text: Chapter 1
  CAPABILITIES
  1-7. Appropriately equipped and trained pathfinders—
  y Reconnoiter areas selected by supported unit commanders.
  y Select helicopter land zones (HLZs) and drop zones (DZs).
  y Infiltrate areas of operation by foot, vehicle, watercraft, or air.
  y Rappel, fast rope, or parachute from aircraft.
  y Prepare HLZs and DZs.
  y Establish and operate visual and electronic navigation aids.
  y Remove minor obstacles.
  y Use ground-to-air (GTA) radio communications to guide pilots and advise them of air traffic
  within the area of operations (AO).
  y Coordinate directly with fire support units and keep pilots informed about friendly mortar and
  artillery fires.
  y Provide technical assistance in assembling supplies, equipment, and troops before loading the
  aircraft for deployment to HLZs and DZs.
  y Advise and provide limited physical assistance in preparing and positioning supplies,
  equipment, and troops for air movement.
  y Conduct limited chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) monitoring and
  surveying of designated areas.
  y Provide limited weather observations, to include wind velocity and direction, cloud cover,
  visibility, and approximate cloud ceiling.
  y In the absence of a special tactics team (STT), by agreement with the United States Air Force
  (USAF), operate DZs and airfields for USAF aircraft.
  y Survey DZs for use by USAF and Army aircraft. In this situation, pathfinders might require
  USAF-compatible ultra high frequency (UHF) or very high frequency (VHF) radios. Aviators
  and pathfinders coordinate to make sure everyone knows the ground marking and radio
  procedures.
  LIMITATIONS
  1-8. Pathfinders require augmentation when they guide aircraft or perform other, related primary tasks
  such as the following:
  y Provide security.
  y Remove major obstacles.
  y Recover and assemble equipment and supplies.
  y Operate additional radio nets and telephones.
  y Transport equipment.
  y Conduct detailed CBRN monitoring and surveying.
  EQUIPMENT
  1-9. Pathfinders use a variety of equipment. Though the aviation unit standing operating procedures
  (SOP) may specify the type of equipment pathfinders will use, the mission dictates what specific items of
  equipment the pathfinders will take on the operation.
  NAVIGATION AIDS
  1-10. Pathfinders use navigation aids to help aviators find and identify an exact area.