What is the third step in the 5 Principles of Patrolling?

The third step in the 5 Principles of Patrolling is security, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of the patrol unit. The role of security in this context involves implementing measures to detect and deter any potential threats or adversaries while allowing the unit to operate effectively. It involves maintaining vigilance against ambushes or surprise attacks and ensuring that the patrol can communicate and maneuver without jeopardizing their safety.

By incorporating security into patrol operations, units can create a sustainable operational environment, enabling them to gather intelligence and accomplish their assigned missions more effectively. This involves not just protecting the personnel and equipment, but also maintaining the element of surprise over potential threats.

In contrast, the other principles like planning, control, and reconnaissance, play crucial roles as well, but they focus on different aspects of the patrols. Planning deals with the organization and preparation of patrol activities, control ensures the effective command and oversight of the actions taken, and reconnaissance involves gathering information about the area of operations or enemy positions. Each principle complements the others, but security is pivotal in ensuring that the patrol can function without being compromised.