Command & Control
A leader should be selected for each round and their authority as absolute for no inefficiency when implementing plans or directives. Discipline and obedience are imperative or else disorganisation will unfold as a far worse consequence compared to occasionally erroneous leadership. You may have a unique call sign for this role (e.g. Actual, 6-1, CP, CO, HQ) and prepare a second-in-command as a contingency for his demise. The commander will ensure momentum, organisation, loot distribution and firepower concentration whilst issuing competent orders, managing rally points and overseeing tactical movement.
Teams
Units should be divided into equal strength and desiginated codes for simplicity (e.g. Blue Team, Red Team, Alpha Element, Bravo Element). Roles may be provided for an individual. This will enable cohesion, concise orders and encourage a buddy system for people to attentively care for the partner on their team. Two units will comprise a team and enable many tactics to be implemented.
Fire and Movement
This is essential for a tactical triumph over a linear firefight from superior training/firepower, it involves the first unit distracting/suppressing the target whilst a second unit flanks their flank or rear. Optimally, units will flank both both flanks for an envelopment - coordinated simultaneously as support - to ensure no escape, counter-flanking and disperse their focus. You may practice drills with hypothetical positions to refine this technique situationally. The execution of an offensive may vary from an infiltration (covert flanking), breakthrough (forceful thrust forward before flanking), encirclement (aggressive flanking) and counter-attack (opportunistic assault once weakened) - circumstances often dictate this. There are circumstances when fortification or elastic defence may be preferable to any aggressive initiative.
Security
Each unit should have a sector to monitor as their responsibility and they'll provide attention in that direction. All units should have their sectors, divided fairly as angles between members, covered for full security as a perimeter: awareness in a 360 arc and ability to react accordingly. Furthermore, when a position is secured or occupied, one person should be designated to perform overwatch as a sentry for vigilance to never subside.
Rules of Engagement
There are three modes for response to contact visually - very much dependent on the enemy's alert level - and these are to ensure: 1) Units all have the right positions, 2) Maneuvers are prepared, 3) Units are following the correct stealth procedure, 4) Units engage simultaneously to maximize firepower, 5) Units have coordinated situational awareness.
Weapons Free: Engage at will. This is essential in CQC and active combat zones - there's no time for the aforementioned communication and danger is expected.
Weapons Loose: Engage at mutual contact. Engage when spotted and initiative must be acquired.
Weapons Tight: Engage at danger. Engage when fired upon and danger is imminent.
Weapons Hold: Engage at order. Engage when instructed from the commanding officer and disengage or conceal from any offensive actions.
Units should respect vital information being transmitted and never disrupt it.
Weapons Free: Engage at will. This is essential in CQC and active combat zones - there's no time for the aforementioned communication and danger is expected.
Weapons Loose: Engage at mutual contact. Engage when spotted and initiative must be acquired.
Weapons Tight: Engage at danger. Engage when fired upon and danger is imminent.
Weapons Hold: Engage at order. Engage when instructed from the commanding officer and disengage or conceal from any offensive actions.
Units should respect vital information being transmitted and never disrupt it.
Formation
Formations are crucial for immediately forming a line towards an encounter in a linear firefight and maximizing force concentration. A formation has three viable purposes: 1) Provide highest line of sights to all units, 2) Ensure the highest organisation, 3) Conceal numbers to the opponent's line of sight, 4) Easily rearrange units towards expected target for either a maneuver or line of fire. The composition - where each man is - should be based on individual firepower and where to leverage this effectively from availability of position. A formation is dependent on terrain, visibility, anticipated enemy positions and intent.
Formations normally recommended are: Column (high organisation, flank protection, vulnerability in incoming fire to front/rear along with rearrangement), Line (front/rear strength, side vulnerability) and Vee with extended left or right (highly adaptable - deduce benefits from previous examples).
Formations normally recommended are: Column (high organisation, flank protection, vulnerability in incoming fire to front/rear along with rearrangement), Line (front/rear strength, side vulnerability) and Vee with extended left or right (highly adaptable - deduce benefits from previous examples).
Contact Report
Any visual contact - signalled with 'contact' verbally for priority in communication - should be reported immediately and concisely with the following information in order as a contact report: distance, direction, quantity and intent. Units should immediately assume combat positions. The information should be updated accordingly and a battle plan formulated through the rules of engagement. You should differentiate between separate contact reports to ensure full situational awareness.
