Lessons Learned: Infantry Squad Tactics in Military Operations
in Urban Terrain During Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah,
Iraq
Sgt. Catagnus, Jr. E. J., Cpl. Edison, B. Z., LCpl. Keeling, J. D.,
and LCpl. Moon, D. A.
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Scout/Sniper Platoon, Section 1,
Fallujah, Iraq
Introduction
Historically speaking, military operations in urban terrain (MOUT)
have created casualty figures that are extraordinary compared to
similar operations conducted in different types of environments.
The casualties in MOUT present a significant challenge to small
unit leaders. Casualties hit Marine infantry squads and fire teams
extremely hard because generally speaking they were already under
the table of organization (T/O) standards. Some squads in 3rd
Battalion, 5th Marines (3/5) commenced the assault on the Jolan
with only six Marines. It is the small unit leaders duty to
accomplish the mission with the least amount of casualties
possible. In order for small unit leaders to complete the above
task they need tactics and techniques that will prevent
casualties.
Section 1 of the Scout/Sniper Platoon has attacked and cleared
buildings with all the line companies in 3/5. The authors have
observed nearly all the squads in the battalion and have rolled in
the stack with many of them. This is an experience which few in
the battalion have. Knowing this, the authors believe it is their
duty to consolidate their observations, produce a comprehensive
evaluation of squad tactics and techniques, and pass it onto the
squad leaders. The authors intent is to give the squad leaders
options in combat. It is by no means a bible, but it is a
guideline. All the tactics and techniques have been proven in
combat by one squad or another. Section 1 does not take any credit
for the information contained within. The information was learned
through the blood of the infantry squads in 3/5.
The entire evaluation has one underlying theme: Accomplish the
mission with the least amount of casualties possible.
Terrain and Enemy
Terrain:
The city of Fallujah, Iraq is unlike any city in which Marines have
trained for. The layout of the city is random. Zoning
distinguishing between residential, business, and industrial is
non-existent. An infantry squad could be clearing a house and next
door may be clearing a slaughterhouse or furniture wood shop.
The streets are narrow and are generally lined by walls. The walls
channelize the squad and do not allow for standard immediate action
drills when contact is made. This has not been an issue because the
majority of contact is not made in the streets, but in the
houses.
The houses are densely packed in blocks. The houses touch or almost
touch the adjacent houses to the sides and rear. This enables the
insurgents to escape the view of Marine overwatch positions. The
houses also are all made of brick with a thick covering of mortar
overtop. In almost every house a fragmentation grenade can be used
without fragments coming through the walls. Each room can be
fragged individually.
Almost all houses have an enclosed courtyard. Upon entry into the
courtyard, there is usually an outhouse large enough for one man.
The rooftops as well as a large first story window overlook the
courtyard. Generally, all the windows in the house are barred and
covered with blinds or cardboard restricting visibility into the
house.
The exterior doors of the houses are both metal and wood. The wood
doors usually have a metal gate over top on the outside of the
house forming two barriers to breach. The doors have two to three
locking points. Some doors are even barricaded from the inside to
prevent entry. There are generally two to three entrances to the
house. The entrances are the front, the kitchen, and the side or
rear.
The interior doors are also made of metal and wood. The differences
between the interior and exterior doors are the strength and
durability of the doors. Interior doors only have one locking point
and most of them can be kicked in. All doors inside and outside of
the house are usually locked and must be breached.
The layout of all the houses is generally the same. Initial entry
in the front door leads to a small room with two interior doors.
The two doors are the entrance to two adjacent open seating rooms.
The size of the rooms varies according to the size of the house. At
the end of the sitting rooms are interior doors that open up into a
central hallway.
The central hallway is where all the first floor rooms lead and it
contains the ladderwell to the second deck. The second deck will
contain more rooms and an exit to the middle roof top. The middle
roof top will have an exterior ladderwell leading up to the highest
rooftop.
Enemy:
The two types of insurgents that the squads are engaging will be
labeled the Guerrillas and the Martyrs in this evaluation. The
Guerillas are classified by the following principles:
1. Their purpose is to kill many Marines quickly and then evade.
They DO NOT want to die. Dying is an acceptable risk to the
Guerillas, but their intention is to live and fight another
day.
2. The tactics used are classic Guerilla warfare. The Guerillas
will engage Marines only on terrain of their choosing when they
have tactical advantage. After contact is made the Guerillas will
disengage and evade.
