What does SALUTE stand for in a reconnaissance report?

• A. Size, Alignment, Location, Uniform/Unit, Time, Equipment.
• B. Scale, Activity, Location, Uniform/Unit, Time, Equipment.
• C. Size, Activity, Location, Uniform/Unit, Time, Equipment.
• D. Size, Activity, Location, Uniform/Unit, Time, Environment.

Answer: (C)

SALUTE is a quick, standardized way to report what you observe in reconnaissance. The six elements are: Size, which notes how many people or how much equipment is present; Activity, describing what they are doing; Location, where they are using a known reference like terrain or grid coordinates; Uniform/Unit, identifying who they belong to or what insignia is visible; Time, when the observation was made or last updated; and Equipment, noting visible weapons, vehicles, or gear. This combination gives a concise, actionable snapshot that others can quickly interpret to assess threat, capabilities, and intent. Other options mix in terms that aren’t part of the standard (for example using Environment or swapping in Scale/Alignment), which would fail to provide the consistent, complete picture SALUTE is designed to deliver.