An observation post (commonly abbreviated OP), temporary or fixed, is a position from which

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

s can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers (such as in

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. Trench warfare became ar ...

), or to direct fire. In strict military terminology, an observation post is ''any'' preselected position from which observations are to be made - this may include very temporary installations such as a vehicle parked as a roadside checkpoint, or even an airborne aircraft.DoD News Briefing, February 15, 1996 1:30 pm EST
(from a DoD news briefing. Accessed 2008-06-21.)

Operation

When selecting a (temporary) observation post, trained troops are to avoid obvious and conspicuous locations such as hilltops,

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conju ...

s or other isolated terrain features, and to ensure that the observation post can be reached via a concealed route. This is especially important as the observer in the post should be rotated every 20–30 minutes, as vigilance decreases markedly after such a time. Observation posts should be garrisoned with at least two personnel (more, for defense and observer rotation, if the post is to be retained for longer durations), and should be provided a means of communication with their

chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...

, preferably by phone instead of by radio.Observation posts
(from the ''Mechanized Infantry Squad Operations (Bradley)'' course manual,

United States Army Infantry School The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia that is dedicated to training infantrymen for service in the United States Army. Organization The school is made up of the following components: * 197th Infantr ...

, 1995)

Structure

Often being positioned in secret very close to the enemy, an observation post is usually a small construct, often consisting largely of

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

materials and possibly weather cover. However, where frontlines are expected to be stable for a longer time, an observation post (or ground observation post) may develop into a

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

-like installation. It is not unusual for soldiers to occupy a 'hide' for long periods of time. To avoid detection they have to remove all their own waste. This is achieved with the aid of clingfilm, plastic bags and empty water bottles. One example of makeshift observation posts is Gaza Baptist Church, which was commandeered by both Fatah and

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...

troops during the

Fatah–Hamas conflict The Fatah–Hamas conflict ( ar, النزاع بين فتح وحماس ''an-Nizāʿ bayna Fataḥ wa-Ḥamās'') is an ongoing political and strategic conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinia ...

References

Fortification (architectural elements) Artillery operation Military intelligence collection Reconnaissance Military strategy Military science {{Mil-stub

Operation

Structure

See also

References