3. Their evasion route normally is out of sight of Marine overwatch
positions.
The Martyrs are classified by the following principles:
1. The Martyrs purpose is to kill as many Marines as possible
before they are killed. Time does not have any significance. The
Martyrs want to die by the hands of Marines. The final outcome of
their actions results in dead Marines as well as their death.
2. Their tactics directly reflect their purpose. The Martyrs will
make fortified fighting positions in houses and wait. Marines will
come, they will fight, and they will die in place.
Both the Guerillas and Martyrs employ the same weapons. The weapons
used are mostly small arms, grenades, and rocket propelled grenades
(RPGs). The Martyrs have used heavy machine guns and anti-air
machine guns, unfortunately, with good effects.
The battle positions and tactics that the both employ are somewhat
similar. The major differences between the two are the egress route
and the fortifications. Guerrillas have an evasion plan, while the
martyrs do not. The Guerrillas normally do not have fortified
positions.
Marines have been engaged from mouse holes within the house,
Guerrillas shooting down from the rooftops when they are moving
into the courtyard, Guerrillas and Martyrs shooting and throwing
grenades down the ladderwells, in second deck rooms that are
fortified or blacked out, and upon breaching of interior doors.
Martyrs have emplaced machine gun positions in rooms facing down
the long axis of hallways.
The egress routes the Guerrillas use are preplanned and
well-rehearsed. They move in groups and withdrawal perpendicular to
Marines forward line of troops (FLOT). Their movement is through
windows of houses, down back alleys, and from roof to roof (only
when obscured from Marine overwatch positions). The routes minimize
exposure in the streets. Escape routes do not cross streets that
run perpendicular to the FLOT, only parallel. This is done because
Marine snipers during 2nd Battalion/1st Marines (2/1) attack last
April devastated the insurgents when attempting to cross those
streets. If contact is made with Guerrillas and the block is not
isolated on all four sides then their chance of escape increases
exponentially. Isolation of the block is absolutely necessary in
order to prevent any squirters.
Overall, the enemy has adapted their tactics and techniques in
order to maximize their strong points and hit Marines when they are
the most vulnerable. They have learned from 2/1s attack last
April. This is common sense, but it must be said in order that
Marines realize the enemy they are fighting is somewhat
intelligent. In MOUT it only takes a miniscule amount of
intelligence in order to create massive amounts of
casualties.
Squad Tactics
Squad Movement:
During house to house detailed clearing attacks, squads must
minimize exposure in the streets. The streets, especially in
Fallujah, can become a death trap if a squad is engaged. The squad
should run from house to house in a stack with all elements
(security, assault, and supporting) in their appropriate position.
In the street the stack should be slightly staggered like a tight
tactical column. The Marines should have some dispersion, and the
pace of the running should not be so fast that the Marines are
uncontrolled and not maintaining all around security. As soon as
the point man/one man reaches the courtyard breach the stack should
close the gaps of dispersion and swiftly move to accomplish their
tasks.
All danger areas while on the move must be covered. Security must
be three-dimensional and all around. Each Marine in the stack looks
to the Marines to his front, assesses danger areas that are not
covered, and then covers one of them. If every Marine does this
then all danger areas will be covered.
Top Down verse Bottom Up Assaults:
An infantry squad can assault structures using two different
methods. Traditionally, the top down assault is taught as being the
most ideal method for clearing a structure. Realistically, this may
not be the best option for the infantry squad. Below are the
advantages and disadvantages of both top down and bottom up assault
methods.
Top Down:
Advantages-
1. Surprising the enemy by moving from the top down may throw the
enemy off balance. The enemys defenses may not be prepared for a
top down assault and the squad could overwhelm the enemy
rapidly.
2. The squad has more momentum when moving down the
ladderwells.
3. If the squad knows that the enemy is inside the roof can be
breached in order so grenades and explosives could be dropped on
top of the enemy.
4. The enemys egress routes are greatly reduced because the squad
can isolate the house by holding security on the back alleys and
the front of the house from the roof.
Disadvantages-
1. Once the squad makes entry and contact is made, pulling out of
the structure is extremely difficult. This limits the options for
the squad leader on how to engage the enemy. The structure must be
flooded and Marines have to go overtop of casualties in order to
kill the enemy. Momentum must not be lost. Marines have been left
behind in houses because the momentum was lost.
