AHOY,
If your reading this... you need to get over to my latest and greatest blog Newjarheaddean Rumor Board. Spelled with two (Ds). And you well find the "Tri-F in progress" post. I apologize for any inconvenience. G-day!
FRAGMENTED FIGHTING FACTS
Preface
last updated 05/03/09
This is my collection of combat notes. One might call it my anthology of combat tactics, techniques, methods and skills. The note taking began thirty-three years ago with the observation of 10 rules listed with in a book covering the French and Indian wars, entitled Roger’s Rangers. This preceded numerous sources including approximately one hundred books and about a dozen field manuals, of which a few were of WWII era. These were found at libraries, half price bookstores and garage sales. Since going on line in 2007, I have found material on web sites such as Bayonet strength, Defense and National Interest, Global security, Strategy page and Wikipedia.
Previously referred to as K.O.O.L.N. (acronym definition top secret) I have now titled my work Fragmented Fighting Facts or Tri-F; the name derives from the computer grammar function always alerting me to the fragmented nature of my sentences. This is due to the “just the facts, ma’am” manor the material is written i.e. there has been little if any effort to write in whole sentences or provide context. This is not to say there is no order with Tri-F, in fact there is a theme. I have laid out the information as one might expect a commander or members of a unit to recall it thus utilizing it to conduct a mission.
My original thoughts were to start with defense, due to the fact IMO a unit needs to be secure somewhere before it can go somewhere. However, I reasoned that well educated leaders with a solid plan is the bases of everything and one of the main reasons for setting up in the Defense to begin with i.e. to make plans. Therefore, we start with Planning, fallowed by the section on Defense, then there’s Preparations and conduct of patrols or PCP, and we end with Conduct of Engagements or COE, i.e. engagements being my word for shootouts. Each section of Tri-F consists of basic numbered rules, fallowed by detailed notes that either relate to, explain, or give examples pertaining to the basic rules. As with the general format of Tri-F, I have laid out each section’s basic rules, as one might need to recall them. This is most obvious in the last section COE starting with rule number one, Flash report, i.e. actions to take upon first contact with the enemy. This sections last basic rule deals with handling POWs.
Keep in mind this is a work in progress; I constantly discovering new information to add which in turn still at times requires rearranging things. At the same time, interestingly enough to me, I have not needed to rearrange my original order of the basic rules for quite some time. There are however, two instances where the detailed information fallowing a pair of basic rules became so similar I decided to combine the pair into one basic rule. These two occurrences are noted in footnotes. With my blog I plan on providing a “last updated” date at the beginning of every section, subsection or numbered basic rule, so patriots can fallow the progress with out having to read Tri-F in it’s entirety each time to stay current.
Out of all the information contained within this work, only an estimated 1% was taught to me while I was serving in the U.S.M.C. Moreover, to put a fine point on it, it’s worth noting I served in Charlie Company, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division, i.e. an Infantry unit. Before my discharge (after a two year cruse), I attended Jungle Warfare School in the northern training area of Okinawa (for two weeks), Mountain Warfare School in Korea (for one week) and Combat Town Camp Pendleton for MOUT training (for one day). I did not take part in any amphibious training nor did I ever go to Twenty Nine Palms for Desert Warfare training. We did ride around in AAVs once at Camp Pendleton. All in all I would say the only things I missed out on were a beach landing (at Coronado I believe) and a little sun burn, due to the fact that those twenty nine palms, I was told in the early eighties were all located at the gate of that base. Needless to say, the training did not impress me, and I now know it was not going to get any better as some suggested to me at the time, and still others later claimed that I should have just stayed in longer.
With my position on the lack of training, I do wish to make it perfectly clear that I do support the women and men serving in the U.S. armed forces. I also believe them to be as brave as any people on earth. My concern is in the way they are being sacrificed. I want people to understand my experience and IMO a lot of evidence suggest Uncle Sam intends to use his infantry in ways that dose not include training any generation in the art of traditional Guerilla combat tactics i.e. as a Commando would be. I am not talking about SWAT team close quarter tactics, like the Stick dynamic entry. That tactic should be called the “cluster fuck”. Just call that sort of tactic what it is NYPD (Cops T.V. show bad-boys, bad-boys) in Afghanistan. The problem is that that tactic was developed by police departments to deal with an objective occupied by drugged up party animals, i.e. untrained civilians. The police never use it in a spur of the minute situation. They use it when the house has been under constant surveillance for mouths in some cases and the police know all manor of information about everyone in the house and the structure and neighborhood in general. The cops choose a time when everyone is pasted out from partying the night before and have long lost any weapons (between the cushions or under the bed) they might have had on them as show peaces during the party. The primary reason for the large numbers of police in close proximity is to make sure the gang dose not think the raid is a rival gang “brake in” and thus resist in any way. There is lots of yelling too, thus reinforcing the message that no one is trying to be covert like one would be to get away with a crime.
