The 5 Principles of Patrol Planning Reconnaissance Security Control Common Sense Per the Ranger handbook, these are the 5 principles of patrol. I memorized these well before Ranger School thanks to a newly tabbed SGT that didn't like seeing a PFC sitting around at the end of the day, even though I had just finished sweeping and mopping the entire maintenance bay by myself, and quickly quizzed me on my 5 Principles of Patrol. Needless to say I did not know them at the time, and subsequently did a lot of pushups as a result. Fast forward a few years, and these Principles are being taught to me in Ranger School. During the last phase, our Ranger Instructor stressed to us, that if you somehow forget the first 4 principles, as long as your decisions and actions make sense, you'd be capable of passing your graded patrol. Why is that the most important of the 5? It can help you solve the other 4 principles when all else fails. We can use these 5 Principles of Patrol in more than just patrolling in combat, imagine how you could apply these 5 principles to business, to your everyday life?! #Ranger #LifeLesson #Perspective
Dave Parmly
3mo
“It’s a technique.” Was RI speak for “It doesn’t violate a principle so it might work.” In my day (3&4-83) it was only 4 Principles. I still use “It’s a technique.” But few know what it means.
I was Leading a patrol in Basic ncoes “Ranger week” did all the patrol stuff but on the leaders recon the RI told me the time frame to execute was now changed I had 10 minutes. No way I could get back and get the patrol back to objective. So I took the ten minutes organized the leaders recon element and 4 of us executed. We eliminated the two guards and rescued the pilot. It was not by the book but we got the downed pilot….and I passed my patrol.
Zachary Hyde
3mo
Had one of our squad leaders quickly ask a private on my team "YOU! What are the five principles of patrolling? GO!" Without skipping a beat he said: Dodge. Duck. Dip. Dive. Dodge. Ooooooooo boy...that was a fun day. #IYKYK
#6: Look Good! Great to see the application of leadership applied outside the military!
Thomas Miner
3mo
"It can help you solve the other 4 principles when all else fails"....no simpler of truer words ever spoken. I was never accused of being overly burdened with common sense as an 18 year old attendee of the School for Wayward Boys, but I learned it....quickly.
I used to argue with my soldiers about which was most important. I always thought it was security, but it always seemed like the patrols that failed the hardest were the ones without common sense. You’ve changed my mind!
Matthew Osucha
3mo
RLTW!
Don Sexton
3mo
Well, said! The Ranger hand book is a guide! The information contained inside is not locked in concrete! Common sense is a great asset to have! Use it , develop it, rely on it..
RLTW!
RLTW Entertainment LLC - Movie Producer and Author - 2d Ranger Bn. 75th Ranger Regiment - Sons of Mosby Army Ranger Motorcycle Association Vice President
3moGrowing up I had struggled with learning and memorization until my 8th grade History teacher shared with me a great way to help remember things is to use acronyms, combining the first letter of words into a word that will help jog your memory. Fast forward to RIP (now called RASP) and I knew I would be tested and quized about the 5 Principles of Patrolling so I came up with what i thought a good acronym for it. Unfortunately for me when a RIP Cadre screamed in my face "MANUEL, WHAT ARE THE 5 PRINCIPLES OF PATROLLING? I got flustered and instead of telling him 'Planning, Reconnaissance, Security, Control & Common Sense' I sounded off with my acronym "'PUERTO RICAN'S SUCK C **K CONSTANTLY!" I'll never forget this day as long as I live! His name was Ranger Sanchez and yes,, he was Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 I'm DAMN lucky I graduated and soon experienced complete muscle 💪 failure, got 'Koalafied' and learned what the 'dying cockroach' was all about... 🤣🤣🤣