Difference between revisions from 2013/09/09 09:57 and 2010/11/10 23:08.It irritates me to almost no end that we don't train for Guard Duty, discuss it, emphasize it, etc. Pretty much the best that happens is we toss a guy out there and say "Shoot if they start shooting."
This page is hardly anywhere near complete, but it's a small start.
What follows is a very terse list of thoughts I've had on getting better at Guard Duty.
! Alertness
* Long duration (.25--18 hrs)
* Mild
* Sectored or 360°
* In spite of physical exhaustion
* In spite of "RTB Syndrome" - The merriment of completing the mission
** Enemy TTP is to attack on the way back
*** = Recreate somehow (e.g., after PT?)
* Response multi/varied
** Fire back
** No-fire scenarios
** Wave "Hi"
** "Zaa!"
* Sleep-deprivation
** Can it be practiced?
*** = Maybe, but it certainly can be tested. People think they are better at staying awake than they think they are.
** Sit very comfortably, very bored, and stay awake by multiples of hours
* ~Make it fun
** Look at different stuff
** Talk about it w/guard-buddy
** Look at it w/different optics
*** = "You just make yourself" - SGT Nowaczyk
*** = "Some have natural limits of discipline." - SGT Nowaczyk
*** = Mind games during PT (we can all get up once PVT Lumplump finds this needle in this haystack)
*** = Distraction and Reaction
** Plays Sudoku, then has to respond to something physical
** Possibly plays Sudoku as a pair, with one guy writing and one guy verbally "steering" {See: Commo games}
* Use Beamhit: Have placed around room, weapon "armed". Soldier is distracted with some task, then has to suddenly react to clock direction & shoot.
! Awareness
* Many things going on at once
** Radio noise (=sometimes important)
** Physicality (=e.g., playing a sport)
** Looking for odd things
* 5 and 25 practice:
** "The second thing you're looking for is cover & concealment." - SGT Nowa
** Note: "Marksmanship" in the military sense has to include how good one is at OCOKA. Being able to hit something is only as good as the shooter can manage his microterrain.