This brings up an intriguing observation of mine; that being that by the book an assault should be made from the top down, yet the troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere use the Stick dynamic entry and usually enter from the front door, like a SWAT team, however resent high profile raids show the SWAT teams attacking from the top down. Examples you may recall are the raids on the Shinning path in Peru in 2000 and the Mumbai raid on the Jewish center in 2008. IMO this proves the existence of what I’ll refer to as a “need to know” training policy by various governments, the purpose being to limit the number of true Commandos that could become tomorrows rebels, apposing corrupt governments. One last thing about the Stick, IMO every single time the unit conducting one of these foolish Stick dynamic entries comes under fire i.e. runs into resistance, the Stick brakes i.e. the whole unit evacuates and awaits some kind of support form tanks, guns, tubes or air. Bottom line IMO the Stick is used as a probing tactic and is meant to be a moral boosting show peace tactic to make the unit feel as if it has taken a hill, which was nothing more than another empty building, that IMO Intel suggested, was the case before the entry was ordered.
It also seems to me that in light of the old saying “you can fight a war with bombs and blockades but only boots on the ground can win it” (that Uncle Sam has now revised, as fallows) “you can win a war with bombs and blockades, but only the infantry can end the war”, Uncle Sam has gone one more step and decided to use local i.e. indigenous people for the infantry role. It’s all similar to the Mujahideen not being allowed by various governments to return to their homelands after fighting the Soviets. And as for the U.S. and other Western nations, training foreigners to fight a counter insurgency goes. IMO this training includes nothing more than police procedures i.e. conducting investigations, forensics, searching individuals and buildings to collect evidence and yes serving warrants with the all mighty stick tactic. And of course, lots of “new innovative techniques and tactics” involving CAS and IMO (Old) high tech equipment the U.S. Military Industrial Complex wants to clear out of the warehouses.
All in all IMO Uncle Sam has chosen to put just about all his eggs in one advanced technology system, think Star Wars Storm Troopers or Matrix i.e. the Operator or Morpheus trying to guide Neo and others to safety. IMO it looks something like this; (x) unit go to (x) address, kick in front door, use stairs to your right, go south down hallway to (x) door, it is unlocked, interning room go to (x) window looking out window to the north you well see your target running though the neighbors garden. All this information provided by a fleet of satellites as well as Near space assets that are never mentioned by the media as current military assets and of course there’s the robots, UAVs and a flood of other covertly deployed sensors as well as covert eves dropping of any civilian electronic devices in the Area of operations. Thus in light of these and similar so called “new innovative, techniques and tactics” (notice the media and governments choice of words as if were talking Commando tactics i.e. why not use some new high tech terms the system is so eager to introduce us all to normally as a matter of routine), IMO Uncle Sam has placed the traditional Guerrilla combat tactics, on the back burner and is hoping they all go the way of other black arts. This is not just true of the infantry; let us take a peak at aerial combat. Dose anyone out there actually think today’s U.S. pilots are turning and burning, pulling high (G) maneuvers trying to hit the entry windows and get inside the bandits turn. Think any pilot has conducted a yo-yo or split S maneuver lately or made the choice between a single or two-circle fight. Now days it's all about stealth, ECM and missiles. IMO this is why the U.S. Navy is not concerned with not having a front line fighter equal to the USAF F-22 Raptor. An article I recently read on Strategy page mentioned a lot of talk about an F/A-18E at an air show displaying a little F-22 silhouette decal i.e. a simulated kill credit. IMO the F/A- 18E did not gun down that kill.
However if the electronics ever fail (maybe a shift in the axis of earths electromagnetic field, passed a certain point or perhaps a record size solar flare) IMO it well be the masters of the age-old Guerrilla combat tactics i.e. Tri-F basic rules that survive, keeping in mind “no one wins”.
I also wish, that those who join the various services where told all this up front i.e. “we do not intend to train you as a traditional Commando”.
