Radio Communications and Situation Awareness of Infantry Squads during Urban Operations

This research evaluated the frequency and content of squad radio communications, and reevaluated situation awareness (SA) data collected by others. Both sets of data were collected using 14 Ranger squads executing urban operations driven by scripted vignettes. The radio communications data highlighted factors that influence and determine the consequences of squad radio communications. These data were differentially sensitive to communications about friendly and threat conditions as well as mission and visibility conditions. Important moderating factors for these results were differences found for downward and upward-directed communications and conflicting requirements for processing information under conditions of information overload. The reanalysis of the SA data yielded separate measures of SA for squad leaders and their subordinates, and for top-down and bottom-up sources of knowledge about battlefield conditions. The fine-grain reanalysis of SA data showed effects not previously reported and clarified some that were. The data emphasize the need to consider echelon differences in estimating the criticality of battlefield information, as well as the impact on SA of visibility and information overload conditions. Taken together, the results underscore the fact that reliable explanations of the relationship between squad radio usage and squad SA rely on detailed analyses of both factors.Army Research Inst for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Alexandria VA is the author of 'Radio Communications and Situation Awareness of Infantry Squads during Urban Operations' with ISBN 9781423549109 and ISBN 1423549104.