Appendix P

THE URBAN AREA DURING SUPPORT MISSIONS CASE STUDY: MOGADISHU Applying The Lessons LearnedTake 2 CSM Michael T. Hall, U.S. Army SFC Michael T. Kennedy, U.S. Army

MOUT Training 75th RANGER REGIMENT

RAND Urban Operations Conference 23 March 2000

541

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AGENDA
Training

Focus

Equipment/Skills Collective Lessons

Training

Learned

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our most probable combat situationphysically grueling, lethal operations encountered in a night, MOUT environment
Regimental Training Guidance

We know that things that are of real value are in urban areas. The army spends the majority of its time training in a wooded environment. We believe that this is training to fight the last war, not the next one. Hence, the majority of our training is focused on urban areas. We train as we expect to fight.

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Mission
Plan and conduct joint special military operations in support of U.S. policy and objectives.

Who We Are
Light Infantry

How We Fight
Army FIELD MANUAL 7-8 The Infantry Platoon and Squad

This is our mission statement. It is really no different from any other unit in the military. It is very broad, which can present problems as we try to figure out what to focus on with our limited assets, the most limiting asset being time. We will present how we have attacked that problem during the course of this brief. We are many things to many people, but basically we are light infantry. We do the things that infantry has always done. For that reason we believe this brief is applicable to all units in the U.S. military, not just us. We do have some unique capabilities, but at squad, platoon, and company level there is not much difference between us and other units. We do conduct special military operations, but how we fight is based on standard army doctrine. Field Manual 7-8, The Infantry Platoon and Squad, is our bible.

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Training Priorities
REGIMENT Train the battlestaff on staff METL BATTALION Maintain a trained( T) status on Perform Airborne Assault on a Defended Airfield COMPANY In the infrared (IR) Spectrum, on Urban Terrain, maintain a T Status on Perform Raid PLATOON/SQUAD In the IR Spectrum, on Urban Terrain, maintain a T Status on: Battle Drill (BD) #1, Platoon Attack; BD #2, React to Contact; BD #6, Enter Building/Clear Room; BD #8, Conduct Breach of a Mined Wired Obstacle

We have decided that with the myriad of possible missions out there, there is no way we could be good at all of them, especially since we are on an 18-hour string to go into combat. Therefore, we have committed ourselves to being good at a few basic tasks that we feel we could use as the basis for any combat mission. We are convinced that no matter what mission we are given, even on very short notice, we can be successful at it because we feel these basic tasks will cover any combat situation we could face.

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The Big Four Training Priorities

(The Basics)

Physical Fitness

Marksmanship

Medical Training

Battle Drills

We believe there are four basic areas that a unit needs to master in order to survive and be successful in combat. Unless we have mastered these four, we wont do anything else. Mastery of these four skills allows us to execute any mission successfully.

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Physical Fitness
Sustain footmarch program - 10 Miles Weekly
- 20 Miles Quarterly

Combat -focused PT. Formal manual.

- Bn-level MTTs
- 90 minutes per day - New methods, techniques, equipment

Combatives

- Master the 13 core moves

- Weekly

We know combat, especially in urban areas, will be exhausting. Studies have proven that the better physical shape you are in, the less mental exhaustion you will suffer. Mental exhaustion has proven to be a significant factor in urban combat. We believe that combat-focused physical training (PT) is one part of training how we will fight. We invested three weeks in a program that involved a squad leader per platoon and a first sergeant per battalion working under the supervision of the army physical fitness school. They developed a program that more closely mirrors the physical activities of combat. This was followed by battalion and company level leader training. The results have been rewarding: fewer injuries, better physical condition, and more success executing combat tasks. We dont really know if we will have to footmarch long distances in combat; we do know that a sustained foot march program is a tested method to build true endurance in combat soldiers.

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The other area in our physical fitness system is our combatives program that we will discuss a little later.