Another thing I would like everyone to consider is that; what makes a Marine special is not the training she or he receives, no it’s the steel the youth demonstrates when they choose to join the Marines. Even when compared to the Special Forces, who are only specialists in their particular field, once again mostly high tech specialties and whose ranks are filled with older personnel that have already been serving and have graduated from a boot camp. Who are then usually chosen i.e. coached into changing their MOS. I am aware of the change in recruitment policy after 2001 allowing for direct entry into the S.F. IMO a rarity and IMO it is still not the same as just choosing to go to a Marine Corps Recruit Depot from the start.
Further more, to those who just well not accept the truth about the lack of training along the lines of traditional Guerrilla combat tactics. I can now say that I have exchanged comments with a number of Iraqi and Afghanistan combat vets. These comments can be found on the internet if you Google up my call sign, Newjarheaddean also spelled with one (D). IMO it is obvious that the tactics I speak of are news to the vets, some have made commits that proves in combat they were just winging it. And no, I don’t believe that all the vets are observing some kind of code of silence on these tactics including the vets who are against the wars. Unless everyone wants to say that YouTube and other internet companies are conspiring to edit all combat footage that shows these tactics being used and that, the vets are staging other videos that show them (albeit with great bravery) as armatures without a clue and winging it. If anyone ever sees video, showing the tactics listed in Tri-F being used, be sure and provide a link with your comment. I once saw a flash of film on CNN showing combat in Lebanon during the 1980s that showed some of these tactics being used by a Guerrilla fighter. I well also say I do believe that UAV footage is edited by the Pentagon to keep the public from seeing the few but well trained Taliban and other Guerrilla fighters that are using these tactics. Alternatively, maybe people think our professional highly trained well-equipped military is unable to defeat 10 – 20 thousand religious extremist amateur thugs in almost a decade of fighting. All the while killing at lease by my estimate 100 a mouth including dozens of top commanders.
Let me also say, on the numbers of U.S. physiological causalities i.e. WIA, IMO deserving of a Purple Heart. The Government portrays these cases as a result of fighting a war that is “unlike any other war we have fought before” (lol). Facing an enemy that is fighting in some mysterious and or cowardly manor that simply cannot be countered by military means. I believe the high numbers are a result of US forces fighting in a manor that is suicidal i.e. pointless and counter productive to the real world situation. Example; you have a young brave American ready to fight for the nation, while on patrol someone shoots at the unit from some building, everyone scrambles for cover, as they spray and pray, then after determining the location if they can, the commander calls in some sort of CAS, if someone’s brains have been blow out or the location is vague, a real “crowd pleaser” maybe used i.e. 2000 pounder. IMO this is how 90% of engagements (fought by regular infantry units) are resolved. Special Forces are now and in the feature more and more regular infantry well be using the Matrix. And to those that think this is the exception I say show me the number of WIA or KIA (On either side) by small arms fire i.e. during traditional firefights. Even if one includes sniper fire those figures are really low. So IMO after witnessing all the carnage and innocent civilian life being lost and receiving all those looks from the witnesses, it is the American that realizes it is his unit that is not fighting right. This is reinforced and really sinks in back in the states when the vet is asked to tell the Commando stories that never occurred and thus the vet must tell the truth i.e. give up the Commando reputation, keep it all inside or start lying. If the first option is chosen that unveiling reality is demoralizing and makes it all not worth it. If either one of the other chooses are made IMO the vet becomes the ticking bomb. And I can tell you all that many times, I have recalled being told once that “when you go home keep your mouth shut about the things we did. If you don’t you well be thought of as a liar or crazy and either which way your life well be over”. That First Sergeant was right, but like my daddy use to say, “He’s right but he dose not know why he’s right” i.e. IMO the First Sgt. thought of what we did in terms of remarkable heroic feats. However, IMO certainly since the beginning of the Vietnam era, it is the lack of training i.e. the manor in which our service women and men are fighting that keeps this tragedy going.
I would also suggest the vets of today are just like I was 25 or so years ago in the sense that they know there training is lacking, however, they just cannot explain what’s missing. Well I now know the tactics they and I should have been trained in and I can now say, “The PFC that told the Corp it was out of step, now has provided the proof”. What surprises me is that most vets it seems don’t care at all about the tactics I speak of and seem to view me as an unpatriotic “party popper” lol, when I’m just a U.S. Marine trying to improve the Corps and save lives. Bottom line IMO the infantry needs to consist of unmarried i.e. undistracted, NO CHILDREN, dedicated true professionals, trained in the tactics listed in Tri-F and many more I am sure exist.
And to those that say “chivalry is for the museums” I say “first we must have peace on earth”.
