Properly planning for the possible contingencies that may occur during a mission is a positive step toward being able to cope successfully with the changes in situation. The EPA is a critical document to an individual soldier or to a unit faced with evading enemy forces. First, it is a plan that will provide evaders a starting point to begin operating effectively once evasion has begun. Second, it gives recovery forces the ability to know what the evaders are planning to do, thus making recovery operations easier. A well-thought-out EPA that everyone can understand is an important document to the evader.
Note: Upon deployment, you may carry with you the information compiled in A through E of the SITUATION paragraph only.
TASK ORGANIZATION (NAME AND RANK FOR EACH CREW OR TEAM MEMBER)
I. SITUATION
A. Country Climatic Zones
1. Tropical Rainy Climate
2. Dry Climate
3. Temperate Climate
4. Cold Climate (wet/dry)
5. Polar
B. Climatic Land Zones (whatever is applicable)
1. Coasts—Seasons
a. Temperature
b. Precipitation
c. General wind direction
d. Cloud cover
2. Plains (refer to coasts)
3. Deserts (refer to coasts)
4. Plateaus (refer to coasts)
5. Mountains (refer to coasts)
6. Swamps (refer to coasts)
C. Light Data (BMNT, EENT, moonrise, moonset, percent of illumination)
D. Terrain
1. Neighboring Borders
2. General Terrain Zones
a. Coasts
(1) General description and size
(2) Vegetation
(a) Natural
1. Tundra
2. Coniferous forest
3. Deciduous forest
4. Temperate grassland
5. Marshland swamp
6. Desert
7. Pastoral and arable land
8. Tropical forest
9. Savanna
(b) Cultivated
(c) Concealment (density)
(d) Growing seasons
(e) Edible
1. Food value
2. Procurement (young or mature)
3. Preparation
4. Cooking
(f) Poisonous
(g) Medical use
(h) Other uses
(3) Animals and fish
(a) Domestic
1. Food value
2. Procurement
3. Preparation
4. Cooking
5. Medical use
6. Dangerous
7. Poisonous
8. Other uses
(b) Wildlife (animals, fish, insects, and reptiles) (see domestic)
(4) Water sources
(a) Procurement
(b) Potability
(c) Preparation
b. Plains (refer to coasts)
c. Deserts (refer to coasts)
d. Plateaus (refer to coasts)
e. Mountains (refer to coasts)
f. Swamps (refer to coasts)
g. Rivers and lakes (refer to coasts)
3. Natural Land Barriers
a. Mountain ranges
b. Large rivers
E. Civilian Population
1. Numbers of Population
a. Totals and density (by areas)
b. Divisions of urban, suburban, rural, and nomads
2. Dress and Customs
3. Internal Security Forces
4. Controls and Restrictions (explain)
5. Border Area Security
F. Friendly Forces
1. FEBA/FLOT
2. Closest Units
3. Location of Friendly or Neutral Embassies, Liaisons, Consulates
4. Recovery Sites (explain), LZs en Route
G. Enemy Forces
1. Doctrine
2. Tactics
3. Intelligence Reports
a. Identification
b. Location
c. Activity
d. Strength
e. Night-sighting devices
II. MISSION—Conduct Avoidance of Capture on Order From-To
III. EXECUTION (include planned routes and actions for ingress and egress)
A. Overall Plan (discuss actions for first 48 hours and actions after 48 hours)
1. When Do You Initiate Movement?
2. Location of Initial Movement Point
3. Actions at Initial Movement Point
4. Location of Hide Areas
5. Movement to Hide Areas
6. Actions Around the Hide Sites
7. Movement to Hide Sites
8. Actions at Hide Sites
a. Construction
b. Occupation
c. Movement out of hide site
9. Location of Hole-up Areas
10. Actions at Hole-up Areas
11. Location of Recovery Site(s)
B. Other Missions
1. Movement
a. Formation
b. Individual positions
c. Navigation
d. Stealth/listening
e. Security
(1) Noise
(2) Light
(3) All-around security
f. Cover, concealment, and camouflage
g. Actions at breaks
(1) Listening (5 to 10 minutes)
(2) Long
h. Actions at danger areas (enemy observation or fire)
i. Actions for enemy sighting/contact
j. Rally points/rendezvous points
(1) Locations
(2) Actions
2. Actions in the Care of Sick or Injured
a. Initial movement point
b. Along the movement route
3. Actions for Crossing Borders
4. Actions at Recovery Site(s)
5. Other Actions
6. Training and Rehearsals
7. Inspections Before Starting Movement
IV. SERVICE AND SUPPORT
A. Survival Aids
1. Health
a. First aid
b. Disease
2. Water
a. Procurement
b. Purification
c. Carrying
3. Food
a. Procurement
b. Preparation
c. Cooking
d. Carrying
4. Shelter and Comfort/Warmth
5. Fire Starting
6. Recovery
7. Travel
B. Survival Kit(s)
C. Special Equipment
D. Inspections
1. Responsibilities
2. Equipment, Survival Items, and Kit(s)
V. COMMAND AND SIGNAL
A. Chain of Command (list evasion team chain of command)
B. Signals (include mission number, aircraft or team call sign or identifier, crew or team position, type of aircraft, call sign suffix, and additional information as needed)
1. Frequencies
a. Primary
b. Alternate
2. Communication Schedule
a. Primary
b. Alternate
3. Codes
a. Letter of the week
b. Number and word of the day
c. SAR Dot
d. Load signal
e. Bona fides