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Medical Training
Individual - Every Ranger is a combat life saver - Battalion sustainment t raining - Regimental-wide standard Ranger EMTs - One EMT-basic per squad - Semi-annual course Ranger Medics - EMT-P/SOMTC - Live tissue training ATLS Ranger units - Casualty play at all training - Mass casualty exercises - Realism (moulage, etc)

Two facts about combat, especially urban: we know people will be injured and wounded and that there are not enough medics. Our ratio is one medic to every 48 soldiers. In order to address this we have implemented a four tier medical system. The first tier: every ranger is a trained combat lifesaver in accordance with (IAW) the army standard plus several additional tasks. We maintain this capability with battalion and company level programs run bimonthly. We are able to maintain a 90+ percent currency rate. The second tier: every squad/section has an EMT-basic certified and current soldier. We maintain this by running semiannual courses. The third tier is the 91B medic at platoon and company level. These medics maintain an EMT-paramedic level of training. This is maintained through internal battalion programs and training at the special operations medical training course. The fourth tier is advanced trauma life support with our battalion surgeons and physicians assistants. Casualty play is incorporated into every training event in order to exercise the capabilities in a realistic environment. Its a big investment, but one that will certainly pay off in combat!

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There are two kinds of people on the battlefield: Marksmen and Targets
Marksmanship vs. Qualification PMI Step by Step Process The Four Part Program Qualify Day Qualify Night Close Quarters Marksmanship (CQM) Combat (Stress) Fire

That quote sums up combat and the importance of marksmanship. We realized that the standard army qualification standards did not adequately prepare our soldiers for combat. We also realized that the qualification system for developing marksmanship was misleading and did not require soldiers to get better. We broke our marksmanship training and qualification down to the very basics and started over again. We discovered, rediscovered is more like it, that we could get a lot better if we put our time and effort into preliminary marksmanship training without ammo. The information is in the FMs and it really works. The biggest key to success was implementation of weekly dry fire training. Another key was to follow the FMs and train with a step by step method, not moving on to the next step until the standard for the previous step was met: zero, grouping, known distance slow fire, known distance timed fire, practice qualification, and then qualification. This system seems very time consuming, but it is actually a much quicker way to success. Our marksmanship program has four parts. A soldier must qualify during the day IAW army standards. He must

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also qualify at night using the day standards. He must then qualify on our close quarters marksmanship table and combat fire lanes, both of which will be discussed later.

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Battle Drills
Focus on the Basics
Dry fire
Individual movement techniques Team and squad fire and movement TAPE drills Magazine/belt changes Crew drill Rates and distribution of fire control Immediate and remedial action drills

Attack, React to Contact, Mined/Wired Obstacle, Enter and Clear a Building

We are convinced that if our squads and platoons can fight and win we can accomplish any mission. For this reason, our focus is on small unit drills, battle drills. It is easy to maintain readiness levels for battle drills. Its the individual tasks that go into them that need constant attention. We have attacked this by executing these tasks in a dry fire mode on a weekly basis, concentrating on those shown here. By maintaining these we get much more out of our collective training and use the limited assets of ranges, ammo, and training time much more efficiently. Retraining time is rarely available because of resources; the typical response is that an event is usually after action reviewed (AARd) and the unit walks away with stuff to work on. That really turns into making the same mistake the next time it is executed. Our approach has all but eliminated that. We are walking away trained by the time we do the culminating event of live firing at night. The Army FM 7-8 actually has eight battle drills. We know that we cannot maintain a trained status on all eight. By the time you get

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around to #8, the unit is no longer proficient in tasks 14. We cannot afford the building block method due to our being on an 18-hour string. We feel that if we can execute these four, everything is a simple reaction to a situation that is easily executed. The one thing in common with all battle drills is squad fire and movement. If you cant do that, you cant do anything. If your squads can do that, you can do anything. These are all executed in an urban environment.

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Ranger Equipment

Every Ranger rifleman trains and fights with:

Night vision goggles (AN-PVS 7/1 4) Squad communication system Ranger body armor, gloves, ballistic goggles, knee/elbow/shin pads RACK (load carrying system). Wate r, ammo, medical, breaching Medical plus up M4 carbine/M203/M249/M240 with rail system w/M68 and AN-PEQ-2 laser w/IR illuminator, gun light

This is our standard fighting uniform that we use in all environments, leaning towards fighting in an urban environment. In combat, you will not have a chance to go back to the barracks and change this out for that because the situation changed. For that reason we have developed this system.