In summery I do encourage every Marine and any Warrior i.e. Commando types to read and study this information discussing and sharing it with others and me, thus making the most of it and forming your own conclusions. Above all, keep training and studying a side from the “new innovative techniques and tactics” taught by Uncle Sam, this can only saves lives. And Remember IMO it’s not just what you know it’s how competent you are and ultimately who is in the right that determines the victor. If nothing else IMO you well understand much more about how Uncle Sam’s enemies are fighting. And if the Matrix crashes (lol) or for any reason you find yourself up close and personal with those Bad-actors you well have a fighting chance.
QUALIFYING SUMMERY
I do not claim all the information stated in Tri-F is indeed a fact and should be fallowed like a gospel. Hence, the Three golden rules (IMO some of my most important original ideas) listed just prior to the Planning section. With Tri-F, I in fact predict one will find errors, especially with any of the numerical data or formulas; I just don’t have the basic math skills I should have picked up in grade school (when I was studying tactics lol) to double check such information. In addition, as already stated this is a work in progress, much of the information still needs editing i.e. organizing, rearranging of location, word changes or reduction. With Tri-F, only a few acronyms and or phases are listed in the order in which they were discovered. Quotes I would say have all been paraphrased.
I would also like to state that a few times repeat has accrued in Tri-F, reasons for this are that the information preceding the repeat did require context to answer a question or to make a point, especially when I was giving an example. Lastly, IMO some things are just worth repeating. That being said, my personal contribution here is the order i.e. format and condensed nature meaning no filibuster bull shit repeat I have found in every FM I ever read. In light of these attributes, IMO Tri-F is an extremely valuable tool for every Marine and any Commando or Warrior.
I am aware that some of this information may no longer apply, however I feel commonsense can determine if the rule, suggestion or data would no longer hold up. Many times people have questioned me about the validity of the basic rules; however, I did not make the vast majority of them up. As already stated I copied them from numerous sources many published by the U.S. printing department i.e. Field Manuals. There for let me remind everyone that these rules developed individually over the ages, some indeed going back as far as warfare itself. So to summarize IMO on average over the ages these rules have proven to be the best rules of thumb i.e. most beneficial to those waging war on battlefield earth.
Any additional information suggestions and especially corrections to any information will be greatly appreciated.
Semper Fi
NOTE; I felt a quick reference to general studying tips would be helpful to patriots in making the most of your time and efforts in learning Tri-F.
STUDYING
Setting; 1) Study in familiar area on regular basis. 2) Study in similar area as knowledge well be used.
3) All study material should be kept in area of study. This is to illuminate the distraction of having to go and get something.
4) Lighting, over left shoulder for right-hander, visa versa for left-hander, this is to eliminate shadows. Take care to eliminate glare to minimize fatigue. 5) Atmosphere, reduce sounds in background and perhaps put on some soft classical music, air, note temperature and circulation. 6) Posture, good promotes coordination and endurance. Avoid remaining in same position to long, move i.e. shift and stretch often or take brief walks.
Pour well stress muscles and joints, causing fatigue and repetitive stress injuries. As well as the position thus the functioning of organs especially in abdominal region. Setting correctly, monitor at eye level. Stomach in, wrist strait and level, forearms bent 90 degrees i.e. perpendicular to biceps. Knees level with or above hips. Feet flat on the floor. Slouching counter by keeping shoulders back and down. Imagine a head light in your chest that most always shine forward. Standing correctly there are three natural curves to the spine. The first is in the neck with it being curved slightly forward, referred to as the Cervical curve. Avoid the forward head posture (aka buzzard neck) by keeping your checks and collarbone in the same vertical plain. The second curve is in the upper back with it being curved slightly backwards, referred to as the Thoracic curve. The third is in the lower back with it being curved slightly forward, referred to as the Lumbar. As a result, the end product, i.e. your spine resembles a re-curve bow. Continuing with tips for standing correctly, you legs should be slightly bent at the knees. Balance your weight equally on both legs and feet. Constantly shift weight around to all four corners of your feet.
Preparations; 1) Clear your mind and relax. 2) Skim though material; check dates, content, forwards, glossaries, index’s, intros and prefixes to make sure information of interest is located within the material at hand. 3) Focus your concision attention; to set your thoughts to the subject at hand, by reviewing notes and asking yourself questions. Types of attention; immediate, i.e. automatic a heighten awareness. Can be activated or developed by scanning area with eyes and ears. Conscious, with your conscious attention it is necessary to feed it information to sustain the focus. Usually immediate picks out words or images of interest then conscious records relevant information. 4) Set goals; with immediate task, this could be deciding on what chapter to read to. With long-term goals, be patient success at multi small task can be better than going for one large goal at once.