2. If the squad decides to break contact they are moving opposite
of their momentum and more casualties will result.
3. Marine squads may not have enough Marines to effectively flood
the structure.
4. If casualties are taken they are nearly impossible to pull up
the ladderwell with all their gear and a limp body. This is another
reason why the structure must be flooded.
5. The casualties will not receive the immediate first aid because
the entire squad must be committed to neutralization of the threat.
The swiftness of medical attention may mean the difference between
life and death.
Bottom Up:
Advantages-
1. The squad leader has a slew of options when contact is made. The
structure does not have to be flooded.
2. Momentum can be maintained in assaulting or breaking contact and
the squad leader can switch rapidly from one to the other
relatively quickly.
3. The structure can be cleared with fewer Marines because the
clearing is more controlled and smooth whereas top down is always
in high gear.
4. Casualties can be pulled out faster and easier simply because
gravity is working for the squad.
Disadvantages-
1. The squad is moving into the enemys defenses. It is easy for
the enemy to hold the second deck and ladderwell.
2. The squad is slow moving up the ladderwell which makes it harder
to maintain momentum.
3. The enemy has the ability to escape by using its preplanned
routes.
Overall, there should not be a standard assault method. Rather the
squad leader should understand the advantages and disadvantages of
each, assess each structure quickly, make a decision on which
method to employ, and then take actions that maximize its
advantages while minimizing its disadvantages.
Gaining Footholds:
Footholds are extremely important. By establishing footholds the
squad establishes strongpoints during the assault that can be used
for consolidation, coordination, base of fire positions, rally
points, and casualty collection points. The squad must move from
one foothold to another, never stopping until each foothold is
attained.
The succession of footholds that the squad establishes will be
different when assaulting from either the top down or the bottom
up. The following footholds should be seized in this order when
assaulting from the top down:
1. All rooftops
2. The inside top deck
3. Each individual lower level to the bottom deck
4. The courtyard
The footholds seized when assaulting from the bottom up are in the
reverse order. They are the following:
1. The front courtyard
2. The first two seating rooms
3. The central hallway
4. Each successive upper deck with its respective rooftop
5. Uppermost rooftop
At each individual foothold the squad can consolidate and
coordinate its further clearing of the structure. If contact is
made the footholds can be used to establish a base of fire in order
to assault or break contact. When breaking contact they are used as
rally points in order for the squad and fire team leaders to get
accountability of all their Marines. The squad will bound back
through each foothold. A foothold can also be used as a casualty
collection point.
Structure Clearing:
Types of entry
During the assault on a structure there are three different tactics
that the squad can use for entry into the structure. The three
types of entry are dynamic, stealth, and subdued. The dynamic entry
is violently aggressively from start to finish. The commands are
verbal and yelled. The squads lead by fire placing one or two
rounds in every door that is closed or window that is blacked out.
Fragmentation grenades, stun grenades, and flashbangs are used. At
night, surefire flashlights are employed in order to clear. The
movement of the squad is swift and overwhelming for the enemy
inside.
The stealth entry is exactly the opposite of the dynamic entry. The
squad breaches quietly, moves slowly, speaks only in whispers, and
listens for any movement within the house. There is extreme
emphasis placed on initiative based tactics (IBT). During night
clearing, night vision goggles and PE Q-2s are used instead of
surefire flashlights. The stealth entry confuses the enemy on
exactly where the squad is in clearing the house and allows the
squad to maintain the element of surprise.
Subdued entry is a combination of the two previous types. The squad
moves quietly until they encounter a room. Upon entry into the
room, Marines are violently aggressive. After the room is cleared,
the Marines switch back to the stealth method of entry. This type
of entry allows the squad leader to control the rate of clearing
while maintaining some element of surprise.
It is important to note that squad leaders must vary the type of
entry. The squad must constantly mask its movement through every
form of deception that may confuse the enemy inside the building or
room. It is up to the entire squad to use its imagination and vary
their entry tactics and techniques as much as possible. The
objective is to keep the enemy off balance and not allow him to get
into the squads rhythm.
Breaching
There are three types of breaching that were used in Fallujah. The
types of breaching are mechanical, ballistic, and explosive.
Mechanical breaching of the exterior walls of the courtyard or gate
was mostly done by amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), tanks, D-9
bulldozers, or HMMWVs.
Sledgehammers and hooligans were used to breach both the metal and
wooden doors of the house, but this was and is not the preferred
method for breaching. Sledgehammers and hooligans are slow and they
require the breacher to stand in front of the door being breach.
