After Action Report – 1st Bn / 3rd Bde – Training 10 June 2017
Tactical Training June 10th, 2017
Location: North Area 51 training ground
Review of identifying poison ivy. 3 leaves; middle leaf has two "thumbs" pointing out. Outer leaves have
single thumb pointing outward. Some redness in leaves.
Prep for JTX: Get two cans of Permethrin. Spray clothing, boots one week before. Concentrate on collars,
sleeves, waist, openings. Read all precautions. Used to repel ticks.
Main topic: Ambushes presented by A. Mcvey with additional comments by R. Sumpter
Two types of Ambushes: Near and Far.
Near Ambushes: 35 meters from the enemy or less. Purpose is to overwhelm the opposition. Patrol leader should
look for a 2 to 1 personnel ratio before proceeding.
Considerations for patrol leader summarized in the following acronym:
M-Mission What
E-Enemy Who
T-Time When
T-Terrain Where
T-Troops How many
C-Civil considerations Why
The goal is to isolate the enemy in a kill zone. The far side of the kill zone should have an obstacle, either natural
or man made to prevent an easy egress for combatants. The zone is established as a rectangular box that is
manned at four points:
Right security, at the far right point
Left security, at the far left point
Support point is to the right of the left security point
Assault point is to the left of the right security point, if enemy enters kill zone from the right. (That position
is swapped with the support point if enemy enters from the left.)
Each point is manned by two or more personnel. Patrol leader initiates fire if deemed a tactical advantage.
Each fighter takes aim in their zone in the kill zone. Coverage in the zone is at a 45 degree angle from each
shooting position. This ensures entire occupied zone is decimated in a swift and effective operation.
Considerations for ambush: (using the acronym OCCOKA)
O-Observe
C-Concealment
O-Obstacles
K-Key terrain
A-Approach
Process to conduct ambush:
Establish ORP.....Objective Rally Point(where rucksacks are left....a safe point away from the proposed ambush)
Leaders Recon....Patrol leader takes with him 3 security personnel. Before leaving, leader establishes a plan with
the remaining assistant patrol leader and additional personnel with the following acronym: GOTWA
G-Where is he going
O-Others he is taking
T-Time will return
W-What to do if I don't return
A-Action to take If I'm hit
Team heads out to access potential kill zone and to form a strategy. 2 man security team is left in place as patrol
leader returns to ORP after establishing another GOTWA with those remaining in place.
Patrol leader leads the rest of the team back to the ambush point with the remaining security team, the support team,
and the assault team in that order. Once in place, patrol leader initiates fire fight by firing weapon. After enemy is down,
assault team enters the zone to validate the deaths of combatants. Assault team continues across the kill zone to the far
side to secure the far boundary of the zone. At the all clear, one member of the assault team reenters the zone to gather
any strategic information off the bodies of the combatants. Once that task is accomplished, the ok is signaled to the patrol
leader who then signals back to the assault team to return in an expeditious manner back to the ORP. Patrol leader would
then signal to the rest of the team to retreat to the ORP in reverse manner.
The same path is to be taken in and out of the kill zone. In addition, a straight line to the zone should be avoided if
natural cover is available; ie, hill. Single file in and out of zone is recommended to mask numbers.
Far Ambush:
Similar in set up and execution; however, the objective is different. Purpose is to inflict damage to equipment;
radios, trucks, aircraft, etc. A greater distance is established for this strategy. An overwatch may be used
to compliment the strategy by putting a longer range weapon in place.
Summarizing:
Walk throughs were conducted in the unfinished building to solidify methodology. In the late afternoon, unit put into
practice near and far ambushes using the cover of field and terrain.
V. Lawrence