Immediate Actions Of A Patrol Flashcards
Combat patrols
Maybe to seek or exploit opportunities for contact. Offensive in nature. When making enemy contact the patrols actions are Swift and violent in an effort to inflict maximum damage. Followed by immediate relocation to another area or return to friendly line
Immediate action drills
Combat patrols mission, enemy contact, enemy engagement
Enemy contact
Visual observation of the enemy, such as when a patrol or a patrol member sights the enemy, but is not detected. The patrol leader can decide whether to engage the enemy or avoid further contact and engagement. The decision to engage or avoid depends largely on the patrols mission and the capability to successfully engage the enemy
Enemy contact
Enemy in sight, down/ take cover, freeze.
Enemy engagement
Hostile and violent encounter with the enemy in which the physical struggle and or an exchange of fire takes place. A Marine patrol must be swift, be violent, inflict maximum damage, and immediately relocate or return to friendly lines
Enemy engagement: fired on by the enemy
Fire team leader must be able to: react quickly to overcome the enemies advantage of surprise and switch to verbal commands.
Fire team members must: assume the prone position immediately behind a covered in conceal position and return enemy fire when inappropriate target is presented.
Meeting engagement drills
Hasty ambush, immediate assault, breaking contact
Hasty ambush
Hasty ambush command.
Fist pump mid-level to the side.
Initiating hasty ambush
Patrol leader initiates the ambush by opening fire and shouting fire. Even if there is a weapon misfire. Or the first member aware of the detection initiates the ambush.
Hasty ambush as a defensive measure
Gives more Favorable position, maximum firepower toward the enemy, if conteck occurs. If contact is to be avoided the ambush is not initiate it unless the patrol is detected.
Hasty ambush as an offensive measure
Enemy is allowed to advance until he is in the most vulnerable position. A designated portion of an enemy unit or individual events is to, reaches, or passes a specific location or a fire team members position
Immediate assault
Immediate action is initiate it when the Marine nearest the enemy opens fire in shouts contact front (rear, left or right). The patrol swiftly moves into line formation and assaults.
Immediate assault in a defensive situation
The purpose is to break contact with the enemy. Assault should continue until conditions to break contact have been achieved.
Immediate assault in An offensive situation
To rapidly gain the initiative to close with and destroy the enemy
Breaking contact
Often conducted when the patrol enters a much larger force or enemy contact is not desired
Enemy engagement: responding to an air attack
The first marine heading into meet aircraft shouts aircraft left (right, front, or rear). The patrol moves into a line formation at right angles to the aircraft direction of flight. As Marines come online, they hit the ground and seek cover and concealment. Between air attaxks seek better cover. Return fire only on order from patrol leader
Breaking contact by Clock system
Initiated by patrol leader shouting a direction based on a clots numerical location followed by distance such as 3 o’clock 200 m which means for the patrol to move in the direction of 3 o’clock location for 200 m.
Counter ambush
If a text from a near ambush the patrol conducts a immediate assault. Swift violent and destructive.
Counter far ambush
Patrol members in the killing zone must immediately return fire take the best available cover and continue firing in order to suppress and fix the ambition force. Patrol members not in the killing zone maneuver against the ambushing force in support of those in the killing zone.
ADDRAC
Alert, direction, description, range, assignment (target) control (fire)
Alert
Prepares unit to be ready to receive further information. Usually given orally but can also be given by signal, personal contact, or any other method the situation dictates
Direction
Tells which way to look to see the enemy or target. Orally by tracer ammunition, or by reference points.
Orally
State the alert followed by the direction
Tracer ammunition
Wait to fire tracer until all fire commands are given. Tracers can also be used to signal commence fire
Providing direction with reference
The command reference is used after the alert command to begin the reference point description such as group of trees or a pile of rocks
Determining target distance from reference
Lateral distance is difficult to estimate, therefore use the finger measurement technique to measure from left to right. The distance from a reference point to the target.
Finger measurement technique
Hold him at arms length directly in front of your face palm facing away from you index finger pointing upward.
Close one eye.
Select a reference point.
Place one finger between the reference point in the target.
Fill in the space by raising more fingers until the space is covered.
Description
Brief accurate description of target
Range
The word range is not given, just the range and estimated meters
Target assignment
Broken into two sub elements: who is to fire and weapons to be fired and rate of fire
Who is to fire
The squad leader will command a specific team or teams followed by the web and use
Weapons to be fired and rate
M-16 rifles and the M203 grenade launcher always fire at the average rate unless directed through a target assignment command. The squad automatic rifle meant fires at a sustained rate unless directed such as rapid!
Average rate
M-16 is 10 to 12 rounds per minute.
The M203 is 5 to 7 rounds per minute
Sustain rate
For the SAW is 85 rounds per minute
Rapid rate
Rapid rate of fire for the SAW and machine gun is 200 rounds per minute
Fire team leaders role
Direct the fires of their members to targets within their sector a fire. Transmit subsequence fire commands from the squad leader to their fire team.
Automatic rifleman role
On command he fires at the rapid rate for two minutes and then changes to the sustained rate to prevent the weapon from overheating.
Control (fire)
If surprise fire is not required, the command commence fire is normally given without a pause as the last element of the fire command. If surprise is desired, on my signal or on my command can be used
Subsequent fire commands: Change elements
Used by squad leader to change an element of the initial command or to cease-fire. Squad leader gives the alert and then announces the element he desires to change.
Subsequence fire commands: terminate fire command
Cease-fire
Establishing a 180° defense
Once the assault is complete, make a hasty 180° defense facing the direction of possible enemy threat.
Covering for counterattack
The squad leader is responsible for covering for a counterattack. He will check the perimeter and make adjustments after determining no enemy counter attack is imminent
Buddy rushes
The fire team leader in the rifleman rush forward while providing suppression fire for one another. Simultaneously the automatic rifle man in assistant rifleman rush forward providing suppression fire.
Fire control at the team level
Every team members responsibility. Each member of the squad and the squad leader must be prepared to follow and give fire commands down to the individual level.