Obviously, standing in front of the door allows the enemy to engage
the breacher through the door.
Ballistic breaching was used mostly on exposed pad locks. Both
M16A4s and shotguns were used. The M16A4s were employed because
there was not enough shotgun ammunition for the amount of locks
that had to be breached. They were fairly effective on first round
breaching of pad locks if the round was placed near the center. The
M203 was also used for breaching. Squads would breach doors of
houses that were 50 to 100 meters in front of their position with
the M203. It worked extremely well on the exterior metal
doors.
The last type of breaching employed was explosive. A multitude of
charges were used in order to breach walls, gates, exterior doors,
and interior doors. Some of these will be discussed later in this
evaluation.
An important principle in breaching that was learned is the Marine
making entry is NEVER the breacher. The breacher should always fall
in the back of the stack and never go in first. Marines have died
because they followed there own breach.
Speed is the most significant factor in all types of breaching. If
one method of breaching is not working then the breacher must
quickly transition to a different type. Standing in front of a door
and beating it with a sledgehammer for ten minutes is unacceptable.
The breacher must be able to employ different methods. The squad
leader must ensure that the breacher has the necessary equipment
and explosives for each method. Every time the squad is stalled
because of a breach it is placed in a vulnerable position.
Breaching swiftly and effectively is necessary in order for the
squad to maintain momentum.
Movement of the Squad within the Structure
Within the structure the squad should move from one foothold to
another. The initial foothold is established by the security
element. The security element rolls into the courtyard or rooftop
and clears every room on the outside. The assault element proceeds
directly to an entry point to prepare for the breach. The support
element falls in trace and makes the breach.
After the breach is made the assault element makes entry and clears
the first two sitting rooms simultaneously by splitting the stack
or clears the entire top deck. The support element will assist the
assault element by peeling off and clearing rooms or breaching any
doors. Security will be left at the courtyard or rooftop foothold
in order to isolate the structure and secure the squads egress
route. Security can be maintained by only two Marines. The rest of
the security element will fall in the stack.
After the initial foothold in the structure the stack will
consolidate and then advance and clear to the next foothold. The
succession will continue until the entire structure is
cleared.
At all times the squad will move by using IBT and adhere to its
principles which will be addressed later. No Marine should make an
uncovered move. The squad should move at a pace that is swift, but
controlled, exercising tactical patience.
Actions upon Enemy Contact
The squad leaders options for actions upon enemy contact vary
according to where the squad is in its clearing and whether any
casualties have been taken. In any contact, the squad and squad
leader have two priorities. The two priorities are eliminating the
immediate threat and pulling out any casualties. More often than
not, the two priorities are connected because in MOUT the enemy is
usually close (within feet) and the enemy fire has wounded a
Marine.
If contact is made in the courtyard or rooftop the squad should
break contact, isolate the house or block, and call in supporting
arms (tanks, tracks, etc.). There is no reason to place Marines
into the building until it is thoroughly prepped.
If contact is made in the house then the squad leader must quickly
evaluate the situation and decide the best course of action.
Generally, the squad leader has the following three options:
1. Break Contact - Breaking contact is more of an option during the
bottom up assault because of the difficulties in changing the
momentum during the top down assault. If casualties are taken or
the enemy resistance is strong then this may be the best action for
the squad leader to take. Upon breaking contact the squad will
bound from one foothold to another getting accountability of all
Marines and ensuring that no Marine is left behind. When leaving
the house the squad can place a satchel charge or another explosive
device in order to bring down the house or burn the enemy
out.
2. Flood the House - Squad leaders may choose to flood the house
with Marines if a casualty is taken during the top down assault or
if the enemy threat is not significant. Casualties cannot be
dragged up the stairs quickly, therefore, Marines must neutralize
or suppress the threat in order to extract the casualties. In some
situations the only way to do this may be to flood the house.
3. Hold the Last Foothold and Clear by Fire - Footholds are
strongpoints where the squad can fight from. At the foothold
Marines can return fire, throw grenades, and use explosive devices
to neutralize the enemy. After the enemy has been damaged the squad
can move in and clear the house. If the roof top is the foothold
the squad is holding, then the roof could be breached by a
directional charge. Grenades or incendiary devices can be thrown
into the structure flushing out the enemy.
