FMA Combat Movement [long]..

Thus follows a long but hopefully interesting post with some points
interspersed...

I couldn't agree more with Tom's remarks on combat move variability. Nothing
happens as smooth or even half as smooth for real as in these games. Hell last
week we put some guys through a simple manuever, movement
to contact on a computer controlled pop-up range (where the targets fire
back too). The troops were a mixed bag, some infantry, even a pair of Rangers,
but from all various skills, all trying out for SF. They'd already had several
days of patrolling and had their immediate action drills, formations, hand and
arm signals, etc down pat. So we go out to the range, spend a few hours doing
two man buddy team movements (we call it IMT), you spot where you are going
next, roll left or right, hop up and run for 3 to 5 seconds (just say "i'm up,
they see me, I'm down") then roll into a new firing position. Once we're safe
that they aren't going to kill themselves or anyone else and the weapon is
controlled we walk down to where the drills will take place and I explain the
whole thing to them, and we go through the motions at slow speeds.

Once that's done, we go through a few iterations at normal speed, with no
blanks. When you first learn IADs you practice them usually just on an open
field where everyone can get the gist of what they're supposed to do. Now we
are in actual terrain, and everything becomes more complicated and movement
slower. However they know their movement formations, hand and arm signals etc
so it's a matter of applying basic principles to the right situation. Even
after doing it a few times there's still some cluelessness and every iteration
gets an AAR.

Once that's done, now we go to blank fire. All the little stuff that is
normally taken for granted when you see it in the movies now comes into play.
like:

1. If at any given second we are hit while moving, where would I drop for
cover?

2. How do we ensure that we keep up an even volume of fire so the whole fire
team doesn't empty their mags at the same time?

3. How do I whether my mags so I can get at them as quick as possible while
I'm in the prone trying to stay behind cover?

4. How do I actually change magazines smoothly and quickly.

5. What do I do with my empty magazines so that I can retain them after the
fight?

ANyway all this slows stuff up. Of course we have guys around behind the
troops (OCs and safeties) just to make sure noone is masking anyone's fire
with their movement and that noone is shooting anyone in the back. The first
days drills are specifically designed to be simple enough to minimize that but
within fireteams firing and maneuvering it's always a possibility. We of
course make the constant reminder that by the end of the day we'll b going hot
with live rounds and that these little black sticks can kill, and that most of
us SF guys have seen more than a few buddies killed doing this exact thing
throughout our career.. Everyone stares back sternly. Anyway after two or
three blank fires at full speed, a few guys are relieved of duty or switched
around. This one guy a truck driver trying out for SF, keeps shooting his
buddies in teh back. he's pretty much overwhelmed by teh complexity of it all.
At one point he seriously asks:

"Sergeant, why, if I have a safe position over here do I have to get up and
run forwards with the rest of the team where it's more exposed and dangerous."

We try to keep a straight face, after all if a civilian was asking that it
would be a logical question. But for me it's too much. "Lumpy (What we've
called him), that's the fuckin' business we're in. Now grab your shit and get
on the truck, I'm sending you to guard the gate to the range."

Anyway we do it a few more times and we're satisfied that it's time to go hot.
As a control measure i'm the squad leader on teh first day though we have
student team leaders.

I have a walking stick with me. In my best "Bridge too Far" British accent I
ask the OIC, "Sir, can we have a go at them?" He replies back in his best R.E.
Lee: "Sergeant if you will, please move those people off the ridge." Right
then, the squad shakes itself off into a column of fire team wedges
me in the middle. It's about 150-200 meter move to the first targets.
They know where they are but not exactly when they will pop up.

Observation One: Now with live bullets, everyone is moving more deliberately,
eyes wide open. The guy behind you is keyed up and carrying live rounds. The
targets are pop ups controlled by he computer, they are 3d in the shape of
Russians with AK47s and have pneumatic firing devices attached. (we could have
enabled MILES return fire but we 've chosen not
too). The targets go down every time they are hit and pop up with 5-8
seconds again. It they are hit three times in a row they stay down for good.
If they are not hit at all they will go down after 45 seconds.