Conduct; 1) Read critically; get a variety of opinions. Note average person reads 150 words per minute.
2) Retain meaning over exact wording; put notes in your own words. Do not study similar subjects consecutively. 3) Know the duration of subject i.e. length of speeches, classes etc; you tend to retain more information at the beginning and end of speeches, classes, meetings, movies etc. so by knowing the duration of the subject you can pay more attention during the mid point. Memory; Diet, some say it can help to eat more fish and nuts, Blue barriers are suppose to be excellent. Mind binders, this is braking up the normal routines to enhance recall for specific invents an example might be using your right hand to perform a task if you are left handed.
Types of memory; Episodic memory, this is history, personal and over all events such as conversations, schedules and plans. Procedural memory, physical skills i.e. typing, biking or martial arts. Somatic memory, math, combination's or phone numbers. Stages of memory; A) Recording, i.e. acquisition, receiving, input. Note on Distortions two types, passive, counter by avoiding, making predictions or having high expectations prior to classes, events or recording information on various subjects. Note on Dyslexia, it can be countered by closing one eye as you record numbers or other information. B) Retaining, i.e. storage. Note on retaining names; do not judge people negatively, and if person is just unlikable try thinking of them in comical terms. Match the name with rimming descriptive words. Use mediation link i.e. match person to actions, occupation, position, posture, or surroundings. 4) Use name as soon as possible and as often as conversation allows. Note on recognition of faces; pick out feature that stands out the most like eyes, glasses, hat, hair, ears, nose, etc. like a political cartoonist would. C) Retrieving, i.e. recall, output, usage. Note you tend to recall things the way you wish them to be, aka selectivity, example; bed, dream, night, rest, wake. Most people when asked to recall this list include the word, sleep. This is similar to what is referred to as word association. Example; ocean equaling Tide detergent, or broom equaling witch. That is to say, if a person is told a story including the word ocean then is ask to name a deterrent most people well name Tide. Also on Distortions, now active, this includes leading questions or statements i.e. planting idea that something has happened or is a fact when it has not yet been determined. Subliminal; this is manipulating the perception threshold of ones senses.
Principals of memory; 1) Interest, it is being motivated, timing and variety are very important. Do not over do i.e. push your self too far. 2) Relaxation, this involves staying calm, cool, collective, confident, concentrate on things do not worry about them. Avoid situations were your attention is divided. Eliminate all negative thinking, remember when emotions are high intellect is low and this dose work both ways. In fact, thoughts or ideas can reveal themselves as emotions thus resulting in actions in the feature. Sleep or meditation after studying can help retain information. 3) Repetition, in the short term this is repeating facts to yourself repeatedly. In the long term, this is reviewing data from time to time. 4) Organization, this involves keeping data up to date, relating new information to old and of course keeping things in some kind of general order. Note on list making, put things in progressive order according to time and place to compliment each other, i.e. chronologically. Imagery, this can involve using a familiar family room’s four walls and eight corners counting the floor and ceiling junctures. I use a one-foot equals a mile scaled world model and place information at the location it relates to. Develop a personal collection of abstract symbols, letters, words, acronyms, colors, shapes, street signs to use in your mental models. For instance with numbers you can use domino's. Also with numbers look for patterns i.e. doubles, triples, pairs or sequences of odd and or even digits. In addition, with imagery, when ever you are performing any kind of disassembly or construction task. You can interact with tools and parts, visualizing yourself in miniature. Visualizing yourself helping i.e. standing on parts, handling and positioning tools. With any imagery technique the more detailed, the better even to the point of bizarre i.e. completely out of proportion. Over all when it comes to recalling information, there are two so-called inhibitions of importance to note. Retroactive inhibitions; new information learned recently interferes with old. Proactive inhibitions; proactive because the interference is in the feature, old information effects the recall of new. Both inhibition types can be due to numerous similarities or vast differences in the data. 5) Meaningfulness, in other words how useful information is to you on a daily basis. 6) Familiarity, aka the Big picture i.e. the more you know about subjects the easier facts and data relate or fit into your over all knowledge of a given subject, thus becoming easier to retain. 7) Feed back, this is discussing information with others, comparing notes i.e. sharing or teaching. It is the number one aid to retaining information.
to be continued....
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