CASUALTIES MUST NEVER BE LEFT BEHIND! The squad leader must ensure
that every Marine moves with a buddy. Each buddy is responsible for
pulling the other out of the fight if he goes down. The squad
leader and fire team leaders must have accountability for all their
Marines at all times. There is no excuse for Marines being left
behind in a building while the squad pulls out.
Organization of the Squad:
Some squad leaders in the battalion split their squads in two and
assigned different sectors to the two different parts. They did
this to move faster through the houses because they were tasked
with clearing a lane that may have contained up to fifty or sixty
houses. Although this worked and the squads moved faster through
their assigned sector it is not the best employment of their squad.
The following reasons are given on why splitting the squad is not
advisable:
1. If the squad contained twelve Marines and is split in two that
leaves two teams of six Marines. Clearing a structure with six
Marines, even though the house is small, is extremely risky. If a
buddy team of two Marines got hit and went down there would not be
enough Marines to provide covering fire while pulling the
casualties out. Critical seconds would be wasted waiting for the
other team of the squad to come in the house and support the
extraction of the casualties. The chances of wounded Marines
getting left behind increases exponentially.
2. If contact is made by both teams simultaneously then the squad
could be cut down in a piecemeal fashion within a matter of seconds
before other squads could even move to reinforce.
When the squad leader organizes his squad he must think about enemy
contact always. Squads must not be split in order to increase the
speed of clearing. Commanders should not put stress on the squad
leaders to clear at a speed that would force the squad leaders to
split their squad. Tactical patience must be exercised at every
level.
The squad should be organized by using the traditional three
elements of assault, support, and security. The amount of Marines
contained within each element will vary according to the squads
number of Marines, the skills and abilities that each individual
Marine possess, and the weapons systems that each Marine employs
(M249 SAW, M203, and ACOG scoped M16A4s).
The assault element must contain no SAWs if that is possible. A
SAW gunner must never clear rooms. The assault element should
contain the most number of Marines because every room must be
cleared with two Marines. The support element will supplement the
assault by falling in the stack and peeling off to clear
rooms.
Support should include any engineers or assaultman attached to the
squad. A SAW gunner should be included in this section in order to
provide massive firepower in the house if contact is made. The
corpsman is also located in support because he can use his shotgun
to breach as well as provide quick medical attention to casualties.
The support section will fall in the stack behind the assault
element to assist in any way.
Security should contain the other remaining SAWs in the squad. The
security element is responsible for clearing and securing the
courtyard or rooftop foothold prior to the assault element moving
to the entry point. When assault and support make entry into the
structure, two Marines are left behind to isolate the house
(rooftop) and secure the squads entry point. The rest of the
Marines will fall in the stack behind the support section. The
security Marines will hold security on all danger areas (mostly the
stairs) when the assault and support are clearing each
foothold.
Squad leaders must appoint each fire team leader as an element
leader. There are no longer fire teams, only assault, support, and
security sections. Each element leader will maintain accountability
for his section. It is easier for the squad to maintain this
organization until the attack is completed and then the traditional
four-Marine fire team can be reinstated. The squad leader should
emphasis unity of command and succession of command should the
squad leader become a casualty.
Squad Communications:
Inter-squad communication between the Marines in the stack is both
verbal and visual. Simple, clear, and universal language should be
used. Universal language is words and phrases that are standardized
so every Marine understands the other. Words and phrases such as,
Hold right, clear left, and, Frag out.
The one man should describe to the stack what he is seeing. In
other words, the one man verbally paints the picture for the stack
behind. Marines in the stack should be listening not talking.
Talking should be kept to a minimum.
After Clearing-Continuing Actions:
After the structure has been cleared the squad must immediately
conduct the detailed search of the house for weapons. The search
must be quick but thorough leaving nothing untouched. Weapons were
found in every conceivable place, underneath couches in the
cushions, in between piled up blankets, etc.
Another continuing action would be to render the interior and
exterior doors unable to close. This will help if the structure
needs to be recleared later. Marines will use their creativity to
think of ingenious ways to accomplish this task.
Mission or Time has Priority:
In detailed clearing attacks, time should never be the priority.
Marines should never be rushed because they become sloppy and are
forced to create shortcuts in order to accomplish the mission under
the time restraints. This does not mean that the squads shouldnt
be pushed. This means that a realistic timeline for the attack
should be made; a timeline that takes into account the overwhelming
task of clearing multiple blocks of houses that may contain platoon
sized elements of insurgents.
