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CNN Live At Daybreak

LRS Soldiers Provide Needed Battlefield Intelligence

Aired December 13, 2001 - 06:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Lead Army units undergo rigorous training before they head into the battle zone, and as CNN's Kyra Phillips reports, the soldiers drop out of the sky and into secrecy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're deep in the Georgia mountains at the Catoosa (ph) training area. LRS soldiers safety check every piece of equipment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sergeant, sir.

PHILLIPS: And initiate movement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The LRS goes in the backyard of the enemy and has to have the discipline and the training to remain right there amongst the enemy and never move.

PHILLIPS: Launching from friendly land is easy. Crossing the forward line of enemy troops is not. These paratroopers must hit their drop zone perfectly. Within minutes, six soldiers in -- six soldiers out, jumping into the danger zone. It's sunset at the cash (ph) point. These warriors link up, account for each other, and equipment and prepare to put eyes on the enemy objective.

1ST SGT. MIKE HURNDON: This is about all we've got and we don't have many weapons with us. It's mostly communications gear because we're so far behind enemy lines typically. So we can't be seen and we can't be heard and we can't let anybody know that we've been here -- period.

PHILLIPS: Staff Sergeant Sean Louis (ph) leads his men with stealth and discipline through concealed paths of approach. Moonlight and instincts will reveal the route to reconnaissance and surveillance. Night vision goggles illuminate a safe scroll to the road. Now buried within enemy terrain, soldiers conduct SLLS (ph) -- stop, look, listen, and smell. Becoming accustomed to the sights and sounds of the battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the MSS (ph) ...

PHILLIPS: LRS soldiers begin building their center of operation. Ghillie suits mask enemy detection as each soldier starts constructing the hide site -- manmade hideouts that will become home for days as these hidden soldiers wait to confirm or deny enemy action. And in this training mission, it won't take long.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's evidently an American pilot transferred from vehicles to the boats and the boats have been moved upstream along with some arms that were transferred from the vehicles to the boats.

PHILLIPS: Via an encrypted transmission with worldwide range, the situation report goes to the U.S. military intelligence command so ground troops can now initiate their battle plan, to rescue the downed pilot and destroy the enemy forces. The long-range surveillance team completes its mission. Blackhawks are signaled. LRS soldiers are extracted from enemy territory -- never seen, never heard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLAWAY: That was CNN's Kyra Phillips reporting from the North Georgia Mountains.

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