text: THIS CHAPTER IMPLEMENTS STANAGs 3117 AND 3281.
  Chapter 1
  Introduction
  Army pathfinders mainly provide navigational aid and advisory services to military
  aircraft in areas designated by supported unit commanders. The pathfinders’
  secondary missions include providing advice and limited aid to units planning air
  assault or airdrop operations.
  EMPLOYMENT
  1-1. The pathfinders provide navigational aid and air traffic advisories for Army aircraft. This occurs
  at any phase of an air assault or ground operation that requires sustained support by Army aircraft. The
  commander employs pathfinders on a short-term basis for some missions. He can redeploy the pathfinders
  after they complete a major troop lift or airdrop.
  PRIMARY
  1-2. Ideally, the commander assigns a pathfinder team to each combat aviation battalion. This
  enhances the relationship between aviators and pathfinders, who have to work well together and
  understand each other to complete a mission successfully. Aviators and pathfinders must maintain a good
  working relationship, despite the limited number of pathfinder units and the assignment of
  pathfinder-coded positions to ground units.
  1-3. Many units might have no trained pathfinder assets. In this case, higher headquarters must
  temporarily assign pathfinder assets from an external source to train supported unit personnel and oversee
  the conduct of pathfinder operations.
  1-4. Non-pathfinder-qualified Soldiers receive training from the pathfinders and form a company-level
  pathfinder team. Once trained, the team provides navigational aid, air traffic advisories, and any other
  relevant information. Around the clock, the pathfinder team supports any type of air movement or resupply
  operation conducted by or for the ground unit and supported by an aviation unit.
  1-5. Trained, equipped pathfinders select, mark, improve, and control landing sites. Engineers in direct
  support (DS) of lifted ground units may help pathfinders improve landing zones (LZs). In most situations,
  pathfinders perform two or more of these jobs at the same time. In each case, they start out by setting up
  ground-to-air radio communications. Combat lifesaver-qualified and emergency medical technician
  (EMT)-qualified pathfinders also supplement internal medical support.
  SECONDARY
  1-6. When not performing duties for supported units, pathfinders remain with their equipment, near
  and in communication with the supported ground unit command post (CP). While pathfinders await further
  missions, the parent or supported CP may task them to help control the aviation unit base airfield; to
  perform minor demolition work; or, in staff sections, to perform map and aerial photographic work.
  However, before the pathfinders perform secondary missions, they must train and perform routine
  maintenance on their equipment.