What is the first fundamental of reconnaissance?

• A. Orient on the Reconnaissance objective
• B. Gain and Maintain enemy contact
• C. Do not keep recon assets in reserve
• D. Report information rapidly and accurately

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that reconnaissance begins by establishing a link with the enemy to observe what’s happening and to confirm the situation. Gaining and maintaining enemy contact gives you a secure foothold to see where the enemy is, how they’re arranged, and what their movements are. With that contact, you can verify your objectives, time your actions, and choose routes and actions with real-time feedback, reducing the risk of a blind approach and helping you adjust plans quickly as the situation evolves.

While orienting on the objective is important, you need solid information from contact first to orient accurately in the terrain and in the enemy’s disposition. Reporting information quickly is essential, but it’s a step that follows having reliable observations. Keeping recon assets in reserve is a tactical consideration that can be important in other situations, but it doesn’t capture the foundational action of establishing the initial observation link with the enemy.