Room Clearing Techniques
SITUATION: Operating as part of a larger force the squad is tasked to participate in clearing a building. The squad leader directs the squad to enter the building or to clear a room. An entry point or breach has already been identified or will be created before initiating the entry.
ACTIONS:
1. To seize or gain control of a building may not always require committing troops into the structure or closing with the enemy. Before initiating this action and exposing members of the clearing squad to direct enemy contact and risking casualties, the squad leader should consider employment of all organic, crew-served and supporting weapon systems onto the objective area to suppress and neutralize the threat.
2. Clearing team members must approach the entry point quickly, quietly, and in standard order. The squad leader must ensure he is in a position to control the actions of the fire team(s). This approach preserves the element of surprise and allows for quick entry and domination of the room. The members of the fire team are assigned numbers one through four: If one member of the clearing team is armed with the LMG rather than an rifle or carbine, he should be designated # 4. The squad leader is normally the # 2 man.
3. The entire team enters the room as quickly and smoothly as possible and clears the doorway immediately. If possible, the team moves from a covered or concealed position already in their entry order. Ideally, the team arrives and passes through the entry point without having to stop. If the team must stop to effectively “stack” outside the entry point, it must do so only momentarily, and it must provide cover.
4. The door is the focal point of anyone in the room. It is known as the “fatal funnel,” because it focuses attention at the precise point where the individual team members are the most vulnerable. Moving into the room quickly reduces the chance of anyone being hit by enemy fire directed at the doorway.
5. For this technique to be effectively employed, each member of the team must know his sector of fire and how his sector overlaps and links with the sectors of the other team members. Team members do not move to the points of domination and then engage their targets. Rather, they engage targets as they calmly and quickly move to their designated points. Engagements must not slow movement to their points of domination. They engage the most immediate threat first and then the less immediate threats in sector.
6. The assault team enters through the entry point or breach. Unless a grenade will be thrown prior to entry, the team should avoid stopping outside the point of entry.
Note: If required, the # 2 man throws a grenade into the room before entry.
7. On the signal to go, or after the grenade detonates, the assault team moves through the entry point and quickly takes up positions inside the room that allow it to completely dominate the room and eliminate the threat. Unless restricted or impeded, team members stop movement only after they have cleared the door and reached their designated point of domination.
Note: Where enemy forces may be concentrated, the assault team can precede their entry by throwing a grenade into the room, followed by bursts of automatic small-arms fire by the # 1 man as he enters.
8. The # 1 and # 2 men are initially concerned with the area directly to their front, then along the wall on either side of the door or entry point. This area is in their path of movement, and it is their primary sector of fire. Their alternate sector of fire is from the wall they are moving toward, back to the opposite far corner.
9. The # 3 and # 4 men start at the centre of the wall opposite their point of entry and clear to the left if moving toward the left, or to the right if moving toward the right. They stop short of their respective team member (either the # 1 man or the # 2 man).
10. The team members move toward their points of domination, engaging any threats in their sector. Shooting is done without stopping.
11. The first man enters the room and eliminates the immediate threat. He has the option of going left or right, normally moving along the path of least resistance to one of two corners. Upon entering, his direction is influenced by the size of the room, the enemy situation, and furniture or other obstacles that hinder or channel his movement.
12. The direction each man moves in should not be pre-planned unless the exact room layout is known. Each man should go in a direction opposite the man in front of him. Every team member must know the sectors and duties of each position.
13. As the first man goes through the entry point, he can usually see into the far corner of the room. He eliminates any immediate threat and continues to move along the wall if possible and to the first corner, where he assumes a position of domination facing into the room.
Note: Team members must always stay close to the wall. If a team member finds his progress blocked by some object that will force him more than 1 meter from the wall, he must either step over it (if able) or stop where he is and clear the rest of his sector from where he is.
14. The second man (normally the team leader), entering almost simultaneously with the first, moves in the opposite direction, following the wall. The second man must clear the entry point, clear the immediate threat area, clear his corner, and move to a dominating position on his side of the room.
15. The third man simply goes opposite of the second man inside the room, moves at least 1 meter from the entry point, and takes a position that dominates his sector.
16. The fourth man moves opposite of the third man, clears the doorway by at least 1 meter, and moves to a position that dominates his sector.
17. Although this technique is effective, leaders might have to modify it for the situation. Some reasons and methods for modifying the technique are:
-Objective rooms are small -------------------------- Clear in teams of 2 or 3
-Shortage of personnel -------------------------- Clear in teams of 2 or 3
- If the # 1 or # 2 man discovers that the room is very small, he can call out, “Short room” or “Short,” which tells the # 3 or # 4 man (whoever following the # 1or # 2 man) to stay outside the room.
