recon by fire noun in a military situation, random gunfire designed to ascertain the presence of the enemy by return fire US
“Recon by fire” is when you go into an area and you’re not exactly sure what is in the area. You want to find out, so you just fire into the jungle or into the surrounding vegetation in the hopes you hit the enemy or something. — John Kerry, TheNewSoldier, p. 62, 1971