text: Cavalry Organizations and
  the Operational Environment
  can develop the situation in close contact with civilian populations. They can conduct security force
  assistance, and multinational reconnaissance and security tasks.
  1-85. Cavalry troops can perform limited offensive and defensive tasks though they typically support
  higher-level offensive and defensive task completion through reconnaissance and security missions. The
  commander considers the troop’s capabilities and limitations before employing the troop in any specific
  mission.
  ROLES AND ORGANIZATION
  1-86. As the squadron commander’s eyes and ears, the Cavalry troop is the squadron commander’s primary
  reconnaissance and information collection asset. Reconnaissance units provide the combat information the
  commander needs to conduct informed planning, direct operations, and visualize the area of operations. The
  unit skillfully conducts reconnaissance and security missions to collect information on enemy locations,
  dispositions, compositions, and battle damage assessments. In turn, these operations allow the commander
  to shape the area of operations proactively and accept or initiate contact at times and places of the
  commander’s choosing.
  1-87. Cavalry troops conduct reconnaissance and security missions throughout the squadron area of
  operations. The troop develops the situation by focusing on the reconnaissance objective in a designated area
  of operations. All types of troops can do this through the task organization of additional combat power to
  provide the ability to fight for information and increase lethality in security operations. The task organization
  of tank platoons to an ABCT Cavalry troop allows the use of the hunter-killer concept for reconnaissance
  and security. An SBCT Cavalry troop can receive similar augmentation from antiarmor platoons from the
  SBCT weapons troop.
  COMMON CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS
  1-88. All types of BCT Cavalry troops have the following capabilities:
  * Provide all-weather, continuous, accurate, and timely information through the combined use of
  long-range advanced scout surveillance systems, UASs, and mounted and dismounted scouts.
  * Gather information about enemy threats.
  * Rapidly develop the situation and direct reconnaissance tasks to answer PIRs.
  * Overcome enemy deception and cover and concealment by employing integrated information
  collection and reconnaissance and surveillance systems.
  * Employ joint fires to include the fires support team, weapons locating radar, and UASs.
  * Conduct stealthy reconnaissance or fight for information against light and motorized forces or, if
  reinforced, against armored forces.
  * Reduce risk and enhance survivability by providing information that allows the squadron to avoid
  contact or achieve a combat power advantage if contact is necessary.
  * Assist in shaping the area of operations by providing information or directing fires to disrupt the enemy.
  1-89. BCT Cavalry troops can have the following limitations, which can be mitigated with careful
  employment or augmentation:
  * When there are limited dismounts within the scout sections, sections may have to combine to
  generate the required dismounts to conduct the following:
   Long-duration observation posts.
   Long-duration screening.
   Dismounted tasks associated with zone, area, or route reconnaissance.
  * Limited direct fire standoff, lethality, and survivability (IBCT Cavalry squadron).
  * Require augmentation to perform technical engineer reconnaissance tasks.
  * Speed of movement is generally equal to that of the main body, making it challenging to stay
  ahead while on the march.
  * Limited counter-UAS assets and communications jamming.