry squadrons, and act at the squadron (battalion) level as a reconnaissance unit for their parent brigade combat teams. These RSTA squadrons continue on the Recondo legacy of the Vietnam era Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRP), however, compared to the LRRPs they are often assigned additional non-reconnaissance responsibilities such as battlespace ownership.
In the United States Marine Corps, a Marine Air–Ground Task Force is the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air–ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that is structured to accomplish a specific mission. The MAGTF was formalized by the publishing of Marine Corps Order 3120.3 in December 1963, "The Marine Corps in the National Defense, MCDP 1-0". It stated:
A Marine air–ground task force with separate air ground headquarters is normally formed for combat operations and training exercises in which substantial combat forces of both Marine aviation and Marine ground units are included in the task organization of participating Marine forces.
The 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade is a military intelligence brigade of the United States Army National Guard in Maryland. It was largely formed from the personnel and equipment of the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and officially stood up in its present configuration on 1 August 2015. Most recently, members of the brigade joined state efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland and constituted one of the last U.S. Army National Guard units to serve in the War in Afghanistan, returning to Maryland in February, 2021.
The reorganization plan of the United States Army was implemented from 2006 to 2016 under the direction of the Brigade Modernization Command. This effort formally began in 2006 when General Peter Schoomaker was given the support to move the Army from its Cold War divisional orientation to a full-spectrum capability with fully manned, equipped and trained brigades; this effort was completed by the end of 2016. It has been the most comprehensive reorganization since World War II and included modular combat brigades, support brigades, and command headquarters, as well as rebalancing the active and reserve components.
The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces.
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 enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations, but both are often carried out by the same units. The SR role frequently includes covert direction of airstrikes and indirect fire, in areas deep behind enemy lines, placement of remotely monitored sensors, and preparations for other special forces. Like other special forces, SR units may also carry out direct action and unconventional warfare, including guerrilla operations.
The 219th Engineer Brigade is a combat engineer brigade assigned to the 38th Infantry Division of the Indiana Army National Guard. Soldiers of the 219th Engineer Brigade provide various supportive duties to other Army units, including construction, engineering, and mechanical work on other Army projects.
The 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade (MEB) of the Nebraska Army National Guard. It derives its lineage from the 67th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), previously a component of the 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized). The brigade has also been organized as an area support group from 2003–2008, and as a battlefield surveillance brigade from 2008–2016.
The 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The 201st was originally named the 201st Military Intelligence Brigade and on 3 July 2008 it became the Army's third active duty battlefield surveillance brigade and was renamed the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB). The US Army decided to get rid of its BfSBs and the 201st was realigned into a new expeditionary military intelligence brigade.
The 504th Military Intelligence Brigade is located at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The brigade is tasked to improve the situational awareness for commanders at division level or higher, so they can adapt their units combat power for the current operations. For this the Military Intelligence Brigades can deploy unmanned aerial vehicles, signals gathering equipment, human intelligence collectors and long range surveillance patrols. From 2007 to 2015 the 504th served as an expeditionary military intelligence brigade (EMIB) becoming one of three active duty Surveillance Brigades of the United States Army. In 2015, the brigade returned to its original name and mission as the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of III Armored Corps.
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 infantry company, continuing the US Army's march toward a modular force.
The 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade was part of the United States Army Surveillance/reconnaissance formation introduced from c.2006-2011. The United States Army planned for the creation and transformation of nine intelligence brigades to a 'Battlefield Surveillance' role in 2007. The first Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) was deployed the same year conducting Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence operations. However, gathering information is only half the challenge it faced. Along with the structural changes and intelligence capabilities, the sustainment capabilities of the brigade also changed.[2] The United States Army reorganized it’s intelligence formations into Battlefield Surveillance Brigades (BfSB). The brigades were self-sufficient Army Modular Forces. Army doctrine changed the name of the BfSB to Reconnaissance and Surveillance Brigade in 2011. In 2016, the 219th BfSB was redesignated to the 219th Engineer Brigade.
The 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (EMIB) is a unit of the Texas Army National Guard.
The 513th Military Intelligence Brigade is a unit of the United States Army and subordinate to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command. Its mission is to provide "tailored, multi-disciplined intelligence and intelligence capabilities in support of ARCENT and other Commands, to defeat adversaries, promote regional stability, support partners and allies, and protect US interests." The 513th is headquartered at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia.
The 109th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion is an inactive military Intelligence battalion of the United States Army. Last headquartered at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington, it was part of the 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade under I Corps prior to its inactivation 12 May 2021. The Battalion's last commander was LTC Raven B. Stein.
The 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) is a unit of the United States Army specializing in the acquisition and analysis of information with potential military value. On 28 October 2014, the unit was reflagged from the "525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade" to an expeditionary military intelligence brigade, the first of its kind.
The 142nd Battlefield Surveillance Brigade was located at Decatur, Alabama. The 142nd BfSB was a Major Command (MACOM) of the Alabama Army National Guard.
The 158th Cavalry Regiment was a United States Army cavalry regiment, represented in the Maryland Army National Guard by 1st Squadron, 158th Cavalry, part of the 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade at Annapolis.
