If the area behind them is not secure, the security man will be moving along with the other two men, but facing backward as he covers the area behind them. If, on the other hand, the area behind them is secure, he may also bring his weapon and his focus forward along with the rest of the team.
The team moves down the hallway in a cloverleaf formation. This requires the three men to move in a triangular configuration. The contact man is in front, and the cover man and the security man are to his immediate right and left. They are in physical contact with one another to facilitate nonverbal communication. All three guns are oriented down the hall. The contact man moves his muzzle along with his eves as he searches. The other two men have crossing and overlapping zones of fire. This means the man on the right side of the hall is focused toward the left side and vice versa. All three men may shoot without endangering each other.
Tactical ballistic vests, weapon-mounted lights (such as these MP5-mounted Sure-Fire units), and trained teamwork are essential factors in tactical operations.
Properly trained team members support each other's tactical movements. Here two team members conduct a dynamic entry in a training environment. (Photo courtesy of ChuckTaylor.)
Their guns are in the "hunt" position. The muzzles are not held so high that the sights obstruct their view, but neither are they pointing at the deck. It is important to be trained to lower the muzzle quickly after shooting in order to observe the postinjury actions of the adversary. This still occurs… after you shoot. When you are searching and hunting, hold the muzzle slightly higher, usually covering the area you are searching. Sometimes a team member must cross your line of fire to reach a position from which he can cover a danger area. In such cases you must dip your muzzle as he passes in front of you to avoid covering him.
The contact man approaches the corner with his cover man. The security man covers both of them. The contact man again moves slightly lower than the cover mean to allow him the room to shoot over him. The cover man is directly behind the contact man and moving with him. As they clear the apex of the corner, they assume the cloverleaf formation again and proceed with the search.
Searching this very hazardous architectural feature is again facilitated by the use of the three-man team. As the team approaches the intersection, the contact man and the cover man will turn away from each other in a back-to-back formation. They rely on the physical contact from each other for nonverbal communication. Remember, the contact man calls the shots. He is the one who will initiate any movement toward or away from an objective. The security man may cover the area behind them if it is not secure. If it is a four-way intersection and the area to their rear is secure, he will focus on the hallway in front of them.
When the contact and cover man have conducted their angular search, they will both commit themselves to the extreme angles simultaneously from the center of the hallway. They will have determined which way to proceed (right or left) beforehand, and the contact man will, of course, have searched in that direction. When the extreme angles are clear, the security man will move up behind the contact man and become his cover, while the cover man holds down his side of the intersection. When the team resumes moving, the cover man now becomes the security element again as the team moves down the hall.
The Heckler & Koch MP5, here in its personal defense weapon format, is the first choice for indoor tactical team problems.
The main thing to remember with a team stairway search is to avoid overcrowding the stairway. As the team approaches the staircase, members clear the first flight of steps with an angular search. The contact man will cover and hold the first landing at the top of the steps. The cover man now takes on the contact man's duties, and the security man becomes his cover. The cover man (now acting as contact) clears the overhead landing from below. At this point, one man is covering the first flight of steps and the upper landing. A second man is covering the overhang directly overhead, above the staircase. The security man moves forward and clears the corner of the first switchback and the upper landing from the switchback. The first man joins him, and then the man covering the landing from below begins to move up the stairway toward them, still covering the landing. When he reaches the other two men, the original contact man and his cover move up to the top of the landing and clear the area there. The last man holding the upper landing from the first switchback holds his position until he is advised by the others that it is clear.
If the team is executing a downward stairway clearing, the contact man clears and holds the first flight down from the upper landing. The cover man captures the second flight from the overhang above and holds his position to allow the other two men to descend. Taking the same care as when searching upward and being alert to exposing their feet and legs, the contact man and the security man move down the steps.
Depending on the configuration of the steps and the likelihood of exposing the lower body on descent, the security man may elect to get on his chest and look into the room below through the steps. This is only an option when he has others covering his back, because his mobility is totally gone.
The two men will take the steps and the bottom of the stairs, and then they'll be joined by the third man. When they've reached the bottom, they again have three divergent zones of fire and can continue with their search.
When any man on the team confronts a hostile with either verbal commands or gunfire, he automatically becomes contact man, and the team's actions will be keyed to his tactical requirements. The others must hold their areas of responsibility. If the contact man needs assistance he will request it from one of the others. The cover man is always the first to help him (usually the man closest to him). At this point the security man must not only cover his area, but also the one abandoned by the cover man.
The nature of a tactical problem may require creative measures. Worldfamous tactical trainer and writer Chuck Taylor and the author conduct a second-story entry during a specialoperations course.
Two tactics students move through a simulator drill "dry" to develop team movement skills.
The possibility of a team member being hit always exists. It is a wise team that plans an immediate action drill for such eventualities. The casualty extraction drill is usually structured as if the first man got hit, but it is wise to vary the wounded man's location in the line of three during practice.
If the first man is hit and goes down, his cover man will step over him and place direct controlled gunfire on the source of the hostile fire. If the hostile has hidden himself behind a wall, a door, or a piece of furniture, the cover man shoots right through it. The security man moves up, grabs the fallen man, and drags him back behind the first item of cover or the first corner that is available. When the security man begins his extraction, he yells, "Moving!" When the cover man hears this, he begins moving back along with the two other men, still shooting into the hostile's position to cover their withdrawal. This procedure will work to extract the wounded man from the initial kill zone. After this, the team can evacuate the casualty and call for reinforcements. The important point is that if one of your people is hit, you reflexively shoot back at the source of the gunfire. This does three possible things: (1) it makes the adversary think about his own flanks and the incoming gunfire, (2) it may disrupt his homicidal plans long enough to get your people out of his trap, and (3) it may also cause his demise. The bottom line is that thou shall not abandon your wounded in the kill zone!