recruit handbook
This handbook is to be used by drill instructors during basic training, recruits that are looking to follow along or review their training as they go, or members that would like to refresh their memory on a subject of tactics. The handbook covers the following: Infantry, Armored, Air, Vehicle Support, and Squad support tactics.
Organization
Division-level organization
company-level organization
Platoon-level organization
squad-level organization
(Red: Not Currently Activated)
Those that apply for Aviationary or Armor MOS's will be assigned to the different regiments. By default, recruits will be assigned to the 112th. Members of the other regiments are still registered to the 112th and will serve as infantry if their presence is needed.
Those that apply for Aviationary or Armor MOS's will be assigned to the different regiments. By default, recruits will be assigned to the 112th. Members of the other regiments are still registered to the 112th and will serve as infantry if their presence is needed.
Infantry drill and tactics
Section I: Formations and Drills
Faces are a series of drill commands that are used for the changing of direction while moving in a formation or inspection. You are to jump each time you perform a face so that your body is not twisted (Battlefield 4) and shows a clear formation picture.
Formations are used in combat, briefing, and in ceremony. Knowing formations will be crucial to the effectiveness you will bring to the tactical presence your squad or platoon has.
- Left Face: A left face is a 90 degree turn to the left (counter-clockwise) from the soldier's current direction facing.
- Right Face: From the direction that the soldier is currently facing, the soldier will turn clockwise (right) at 90 degrees.
- About-Face: An about face is a 180 degree turn clockwise from the soldier's current direction facing.
- Front-Face: A front face is a turn at any angle, clockwise, that ends with the soldier facing the superior ranking man that had called it.
- Example: A line formation has been formed for inspection. The Major General of your unit stands in front of you and the Sergeant stands behind you. The sergeant orders a front face. How do you turn? You face the sergeant and turn clockwise because, even though he isn't the highest ranking soldier present, he called the order.
Formations are used in combat, briefing, and in ceremony. Knowing formations will be crucial to the effectiveness you will bring to the tactical presence your squad or platoon has.
The column formation is a simple monkey-see monkey-do formation in which the squad follows in close order behind the squad leader, who can also be substituted by a pointman.
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The line formation is, essentially, a horizontal version of the column formation. The line formation is used in drills and sweeps of a large open area in which enemy machine-guns may be present.
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The echelon formation (echelon left/right depicted) is a formation that focuses the sight of the formation in a certain direction while moving forward. Essentially creating a line formation from the front and side.
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The wedge formation is a mixture of both echelon formations, and each side of the wedge formation works as echelons. The right side will look to the right, and the left will look to the left during an assault.
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The scattered column is effective when spreading a unit out in an open area or traveling down a road, for example, with little cover. The scattered column can be extended to remove any soldiers from the open area.
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Individual room, staircase, door, etc. clearing
Section II: Urban clearing
Phase 1: Clearing a Doorway, Preparing to enter a room.
Individual Doorway Clearing Tactics
To clear a doorway, an individual soldier is to create a wide semicircle on the outside of the door before entering. Being sure to move away from the door as he nears the center, he can use the walls on both sides of the door to protect himself from any lines of sight a hostile contact may obtain by hiding on the inside left or right of the door. Why is this soldier moving away from the door in a semicircle instead of walking directly in front and checking the back corners of the room, for example? The reasoning behind this movement is the Fatal Funnel. The Fatal Funnel is an arc that is created from every possible line of sight that the enemy could have through the door. Squads also need to know and be cautious of the Fatal Funnel as incorrect or sloppy movements inside of this area can result in casualties.
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Squad Doorway Clearing Tactics
When clearing a doorway with fellow squad members, the key is communication. Below is a diagram of two soldiers clearing a room, but this pattern is to be repeated for an unlimited amount of men entering a possibly-hostile entrance of a building. You see in the first slide that soldier #1 enters the room but does not look to his left. This is because (though it is not shown here) his squadmate will be directly behind him, turning to the left, to clear the corner. In the second slide, soldier 2 is advancing that corner. Soldier 1 has reached the corner, has turned, and is now looking towards the next corner. In squad room clearing, soldier 1 will always be slightly ahead of soldier 2. You see in the last slide, that soldier 2 has reached his corner and is now looking at the back wall with his squadmate. In the case of a backdoor out of the room, these soldiers would be checking that doorway and would prepare to fire upon any hostiles that come through it. Here is an example of alterations to this strategy, using a corner door entrance and center door entrance into the room.
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Sometimes a building is either too large for a single squad to clear or another source confirms that there are hostiles within the building. In these cases it is up to the squad leader to decide on two things. He can lead his men into the building and attempt to clear it... and then use the captured building to repel enemy counter-attack, or he can destroy the building. This is where armor and heavy ordinance comes in, including C4 and rocket propelled grenade launchers.
It is recommended that how the squad leader destroys the building is planned. Destruction should occur top-down. If the building is two-floored, the explosives should target the top floor. The walls will be destroyed and the hostile contacts within the building are expected to retreat out of the building and run into the line of fire of surrounding infantry.