** = Mess up something on someone's uniform, see how long it takes for everyone else to notice (1 minute = 1 squat?)
! Scanning
* Shoot, move, communicate, _sense_
* Prioritize
** Immediate sweep
** Detailed:
*** Ridge lines
*** Around obstacles
*** Avenues of approach
*** Everything else
** Verbal range card w/battle buddy
* Hold ground element vs Aggress element
** = Go somewhere and observe
*** PX
*** Food court
*** Woods
*** Company area
*** Watch TV
*** Count things
*** First to spot X wearing Y doing Z
*** "things out of the ordinary"
*** A plant (such as Lumplump in disguise walking around)
*** Let nothing be invisible.
*** "Stalk" some pattern of life, such as where towed cars are going, or something... this is hard to explain.
* Night Scanning
** Off-center
** Scan patterns (FM 7-8, p2-61+)
** BTW, don't forget luminous tape with writing on it
* PAS-13
** Infrared (IR)
** C: TM 11-5855-316-10
** Range, clean air: ~1k, rainy: ~.5k
** Differences between B ("Big"), C ("Compact"), v[123]
*** AN/PAS-13B = ...
*** AN/PAS-13C(V)1 = LWTS (Light Weapon Thermal Sight) (M4/M136)
*** AN/PAS-13C(V)2 = MWTS (Medium ...) (+M249/M240)
*** AN/PAS-13C(V)3 = HWTS (Heavy ...) (+M2/Mk19/M107/M24)
** B: Battery installation:
*** Not an ASIP battery, but close
**** BA-5347/U (Lithium Manganese-Dioxide (LiMnO2))
*** Reversible
*** for sure Tongue-test
*** "Off" = Remove Battery; but will go on Standby if left alone.
*** On: Push Eye-cup (then wait for cool-down ~1-2min (Focal Plane Array stabilization))
** C: Battery installation:
*** Cap = Lefty Loosie, Rightie Tightie
*** Battery case key = Only goes in one way
*** As-mounted, tits out on left
*** Press, hold for >3 seconds (On or Off)
*** Standby override (Eyecup) is more forgiving (Standby @ 120 sec.)
*** Life:
**** New batteries: 4.4 hrs
**** 5 bars: 2.0
**** 4 bars: 1.2
**** 3 bars: 0.8
**** 2 bars: 0.5
**** 1 bar: 0.3
** When using, keep rail grabber down (easy to feel, saves reorienting)
** Emergency = Override Standby (continuously on regardless of eyecup)
*** B: Top, front controls:
**** Left = Contrast
**** Middle = Emergency
**** Right = Brightness
*** Front-most Ring = Wide/Narrow Field of View
*** Second Ring = Focus
**** Must refocus after NFOV/WFOV change
*** C:
**** Left, back = On/off, tap to White Hot/Black Hot
**** Right, back = WFOV(x 1.36)/WFOV(x 2.71)
**** Middle, top = Mode & Function Switch
***** Hold <2 Sec: Mode Switch (Operate->Emergency->Zero)
***** Hold >2 Sec: Function Switch
****** When in Operate Mode: (Contrast<->Display)
****** When in Zero Mode: (Reticle->Contrast->Display)
*** 5-Way Switch (D-Pad):
**** Normally ("Contrast" state (see graph below)):
***** - Up/Down = Brightness
***** - Left/Right = Contrast
***** - Push in = Auto reset & ROI selection:
****** - ROI determines zone for auto-level/gain
****** - Auto 1 = Center 1/9th box
****** - Auto 2 = Horizontal 1/3rd box
****** - Auto 3 = Whole screen
**** Display State
***** - Up/Down = Display Brightness (save power)
***** - Left/Right = Reticle black/white
**** Reticle State (only available in "Zero" mode)
***** - Up/Down/Left/Right = Reticle Adjust
***** - Push in = Reticle select
*** Button above D-pad = FOV ("e-zoom")
*** Front Ring = Focus
** Brightness/Contrast
*** Constantly readjust
*** Test on known human (or animal))
*** But, keep in mind differences in distance, weather, etc.
** Zoom button on right
*** Different from NFOV, not as good (but good for mil counting).
*** Press and Hold for Reticle Change
*** Know Mils of different reticles, + Mil-relation formula
** Below Zoom = Reticle Adjust
** Left Side = Black/White Hot (Not very important, white hot preferred)
** Display
*** B:
**** "NOT COOL WHT HOT"
**** WFOV/NFOV/Zoom
**** NFOV preview box
**** Reticle name (top-right)
**** Reticle adjustments
***** - Left/Right; Up/Down (should probably be 0s)
C:
f p m s n
_ _
l | | g
l _._ g
l | | | g
l - - g
l b g
f = FOV & Reticle weapon; p = Polarity; m = Mode (Zero/Emer);
s = State (Reticle/Display/Contrast); n = Function;
