5.2.2 Military Writing – INCREP

1. Incident Reports. Incident Reports (INCREPs), as with any military report, are written in a neutral tone, using clear language along with short and concise sentences and paragraphs. See the format for a NATO INCREP found here INCREP. Please refer back to 5.2.1 for more details on a military writing style and specifically the active and passive verb tenses. This lesson uses INCREPs as context to practice different tenses of active verbs.

INCREPs are reports of events in the past that may or may not be occurring in the present. So, to report on events of this nature, you will need to use the following verb tenses:

the simple past tense to tell about things that happened in the past and which are complete. Regular verbs in the simple past tense usually use the -d or -ed endings.
- Example: I fired my gun.
the past perfect tense is used to show that something happened in the past and which was fully complete, when something else in the past happened. Regular verbs in the past perfect tense use the (had + simple past form).
- Example: After I had fired (past perfect) my gun, I inspected (simple past) the target.
the past continuous tense describes something that happened while something else was occurring. The past continuous tense uses the past tense of be (was or were) and a continuous present tense of a verb (going).
- Example: While I was patrolling (past continuous) last night, a drone flew (simple past) close to the protected site.
the present perfect tense is used to report on something that began in the past and that may or may not be occurring in the present.
- Example: They have marched all night long.

Now, practice two verb tenses that are commonly found in INCREPs.

Practice Active Voice. Complete the following incident report by putting the verb in parentheses into either the present perfect, simple past, or past continuous. Work together with a partner to answer these questions.

Task 1. (FRIENDLY ACTION) ESCALATION OF FORCE RPT CJSOTF : 1 CIV WIA

CJSOTF reports USSOF team with ANA COMMANDO’s ________ (travel) HWY 1 toward FB THOMAS when a white minibus travelling in the opposite direction was ordered to pull in. The minibus obliged, but as the convoy ________ (pass), it __________ (pull out) onto the road again. Because of the proximity of the location to a previous SVBIED, one of the SOF vehicles __________ (fire) a 3 round MG burst at the engine block, after which, the minibus pulled back in. As the end of the convoy was passing, the driver of the minibus __________ (flag down) the last vehicle. As a result of the deflection of the burst fired, 1 x LN was wounded from glass fragmentation, and 1 x LN was struck in the head and chest by 2 x rounds. Both dead and wounded __________ (take) to FOB THOMAS, and the wounded __________ (prepare) for CASEVAC to HERAT. 1 Killed None(None) Local Civilian
1 Wounded None(None) Local Civilian

Task 2. Practice Passive Voice. Complete the following incident report by putting the verb in brackets into either the simple past or past perfect.

(NON-COMBAT EVENT) EQUIPMENT FAILURE RPT ISAF HQ : 0 INJ/DAM

An F15 was ordered to shoot down a REAPER UAV that ________ (lose) its control link in the south of Afghanistan. All efforts _________ (make) to re-establish the link before a decision ________ (make) to shoot the UAV down prior to it crossing into TAJIKISTAN. The CAOC ________ (select) an unpopulated area over which to down the aircraft. An F15 fired on the REAPER and it destroyed its engine, however by then the link ________ (re-establish) and the controller was able to guide it into a mountain in RAGH District. The GRID of the downed REAPER is Lat 3xx8.xxN Long 0xx25.xx5x // Keypad: 9Xcx3. There ______ (be) no sensitive items on board the REAPER but it did go down with its ordnance (Hellfire and GBU-12). NFTR.

Acronyms and Abbreviations. Use the flashcards here to study the acronyms from the sample INCREPs above.

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