text: Lines of Communication Considerations
  * Proper selection of routes.
  * Capitalizing on security offered by related activities taking place without regard to route security
  requirements. These activities include aircraft traversing over all or portions of the route,
  maintenance activities taking place along the route, training exercise or troop movement adjacent
  to or along the route, military and host-nation police traffic control activities, and the activities of
  the civilian population.
  C-12. The support area commander employs passive security for all conditions or situations and as an adjunct
  to any other technique of route security employed. They are the products of a long-term and continually
  improved program for an integrated security system.
  Route Reconnaissance
  C-13. Route reconnaissance addresses not only the route itself, but also all terrain along the route from which
  the enemy could influence the movement of forces. Route reconnaissance takes place at irregular intervals to
  avoid developing a regular pattern that an enemy could exploit. See FM 3-90-1 for additional information on
  route reconnaissance.
  Cordon Security
  C-14. It is normally not feasible to secure all points along a route by physically allocating resources to all the
  points of the route. Cordon security is the security provided between two combat outposts positioned to
  provide mutual support. (ATP 3-91) The support area commander can assign any available air assault,
  mechanized, Stryker, or military police unit to combat outposts established at critical locations along the
  route. The commander locates these combat outposts within supporting distance of each other when possible.
  Units assigned to these combat outposts provide response forces in the event of enemy activity along the
  route within their subordinate areas of operations. Forces based at these combat outposts conduct
  reconnaissance patrols and offensive actions between their base combat outpost and adjacent combat outposts
  designed to counter enemy activities between these two points on a frequent but irregular schedule.
  C-15. Normally, each combat outpost contains at least a platoon size element and is equipped with automatic
  weapons, communications, and sensors and is supported by those fire support assets available to the support
  area commander. The outpost commander rotates personnel between duty at the combat outpost and duty on
  patrol. The higher commander of each combat outpost makes frequent contact with each deployed combat
  outpost to check its status.
  C-16. The establishment of cordon security does little to eliminate those threat forces that require the
  adoption of this technique. A commander directing the establishment of cordon security should also direct a
  series of parallel corrective actions, including—
  * Searching for a new route to bypass an enemy attack/ambush locations.
  * Conducting vigorous search and attack operations to destroy the enemy within the support area.
  * Rigorously enforcing circulation control measures in coordination with the host nation over the
  civilian population.
  * Removing cover from areas offering concealment to an enemy.
  * Constructing new routes to bypass dangerous areas.
  * Mass-evacuating the civilian population from towns and villages along the route. (This is an
  extreme measure and requires consultation with host-nation authorities and adherence to the laws
  of land warfare.)
  Convoy Security
  C-17. Convoy security is a specialized area security task conducted to protect convoys. Units conduct convoy
  security when there are not enough friendly forces to continuously secure LOCs in an AO and there is a
  significant danger of enemy ground action directed against the convoy. The commander may also conduct
  them with route security operations. Convoy operations are generally conducted at the battalion level or
  below, with brigade oversight. The support area commander is responsible for convoy security in the support
  area (which is usually the MEB commander). Likewise, responsibility for the security of convoys transiting