text: Landing Plan
  Figure 5-6. Stiner aid
  (cid:122) Audible aids. Audible aids especially help small units assemble at night. They include tin
  crickets, sirens, cowbells, air horns, triangles, dinner bells, ratchets, drums, gongs, whistles,
  bugles,andvoice signals. Theyareusedtoidentifyindividualsor assemblyareas.Strongwinds,
  gunfire, aircraft sounds, an elevation high above sea level, and other factors can limit their
  effectiveness.The normalsoundsofthe battlefield easily maskor confuse the soundsofaudible
  assemblyaids.
  (cid:122) Electronic aids. Units can use organic radios to direct small units to assembly areas, using
  landmarks as references. Theycan use radio homing devices. A homingdevice is a lightweight
  attachment to a standard field radio; it is an excellent aid for day or night assembly. With it, a
  radiotelephone operator (RATELO) can pick up a coded signal beam from a transmitter at the
  assembly area. By following the beam, the RATELO homes in on the transmitter and leads the
  unit to the assembly area. Signal crews can make equipment homing assembly aids from a
  standard portable field radio or transmitter. The unit attaches the radio to the equipment and
  turns it to a designated frequency. They encase it in shock-absorbing material just before its
  extraction from the aircraft. This method is especially useful for assembling crews on heavy
  equipmentdroploads.
  (cid:122) Field-expedient aids. The unit uses numerous field-expedient assembly aids; only the Soldiers’
  imaginationslimitthechoices.Forexample,theycanburngasoline-soakedsand incans orother
  containers; fashion a light gun or a one-direction light source by placing a flashlight in the
  receiverof a grenadelauncher orother tube system;or lift a deployed main orreserve parachute
  sootherunitmemberscansee it.
  IdentificationMarkings
  5-92. Identification markings aid positive, rapid identification of personnel and equipment that speed up a
  unit’s assembly. The airborne force standardizes personnel and equipment markings for all subordinate
  units.Specificsonmarkingsareasfollows:
  (cid:122) Personnel markings. Soldiers use individual assembly aids to help recognize individuals and
  assemble units.Individualaidsinclude colored armbandsor helmetbands, distinctive patchesor
  designs on uniforms, or helmet bands of luminous tape. Sortie commanders and key leaders,
  jumpmasters, safeties, other jumpmaster personnel, medics, and bump personnel use distinctive
  markings. Larger force standard operating procedures prescribe unit designations to prevent
  duplicationandtoallowunit-wideunderstanding.
  (cid:122) Equipmentmarkings. Aerialequipmentcontainersareidentifiedbysimple,distinctive markings.
  Distinctive unit markings are prescribed by larger force (ABN IBCT or division) standard
  operating procedures to prevent duplication and to assist in recognition by other units. Unit
  codes are placedon thebottomandall sidesofeachcontainer;theyshouldbevisibleforatleast
  50 meters. Various color parachute canopies, container colors, luminous tape and paints, smoke
  grenades, homing devices and lights can be used with the containers to facilitate identification
  onthegroundandintheair.Lightsandhomingdevicesattachedtoequipmentcanbeactivated