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MASTER GROUND

SIGN AWARENESS

So what am I looking for?

“absence of the normal; presence of the abnormal”

(what’s missing / what’s new)

Look out for the following indicators:

• COLOUR – Unnatural colours or colour change. The difference in colour will depend on the length of time since emplacement, often clearer 24-48 hrs after emplacement.

• TRANSFERENCE – Soil, sand, foliage and other debris deposited in places where nature would not cause it to be.

• REGULARITY – Geometric shapes and strange angles which do not naturally occur.

FLATTENING – Foliage, grass etc flattened by humans/animals reflects the light at a different angle.

• DISCARDABLES – Items left visible by the INS when placing IEDs such as cigarette butts, bits of wire or tape.

• DISTURBANCE – Movement of soil, breaking of foliage and placing of items in an unnatural way to attempt to cover sign.

“absence of the normal; presence of the abnormal”

(what’s missing / what’s new)

Some examples:

REGULARITY

(and some COLOUR change)

DISTURBANCE

Some examples:

REGULARITY

&

DISTURBANCE

FLATTENING

VOIED

Some examples:

??

??

Some examples:

FLATTENING

DISTURBANCE

COLOUR Change

REGULARITYSTONE MARKERS

BATTERY PACK

PRESSURE PLATE

PRACTICEThere’s now a chance to practice looking for the Ground Sign in a number of

pictures.

Not all the pictures actually have Ground Sign in them – the first two slides are an example of one with and one without – the answer is revealed each time on the next mouse click. The phrase ‘No known indicators’ is used for pictures without Ground Sign – because we don’t know for certain that there was nothing there. In other words, if you see something that you think is suspicious in a picture then you are not wrong.

After the two examples there are two presentations with 20 pictures each – the first is easy the second is more difficult. For each picture you should identify any Ground Sign before clicking for the answer.

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Marker stones placed by LNs to warn of device

Example One – Identify any Ground Sign. State the Grids it’s in.

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5 No known indicators

Example Two – Identify any Ground Sign. State the Grids it’s in.

PRACTICE ONE

EASY!

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5 They do get harder!

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Warning stones

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5 No known indicators

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Main charge location

Warning stones

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No Ground Sign visible – there is an IED but too far down track to see.

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5 No known indicators

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5 Markers placed to warn of device

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Warning stones

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5 No known indicators

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5 No known indicators

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Warning stones

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5 3 x Marker stones placed by LNs or INS

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5 Patch of discoloured earth

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Partly uncovered Pressure Plate.

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Location of IED Main Charge

.. but this is suspicious also

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Warning stones

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5 No known indicators

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Warning stones

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5 No known indicators

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Marker stones placed by LNs to warn of device

END OF LEVEL 1

NEXT SLIDE – START OF LEVEL 2

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5 No known indicators

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Main charge here. Hard to ID as it just looks like a part of the collapsed wall.

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Warning stones

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5 No known indicators

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5Possible length of Command Wire

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Patch of discoloured earth

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5Large patch of disturbed earth

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5 No known indicators

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5Concealed Battery pack

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5 No known indicators

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5 No known indicators

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Linear feature – possible CW

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Location of Pressure Plate & Main Charge

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Discoloured patch of earth

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Pressure Plate - partly uncovered

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Markers across track

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Warning stones

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Colour change – main charge hidden in wall and connected to anti-lift on wpn mag.

Wire Link.