b. All coordination,
either
with
your
NCOIC
or
the
requester,
should
cover the following:
(1) Verify the date, time, and place of the assignment.
(2) Confirm transportation arrangements.
Will you provide your own
transportation or will the requester provide transportation?
If you are
providing transportation, and the assignment will last a week or more, will the
unit provide fuel and required maintenance? This is extremely important if you
are operating under tactical conditions.
In most cases your unit SOP will
provide for these contingencies. At any rate, you must consider them in your
planning.
(3) Recheck the type of shots requested.
Are they for tactical
documentation, or training and historical purposes? Find out how long the unit
will allow you to stay in the area or how long your NCOIC will allow you to
stay.
(4) Check on the location conditions.
If it is a tactical situation,
check with your threat officer and the G3 or S3. This would normally be done
by the NCOIC. However, it is part of your preparation and you must make sure
it is accomplished. Also, check weather conditions. This will help you decide
what type of film to use.
3.
Work orders.
In the military photographic laboratory a step-by-step
written record of work progress must be kept. From the time a request for any
type of photographic work is received in the lab, until the finished prints are
delivered, a step-by-step record is maintained. This written record is known
as the photographic work order. It is your responsibility to record each step
as you fulfill the assignment.
a. When a request for the accomplishment of photographic work is received
in the lab, a work order is initiated. The work order, which is numbered for
reference and filing, contains a complete description of the photo work
requested. In a base lab, after the work order is initiated, a photographer is
assigned and he records the necessary information in the designated spaces as
he completes each step.
b. Mission planning is one of the most important functions of the work
order.
From information gathered from the work order, you will be able to
determine the equipment needed to accomplish the assigned mission and also the
amount and types of materials.
Through careful planning, you can prepare
yourself for full and accurate coverage of any assigned photographic mission
with little or no difficulty.
Your lab chief will insist that adequate
planning be accomplished to assure a timely and successful mission.
If a
mission must be rescheduled, it is generally the result of poor planning
techniques.
In the interest of efficiency, mission planning cannot be
overemphasized.
4.
Mission conditions.
When preparing for an assignment, you should
consider three additional factors -- the product desired, the shooting
conditions, and the time requirements.
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