[2] The school is open to Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen to train them to expert levels in reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, communications, planning, foreign vehicle identification, and other skills.

[3] Given the importance of timely, accurate and relevant battlefield information, U.S. Military commanders require reconnaissance professionals be well-trained, highly skilled and disciplined, and capable of operating forward of BCTs.

Second Lieutenant Donald Bernstein suggested that some of the 101st Airborne's Ranger trained personnel start a school for the entire division in small unit tactics.

To fulfill this requirement, the course was initially designed to emphasize the mission essential tasks drawn from lessons learned from previous long-range reconnaissance patrol operations in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

[1] In 2002, the course was renamed the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leader Course (RSLC) [1] and was taught by the 4th Ranger Training Battalion prior to unit reorganization at the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning.

[3] During the first week, students execute a seven-hour land navigation course in which they move under load, cross-country, during daylight and limited visibility, covering approximately 15 kilometers.

Building on the training from the previous week, students conduct area and zone reconnaissance practical exercises to hone their field craft and improve their reporting formats.

Once this mission is complete and After-Action Reviews (AARs) are conducted, the students go into isolation planning for their graded culminating Field Training Exercise (FTX).

Throughout the FTX, students will execute and be graded on all the skills they learned from planning, reconnaissance and surveillance operations, intelligence reporting techniques, communications, fires, evasion and recovery, and small unit tactics to name a few.

[3] The result is a graduate with the skill to plan and conduct a myriad of reconnaissance and surveillance operations, enhancing the ability of any brigade combat team.