United States. Department of Defense

“ Tracking dogs are screened and trained. They are aggressive trackers and eager to please their handler. (d) Sensory characteristics. Knowledge of the following sensory traits and how the dog uses them helps the evader to think ahead of the dog. Sight. A dog's vision is the lesser of the sensing abilities. They see in black and white and have difficulty spotting static objects at more than 50 yards. Dogs can spot moving objects at considerable distances, however, they do not look up unless they are training up a tree. A dog's night vision is no better than man's. ”

“ EVASION AND ESCAPE Evasion is eluding the enemy during a mission or following contact. Escape is breaking away from the enemy when surrounded. Together, evasion and escape refer to the act of returning to friendly lines by foot, essentially escaping from the enemy and evading him to reach friendly lines. ”

“ Other forms of displacement are bits of clothing or thread left on the ground or vegetation. Movement of vegetation on a still day (such as broken limbs and bent grass, animals flushed from their homes or cries of excitement; trails cut through foliage, disturbed insect life, or turned over rocks) indicates a presence. ”

“ In short-range evasion, the evader is close to the main battle area and becomes isolated from his unit. He usually has the means to return to the unit within a few days. Long-range evasion involves greater distances behind enemy lines where the evader may have to travel miles over foreign terrain, possibly with little food and equipment. LRS teams fit into this group. Characteristics of successful long-range evasions include--
Being able to cover greater distance from friendly forces. Knowing survival techniques. Knowing travel restrictions are greater. ”

“ Despite years of domestication, dogs retain most of the traits of their wild ancestors. If put to controlled use, these traits are effective when tracking. (a) Endurance. A dog can hold a steady pace and effectively track for up to eight hours. The speed can be up to 10 miles per hour, only limited by the speed of the handler. The speed and endurance can be further increased by the use of vehicles and extra teams. (b) Mental characteristics. Dogs are curious by nature. Dogs can be aggressive or lazy, cowardly or brave. A dog's sensory traits are what make him seem intelligent. ”

“ Having a strong will to survive: sense of responsibility (the strong help the weak) , family and home ties, panic control, continuous planning, patience and endurance, self-preservation, and knowledge of survival and evasion. ”

“ A dangerous problem for the evader is the dog's ability to hear. Dogs can hear quieter and higher frequencies than humans. Even more dangerous is their ability to locate the source of the sound. Dogs can hear 40 times better than men. Smell. The dog's sense of smell is about 900 times better than a human. It is by far the greatest asset and largest threat to the evader. ”

“ TRACKING AND COUNTERTRACKING Operating deep behind enemy lines requires proficiency in tracking and countertracking skills. Tracking ability allows an LRS team to immediately identify the presence of the enemy and collect intelligence. Tracking is also useful when an LRS team conducts a combat search and rescue mission to retrieve a downed pilot. Additionally, knowing how to track greatly enhances the team's ability to countertrack. ”

“ A footprint can tell the tracker what footgear the enemy is wearing, if any. It can also show the lack of proper equipment, the direction of movement, number of persons, whether they are carrying heavy loads, the sex, rate of movement, and whether or not they know they are being followed. ”

“ At times, it is impossible to travel without coming in contact with civilians. Evasion by deception under these circumstances is necessary. Deception may require the use of a disguise and a cover story. Deception is perhaps the most difficult type of evasion to take. ”

“ Travel is critical for the evader because chances of capture are greater, while on the move. Some planning considerations are-- Avoid major roads and populated areas. Always use camouflage and concealment. ”

“ Obstacles can impede or influence the selection of travel routes. Obstacles are in two categories: natural and man-made. Natural obstacles are rivers, streams, and mountains. Man-made obstacles include electric fences, contaminated areas, border and front-line crossings, friendly teams, and friendly outposts. ”

“ When possible, travel during darkness. However, if it is likely that the enemy or local civilians know the location, move immediately. Whenever possible, the terrain to be traversed at night should be observed during the day. ”

“ If the aviation unit does have combat search and rescue plans in effect, the plans are used whenever possible. Finally, the commander identifies and coordinates with the joint combat search and rescue commander, normally at echelons above corps. If a team cannot be assisted in evasion at the corps or division level, all evasion planing information for that team, to include DD Form 1833, is given to the joint combat search and rescue commander. DD Form 1833 is critical for the team to enter an evasion network. ”

“ Soldiers with load-bearing equipment. Load-bearing equipment should contain a small survival kit. Kit should be tailored to the area of operation and should only contain basic health and survival necessities. ”