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Infantry Combat strategy
section III: Three stages to capturing an objECTIVE
Phase 2: Interim
Interim phase occurs after the assault has died down and friendly forces are within the OBJ area. During this phase, the squad/platoon leader will file out his men in the OBJ to clear out any remaining enemy forces and prepare for a possible counter-attack. After this phase, if a counter-attack occurs, is the Defense phase. If no attack comes, the squad will move out to the next objective. |
Unit and individual strategies
Section IV: Assault individual/squad tactics
In most situations except static defense, Individual Movement Techniques are based on the principle of fire and movement. That is, firing and moving as fire teams, with one team supporting the enemy whilst the other moves either toward the enemy or to a more favorable position. The movement is often only 5–10 metres per move. When closing on the enemy position, the team breaks down into pairs for better angles of suppression, and this technique is referred to as "pepper-potting". We focus on the three individual movement techniques of high crawl, covering, and 3-5 second rush.
Individual movement techniques are typically taught to all arms and services both in basic training and often also whilst undergoing non-infantry specialty training. In some military forces, such as the Australian Army, the entire British Armed Forces and the USMC, all units in the field force regardless of corps, regiment, trade or specialty are supposed to undergo annual refresher training in IMTs, on the basis that all soldiers can be expected to at least provide local security for their unit.
Most IMTs are taught in the form of a battle drill, a series of choreographed steps that occur automatically in reaction to certain stimuli, such as sighting an enemy to the front, or being fired upon by an enemy from the flank. The initial stages of the drill are always the same and therefore action does not require full appraisal of the situation. Such stimulus-response training allows coordinated responses without the need for direct orders.
In combat, this allows the first few moments of the engagement to occur almost automatically and gives the soldiers a way to respond appropriately and predictably while the unit commander evaluates the situation prior to issuing orders.
Contact Drill, Ambush Drill, and Counter-Ambush Drill
When traveling on a road or in an open area there is a tactic that the enemy may use against you: ambush. The ambush has been essential and useful for a nation’s armies and small units since the early 1600s, or 17th century. Now, here we are in the 21st century, and we have altered the ambush very lightly. The ambush still holds the main basis of attacking the enemy in an open position with a lot of fire, quickly, with the hope of gaining surprise. There is no strategy to an ambush other than hiding yourselves and waiting for your squad leader’s order to begin fire. You do not charge the enemy. You fire on them.
When in a column or split file formation, for example, and traveling down a road, there is a good chance you will come under an ambush because of the properties of a road: very little cover. If receiving shots from the enemy and the squad does not know where the shots are originating from, begin falling back to a defensible position and prepare to counter-attack or send up a recon force to see where the origin of the enemy fire is.
If the squad comes under an ambush from one side of the road, the squad should either fall back or scatter to the opposite side of the road and return fire. The best case of survival for the squad is to initiate a neutral firefight with the enemy to maybe gain the upper hand and prepare for a charge to begin close combat.
If enemy soldiers are seen by an element of a friendly formation, that soldier should immediately yell “contact!” or “enemy spotted!” while including the direction according to the formation the enemies were spotted at. The formation can either move up or halt and await enemy fire. If an element of a squad comes under fire, it should report it to the squad leader and return fire until ordered to do otherwise. (retreat, find cover, charge, advance, etc.)
Reconnaissance Tactic: Bounding Overwatch
If the overwatch element of a squad or a fireteam of a squad is used as overwatch by the squad leader in a strategic position such as high ground, the squad leader can order bounding overwatch to his position. To execute this tactic, the recon force will remove itself from its current position and move to another spot of high ground or high vegetation or cover in which they can still act as overwatch, but from a closer position to the friendly squad. This is repeated from cover-to-cover until the element returns to the squad and is given new orders.
Skirmishing
Skirmishing tactics are executed by a small element or full squad encountering the enemy for a short amount of time with intent on causing as many enemy casualties as possible, and then retreating in hope to bring the squad out of its cover, only to advance again when the enemy is hopefully out in the open and cause more enemy casualties. This can be done by any person with any loadout and supply can be used by the commander if a loadout change or more ammo for the squad is needed.
Indirect Fire Support
Indirect fire support or suppressive fire is a main basis for most means of offensive or leapfrogging tactics. It occurs on command of the squad leader. When ordered, all elements will open fire in support of a moving friendly element or with the intention of causing as much chaos as possible in the enemy lines. Mortars, airbursts, rocket launchers, artillery, and armored vehicles can also be used to destroy and negate cover and kill the enemy, thus clearing the path for any assault formations created by a friendly element.
Individual movement techniques are typically taught to all arms and services both in basic training and often also whilst undergoing non-infantry specialty training. In some military forces, such as the Australian Army, the entire British Armed Forces and the USMC, all units in the field force regardless of corps, regiment, trade or specialty are supposed to undergo annual refresher training in IMTs, on the basis that all soldiers can be expected to at least provide local security for their unit.
