Thursday, August 27, 2020

Comment on Fight For Your Life




This will be obvious to most here:
DON"T get separated from your unit.
Cover your face and wear gloves.
Use a brass catcher if possible.
Buddy teams - never lose sight of your buddy.
Drill the Center Peel - you and your buddy can get out of a lot of trouble using that.
Brock - sorry if this was submitted twice.
Best Regards,
Red in OleVirginny

5 comments:

  1. A good illustration of one of the most difficult small-unit maneuvers: retreating in contact and under fire.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks and didn't learn that in the Army, but that was a long, long time ago. :)

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    2. The reason you didn't learn that in the Army is because it isn't a relevant tactic. If you have 30 people, only using 2 at a time to return fire is inviting defeat. This is just some former seal, now personal defense contractor's good idea.

      The relevant military tactic is to fall back by echelon, with whole squads supporting movement by fire. If you want to break contact with a superior force, you need to put out some volume of fire. The use of mines like claymores, pre-rigged with a short fuse detonator works well too. Then there is the old standby of throwing a few smoke grenades to obscure your movement. Hint: The numerically superior enemy is also shooting back.

      --Generic

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    3. With the limited number shown, what would you suggest?

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    4. I see 14 people participating. Assuming the goal is to break contact. Everyone seeks cover. 2nd or third guy throws smoke grenade. Team in the back takes supporting positions and fires at enemy while smoke develops. On command, lead team leapfrogs the first team and moves back. Team 2 throws another smoke. Team 1 covers by fire and only engages targets they can see. Rinse repeat until the desired effect is achieved. On open terrain against a superior force, your chances of breaking contact are small. You are better off pulling your lead squad/team back and getting on line so that your firepower can overmatch your enemy while they move.

      The key is, in the video, 2 guys shooting and 12 guys waiting for their turn to be up front. This tactic is designed to mitigate friendly fire, while fighting against a single sniper and the guy who brings his lunch, not to win against a superior enemy. At a minimum, you need 1/2 your force participating in the fight while the rest get set for the next bound. This is a common fire drill in infantry units.

      I'm a retired infantry officer with tours in Bosnia and Iraq.

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