The first engagement begins. Of course none can here anything but they know
more or less what's expected of them and how things will go. I shout till I'm
horse, using violent pumping actions and stick waving with my hand and arm
signals to move the squad. Three targets have popped up. they are engaged,
killed. Eventually they stay down for good as one team assaults, sweeping
across the objective. the support team follows. they immediately go into the
consolidate and reorganize drill (Ammo, Casualties, equipment). Then it's up
and off they go again.

AFter crossing a wire obstacles, some thick terrain and a gully we have teh
next contact. More shooting, more yelling. even though guys know the exact
drill and what to expect, they take a little longer since people are intent on
hitting targets. Sometimes they get tunnel vision. At one point I have to wack
someone with my stick to get their attention. Like Tom says, somone's in teh
middle of a MAg change when they're told to move, or someone trips and falls
requiring an extra bound. It's reasonable to assume that it least the buddy
teams will keep up with each other, but there is sufficient variation of
movement from bound to bound. Also sometimes the teams bound within buddy
teams, sometimes the whole buddy team bounds together while the other covers,
sometimes teh whole team moves at once while other teams cover. Situation
dictates.

ANyway that one ends and they consolidate and reorganize again just as an
enemy counterattack hits. They engage then we go into break contact drill.
Again teh blood goes up. I'm behind a tree between two fire teams, once has
reached the bank, and safety, and is laying suppressive fire for teh other,.
The B fire team leader begins to displace, but two guys are so intent on
stopping the horde before us that they don't respond to command. I whip my
stick at one, but I miss. The only thing for me to do is to run up there and
grab the two. This I do, and the teams bound out of contact.

Now another interesting point. All this time we've kept everyone firing on
semi. No automatic firing. The tower calls back the hits. 242 hits out of
about 700 rounds expended. That's pretty good for a live fire exercise with
guys that don't do this all the time. We have some extra rounds left, at least
a Mag a piece so we request the targets pop up again and we'll let the guys
fire full auto (in short controlled bursts of course) at the horde. Range,
maybe 75 meters. Out of about 400 rounds the targets are hit 48 times. It's an
excellent illustration about the differnce between auto and semi. One
suppresses, the other kills.

ANyway after an AAR we go through it again, and with similar but a little
smoother one the movement. By this time we've been out in the 95-100
degree central california sun for 8 hours (after they rucked 8 miles out to
teh range with 60 lb packs,) so everyone is smoked.

A good point is made. A lot of people think it doesn't take to be a grunt.
Sure that's true, if you are not interested in surviving. It's hard work, a
lot of thinking, common sense and intelligence into being a grunt that's going
to live through a hitch. These truck drivers, radio men, mechanics, cannon
cockers, MPs etc have now had a wake up call of what it's going to take to be
good. Hopefully they've also had an exhilarating experience. Despite teh
fatigue and heat, there's a little bit more spring in everyone step as they
ruck up and head back to teh barracks. The next day will be more of the same,
though with different drills, plus grenades, and Mgs but now the ramp up time
between drills will be faster.

Some points to make as it applies to FMA and gaming in general.

1. I think having a variable move as opposed to a set move is always more
realistic (ala combat move in SG2)

2. It's also reasonable that even in a skirmish game, that if you have
designated teams or at least buddy teams, that once combat move roll suffices
given the scale.

3. A team leader (given the size of SG squads they're really fire teams)
needs to ensure everyone is within atv least 10-20 meters of him MAX or
control will be very difficult. even radio comms will only improve this
slightly as we have discovered. Guys you are in charge of (If you are a
fighting leader) need to SEE you and be close enough for you to put your hands
on them if necessary. Even elites. Better to reflect them as having higher
firepower in smaller teams than to allow them greater distance between models
from the leader.

4. Despite the variability of moves, some common sense need apply. Like in the
city, you are crossing the street. You are either going to get all the way
across the street or die trying. No one would stop in the middle even if under
heavy fire. You fix your sight across teh street and run for
all your worth, no 3-5 second rush. This is a slight downfall to some
combat moves.

Cheers...