ACTIONS:
1. To seize or gain control of a building may not always require committing troops into the structure or closing with the enemy. Before initiating this action and exposing members of the clearing squad to direct enemy contact and risking casualties, the squad leader should consider employment of all organic, crew-served and supporting weapon systems onto the objective area to suppress and neutralize the threat.
2. Clearing team members must approach the entry point quickly, quietly, and in standard order. The squad leader must ensure he is in a position to control the actions of the fire team(s). This approach preserves the element of surprise and allows for quick entry and domination of the room. The members of the fire team are assigned numbers one through four: If one member of the clearing team is armed with the LMG rather than an rifle or carbine, he should be designated # 4. The squad leader is normally the # 2 man.
3. The entire team enters the room as quickly and smoothly as possible and clears the doorway immediately. If possible, the team moves from a covered or concealed position already in their entry order. Ideally, the team arrives and passes through the entry point without having to stop. If the team must stop to effectively “stack” outside the entry point, it must do so only momentarily, and it must provide cover.
4. The door is the focal point of anyone in the room. It is known as the “fatal funnel,” because it focuses attention at the precise point where the individual team members are the most vulnerable. Moving into the room quickly reduces the chance of anyone being hit by enemy fire directed at the doorway.
5. For this technique to be effectively employed, each member of the team must know his sector of fire and how his sector overlaps and links with the sectors of the other team members. Team members do not move to the points of domination and then engage their targets. Rather, they engage targets as they calmly and quickly move to their designated points. Engagements must not slow movement to their points of domination. They engage the most immediate threat first and then the less immediate threats in sector.
6. The assault team enters through the entry point or breach. Unless a grenade will be thrown prior to entry, the team should avoid stopping outside the point of entry.
Note: If required, the # 2 man throws a grenade into the room before entry.
7. On the signal to go, or after the grenade detonates, the assault team moves through the entry point and quickly takes up positions inside the room that allow it to completely dominate the room and eliminate the threat. Unless restricted or impeded, team members stop movement only after they have cleared the door and reached their designated point of domination.
Note: Where enemy forces may be concentrated, the assault team can precede their entry by throwing a grenade into the room, followed by bursts of automatic small-arms fire by the # 1 man as he enters.
8. The # 1 and # 2 men are initially concerned with the area directly to their front, then along the wall on either side of the door or entry point. This area is in their path of movement, and it is their primary sector of fire. Their alternate sector of fire is from the wall they are moving toward, back to the opposite far corner.
9. The # 3 and # 4 men start at the centre of the wall opposite their point of entry and clear to the left if moving toward the left, or to the right if moving toward the right. They stop short of their respective team member (either the # 1 man or the # 2 man).
10. The team members move toward their points of domination, engaging any threats in their sector. Shooting is done without stopping.
11. The first man enters the room and eliminates the immediate threat. He has the option of going left or right, normally moving along the path of least resistance to one of two corners. Upon entering, his direction is influenced by the size of the room, the enemy situation, and furniture or other obstacles that hinder or channel his movement.
12. The direction each man moves in should not be pre-planned unless the exact room layout is known. Each man should go in a direction opposite the man in front of him. Every team member must know the sectors and duties of each position.
13. As the first man goes through the entry point, he can usually see into the far corner of the room. He eliminates any immediate threat and continues to move along the wall if possible and to the first corner, where he assumes a position of domination facing into the room.
Note: Team members must always stay close to the wall. If a team member finds his progress blocked by some object that will force him more than 1 meter from the wall, he must either step over it (if able) or stop where he is and clear the rest of his sector from where he is.
14. The second man (normally the team leader), entering almost simultaneously with the first, moves in the opposite direction, following the wall. The second man must clear the entry point, clear the immediate threat area, clear his corner, and move to a dominating position on his side of the room.
15. The third man simply goes opposite of the second man inside the room, moves at least 1 meter from the entry point, and takes a position that dominates his sector.
16. The fourth man moves opposite of the third man, clears the doorway by at least 1 meter, and moves to a position that dominates his sector.
17. Although this technique is effective, leaders might have to modify it for the situation. Some reasons and methods for modifying the technique are:
-Objective rooms are small -------------------------- Clear in teams of 2 or 3
-Shortage of personnel -------------------------- Clear in teams of 2 or 3
- If the # 1 or # 2 man discovers that the room is very small, he can call out, “Short room” or “Short,” which tells the # 3 or # 4 man (whoever following the # 1or # 2 man) to stay outside the room.
Room Clearing (4 man)
If the path of least resistance takes the first man to the left, then all points of domination are the mirror image of those shown in the diagrams.