Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance

Intelligence is like being a secret detective. Just like how you might want to find out who ate the cookies in the kitchen, the people who work in intelligence want to find out secret things about other people or countries. They gather information by listening to conversations, reading emails, and watching video feeds.

Surveillance is like being a spy. When you watch a bird outside your window, you are doing surveillance. The people who work in surveillance use cameras and other gadgets to watch people or places. They might do this to catch bad guys or to learn about other countries.

Target acquisition is like aiming a bow and arrow. Sometimes, people in the military need to shoot at targets that are far away. They use special devices to find the target and figure out how to aim their weapons to hit it.

Reconnaissance is like sending out a scout to get information. When you want to find out what's going on at a party, you might ask a friend to go and see what's happening. The military uses reconnaissance to find out about enemy forces. They might send out soldiers or drones to take pictures and see what's going on.