Every tactical decision rests on understanding the threat. Good gear, sound training, and solid tactics all collapse without an accurate picture of who or what you may face, where they are, what they can do, and what they are likely to do next. SALUTE and DRAW-D are two complementary frameworks that transform scattered observations into structured intelligence. SALUTE answers what is in front of you right now; DRAW-D answers what can the adversary do about it. Together they feed the Enemy analysis portion of the METT-TC planning process and drive every downstream decision—from scheme of maneuver to casualty-care staging.
SALUTE: Capturing What You See
SALUTE is a standardized observation report format designed for speed and clarity. It works equally well whispered over a handheld radio as it does written in a field notebook. Each letter captures one dimension of an observed threat:
S — Size. How many individuals or vehicles? Express in numbers or comparative terms (“squad-sized element,” “three sedans”). Accurate sizing directly affects how you resource a response. A lone individual versus a ten-person group demands fundamentally different force allocation.
A — Activity. What are they doing right now? Patrolling, establishing a hasty checkpoint, loading equipment, conducting surveillance, digging in? Activity is often the first indicator of intent and the most perishable element of a SALUTE report—what an adversary is doing at the moment of observation may change within minutes.
L — Location. Where were they observed? Use the most precise reference available: grid coordinates, terrain features, street addresses, landmarks. A SALUTE report without a usable location is nearly worthless. Familiarity with land navigation and map-reading skills—protractor, compass, and the tools carried in a land navigation kit—makes this element far more useful.
U — Unit / Uniform. Any identifying markings, uniforms, insignia, vehicle plates, or organizational indicators. For irregular or criminal threats, this might be clothing patterns, gang colors, or distinctive equipment. Identifying who an element belongs to is the bridge between raw observation and meaningful intelligence.
T — Time. When was the observation made? Use a 24-hour clock and include date if possible. Time-stamping allows intelligence to be correlated across multiple reports from different observers, revealing movement patterns and tempo.
E — Equipment. What weapons, vehicles, communications gear, or other materiel were observed? Equipment observations directly shape the threat assessment: a group with rifles and body armor is a different problem than a group with pistols and no visible protection. This also feeds into assessments of whether the adversary has night vision capability, vehicle-borne threats, or radio-equipped coordination.
The power of SALUTE is its simplicity and universality. Any observer—regardless of training level—can fill in these six fields. When transmitted over a radio net using standard radio procedures, a SALUTE report gives everyone on the net a shared, structured picture of the threat. Multiple SALUTE reports from different observers can be plotted on a map to build a composite enemy picture, which is a core step in Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield.
DRAW-D: Analyzing What the Enemy Can Do
Where SALUTE captures a snapshot, DRAW-D is an analytical framework that projects adversary capabilities forward. It answers the question: given what we know, what courses of action are available to the enemy?
D — Defend. Can the adversary hold their current position? Do they have fortified structures, barriers, cover, or observation advantages? An enemy dug into a prepared position with fields of fire is fundamentally different from one caught in the open. Defensive capability assessment also considers sustainment—do they have food, water, ammunition, and medical supplies to maintain the position?
R — Reinforce. Can additional forces reach them, and how quickly? This requires understanding road networks, terrain corridors, and the adversary’s organizational depth. A seemingly small element that can be reinforced within minutes by a much larger force is far more dangerous than its current size suggests. This dimension ties directly into area of operations analysis and terrain study.
A — Attack. Does the adversary have the capability and positioning to launch an offensive action? Assess weapons systems, fields of fire, covered approach routes to your position, and any indicators of offensive intent (staging, pre-positioning supplies, conducting reconnaissance of your location). This is where equipment observations from SALUTE reports become critical inputs.
W — Withdraw. What routes and means of withdrawal are available? An adversary with multiple escape routes will behave differently than one that is cornered. Understanding withdrawal options also helps predict when and where a pursuit might be necessary or when an adversary might break contact voluntarily.
D — Delay. Can the adversary slow your advance without committing to decisive engagement? Delay capability includes use of obstacles, standoff weapons, long-range fires, and IEDs or improvised barriers. An adversary that can delay forces you to expend time and resources before reaching your objective, potentially allowing their reinforcement or withdrawal.
From Observation to Prediction: The Enemy Most Likely Course of Action
The real payoff of combining SALUTE and DRAW-D is the ability to develop an Enemy Most Likely Course of Action (EMLCOA). Raw observations mean little without analysis. By feeding SALUTE data into the DRAW-D framework, you move from “I see six people with rifles at the intersection” to “a squad-sized element with defensive capability, limited reinforcement options, likely withdrawal routes to the east, and no observed delay capability—most likely defending in place to provide early warning for a larger element to the rear.”
This analytical step is what separates intelligence from information. The EMLCOA becomes the foundation for your own scheme of maneuver, resource allocation, and contingency planning. It also drives the wargaming process: if the enemy’s most likely course of action is X, what is your best response? And if they deviate to their most dangerous course of action, what is your contingency?