Most IMTs are taught in the form of a battle drill, a series of choreographed steps that occur automatically in reaction to certain stimuli, such as sighting an enemy to the front, or being fired upon by an enemy from the flank. The initial stages of the drill are always the same and therefore action does not require full appraisal of the situation. Such stimulus-response training allows coordinated responses without the need for direct orders.
In combat, this allows the first few moments of the engagement to occur almost automatically and gives the soldiers a way to respond appropriately and predictably while the unit commander evaluates the situation prior to issuing orders.
Contact Drill, Ambush Drill, and Counter-Ambush Drill
When traveling on a road or in an open area there is a tactic that the enemy may use against you: ambush. The ambush has been essential and useful for a nation’s armies and small units since the early 1600s, or 17th century. Now, here we are in the 21st century, and we have altered the ambush very lightly. The ambush still holds the main basis of attacking the enemy in an open position with a lot of fire, quickly, with the hope of gaining surprise. There is no strategy to an ambush other than hiding yourselves and waiting for your squad leader’s order to begin fire. You do not charge the enemy. You fire on them.
When in a column or split file formation, for example, and traveling down a road, there is a good chance you will come under an ambush because of the properties of a road: very little cover. If receiving shots from the enemy and the squad does not know where the shots are originating from, begin falling back to a defensible position and prepare to counter-attack or send up a recon force to see where the origin of the enemy fire is.
If the squad comes under an ambush from one side of the road, the squad should either fall back or scatter to the opposite side of the road and return fire. The best case of survival for the squad is to initiate a neutral firefight with the enemy to maybe gain the upper hand and prepare for a charge to begin close combat.
If enemy soldiers are seen by an element of a friendly formation, that soldier should immediately yell “contact!” or “enemy spotted!” while including the direction according to the formation the enemies were spotted at. The formation can either move up or halt and await enemy fire. If an element of a squad comes under fire, it should report it to the squad leader and return fire until ordered to do otherwise. (retreat, find cover, charge, advance, etc.)
Reconnaissance Tactic: Bounding Overwatch
If the overwatch element of a squad or a fireteam of a squad is used as overwatch by the squad leader in a strategic position such as high ground, the squad leader can order bounding overwatch to his position. To execute this tactic, the recon force will remove itself from its current position and move to another spot of high ground or high vegetation or cover in which they can still act as overwatch, but from a closer position to the friendly squad. This is repeated from cover-to-cover until the element returns to the squad and is given new orders.
Skirmishing
Skirmishing tactics are executed by a small element or full squad encountering the enemy for a short amount of time with intent on causing as many enemy casualties as possible, and then retreating in hope to bring the squad out of its cover, only to advance again when the enemy is hopefully out in the open and cause more enemy casualties. This can be done by any person with any loadout and supply can be used by the commander if a loadout change or more ammo for the squad is needed.
Indirect Fire Support
Indirect fire support or suppressive fire is a main basis for most means of offensive or leapfrogging tactics. It occurs on command of the squad leader. When ordered, all elements will open fire in support of a moving friendly element or with the intention of causing as much chaos as possible in the enemy lines. Mortars, airbursts, rocket launchers, artillery, and armored vehicles can also be used to destroy and negate cover and kill the enemy, thus clearing the path for any assault formations created by a friendly element.
Armored Tactics
Section V: formations and tactics
The term “hull-down” is used when the main hull of the tank cannot be seen and the turret is open to fire at the enemy. The friendly tank is normally in this position to provide cover for infantry. “Hull-up” means that the body is visible. The terms originated with sailing and naval warfare in which the curvature of the earth causes an approaching vessel to be first visible "sails-up." Beginning in the 20th century, hull-down has also been used in armored warfare. Tanks are vulnerable to even modest anti vehicle weapons, so AFVs and other armored vehicles need to be covered by infantry.
In modern tank warfare speed is essential. Different uses of formations allows tanks to cover a large area while, at the same time, able to give cover to infantry.
In modern tank warfare speed is essential. Different uses of formations allows tanks to cover a large area while, at the same time, able to give cover to infantry.
“Collapsing” is the term used for breaking down a formation and forming a column, which is a universal formation that all other formations can easily be transformed into from this point.
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On the map Golmud Railway, there are 5 available tanks right off the bat of joining. 5 tanks are more than enough to perform the formations on the left. At E and C, objectives that can quickly be captured, an LAV can be used as part of the formation.
The large amounts of tanks and lightly armored fighting vehicles are good news to the side that trains their tankmen in the best possible tactics to supporting infantry.
The formation of staggered column is similar to the fireteam split file formation for infantry. The formation of Line and Extended Line should be executed with each tank between the width of 2-5 other tanks between them. The line formation can cover its flanks by using the tank’s turret to face in the flanking direction. The Vee is a formation that is designed to surround the enemy on the flanks. The Wedge is an attack formation. The echelon right formation is used for a large enemy presence on the right, and echelon left is for the opposite. Diamond is used for protecting VIPs or covering a friendly tank while it repairs. The Line formation is used in long drives to an objective. The basis of armored warfare is not so that the tank has all the glory and only worries about the tank. The tank crew should sacrifice themselves for a squad. It is their duty to protect the squad and clear the way for infantry attacks. |