a. There are three concealment principles employed (siting, discipline and construction) to
eliminate the factors of recognition.
(1) Siting. Siting means selecting the most advantageous position in which to hide a
man, an object, or an activity.
(2) Discipline. Success in any concealment effort is the strict maintenance of
concealment discipline by both the unit and by you, the individual soldier. Avoid any activity that
changes the appearance of an area or reveals the presence of military equipment. Laxness and
carelessness will undoubtedly reveal your position. Tracks, spoil, and debris are the most common
signs of military activity which indicate concealed objects. Ensure new tracks follow existing
paths, roads, fences, or natural lines in the terrain pattern. Do not end exposed routes at a position,
but extend it to another logical termination. If practicable, brush out, camouflage, or cover
exposed tracks. Cover or place to blend all spoil and debris. When the terrain and natural
vegetation are such that natural concealment is not possible, add artificial camouflage.
(3) Construction. Augment the construction of this type concealment by adding
natural materials to blend with the surrounding terrain.
b. You have three fundamental methods of concealing installations and activities: hiding;
blending; and disguising.
(1) Hiding. Hiding is the complete concealment of an object by some form of
physical screen: Sod over mines in a minefield, hides the mines; the overhead canopy of trees hides
the objects beneath from aerial observation; a net hides objects beneath it; a defilade hides objects
from ground observation. In some cases the screen itself may be invisible. In other instances the
screen may be visible, but it hides the activity behind it.
(2) Blending. Blending is the arrangement or application of camouflage materials on,
over, and around the object so that it appears to be part of the background. For example, you can
apply face paint to the exposed areas of skin; add burlap, paint, and live vegetation to your helmet
and clothing so that you will closely resemble or blend into the background. You can apply the
same technique for equipment or structures.
(3) Disguising. Is the simulation of an object, piece of equipment or activity of
military significance. Clever disguises will mislead the enemy as to the identity, strength, and
intention, and will draw his fire from the real asset. You have probably seen the rubber tanks and
tents and even buildings that when filled with air, look like the real thing, and especially from the
air.
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