REDCON

In the US military, the term REDCON is short for Readiness Condition and is used to refer to a unit's readiness to respond to and engage in combat operations. There are four REDCON levels, as described below in this excerpt from Army Field Manual 71-1.

* REDCON-1: Full alert; unit ready to move and fight.
** NBC alarms and [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/17-18/17180023.gifhot loop equipment] stowed; OPs pulled in.
** All personnel alert and mounted on vehicles; weapons manned.
** Engines started.
** Company team is ready to move immediately.
** NOTE: A variant of REDCON-1 is REDCON-1.5; the same conditions apply except that the vehicles are not started in REDCON-1.5.

* REDCON-2: Full alert; unit ready to fight.
** Equipment stowed (except hot loop and NBC alarms).
** Precombat checks complete.
** All personnel alert and mounted in vehicles; weapons manned.
** (NOTE: Depending on the tactical situation and orders from the commander, dismounted OPs may remain in place.)
** All (100 percent) digital and FM communications links operational.
** Status reports submitted in accordance with task force SOP.
** Company team is ready to move within 15 minutes of notification.

* REDCON-3: Reduced alert.
** Fifty percent of the unit executes work and rest plans.
** Remainder of the unit executes security plan. Based on the commander’s guidance and the enemy situation, some personnel executing the security plan may execute portions of the work plan.
** Company team is ready to move within 30 minutes of notification.

* REDCON-4: Minimum alert.
** OPs manned; one soldier per platoon designated to monitor radio and man turret weapons.
** Digital and FM links with task force and other company teams maintained.
** Company team is ready to move within one hour of notification.

ee also

*Alert state
*DEFCON

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/71-1/711apxef.htm#readiness REDCON levels from Army Field Manual 71-1] on Globalsecurity.org