text: Chapter 1
  Cavalry Organizations and the Operational Environment
  Reconnaissance and security operations are essential to the execution of offensive,
  defensive, and stability operations. Brigade combat teams (BCTs) conduct
  reconnaissance and security operations to develop the situation and identify, create, and
  preserve options to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative.
  Reconnaissance and security operations allow BCTs to achieve positions of relative
  advantage. Effective reconnaissance and security operations confirm or deny the
  commander’s and staff’s initial understanding and visualization of the tactical and
  operational situation. Reconnaissance and security operations develop the intelligence
  picture for the BCT so the commander can describe, direct, lead, and make effective decisions.
  Reconnaissance and security operations provide a continuous flow of combat
  information and intelligence that assist commanders with uncertainty, make contact
  under favorable conditions, identify opportunities, prevent surprise, and make timely
  decisions. Reconnaissance and security operations provide BCT commanders with
  freedom of movement and action to create advantageous conditions for future
  operations to seize, retain, and exploit initiative.
  SECTION I – OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
  1-1. Reconnaissance operations allow commanders to understand the situation, visualize the battle, and
  make decisions. Security operations provide commanders with reaction time and maneuver space to make
  decisions and protect the force from anticipated and unanticipated dangers. Reconnaissance and security
  operations answer commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs), mitigate risk, identify enemy
  weaknesses, and isolate the enemy from sources of strength.
  1-2. Cavalry units conduct reconnaissance and security operations in close contact with enemy
  organizations and civilian populations. Cavalry organizations employ appropriate combinations of mounted
  and dismounted tactics and to fight for information and develop the situation based upon the mission variables
  of METT-TC (I): mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, civil
  considerations, and informational considerations.
  HISTORICAL ROLES OF CAVALRY UNITS
  1-3. Armies have used Cavalry forces to capitalize upon their significant advantage in mobility, making
  them well suited for long-range reconnaissance and security operations. The Cavalry forces’ fighting ability
  make them well suited for shaping subsequent fights and giving the commander time to make decisions.
  Reconnaissance and security operations provide commanders the ability to concentrate forces at decisive
  points while protecting against surprise. A decisive point is key terrain, key event, critical factor, or function
  that, when acted upon, enables commanders to gain a marked advantage over an enemy or contribute
  materially to achieving success (JP 5-0). Cavalry continues to play key roles, such as—
  * Conducting reconnaissance operations to detect enemy weaknesses and strengths.
  * Conducting security operations to provide early warning and maneuver space.
  * Covering retreats.
  * Countering enemy reconnaissance forces.