Urban Ops - Room Clearing

Building Clearing Techniques and Tactics Guide Instructors Guide 7CMBG HQ

Introduction
Welcome to the more detailed part of the room clearing module of the urban operations course. Here, we will go over in more detail on how to clear a building as effectively as possible. Keep in mind that ARMA limitations may make things difficult. That being said, this document has been written around things that were tested in game. The wording in the document is short as it is the in-game stuff that is important. It may take a few tries to get it done properly.

Training Overview
• Security & Recon / Assault & Support

• Preparations

• Crossing the Threshold

• Multiple Rooms on a Floor

• Multiple Floors

• Hallways

• Roof

• Summary

Security & Recon / Support & Assault
There are 3 teams you need to use when clearing a building:

Security & Recon
Set up security for a building or group of buildings you may be clearing. Whether it is a fire team or another section, you need to have security. This does a few things for you:

- Anybody trying to escape the building does not get away.

- You have a safe way to get out of the building if you need to.

- You have a recon element to warn you ahead of time.

- Isolates the sector to keep other enemies from entering as you clear it out.

After you clear the area around the building and set up security, you can begin preparations for going in and clearing it.

Assault & Support
The Assault team does the breaching and clearing. The Support team stays out in the hallways and cleared rooms to make sure they stay clear or help clear out injured personnel from the building. Building size and room size dictate what size each team should be. Small rooms make for a 2 man Assault team and big rooms may require 4. The teams should switch out roles as Assault and Supoprt to help with ammo consumption and speed. When one team exits a room after clearing it, they can use the support team who is already out there and ready to breach the next room.

An important thing for each team is to announce when they come out via direct comms or the 343.

"2 coming out!" 2 men are coming out of the room.

"4 coming out!" 4 men are coming out of the room.

Preparations
When you can, creating another entry way to enter the building is preferred. This keeps the enemy from having traps set for anyone who comes in. However, entering from a front or back door may be common due to time constraints.

With the security element set up, your team can begin stacking up on their entrance. Their are different ways to stack up:

- All 4 members of the team on the same side of the door. This is used when the door is open. You want the element of surprise so crossing the door is not possible.

- Team split evenly on both sides of the door. This is for when the door is closed. This allows for the team to see much more than with the whole team on one side.

When stacking up, make sure to avoid being seen. Carelessly letting your helmet appear in a window or walking in front of an open door is bad practice. When you stack up, each man going in is assigned numbers:

- Stacked on the same side:

Number 1 is the closest to the door.

Number 2 is directly behind number 1.

So on and so forth..

- 2 men on each side: The numbers alternate sides. Number 1 is the first guy going in and is the guy who first got to the door. Number 2 is his opposite on the other side of the door. Number 3 is the guy behind number 1. Number 4 is the guy behind number 2.

Number 3 and Number 4 guys are responsible for throwing in flashbangs, grenades, smoke, etc. They both don&#39;t have to do it, just one. You always want to have a grenade or something to throw into the room. If you don't, then pie the room at the door before going into it. If you pie the room, do not go back to the other side. Just use the split entry method.

How to Pie



 * For Instructor: Feel free to practice stacking up before moving on to the next section*

Crossing the Threshold


Figure A-42. Assault Group Clearing Team (Split)

One of the most dangerous parts of clearing a building is first entering it. Armed Assault does not allow your soldier to move at a quicker pace when he walks with weapon up. Because of this, the already daunting disadvantage you were at is made even greater.

With your team stacked, all that remains is for the team leader's call: "Team Ready?" "1 Ready! 1 going Right!" *1 calls the direction he is going. He should try to always take the path of least resistance. Basically, if he's coming in from the left of the door, he should go in a straight line to the right and vise versa. "2 Ready!" "3 Ready!" "4 Ready!"



Figure A-40. Cross Method of Entering and Clearing Rooms

As soon as 4 finishes saying he's ready, 3 or 4 (whoever is throwing the breaching item in) should throw it in. As soon as it goes off, the team should enter. This is where many teams get caught up. Things that usually happen: - Man gets caught in the door with his weapon. - Man stays in the doorway blocking others from entry. - A man is too slow in following in the guy in front of him.

When you enter, you need to enter as fast as possible. Basically, you should all be stacked up touching one another and enter the room touching one another until you break off to go your respective routes in the room clearing. If you do not enter as fast and close together as possible then there is a lapse in the coverage and the first man will be easily gunned down and so will those who follow him in.

Each man has a sector of responsibility. When they enter, they should focus on their sectors and move to quickly clear them. Sectors usually go "Corner, Corner, Center." Example, 1 enters the room by going right. He looks at the corner on the right closest to the entrance and then his eyes move to the next corner on the right side of the room as he moves. Finally his eyes end up in the center of the room after checking that corner. This is why the second guy must be right behind him. If there is a guy on the left in the corner out of 1&#39;s sector, 2 must be in there quick enough to pick him up and neutralize him. There will be occasions where you enter a room and there is a guy straight in the center. As you turn to the left or right to go to your sector, shoot him on the move. Do not stop to engage or you will end up putting your team in danger.







Multiple Rooms on a Floor
When there is another room connected to the room you&#39;re clearing, try not to cross it carelessly. Stack up on it and leave at least 1 man in the room to keep you from having to clear rooms you&#39;ve cleared already.

Multiple Floors
Going up stairs in ARMA the proper and safe way is near impossible in Armed Assault.

The solution is this: The security team outside uses an M203 launcher or M23 to launch CS gas or an HE round into the middle of the room. This is why the recon is important. This way, you know what it is in the room and whether or not you need to waste breaching items on a room. The launchers will put the round through glass if there is any on the window.



Figure A-50. Clearing a Stairwell

The man facing backwards is to check for things like claymores and traps of that nature as well as enemies. The man facing forward needs to pie the top of the stairs. Throwing a breaching item should be the last thing you try and do because items do not bounce consistently enough inside of buildings.

Hallways
Use the staggered column when traveling on hallways. This way, you can pie and see more into a room and have 2 guns ready to hit anyone who pops out.



Figure A-44. Positioning To Clear an L-Shaped Hallway



Figure A-45. Clearing an L-Shaped Hallway



Figure A-46. Clearing an L-Shaped Hallway (Continued)



Figure A-47. Positioning To Clear a T-Shaped Hallway



Figure A-48. Clearing a T-Shaped Hallway

Roof
The security element should be able to clear the roof if there is nowhere to hide up there. However, if there is cover up there, you need to clear it quickly like any room. Reason being is that you are no longer vulnerable to just any one in the "room", you are vulnerable to the rest of the town or city your platoon is trying to clear.

Summary
Practice this whenever you get the opportunity. It will make this process take a lot less time when everyone knows what to do. Know every role and do not get stuck on who's entering and who is in what position. Just stack and go.

This does not cover everything. As such, you may have to get creative.