Enemies are adaptive decision-makers, not static targets. Thorough wargaming of potential enemy reactions—running through multiple DRAW-D scenarios—is essential to improving the likelihood of success in any engagement. This is why the enemy analysis step in METT-TC is not a one-time event but a continuous process updated as new SALUTE reports come in.
Tangible and Intangible Factors
SALUTE captures mostly tangible factors: numbers, weapons, locations, equipment. But effective enemy analysis also requires assessing intangible factors that SALUTE alone cannot capture. These include:
- Morale and cohesion. Are adversary personnel disciplined and motivated, or disorganized and reluctant?
- Leadership quality. Is there evidence of competent command and control, or fragmented decision-making?
- Popular support. In a civil context, does the threat have community backing, or is it isolated? This consideration ties into civil considerations analysis.
- Training level. Observable indicators include movement discipline, noise discipline, weapons handling, and communications sophistication.
Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield doctrine emphasizes that both regular forces with linear command hierarchies and irregular forces with cellular structures must be analyzed. The organizational model of the adversary shapes which DRAW-D capabilities are most relevant. A cellular threat may have limited reinforcement capability but excellent delay and withdrawal options due to dispersal and local knowledge.
Civilian Application
For the prepared citizen, SALUTE and DRAW-D scale down cleanly. You do not need a military intelligence staff to use them. A neighborhood watch observing suspicious pre-attack surveillance, a community group assessing threats during civil unrest, or a family evaluating security during a natural disaster can all apply these frameworks.
The key discipline is writing it down. A Rite in the Rain notebook with SALUTE headings pre-printed is a simple, effective tool. When multiple observers contribute SALUTE reports to a common picture—plotted on a local map or shared via ATAK—the intelligence picture becomes far richer than any single person’s observation.
DRAW-D analysis requires slightly more experience: you must understand terrain, movement, and tactical capability well enough to assess what an adversary could do, not just what they are doing. This is where training in patrol and reconnaissance and familiarity with IPB terrain analysis pays dividends. Building these analytical habits in peacetime—during training exercises, range days, or community preparedness events—means they are available under stress when they matter most.
The SALUTE report format also integrates directly into broader reporting and communication structures. Understanding how to transmit a concise, structured report is a communications skill as much as an intelligence skill, linking enemy analysis to your PACE plan and overall operational planning.
Related Frameworks
SALUTE and DRAW-D do not exist in isolation. They feed into and draw from several related analytical tools:
- METT-TC uses enemy analysis as one of its six operational variables. SALUTE and DRAW-D provide the structured inputs that make the Enemy factor actionable rather than vague.
- IPB is the broader doctrinal process that contextualizes enemy information within terrain, weather, and civil considerations. SALUTE reports are the raw material; DRAW-D analysis is one of the analytical steps; IPB is the overarching methodology that synthesizes everything into named areas of interest, decision points, and event templates.
- OAKOC (Observation and fields of fire, Avenues of approach, Key terrain, Obstacles, Cover and concealment) is the terrain analysis framework that directly supports DRAW-D assessments. You cannot evaluate whether an adversary can defend, reinforce, attack, withdraw, or delay without understanding the ground they occupy. Terrain analysis and enemy analysis are inseparable.
- Civil considerations (ASCOPE) shape the human environment in which the adversary operates. Population density, infrastructure, and social structures all influence enemy capabilities and intentions in ways that purely military analysis can miss.
Common Mistakes
Several pitfalls undermine otherwise solid enemy analysis:
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Reporting opinion as fact. A SALUTE report should capture what was observed, not what the observer assumes. “Six individuals carrying long guns” is a fact. “Six hostile combatants preparing an ambush” is an interpretation that may or may not be correct. Keep observation and analysis separate—SALUTE captures the former; DRAW-D processes the latter.
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Single-report fixation. One SALUTE report is a data point. Multiple reports across time and space reveal patterns. Resist the urge to build an entire plan around a single observation. Seek corroboration before committing resources.
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Ignoring the Most Dangerous Course of Action. The EMLCOA is the planning baseline, but the Enemy Most Dangerous Course of Action (EMDCOA) is the contingency driver. Failing to account for what the adversary could do at worst—even if it seems unlikely—leaves you vulnerable to surprise.
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Static analysis. An adversary assessed at 0600 may look entirely different by 1200. Continuous collection and re-analysis are not optional. Update DRAW-D assessments as new SALUTE reports arrive, and adjust your plan accordingly.
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Neglecting equipment and logistics. Observers often report size and activity but underreport equipment details. The difference between an adversary with a single bolt-action rifle and one carrying a radio, plate carrier, and semi-automatic carbine is enormous. Train observers to look for and report equipment specifics.
Summary
SALUTE and DRAW-D are deliberately simple tools that impose structure on the chaos of threat observation and analysis. SALUTE ensures that what you see is captured in a format others can immediately use. DRAW-D ensures that what you know is analyzed into what the adversary can do—which is the only question that matters for planning. Neither framework requires sophisticated technology or professional intelligence training. They require discipline: the discipline to observe carefully, report accurately, and think critically about an adaptive adversary. Built into a habit through consistent practice, they transform any small team from reactive to anticipatory—and in a crisis, that difference is decisive.