Individual Techniques and Tactics
Training:
Training is continuous, whether in a combat zone or not. The
responsibility of the squad leader is to ensure his squad is combat
ready. The individual Marines in his squad must be continuously
trained otherwise the Marines will lose proficiency in MOUT skills
learned through experience during the attack.
Training does not have to be physical, it can be verbal. The most
effective training in this environment is for the squad leader to
sit down with his squad and talk. The squad should run through
combat scenarios and have individual Marines tell the squad what
their jobs are and how they will do it. Communication between
Marines can be practiced by talking through universal language,
such as, Open door right, closed door left, or, Peel right, and
telling each other what is meant.
All Marines must exercise initiative during combat. Squad leaders
must design training techniques in order to stress initiative.
Marines must be able to look around, assess what his squad or
partner is doing, feed off it, and act in order to support them.
Initiative based training is paramount.
Constructive criticism should be encouraged. Every Marine debriefs
each other, telling good and bad observations. The squad leader
will also be critiqued by his Marines in an appropriate fashion.
The criticism is not meant to undermine the squad leaders
authority. It is to allow the squad leader to instruct the Marines
on why he chose to run the squad the way he did. Young Marines will
gain knowledge about squad tactics that they may never have figured
out if the squad leader did not tell them. It will prepare them for
leadership billets. It will also give them confidence in their
squad leader because they will trust him and his knowledge.
Techniques:
Techniques that individual Marines need to be taught and practiced
are the following:
1. Pieing off all danger areas. Even before entry into a room as
many danger areas as possible should be pied off leaving only one
or two corners that need to be cleared. Dont blindly rush into a
room, especially if the door is opened.
2. Using the buddy system. Two Marines always peel off the stack,
never one.
3. Picking up uncovered danger areas, including when opening doors
to furniture when it can fit a man inside.
4. Clearing obstacles, such as furniture.
5. Prepping rooms with grenades.
6. If the room is too small for two Marines or not enough Marines
are clearing the house to hold security on all the danger areas,
the two-man turns around and covers the rear of the Marine clearing
the room.
7. Moving stealthily through a structure even with broken glass on
the ground.
8. Making a stealth entry with NVGs and PEQ-2s.
9. Making breaching charges and placing them on the locking points
of different types of doors.
These are just some of the techniques that need to be practiced and
passed on to younger Marines.
Tactics:
Initiative based tactics (IBT) should be taught. There are four
rules of IBT.
They are the following:
1. Cover all immediate danger areas.
2. Eliminate all threats.
3. Protect your buddy.
4. There are no mistakes. Every Marine feeds off each other and
picks up the slack for the other. Go with it.
Every Marine needs to understand and memorize the rules governing
IBT. These rules should not only apply to MOUT, but all small unit
infantry engagements. Rule number four must be pounded into the
squad. There are no mistakes when clearing a structure in combat,
only actions that result in situations; situations that Marines
must adapt to, improvise, and overcome in a matter of
seconds.
Supporting Arms
Throughout contemporary American military history there has not
been any opponent that could not be overwhelmed by American
supporting arms. The United States Marine Corps has historically
been an innovator with the employment of supporting arms. The
Marine Corps created the concept of close air support (CAS) in
Haiti during the Banana Wars, helicopter envelopment in Korea, and
the combined arms team portrayed in the modern Marine Air Ground
Task Force (MAGTF). Fallujah has been another proving ground for
American supporting arms. The insurgents were completely
overwhelmed by the massive indirect fires and close air support on
the first two days of the battle.
At the squad level the results of the fires were felt through the
type of enemy they encountered. The enemy dug in deep into the
houses, not allowing themselves to get caught in the open. The
infantryman of 3/5 have learned the advantages and disadvantages of
fixed wing CAS, rotary wing CAS, tanks, combined anti-armor team
(CAAT), AAVs, artillery, bulldozers, and 81 and 60 mm mortars
through practical experience.
Fixed wing CAS is an enormous weapon that has great effects on the
ground. The major problem with it is the amount of time it takes to
get bombs on target. It took entirely too long for bombs to be
dropped when Marines were in contact. The minimum safe distance of
the ordnance was too great in order for even the block to be
isolated and that allowed the enemy to escape countless times.
Fixed wing CAS should be used for deep targets. It should not be
used when Marines have isolated the structure and trapped the enemy
inside. A tank or CAAT section can be more effective Marines do not
have to be withdrawn from the cordon.
