What does one look for? It varies--sometimes it is pretty obvious---tehre is an increase in the ever popular chatter, or sometimes it is pretty slim, like there hasn't been anything going on in an area for awhile--most of it is very classified and not wise to discuss--but you look at everything there is and try to find an anomoly--either abnormal or too normal. Course, there was always just going out to show up somewhere and see what happened. Most ops are about intel gathering or presence, but it is always nice to cause someone to jump. Obvious reconnaisance is about gathering intel and then hopefully exececuting on that intel. We would frequently just go somewhere, dismount and partol to see if we found anything--we weren't successfull--found some caves and routes, but no bad guys. It is pretty impossible to go native as a SEAL. To big---sticks out like a sore thumb. And unfortunetly, we are largely white which doesn't help. Most of the locals were cooperative in that I hate your guts but you've got money and guns sooo--obviously, a local was very much involved in helping the sole survivor of the last ambush.
and yes, being in the ac sucks--but it was a good learning experience and one that I use in leadership lectures--you've got to grow and you've got to let your people grow