Intervals
Intervals is the spacing between units for no clustered position in which units are collectively sprayed, suppressed or shelled. You should have an spread to detect and prevent any units in between you and be in range for either support by fire or medical aid. You may risk extending this for maneuverability.
Bounding Overwatch & Traveling Overwatch
Bounding Overwatch:
A covering movement - ideal in dangerous territory - in which units move whilst another remains behind to provide static cover in the event of ambush or flanking. The unit who've crossed proceed to do the same for the previous unit covering. Order of movement should be coordinated as a standardized protocol beforehand for each team.
Traveling Overwatch:
A covering movement - ideal in ambiguous territory - when all units move simultaneously whilst each team has has a interval to be detached from any focused ambush on one team to react without harassment.
A covering movement - ideal in dangerous territory - in which units move whilst another remains behind to provide static cover in the event of ambush or flanking. The unit who've crossed proceed to do the same for the previous unit covering. Order of movement should be coordinated as a standardized protocol beforehand for each team.
Traveling Overwatch:
A covering movement - ideal in ambiguous territory - when all units move simultaneously whilst each team has has a interval to be detached from any focused ambush on one team to react without harassment.
Terrain
Saddle, ridge, defilade, chokepoints, valleys, river crossings, cliffs - these are all relevant for cover, lines of sight and vantage points. Units should navigate between them, exercise caution with new lines of sights which may have contact and utilize these for defensive purposes based on weaponry (i.e. CQC weapons would be ideal for a small, deep inlet in which contact would be forced at close-range from line of sights available). Deploy terrain analysis for funneling possible contacts and their respective line of sight. There are many available resources for movement instructions for a variety of terrain features/types and normally special purpose units are trained in each - mountain, tundra, arctic, rivers. Incidentally, you should avoid any skylining - silhouette visible to an empty foreground in all directions from the highest elevation.
Base of Fire
A unit may be assigned the duty of base of fire to monitor an assault by fire and it's to effectively: 1) Isolate units with suppressive fire, 2) Surveil for any additional incoming units to affect the assault, 3) Warn of any changes of movement to the position being assaulted.
Probing
Probing may be performed with fire or movement - provoking a possible contact to expose themselves - and is critical for intelligence to reduce the fog of war. It is a basic form of reconnaissance with the resources, manpower and assets available. You may also screen a position with direct observation and it is highly advised for any new line of sight.
Urban Environments
Towns should be cleared progressively in sectors - teams aligned as they perform to phaselines or reference points - according to junctions which divide sections, separated districts or outbound from secured regions. This may be executed clockwise, forward or anti-clockwise. You do not want any pockets to surprise you. Urban environments are multilateral as an area of operations and highly dangerous - pockets are common, ambushes are dynamic and the integrity of any frontline is difficult.
CQC assaults of urban compounds should be conducted with simultaneous breaches in multiple directions and floors cleared per level, each individual reinforced with a teammate behind in the event they're incapacitated - substituting their position - whilst multiplying firepower. You should be vigilant to any flanking from a secure perimeter. Alternatively, besieging opposing forces and flushing them with grenades is viable.
CQC assaults of urban compounds should be conducted with simultaneous breaches in multiple directions and floors cleared per level, each individual reinforced with a teammate behind in the event they're incapacitated - substituting their position - whilst multiplying firepower. You should be vigilant to any flanking from a secure perimeter. Alternatively, besieging opposing forces and flushing them with grenades is viable.
Cycling
Cycling is integral to overwhelm the morale and initiative of opposition with a barrage of firepower without intermission: all units should engage simultaneously, deploying all assets insofar as no conservation is necessary. Units must communicate any breaks in rate of fire to ensure firepower is consistent and focused.
Retreat/Disengagement
There are circumstances when an engagement is inconvenient (e.g. superior firepower/optics, impractical terrain, low supplies, wounded teammates, player zone) and the unit must break contact. A fallback point should be determined - preferably with a path beyond enemy observation whilst offering advantage with any pursuit - and the team retreats together or whilst a unit provides observation/suppression/smoke. You may alternate bounding between teams for consecutive retreat points as a methodical retreat.
