ATP-3-09-02 Field Artillery Survey Download
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Survey Planning 16 February 2016 ATP 3-09.02 2-11 PRINCIPLES OF A SURVEY STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE 2-44. A SOP standardizes procedures for those phases of operation that the commander wants to make routine. For an example of a Survey SOP see Appendix A. These procedures are to be followed in the absence of specific instructions. The SOP of a battalion or higher-level headquarters should contain a section on survey. The SOP for each level must conform to the SOP of the next higher level. Therefore, the survey portion of the SOP at each level should include only those survey procedures that the commander wants to make standard throughout his command. Survey items the commander wishes to make standard only for the survey team of their unit should be in the SOP for that particular section. A survey SOP does the following: Simplifies the transmission of the survey plan. Unifies survey personnel training. Promotes teamwork and understanding. Expedites survey operations. SIMPLIFY THE TRANSMISSION OF SURVEY PLANS 2-45. Instructions included in an SOP need not be restated in the survey plan. Many details on operations, measurements, or methods of survey may be outlined in the SOP. This eliminates the need for a lengthy and bulky survey plan or order. However, including instruction in the SOP does not prevent the survey planner from restating these instructions in the survey plan for emphasis. UNIFY SURVEY PERSONNEL TRAINING 2-46. Establishing standard procedures for survey operations ensures uniform training and minimizes the need for special instructions. By using standard procedures, survey personnel become more proficient in their operations. PROMOTE TEAMWORK AND UNDERSTANDING 2-47. Standing operating procedures ensure uniform performance of survey operations and minimize the time and effort required for coordination. This is particularly true in those units that use more than one survey team. EXPEDITE SURVEY OPERATIONS 2-48. When personnel become familiar with and use standard signals, techniques, and procedures, they will do their tasks in minimum time. Furthermore, using standard procedures reduces confusion and eliminates unnecessary survey operations. 2-49. To be effective, a survey SOP must be brief and must conform to established doctrine. If the SOP is too long and detailed, it loses its value as an instrument of ready reference. It must be flexible, since it cannot cover every possible survey situation or method. The SOP should give survey personnel enough latitude to adapt survey requirements to different situations rather than specify various types of problems that may or may not exist in the field. The SOP must conform to the doctrine and policy in the SOP of the higher headquarters so that trained personnel reassigned from one unit to another will have no difficulty or be no less proficient. As a minimum, the SOP for survey operations should contain the information and instructions discussed below. PRINCIPAL DUTIES OF KEY PERSONNEL 2-50. This survey SOP should define the principal duties of key personnel. The key personnel include the following: Chief Surveyor. IPADS team chiefs. Team members.