ACE Reports

An ACE report is a quick report given to the next-higher element leader regarding your element's status. When giving an ACE report, only include the important parts, meaning you mustn't say what you DON'T need and just include what you DO need and maintain the order A, C, E. Additionally within the Ammo and Equipment categories you should provide the information from most to least severe.

As a Squad Leader, ACE reports from your fireteam leaders are compiled to form the SITREP that you give to the platoon commander

 

Components

As the name suggests, the ACE report consists of three elements: A, C, and E. In the following we'll outline what they mean.

Ammo

• This covers all of your weapons ammunition including the one for non-disposable launchers like the MAAWS, SMAW, Javelin, or Stinger.
• If your team is low on ammo, give details on it. Otherwise you might end up with a crate that has the wrong ammunition.
  • e.g. use 5.56 mm 100 round belts, 7.62 mm 20 round mags, MAAWS HEAT, etc. to not end up with a wrong caliber.

 

Casualties

• This very roughly covers the medical status by stating how many units are concious ("up") and how many are generally "wounded".
• Anything more detailed, such as triage information is part of a CASREP instead.

 

Equipment

• If the team has lost any important equipment, it is noted here.
• This extends to any special equipment you were given for the mission and does include lost weapons and disposable launchers like the AT-4 or Panzerfaust
  • e.g. protective gear, NVGs, Bandages, Earplugs, radios, maps, lost weapons, used disposable weapons, etc.

 

Example - providing an ACE report

Outlaw: Bravo, this is Outlaw, ACE Report.

Bravo: Outlaw, this is Bravo, WAIT OUT.

(30 to 60 seconds pass while information is gathered)

Bravo: Outlaw, this is Bravo.

Outlaw: Bravo, this is Outlaw.

Bravo: We are red 9 mm, orange STANAG, we have 5 up and 1 wounded, and we’re red on AT-4.

Outlaw: ROGER, OUT.

Notice that Bravo doesn't mention in their report anything that isn't relevant. And uses the simple ORANGE for LOW and RED for OUT. Green should never be used, since it wouldn't be relevant information.

 

From check to report

To be able to provide an ACE report the leader of an element must first gather the respective information from his subordinates. This is what we call an ACE Check. In the following we're outlining how this is done and what the differences to the ACE Report are.

As a Leader

It is your responsibility to get all the needed information. This is best done by conducting the ACE check together with your buddy team and then ask the leader of the other buddy team for an ACE check on their team. Alternatively if you are in very close proximity to everyone of your team, you can also gather around the team and conduct the ACE check together with everyone. I.e. off radio. If this both options aren't possible you have to ask every single member of the fireteam for an ACE check individually.

 

As a members of the team

A grave missconception is that every fireteam member gives an ACE report to the FTL. This is never the case, as the ACE report is used only between elements and not on an individual basis. Here, the fireteam member responds with his needs in the order of A C E and mentions nothing else. To preserve detailed information before the FTL compresses it to his ACE report, no colors are used here but instead the raw information! This can be specific amounts e.g. I need 5x 30 round mags 5.56 mm, or a bit more general e.g. low on 9mm.

 

Examples - conducting ACE checks

No colors or classes

In this example the fireteam member needs ammunition in the form of 5.56 mm 30 round magazines, his casualty status is that he needs a stitch and he needs equipment in the form of bandages.

Hence, the correct way to tell this is his FTL is:

Correct: Need 4x 5.56 STANAG, need a stitch, and nearly out of bandages.

It would be incorrect if he included unecesary information like to use colors. This is because it prolongs the chatter and detailed information might get lost due to the generalization into a color:

Wrong: Orange on 5.56 STANAG, orange need a stitch, red on bandages

It would also be incorrect if he included unecesary information like if he is talking about A C or E, as the FTL can think of that himself. Again this just prolongs the chatter for no reason:

Wrong: Ammo: low on 5.56 STANAG, Casualty: need a stitch, Equipment: low on bandages

 

Only needs

In this example the fireteam member needs ammunition in the form of 5.56 mm 30 round magazines, his casualty status is now fine and he needs equipment in the form of bandages.

