Guard Duty

New name

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}

! 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

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