[SWAT 4] Tactical Candy: CQB Principles

[SAS_Random]

Even the simplest tasks must be practiced from time to time or you lose your sharpness. Everyone can come up with something they do where they can relate to this statement, and it makes our adherence to tactical principles even more important, so I wanted to take a minute to review some key points.

Read the situation:
You need to take in a snapshot of the situation and be able to translate what you observe, determine your role, decide what you must do to accomplish your responsibility and then just do it--immediately. There is always something to do, even if it's just providing cover. Determine if you are the free man and take the initiative to handcuff compliant subjects.

Get familiar with your team mates:
The more you train with someone, the more you can anticipate what they will do in a given situation. If we all train on the same principles, then we can become interchangeable within the element and our efforts will be smooth and efficient. An old saying I'm constantly reminded of in many things sounds like it shouldn't be true, but on a deeper level, it's spot on. "Slow is smooth. Smooth is quick." Wait a minute, you say? How can slow be quick? Being decisive and deliberate gets you to be more efficient. Efficiency allows things to be done without wasted effort or time. Being familiar with things allows this efficiency and effectiveness and in a CQB environment, it's a distinct advantage.

Cover angles and not bodies:
Take in the whole snapshot of the situation or, on a smaller scale, your area of responsibility. Whether or not there is a threat in your area, new threats may pop up at any time. You need to not have tunnel vision or lock onto any one thing. You need to be able to react to any changes and still see what's going on with the rest of your team. If your partner is incapacitated and you are tunneled in on your area only, you will not see this and may meet the same fate. I'm not saying to not trust your partner, but if he's dead or taken out, he can't really keep you covered, can he?

Fluid Movement:
In order to move and flow through an area, you must read the room and the situation and you must react to what the rest of your team is doing. It's especially important to know what the man in front of you is doing during a dynamic entry. Your move should be logical and based on his movement. Everyone should be focused on the same things: Establishing a POD (point of dominance) in the room or advancing through the area without undue delay; Identifying and prioritizing threats; covering areas of potential threat or compromise; securing the room or area; reforming for the team to advance or retreat. Even when you think the man in front of you has chosen incorrectly, you must adapt to cover anything that has been left uncovered. Oh, yeah, all of this must happen in under two seconds. Hey, I didn't say this would be easy.

Effective use of cover and concealment:
If you are the point man, don't expose yourself to an area that your team is not in a position to support you from. Don't be the bonehead who rushes into a confrontation that your team is not in a situation of advantage. For that reason, you should not venture into uncleared areas and assume your team can follow you. Wait for orders before advancing.

Use corners, open doors, furnishings and walls for concealment. Remember, sometimes things are really only concealment and not much cover. Cubicle partitions are a good example of items that are really just concealment because bullets can penetrate them.

Don't move without a destination or without adequate coverage.

Use of distance:
Distance can be your friend. It can give you time and space. Both are valued commodities in CQB. Often you can observe a threat without being observed. Make the most of these situations to plan your next move. If you are checking a corner, blind spot or doorway get as much separation as you can from it and conduct your angular search. You will have many advantages when you do this, not the least of which is a fairly complete snapshot of the situation you are about to enter.

Move swiftly through funnels:
It's a good principle to not pose like a paper target for your enemy. Get through danger zones quickly. Long Hallways, narrow vestibules, doorways, etc are all choke-points. They can quickly make for a bad day. Make it harder on your enemy, not easier. Do the unexpected.

Principles are much more useful than a set of instructions on how to get from point A to point B. This is why we focus on principles in our SOPs and less on step by step tactics. Let your experiences be your guide. Stick to the principles and you will usually prevail.

I hope this wasn't too much review, but sometimes it's helpful to hear things again that you maybe have forgotten to use as much as you might be able to.

*****************
Additional CQB DOs and DON'Ts

There are some simple guidelines/tactics that work well in CQB. I thought I would add them here.

Don't:
1. over penetrate the room (the EL may have instructions for the next section).
2. breach/expose yourself to blind corners (you are fighting alone without cover).
3. run through the area darting left and right around each obstruction until you find the next door (you are crossing lines of fire including those of the enemy who may begin to spray and pray putting the rest of your team into jeopardy while they are otherwise occupied with their existing PoDs).
4. pursue fleeing tangos around corners (ambush? remember not to swallow the bait of a retreating enemy force)
5. change the open/closed status of any door forward of your team's progress (you are announcing your presence and position. Think about this...if you close a door...when will your assault come? Answer: When you open the door again. They will be ready for you. If you leave it open, they have no idea when your are coming!)

Do:
1. send the point man to the wide side (3rd man will deploy his tactical aid over your head, then you can more safely move to that unknown area).
2. add a 3rd man to the assault team and have him prepare a stand-by tactical aid for use around that blind corner or hide-away.
3. drop fleeing tangos before they get to a blind corner or leave the room.
4. establish a PoD and cover uncleared directions
5. quickly enter rooms following all tactical aids (nothing worse than having your team walk into a room as the effects of the tac aid are fading--make the most of your advantage and move swiftly to your PoD)
6. relax and await further instructions
7. take the room in sections (you can still be in dynamic mode while stopped. have the discipline to let the room dictate the pace).
8. make use of multiple entry points when they are available and when you have sufficient numbers to make use of them.
9. use diversionary explosives to mask your primary entry (there is nothing like an explosion to the other side to help your team get through their true entry point).