In tactical reporting, what action does the CTC take when contact is established?

• A. Contact: The CTC reports initial gain with position and time and begins putting together the first 9-line.
• B. Wants TACCO approval before any reporting.
• C. Immediately broadcasts a full SITREP.
• D. Refrains from taking notes until contact is lost.

Answer: (A)

When contact is established, the immediate action is to issue a contact report that captures initial gain with the unit’s position and the time, and to begin drafting the first nine-line. This creates a timely, structured stream of information up the chain and to adjacent units, so the commander and teammates can quickly understand where you are, what you’ve gained or lost, and when the event started. The nine-line format then provides a concise, standardized bundle of essential data—location, time, contact type, strength observed, weapons, and immediate needs—that others can depend on for situational awareness and decision-making. Pursuing approval before reporting would slow down crucial information flow, while a full SITREP is not yet appropriate at the moment of first contact because the initial data is still being gathered. Waiting until contact is lost would deprive the force of real-time awareness and disrupt timely coordination.