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Individual Close Quarter Skills

Close Quarter Marksmanship

RTC 350-1-2
Combatives
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Urban movement techniques

Combat (Stress) fire

Bombs, artillery, long range fires, and the like do a lot of killing on the battlefield. The individual rifleman, squad, or platoon has little control over these. Somewhere between about zero and fifty meters, a soldier does have control regarding whether he lives or dies. We believe this program gives our soldiers the best chance to live. The close fight is a gunfight, just like the Old West. There will never be a time in the near future where the urban fight wont have the possibility of being up close and personal. Army FM 21-150, Combatives, is a wonderful document. The problem is one of focus and time. Maintaining the skills that are described in the FM is impossible. The Gracie techniques (see page 14 of FM) are simple to learn, maintain, and the chances of injury are minimal. Standard army rifle ranges do a poor job of preparing soldiers to kill the enemy. They do not train him to shoot in the many situations he will face in combat, especially urban combat. We have developed training methods that better prepare soldiers for the situations in

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which they will find themselves. We call it combat fire, AKA stress shoots.

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CQM350-1-2 Standards
Conducted quarterly (25m range)
Reflexive firing training Target discrimination Day/night qualification w/wo protective mask Shotgun application Automatic fire

In the close fight, and the urban fight is mostly a close fight for the infantry, who shoots the fastest and most accurately lives. The other dies. We have developed a training program to address this. We call it close quarters marksmanship. The standards are contained in our MOUT training circular and apply to all individual weapons.

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Combatives

Gracie techniques Done weekly Only 13 core moves Builds confidence and aggressiveness Qualified instructors Competitions Pride Involves everyone

As mentioned earlier, the technique of combatives we use is a form of jiu-jitsu named after the world champion Gracie brothers. Combatives training is conducted once a week IAW our training circular to maintain skills. We only maintain 13 core moves because we have determined that is all we can retain. What our combatives program gives our ranger more than anything else is confidence and aggressiveness. When the smallest or newest man in the company who has never played contact sports or been in a fight in his life can best the biggest man, he feels pretty good about himself and feels confident that he can beat any enemy. We dont teach knife fighting, rifle drills, or caving in a mans skull with an e-tool. There are just too many things to teach and not enough time to teach them. But we believe the confidence and will to win this program builds are the most important factors. Each battalion, company, and platoon maintains master trainers who are directly trained by the Gracies themselves or by personnel trained as instructors by the Gracies. This validates the program.

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We hold regular regimental-through-squad competitions to ensure all understand the importance of the program and to build esprit de corps. The program builds self-esteem, and this attitude rolls over into other combat tasks. Combat is man on man. It doesnt matter who you are. This program has no rank.

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Urban Movement Techniques

Combat (Stress) Fire
Validity, Reliability, Simplicity
Assess, refine, improve our combat marksmanship (train as we fight) Closely resemble combat conditions Refine equipment we will fight with Incorporates:

Stresses (mental and physical) All static firing positions (standing, kneeling, prone) Moving and shooting Off-hand Shooting over, under, and around obstacles

The culmination of our marksmanship training program is the combat (stress) fire event. This puts together all of a soldiers marksmanship skills and runs him through a course similar to what he would face in urban combat. The fundamentals underlying any such event are validity, reliability, and simplicity. It is designed to assess, refine, and improve combat marksmanship. The event closely resembles the combat conditions to be expected on the battlefield. It is always done with the soldiers full combat load. These events have taught us how our equipment must be modified and how our marksmanship techniques must be altered for maximum effectiveness and comfort. There is no standard course. Leaders will set up events based on resources available and the level of training of their men. As long as it incorporates the elements shown here, it is considered a standard.

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Progressive Breaching
Mechanical tools/TTP Ballistic Shotgun Explosive close proximity breaching

There is no doubt that there will be obstacles on the urban battlefield, and none will be a standard American-made door. These obstacles can kill timing, momentum, and soldiers if they cannot be reduced quickly and efficiently. The method we use is called progressive breaching. Before getting to the point that must be breached, the leader must make an assessment of what he is going to do and then prepare. Bullying your way there and then getting stuck is exactly what the enemy wants. Assessment and preparedness are the keys to success. Being fully prepared to ratchet it up must also be part of the plan. We have three main categories of breaching. The first is mechanical, everything from kicking in the door to using special tools. Each squad carries one set of tools as part of its standard equipment. The prying tool is a 24 Haligan tool common to fire departments. The striking tool is the eight pound short handle sledge. We have developed detailed TTPs for all mechanical breaching methods. This is something that must be trained. It isnt like they show in the movies.

