Mission Mission Mission FTX #5 - Team Evaluations - Convoys Operations, Building defenses for a Vehicle, Reacting to an Ambush

Situation

"Widowmakers" Platoon, Alpha Company 1-30th Infantry Regiment will move back into Fort Stewart to conduct the first week of their Team level training and evaluations. This phase of the training will cover essential tasks, tactics, and drills for any team (and ultimately squad) to become competent and effective for our future deployments.

Week 2 will focus on how to identify cover and concealment, establishing security at the team and squad level, and trenches and how to utilize them in defensive positions (mounted and dismounted). Platoon and Company staff will evaluate each Squad and their individual teams on these tasks during a live fire exercise to ensure the Saturday training is adhered too. Each Squad will be given objectives and will move on foot from the COP using the techniques they trained on the day prior to display and rehearse their TTPs and internal SOPs.

Mission

"Widowmaker" Platoon conducts dismounted defensive operations in the training area of Ft Stewart on 15 JAN 23 during operation times in order to display their competency, skills, and rehears their internal SOPs to the evaluators. Once complete evaluators will meet with their individual Squads to conduct formal AAR's in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in the tasks of formations, spacing, individual movement techniques, and LDAs.

General Instructions

All information is covered in the Joint Squad SOP at the below link.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V9CQNjU6kUbTyOKV0PCGszaHQ_zLn3OwATMgS73Xp8c/edit#

In addition, below are the excerpts specifically covered in the training.

 

 

Mounted formations with more than one Vehicle

Mounted formations generally follow the same rules as a file while they move from point to point. The first vehicle will always pull security to the 12 o;clock. Each vehicle after that will alternate (starting with the right side) which direction they will pull security. The last vehicle will also periodically (every 10 seconds) will check the 6 o’clock to ensure full security.

Figure 1- Mounted Column with sectors of fire

Entrenching and defending our positions

When/ Where to set up trenches when dismounting a vehicle
As the lead vehicle the Squad will assume 3 positions for security. The first position will be at the 12 o’clock of the vehicle, the second position will be at the 3 o’clock of the vehicle, and the third position will be across the lane facing the 10 o’clock of the vehicle. *Note: this is still done even if there are only 2 teams and if we are not the lead vehicle we will only assume the second and third positions*

Figure 2- Bird's eye view of trench positions for stopped mounted convoys

Figure 3- Close up view of trench positions for stopped mounted convoys

Herringbone

The standard formation to use when halting a convoy is known as the "Herringbone". In this, the vehicles pull off to both sides of the road in an alternating manner - the first vehicle pulls off to the right, second to the left, third to the right, and so on. The vehicles stay angled at about a 45° angle relative to the road. This formation is easy to execute and allows for the convoy to obtain proper security when halted while also maintaining appropriate spacing. This formation can be used in open terrain as well, in which case the direction of movement becomes the "road" and vehicles move relative to it.

Figure 4- Example of Herringbone in mounted convoy

Taking contact during a convoy
When the convoy gets into an ambush:
Vehicles that are not mobility killed push through the Killzone until out of contact.
Vehicles that are mobility killed will immediately dismount and move out of the immediate area.
The rest of the convoy will regroup and move back to eliminate the enemy personnel.
 

Special Instructions

(a) MINE DETECTORS: Squad and Fireteam Leaders should use mine detectors at all times due to the risk of anti-personnel mines, IED, and UXO.

(b) DEFUSAL KITS: For defusing explosives noted above (Rangers only).

(c) DEMOLITION CHARGES: M112 Demolition Blocks for destroying enemy caches and other targets as needed (Rangers only).

(d) FIM-92 STINGERS: For destroying enemy aircraft.

(e) FGM-148 JAVELINS: For destroying enemy armor.

Chain Of Command

(a) MISSION: WIDOWMAKER 6, WIDOWMAKER 7, PLATOON HQ PERSONNEL (PRIMARY EVALUATORS)

(b) ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS: WAREAGLE 6, WAREAGLE 7 (ALTERNATE EVALUATORS)

(c) CLOSE AIR SUPPORT: WIDOWMAKER 6, MONEYSHOT

(d) AIR ELEMENTS : FALCON 6 / FALCON 7

Coordination

(a) GROUND-TO-AIR: FREQ LR CH 60, AIR-TO-AIR: FREQ LR CH 61

(b) COMPANY NET: HANDHELD OR LR FREQ 30

(c) PLATOON NET: HANDHELD OR LR FREQ 31

(d) SQUAD NET: HANDHELD FREQ 110/120/130/140

(e) CONVOY NET: FREQ LR CH 33

Intel

Below is the training schedule until deployment: