At the National Training Center, mechanized infantry formations represent some of the hardest working Soldiers on the battlefield. Capable of clearing restricted terrain ahead of mounted armor formations, seizing and controlling urban areas, and providing support to enable myriad other operations, the four mechanized infantry companies in an Armor BCT often find themselves struggling to keep up with the demands for their formations’ capabilities. For Stryker BCTs, the speed of the Stryker platform combined with the power of anti-tank equipped dismounted formations poses a unique challenge to the enemy. Yet, often, because they overlook some very fundamental tasks, units fail to realize the true power of these formations.
Boresighting
Observation
MILES rules the battlefield at the National Training Center. OC/Ts have observed that frequent and proper boresighting at the company level is directly correlated with lethality. Mechanized Infantry Companies that integrate boresighting into their timeline and conduct it prior to LD or while in the defense at least twice daily have a higher success rate because they are able to destroy enemy targets out to their weapon systems’ (25mm Bushmaster, 7.62mm COAX, TOW, etc.) maximum effective ranges. Companies that boresight at 300m are not effective as they are not accurately sighting for the weapon’s maximum effective range. Additionally, units often forget that every ABCT is equipped with 125 M3 Bradleys, each readily carrying two TOW missiles – the ability to destroy up to 250 Armor vehicles at a range of 3750 meters. SBCT anti-tank missiles systems are just as overlooked many times.
Best Practice
Units should boresight out to the maximum direct fire range of their weapon system to increase their lethality, regardless of weapon type. The Blackhorse OPFOR conducts boresighting operations multiple times a day and are, therefore, able to destroy Rotational Training Unit vehicles out to 3.5 kilometers and beyond on a routine basis. For home station training, companies should use their borelight kits and train on borelighting their weapon systems. This will build the muscle memory at the platoon and individual crew level and will also increase unit discipline to execute boresighting operations while executing Force on Force operations.
Javelin Proficiency
Observation
Company Level Command Launch Unit (CLU) and FGM-148 Javelin Weapon System proficiency has been lacking during multiple rotations. During National Training Center rotations, the RTU at the company level is often unsuccessful at defeating armored threats with their anti-tank weapons systems due to lack of familiarity with the weapon system and lack of preparation before NTC to integrate the Javelin teams within the maneuver elements. Companies have not deployed to NTC with a clear task organization of Javelin teams incorporated into their fighting squads. It seems to be an afterthought on who is going to comprise the Javelin team, or in most cases, a lone Javelin gunner. This is demonstrated throughout the rotation because a Soldier will end up carrying the CLU connected to the Javelin missile, rather than it being carried by a team of two.
Best Practice
Company/Troop Commanders should incorporate virtual Javelin training at home station into their training plans, as well as hands-on training on the CLU by all Soldiers within the Company, not just Javelin teams or Weapon Squads, ensuring that as many Soldiers as possible know how to utilize the system. Companies need to plan how they are going to carry their CLUs and Javelin missiles over rocky terrain, allowing their dismounted elements to move to the high ground with better observation and fields of fire.
Movement and Maneuver Planning and Execution
Observation
Movement and Maneuver, both mounted and dismounted, at the Company level is a particular weakness due to the vast distances involved, the open terrain units experience for the first time, and a lack of proper IPB conducted prior to the mission. Often Companies do not deliberately plan their tactical movements to the objective, which results in entire Companies of Bradleys or Strykers moving down MSRs in a file directly into the enemy’s engagement area – dismounts still on board. Company Commanders should conduct thorough Terrain Analysis and should brief what movement formations the company will move in and when they will change based on unrestrictive, restrictive, or severely restrictive terrain as well as probable enemy contact.
Best Practice
The transition from movement to maneuver is deliberate and always incorporated into the scheme of maneuver. Good Commanders conduct training at home station that focuses on tactical mounted maneuver both during daylight and hours of limited visibility through various types of terrain at the platoon level. This would allow drivers, Bradley/Stryker commanders, section leaders, and platoon leaders to see what proper spacing and movement formations look like. Commanders should also train the use of movement formations such as the platoon wedge, echelon left/right, traveling, and bounding overwatch, etc. through the same types of terrain so that the subordinate leaders learn when, where, and why to use each type of formation. Seemingly simple, affording your platoons the time to simply practice movement formations and techniques constitutes a step often overlooked by Commanders in home station unit training plans.
Dismounted maneuver, especially in open terrain, should also be trained further. Dismounted infantry can have catastrophic effects on enemy formations as they can easily move through severely restrictive terrain and are able to infiltrate enemy positions without being compromised. Commanders should deliberately plan their vehicle drop-off points (short of the objective, on the objective, or on the far side of the objective) and should ensure that their mounted elements are in a position where they can mutually support dismounted movement to the objective. Similar to the mounted maneuver training, commanders should conduct dismounted training through restrictive and severely restrictive terrain and should seek to integrate both mounted and dismounted maneuver into training. Doing this would allow commanders, platoon leaders, and section leaders to learn how to better control both their mounted and dismounted elements so they can always be in a position to mutually support each other.
POC: CPT Omar M. Cavalier, Tarantula 3A, Task Force Operations trainer, omar.m.cavalier.mil@mail.mil
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