The Official U.S. Army Combat Skills Handbook

by Department of the Army, Matt Larsen

Overview

Modern combat is chaotic, intense, and shockingly destructive. A soldier will experience confusing and often terrifying sights, sounds, smells, and dangers—and he must learn to survive and win despite them.

This field manual, containing the essential combat skills the U.S. Army teaches its soldiers, is the Army’s most recent edition, which has been completely updated for Lyons Press by the soldier who wrote the manual for the army: Sergeant First Class Matt Larsen. Distributed to all soldiers, this is the must-have guide for those who want to know how U.S. Army soldiers are trained to prepare for—and perform during—combat. It includes photos, illustrations, and diagrams throughout depicting weaponry, combat maneuvers, warrior drills, survival techniques, fighting positions, camouflage, and basic field medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493032969
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Series:	U.S. Army
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

This book was written by order of the Secretary of the Army. Sergeant First Class Matt Larsen is a longtime trainer in survival and fighting techniques for the Army Rangers. A graduate of the multi-service SERE (Survival, Evasion, Rescue, and Escape) training program and of Jungle Survival Training in the Philippines and Okinawa, he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment for over twelve years, parachuting into Panama during the 1989 U.S. invasion and participating in the Gulf War.

Table of Contents

Figures xiii

Tables xix

Preface xx

Part 1 Warrior Ethos

Chapter 1 Introduction 3

Operational Environment 3

Army Values 4

Law of Land Warfare 5

Warrior Culture 5

Battle Drill 6

Warrior Drills 6

Chapter 2 Individual Readiness 9

Predeployment 9

Legal Assistance 9

Personal Weapon 11

Chapter 3 Combat Casualty Care And Preventive Medicine 14

Section I Combat Casualty Care 14

Combat Lifesaver 15

Lifesaving Measures (First Aid) 15

Casualty Evacuation 50

Section II Preventive Medicine 61

Clothing and Sleeping Gear 62

Mental Health and Morale 64

Chapter 4 Environmental Conditions 66

Section I Desert 66

Types 66

Preparation 68

Section II Jungle 73

Types 74

Preparation 77

Section III Arctic 78

Types 78

Preparation 79

Part 2 Soldier Combat Skills

Chapter 5 Combatives 83

Section I System Principles 84

Systematic Training 85

Foundation 85

Continuous Training 85

Competition 85

Drills 86

Live Training 86

Integrated Training 86

Combat Feedback 86

Section II Live Training 87

Ground-Sparring 87

Clinch-Sparring 88

Standing Strikes Sparring 89

Full Sparring 90

Chapter 6 Cover, Concealment, and Camouflage 91

Section I Cover 91

Natural Cover 91

Man-Made Cover 93

Section II Concealment 95

Natural Concealment 95

Actions as Concealment 96

Section III Camouflage 96

Movement 97

Positions 97

Outlines and Shadows 97

Shine 97

Shape 98

Colors 98

Dispersion 98

Preparation 98

Individual Techniques 99

Chapter 7 Fighting Positions 104

Cover 104

Concealment 106

Camouflage 107

Sectors and Fields of Fire 107

Hasty and Deliberate Fighting Positions 108

Two-Man Fighting Position 111

One-Man Fighting Position 121

Close Combat Missile Fighting Positions 126

Range Cards 127

Chapter 8 Movement 143

Individual Movement Techniques 143

Immediate Actions while Moving 150

Fire and Movement 153

Movement on Vehicles 153

Chapter 9 Urban Areas 156

Section I Movement Techniques 156

Avoiding Open Areas 156

Moving Parallel to Buildings 157

Moving Past Windows 157

Crossing a Wall 158

Moving Around Corners 160

Moving Within a Building 161

Section II Other Procedures 161

Entering a Building 162

Clearing a Room 168

Section III Fighting Positions 171

Hasty Fighting Position 172

Prepared Fighting Position 175

Chapter 10 "Every Soldier 15 A Sensor" 180

Definition 180

Resources 181

Forms of Questioning 182

Report Levels 184

Salute Format 185

Handling and Reporting of the Enemy 185

Operations Security 190

Observation Techniques 191

Limited-Visibility Observation 192

Range Estimation 199

Chapter 11 Combat Marksmanship 204

Safety 204

Administrative Procedures 205

Weapons 206

Fire Control 218

Combat Zero 221

Mechanical Zero 221

Battlesight Zero 223

Shot Groups 225

Borelight Zero 227

Misfire Procedures and Immediate Action 240

Reflexive Fire 243

Chapter 12 Communications 248

Section I Means of Communications 248

Messengers 248

Wire 250

Visual Signals 250

Sound 250

Radio 251

Section II Radiotelephone Procedures 251

Rules 252

Types of Nets 252

Precedence of Reports 253

Message Format 253

Common Messages 254

Prowords 255

Operation on a Net 257

Section III Communications Security 258

Classifications 258

Signal Operating Instructions 259

Automated Net Control Device 259

Section IV Equipment 262

Radios 262

Wire 263

Telephone Equipment 265

Chapter 13 Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape 267

Survival 267

Evasion 270

Resistance 274

Escape 277

Chapter 14 Mines, Demolitions, and Breaching Procedures 279

Section I Mines 279

Antipersonnel Mines 279

M21 Antitank Mine 286

Section II Demolition Firing Systems 288

Booster Assemblies 288

Misfires 296

Section III Obstacles 296

Breach and Cross a Minefield 296

Breach and Cross a Wire Obstacle 299

Chapter 15 Unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices 303

Section I Unexploded ordnance 303

Dropped Ordnance 303

Projected Ordnance 309

Thrown Ordnance (Hand Grenades) 311

Section II Improvised Explosive Devices 314

Types 314

Identification 316

Components 316

Examples 318

Actions on Finding UXO 318

Actions on Finding IEDs 323

Appendix: Checklists and Memory Aids 325

Glossary 342

References 352

Index 356