In contrast to fixed wing CAS, rotary wing CAS was extremely
timely, but the effects on target were not extraordinary. The
hellfire missiles used did not bring down entire structures, but
they did do some damage.
By far the best two supporting arms used were tanks and CAAT. Tanks
and CAAT were the infantrymans best friend. The battle would have
been incredibly bloodier if it hadnt been for tanks and CAAT. The
tanks were able to provide a 120 mm direct fire weapon on the spot
of any contact within a matter of minutes. The thermal sites were
able to pinpoint exact position of snipers and then effectively
neutralize them within seconds. CAAT was able to use its M2 .50
caliber machine guns and Mk19 grenade launchers to breach as well
as destroy buildings were fire was received from. CAAT also helped
the squads by clearing the buildings that lined the street in their
lane. The infantry should never attack in MOUT without tanks or
CAAT.
Mortars and artillery proved effective by forcing the enemy to stay
in the houses and not allowing the enemy to fight the Marines in
the streets.
Demolitions
The variety of explosives used during the fight for Fallujah will
not be mentioned here. The few that will be explained have a common
theme of being obscure and may be forgotten if they are not written
down. Each explosive device was developed in response to the
enemys tactics and has been proven to work.
The following is a list of explosives, a description, and their
uses:
1. Eight Ball - 1/8 stick of C-4 - Used for breaching both
interior and exterior doors, effective and doesnt use a lot of
C-4
2. House Guest (Named by 2nd squad, 1st platoon, I Company) -
Propane tanks placed in the central hallway with C-4 used to ignite
it, creates a fuel air explosive - Used for bringing down a house
when contact is made inside, propane tanks must be full
3. A 60 or 81 mm white phosphorous mortar round, wrapped three
times with detonation cord and a 1/4 or 1/2 stick of C-4 - Used
when contact is made in a house and the enemy must be burned
out
4. Molotov cocktails - one part liquid laundry detergent, two parts
gas - Used when contact is made in a house and the enemy must be
burned out
All Marines should be familiar with explosives and proper placement
of the charge for breaching. Any Marine should be able to cut time
fuse, crimp a blasting cap, and put the blasting cap in C-4.
Randomness of Tactics and Techniques
The infantry squad must have a tool box of tactics and techniques.
The squad should not fall into a pattern were they become
predictable. Being predictable allows the enemy to prepare and
modify his tactics in order to exploit the squads weaknesses. The
squad must be trained well enough to flow through or combine each
tactic and technique fairly easily. Marines must use their
imagination to think of ways to vary their tactics. The enemy must
be kept off balance by changing, at random, squad tactics. For
instance, vary the method of entry into the structure, lead by fire
then dont, assault top down then bottom up, dont use the same
entry point every time, throw a fragmentation grenade on the middle
roof then assault bottom up. Avoid patterning by all means.
Combat Mindset
Preparing Marines for battle is a difficult task for the squad
leader. Squad leaders must be the rock and drill into his Marines
that no Marine will be left behind. Marine combat infantrymen
understand the meaning of Semper Fidelis. No Marine is left
behind.
Marines have to prepare mentally for casualties and be able to
rebound quickly in order to kill the enemy swiftly to prevent more
casualties. The old saying, Anything that can go wrong, will, is
always in effect in combat.
Every time a squad makes entry they should expect to make contact.
Surprise, speed, and maximum violence wins small unit battles.
Marines and leaders need to make quick decisions on the move and
under fire, always remembering unity of command.
In combat, Marine leaders are required to stand up and take charge.
Unfortunately, sometimes there are too many chiefs and not enough
Indians. The chief syndrome will create mass confusion on the
battlefield. Being a good combat leader sometimes means stepping
back and allowing the Marines to do their jobs. Platoon commanders
must allow squad leaders to lead their squads, squad leaders must
allow element leaders to lead their elements, and element leaders
must allow their Marines to take initiative.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this evaluation is nothing more than a guideline for
infantry Marines. Squad leaders should take this evaluation, study
it, critique it, give it to their squad, have them study it,
critique it, and then sit down together to discuss it. The tactics
and techniques contained in the evaluation were gained at an
enormous price. Marines were killed on the field of battle
developing these tactics. It is the duty of every Marine
infantryman to not allow these lessons to die with time. This
evaluation is only one step in passing on the knowledge.