Smart Movement

Smart Movement is a vital part of success for a CQ Op. Movement in CQ is swift and silent. There should always be a purpose for movement. Never move unnecessarily because it just puts your team in danger. When moving be sure to stay low and present as little of target as possible to the enemy. Running is usually a last resort. Quick and silent movements are preferred to running which is more noticeable and makes more noise. Of course if your team is compromised (discovered), running is required because you need to get some cover to engage and neutralize the packages.

Covering areas is a crucial aspect of movement. If you approach an open hallway, staircase, intersection or some form of open area, your team's movement needs to be covered. Hallways and intersections are the most commonly encountered obstacles. When moving across a "T shaped" hallway, the point man approaches the area and peeks around the corner. If a tango is there, the scout should neutralize the threat. If not, the scout should drop to a knee and cover the corner he just cleared. The next man in line should cross the open hallway and leave enough room for the rest of the team on the other side. Once across the other side, the OIC (second man in formation) is responsible for covering directly ahead of the way he just came. Once the point man gives the word, the next man crosses. He then aids the point man in covering the open area. The team crosses the open area one by one until the point man comes across and assumes the position of point and the "patrol" continues.

Clearing and covering corners

Clearing and covering corners is another important aspect of movement. If you approach a corner, the point man should tell the rest of the team they've reached a corner. The point man then "slices the Pie" on the corner. Slicing the pie involves maximizing the team members view while limiting the reaction time of the tango. Slicing the pie involves making a 90 degree movement around the corner. In other words, the point man takes a step back from the corner turns his body so his point of view is looking directly past the edge of the corner. He then side steps turning his body slightly as he moves to maximize his field of vision.

When encountering opposite corners as in the "T Shaped" hallway, you need to separate the team. The OIC and one other team member goes to the opposite corner as the point man. On a three count, the Point man and the OIC slice the pie at the same time which prevents the chance of a rear ambush. The man coupled with the OIC covers the OIC's movements remaining approximately three steps behind the OIC incase the OIC goes down. After both corners are clear, the OIC or point man decides which way to proceed and the team regroups and begins the "patrol" again.

Clearing Rooms

Clearing rooms can be very difficult. If you approach a room with an open door the team needs to set up on both sides of the opening. When moving across the opening, do not be detected. If you are, you're screwed. The point man should give warning to the team when he first sees the doorway and the team should act appropriately. When the team splits up, an assaulter should accompany the OIC to the opposite side of the door opening as the point man. On the OIC's order, the Point man swings in through the doorway making a 90 degree turn to his nearest side. For example, if the point man is on the left side of the doorway, he'll enter and turn left. Right after the point man enters, the OIC follows and turns to the opposite side of the point man. Be sure to make those turns 90 degrees because room corners are a favorite for tango campers. After the OIC, the next man on the point man's side enters and follows the same path as the point man but makes approximately a 60 degree turn focusing more on the center of the room. The next man on the OIC's side enters in the same fashion but follows the OIC's path instead of the point man. This continues until the entire team is in the room and the room is deemed clear by the OIC. Example of entry based on six man team: Point man goes left, OIC goes right, Corpsman left, 1st Assaulter right, 2nd Assaulter left, Rear Security, right.

Finally

A closed door is handled differently however. If a closed door is encountered, the point man and OIC line up on the opposite sides as before. The OIC moves first and positions himself on about a 45 degree angle opposite the door swing. In other words, if the door opens and swings left, the OIC will be on the right side of the doorway. The OIC then kneels and has his weapon trained (aimed) directly ahead into the open space laying beyond the door. The OIC must leave enough room for the door to open! The point man opens the door on the OIC's order. At about .5 seconds after the door is opened, the point man makes his normal entry procedure as above and the operation continues as normal with exceptions to the OIC and the 2nd Assaulter. Instead of the OIC clearing the room, the next man in the line, in the case above, the 1st Assaulter clears in the OIC's place. Everything goes accordingly except for the 2nd Assaulter who positions himself next to the OIC and covers the team's rear. Once the room is clear, the OIC and 2nd Assaulter move in with the rest of the team and the "patrol" continues.

An important point to remember is when clearing a room; do not engage targets of opportunity. Engage targets that lie in your path only. If you turn to shoot the package, you'll hit your own man before you hit the enemy. Strict fields of fire are required in order for this method of room clearing to be efficient. Rear should DT (double tap) each package in the cranial cavity as insurance.

These are US tactics on engagement.