562 Capital Preservation: Preparing for Urban Operations in the 21st Century

The second category is ballistic breaching using a Remington 870 short shotgun with a special breaching round to defeat locking mechanisms. Each squad carries one shotgun. The 3rd category is explosive, using close proximity charges. We use one standard charge that fits in a cargo pocket. It will defeat any locking or combination of locking systems up to medium strength metal doors. There is no fragmentation danger and the blast overpressure is small enough to allow you to be within a few feet of the door when it blows.

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Distracter Devices
Critical to saving lives Non-Lethal (Friend or Foe) Offensive Grenades Flashbangs Simulators Smoke (Signaling and CS) Lethal Fragmentation Grenades 40mm AT Weapons Explosive
Before entering a room or building with known or suspected hostile personnel, it is critical to use some kind of distracter device. If not, the enemy will always have the advantage. You can equate the importance of a distracter device to the importance of suppressive fire. It is critical and must be standard procedure. Without it, soldiers will die unnecessarily. There are basically two categories: lethal and nonlethal. Nonlethal are the best choice because they have the same desired effect and there is no danger to friendlies.

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High Explosives
(Battalion and Company Assets)
Critical to success
Small arms fire, ineffective/inefficient for killing or suppression

Must know and understand weapons and

munitions target effects

Critical to footholds. Breaching not to

blow holes, but to kill. Door is best place to enter.

There is a tremendous amount of good cover capable of protecting a soldier from small arms fire available in an urban environment. So much so that very little killing will be done with small arms fire exchanged between well-trained and matched foes. The use of munitions more powerful than ball ammunition will be critical to success in an urban fight. High explosive ammo is the answer, but not in the conventional sense. Long-range heavy artillery and airborne fire support are not as effective as in a wooded environment. They cannot provide the close-in support needed by the squad, platoon, or company. High explosive ammo is a scarce resource at small unit level because of its weight and bulk, so it is critical that every shot counts. To attack this problem, we conduct events to train our leaders on the true effects of the weapons and munitions at their disposal. The use of high explosive is critical to establishing footholds and the initial breach. Small units will not have anything available to them for creating a new hole for assault.

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Simmunitions
Not paintball Changed our TTPs Makes training real
Closest thing to two-way live fire

Opens up many more training opportunities/sites

Can live fire anywhere

Simmunitions are 9mm plastic rounds that are fired out of a special upper receiver. They can be used force-on-force when certain protective measures are used. Simmunitions is not a paintball game. You know when you are hit and you tend to act as if it is a live bullet. The use of simmunitions has changed the way we fight in an urban environment. It disproved many accepted techniques and validated new techniques like nothing else available short of actual combat. Using SIM is the closest thing to a two-way live fire. There is no cheating and the threat of pain trains soldiers to do the right thing. The paint is washable. The rounds can be used in just about any facility. That means training can be conducted in a variety of buildings and structures that was not available in the past. We have never been told to not come back to any facility where we have employed simmunitions.

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Collective Training
Company Level and Higher is critical
Individuals, Teams, and Squads are OK Platoon, Company, and Battalion coordination is biggest weakness in supporting squads Ratio: 1=Squad, 3=Platoon, 1=Company In the hard fight, footholds/entry gained only through using same procedures as breaching a mined, wired obstacle

The conventional wisdom on urban training is that most of the available training time should be given to the squad because the urban fight is a squad fight. That is true. The problem is that the squad needs a tremendous amount of support to be able to close with and destroy the enemy. We are convinced that our individuals, teams, and squads need comparatively little train-up to get to standard. The difficulty is putting it all together so that platoon leaders, company commanders, and battalion commanders can effectively control and focus their assets to support that one breaching squad. This lesson had to be relearned in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, and Somalia. The urban fight is very much a squad fight, but it requires more command and control than any other contingency. It must be coordinated such that a whole company, and perhaps a battalion, will be concentrating on nothing more than getting one squad across a street. We think a good ratio of training time is one block of time to a squad, three at platoon, and one at company. It should be realized the squads are training throughout all three blocks.