l = manual Level; g = manual Gain; b = Battery
Corner box = NFOV Area Indicator
** Usage
*** At least once every ten minutes. We have plenty of batteries.
**** Pitch unwrapped batteries (SFC Neal: Better safe than sorry)
*** Any time you see something suspicious with IR NODs. The contrast can be key (Martinez's 5)
*** Keep NODs down at the same time.
** Recon III is colored
** Don't forget the NOD 3x Magnifier
*** C: Takes AA's
* Range Estimation / Mil-Relation Formula
** = Make printouts:
*** Formulas
*** Optics specs
*** 1000/x chart
**** = Rotating Robot Presenter 5000
** Start by doing 1000/x drills
*** 10 >= x >= 1
*** 0 < x < 1 = "as hard as it gets"
*** If you can't beat 'em, memorize 'em.
** Quiz for how people estimate range
*** Shoot from the hip
*** Jarhead ("take what you know, and multiply")
*** Rangefinders
*** Known-distance comparisons
**** FBCB2, "T2 is 200m from me, so twice that is 400m"
*** Shoot & Guess & Check
** Mention problem: how do you get better if you have no objective way of confirming your range? (Bad feedback loop)
*** Intuition needs coaching
**** + sometimes you have enough time to refine
** Motivation:
*** Shooting: Graduated optic
*** Moving: Time to a given point (Battle Drill 1/1A) ...
*** Communication: Talking eyes onto a target
*** Polar plot: Dis/Dir
*** CFF corrections: OT Factor
** Range (Kilometers) = (width * 1000)/mils
*** Use 1m for "width" and you'll make it easier.
**** 1m is an E-type silhouette
**** 1m is from your shoulder to your fingertip
**** 1m is 39.37"
*** Or, use 1.5m for standard half-stick:
**** 5' = 1.5m
**** King = 1.8m
**** Mast = ~2m
** Rule of estimation: Keep it honest, and your ups can cancel your downs
** Discuss optic specs:
*** Binos
*** ACOG
*** MGO
*** You can find your own by comparing
*** Offer printouts
** Finger method
** Drill w/whiteboard:
*** E-types
*** Full silhouette
*** Door frame
*** Cow
** Advanced (give permission to skip)
*** Estimate width: Kilometers Range * mils = Meters Wide
*** Estimate mils: Width / K-Range = Mils
** Hands-on portion:
*** Put Meter-sticks everywhere, lead out for testing
*** Use non-Meter objects for added difficulty
*** Use PFC Daniels's (or Fister's) Rangefinder
* Land Nav:
** Know maps, be able to "see" the terrain
** Make a cardboard model, to actual scale (need a good ruler w/ 1/32")
** Reverse Land Nav:
*** Record the series of points (PAUL ?) with dead reckoning
*** Plot those on a blank overlay
*** See if it coincides with reality when put on an actual map.
! Mind (BT)
* % Kim's Game
** +Cardio
* % Map memorization
* % People's faces/names
** Watch movies with complicated plots?
* % Foreign city/people names memorization
* OPORD presentation then later remembrance
* Describing things accurately while sleepy
* Language learning
* Read good war books (detailed, AAR-like, e.g., "We Were Soldiers...")
* Don't be like a baby scorpion, expending all poison on first contact and being unable to continue fighting for the whole deployment
* Observation: Ask about details from earlier, yesterday, last week, etc.
* Give good instructions (possibly about a task that seems obvious to you)
* Write collaborative documents (possibly a book?)
* Decision-making (``One of the things they teach you in Ranger school is to make a decision, even if it isn't the right one.'' -- SGT Nowaczyk)
* Knowing what you know (e.g., SGT Nowaczyk)
* Correspondence Courses (Together):
** Fighting Positions
** (Maths)
** First Aid
! Communication
* Stressed out
* Confused
* Still walking eyes onto the target
* Different kinds:
** POO
** Verbal Range Cards (!)
** Radio protocol
** Quickly knowing a list of what has to happen to accomplish X
** Also maintaining low-urgency tasks
** Formal (9-line or Call for Fire)
*** Re: CFF: "Guard FIST" @ Ft. Drum, by USO
* = Games:
** Describe shapes on a card to someone else
** Try with sand-table instead (leader creates sand table with scenario on it, one "observer" (or observer team) creates SALUTE report and detailed description of the scene, leader destroys scene while observers have ~5-10min to describe it to the rest of the team. Now, the team's task is to go recreate the sand-table in as much detail as they can recall with no further clues).
* + Add stress / Physical surprises
* Working with non-native speakers (minimize miscommunication)
** = How to simulate?
* Clock Drills: walk in formation, one guy throws an object, and someone calls out the direction (distance multiplied maybe). Variation: Do it with everyone's eyes closed except one spotter, open eyes only after aiming.
* Know everything about our ASIPs, MBITRs, E.F. Johnsons, work-boxes, etc.
* Dryad Cipher / Matrix Coded Grid
* Chisolm Cards
** Needs elaboration
! Fighting Positions
* ``The only way a soldier can get killed is insufficient cover.''
* Create
** Snow
** Woods
** Urban
* Silently / Noise Discipline (even if very slow)
* With Class IV (Sandbags+)
* Without
* Destroy w/o trace
* Range Cards (DD Form 5517-R) and Terrain Sketches
** With enough data to call for fire (Tgt#s, dist/dir, etc.)
** Merging upwards (Individual -> Squad -> Platoon)
** Anticipate potential enemy positions (good for suppressive fire)
* Drill: From sleeping bag w/o boots or ACU top to full kit in position.
! Observation test
http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/gwells/theeyewitnesstest.html