Hence, the correct way to tell this to his FTL is to not give any information for the C, as there is nothing relevant to report:

Correct: Low on 5.56 STANAG and nearly out of bandages.

It would be incorrect if he included unecesary information like that he doesn't need medical treatment:

Wrong: Low on 5.56 STANAG, good on medical, and nearly out of bandages.

 

Brevity

In this example the fireteam member needs no ammunition, his casualty status is fine and he doesn't need any equipment.

In this special case the information can be compressed to something like:

Correct: All good.

However as no detail information can be lost, as there is none, this is the only time you might as well use a color if you so desire:

Correct: All green.

Though it would still be wrong to provide unecesary information like going over each area on its own:

Wrong: Ammo: good, Casualty: good, Equipment: good

 

Compiling an ACE report

This example cover the process of compiling the ACE Report for a whole team.

The SL asks the FTL, Kevin, for an ACE report

SL: 1-1, this is Actual, ACE report.

FTL (Kevin): Actual, 1-1, ROGER, WAIT OUT.

Now the FTL, Kevin, asks the members of his buddy-team, James and Gunther, for an ACE check. As he is with them, this can be done off the radio.

FTL (Kevin): James, Gunther, give me an ACE check.

James: Low on 5.56 STANAG, out of 9 mm, need a stitch, and low on bandages.

Gunther: All good.

The FTL, Kevin, himself is low on 5.56 STANAG, needs blood, and is low on bandages as well. Hence, his buddy-teams is low on 5.56 STANAG and low on 9 mm (Note that they are not out, as both the FTL and Gunther can share some with James), a stitch is needed and they are running low on bandages.
However he doesn't know about the other buddy-team yet. Therefore he asks his 2IC, who is leading the other buddy, Chris, team to compile an ACE check of them

FTL (Kevin): Green, give men an ACE check.

Chris: Wait 1.

Now Chris asks his buddy-team-member, Joe, for an ACE check

Chris: Joe, ACE check.

Joe: Low on 5.56 100 round belts, need a stitch, out of bandages.

Chris' himself is running low on 5.56 STANAG as well but is good otherwise. Hence his team in total is running low on 5.56 STANAG and 100 round belts, a stitch is needed, but they are only low on bandages as Chris can spare a few for Joe. Hence he can transmit this to his FTL, Kevin.

Chris: Kevin, we're low on 5.56 STANAG and 100 round belts, need one stitch and are low on bandages.

FTL (Kevin): Roger.

Now the FTL, Kevin, can merge the buddy-teams ACE checks together and form the ACE Report. He knows both buddy-teams are running low on 5.56 STANAG and his team is running low on 9 mm, meaning both are "orange". Further two people require a stitch and he needs blood, whereas the rest didn't indicate any need for treatment. Therefore they are all up but three are wounded. Lastly he knows both teams are running low on bandages, so orange as well.

FTL (Kevin): Actual, this is 1-1.

SL: 1-1, this is Actual.

FTL (Kevin): We're orange 5.56 STANAG, orange 9 mm, we have 5 up, 3 wounded, orange on bandages.

SL: ROGER, OUT.

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CREDITS
This SOP has been contributed to by 1 editors:
Major James
Specialist 3rd Class Noah_Hero

REFERENCES
UNITAF Standard Operating procedures (SOP) are adapted primarly from US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Our written and audio procedures are a combination of the following primary source materials, as well as our own learnings, modifications and adaptations:
- US Army Techniques Publication, Infantry Platoon and Squad (ATP 3-21.8)
- Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks Warrior Leader Skills Level 2, 3, and 4 (STP 21-24-SMCT)
- The Warrior Ethos and Soldier Combat Skills (FM 3-21.75 / FM 21-75)
- Leadership Development (FM 6-22)
- Dyslexi's Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures for Arma 3 (TTP3)

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