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In the hard fight, the same TTPs used to breach a mined and wired obstacle will be needed to get that initial foothold/entry point. A platoon (-) in support will not work on a determined enemy. We also regularly conduct leader TEWTs downtown and in garrison areas in order to work this task.

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Surgical Fire Support

Lethal/Nonlethal Assets Fixed Wing Rotary Wing Organic Mortars Urban ROE Munitions Selection TGT/Observer ID

The very nature of an urban environment limits conventional fire support, especially during the close fight. Nonlethal methods such as jamming enemy communications in order to disrupt his command and control will help. PSYOP and CA operations will be critical to the fight but may only have limited effectiveness due to demographic characteristics and the sophistication of the enemy. Mortars are of some use because of their high angle of fire, quick responsiveness, and ability to fix the enemy. Fixed wing aircraft such as the AC130 can be very effective because they can get to targets from the top, but they themselves are vulnerable targets. Structures will usually be an impediment to attack aircrafts ability to provide precision support. The rules of engagement will rarely be unrestricted enough to use our largest munitions, those necessary to totally reduce structures. Even if buildings are destroyed, they are usually turned into strong points and propaganda vehicles for the enemy. Munitions will have to be selected carefully and observed fires will be the normal requirement.

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The phrase that pays

Shoot till the enemy goes down Never move faster than you can accurately

engage the target

Fight the enemy, not the plan Its a three-dimensional fight Combat patience, be prepared or be dead Stacking is for firewood, the 3-second rule It takes two We kill with HE

We have some simple rules to live by in any fight. They are especially applicable to the urban fight. Shoot until the enemy goes down. The double tap (firing two shots) is not a guarantee. We train using controlled pairs in as many multiples as needed. Speed is relative; you cannot outrun a bullet. We live by the principle that there is only one thing between you and the enemy: your weapon. The enemy doesnt get our OPORD; he doesnt play fair; we only own half of the battlefield at best. Always be prepared for the unexpected; know and understand the commanders intent. The tendency is to focus forward on your next move or where we know or think the enemy is. The urban fight is 360 degrees and forces must be allocated against this. The common tendency in an urban fight is to move fast, maintain momentum, and get across the next street or into the next building or room. Speed can definitely kill in an urban environment. You must be prepared for your next action. Speed and surprise come from preparedness. The stack is nothing more than a bunch, which we all know gets people killed and reduces the combat effectiveness of a unit down to

570 Capital Preservation: Preparing for Urban Operations in the 21st Century

one man. The team stack is used when entering a room or building, but it is something that is flowed into and never lasts more than three seconds. Fighting a platoon in an urban environment will severely task the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant. The platoon leader must concentrate on his entire area of responsibility, that 360 degrees. The platoon sergeant helps with the internal coordination between squads. The same applies at company level with the executive officer assuming the platoon sergeant role. Everyone has a specific mission in the fight. Their conventional roles must wait until consolidation and reorganization. High explosives are what we use as the primary killer.

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Shortcomings in Technology
Decentralized use of Aerial Observer/ FAC(A) AP/AT Mine Awareness Mobility = Armored

UAV
Detect, Deliver, Assess Organic Short Range

Ground Mobility System

Force Protection Necessity for ground MEDEVAC platform

Counter-mortar

capability
Enclosed space,

shoulder-fired AT/Breaching Weapon

These are some lessons learned from recent fighting around the world that are of great help in the urban fight. UAVs can be a great close support asset in assisting our developing situational awareness. A lightweight mortar counter radar capability that is capable of working in an urban environment is needed for the light infantry. Aerial observation greatly enhances the commanders ability to see deep into his battlefield. Booby traps and mines are employed more than ever in an urban environment as an enemy force multiplier. Mobility, especially armored mobility, is important for re-supply and medical evacuation.

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Conclusion75th Ranger Regiment MOUT Brief

Individual training
Standardization of firing tables (2 5m) Introduction of stress shooting Equipment standardization

Collective training Simmunitions improves force on force to sqd/plt level Increased training frequency

Conclusion75th Ranger Regiment MOUT Brief

Collective training ( cont) Company and higher (STX) Integration of heavy weapons (MG, AT, mortars, attack helos, AC-130)

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Bottom Line
The principles of fire and movement apply in the urban environment just as they do in the woods. The cover and concealment is different, the enemy the same, the bullets just as deadly.