COMBAT FORMATIONS 1 COMBAT FORMATIONS Mission Terrain Situation

COMBAT FORMATIONS 1

COMBAT FORMATIONS Mission Terrain Situation Weather Speed Degree of Flexibility 2

BASIC COMBAT FORMATIONS • Unit Leader will determine the formation. • Formations may change frequently. • Do Not Mask the fire of the others. • Visual Contact will be maintained. • Change formations using shortest practical route. 3

MILITARY SYMBOLS READY TEAM FIRE ASSIST A 4

SQUAD LEADER SYMBOL 5

FIRE TEAM FORMATIONS COLUMN A 6

FIRE TEAM WEDGE A 7

FIRE TEAM SKIRMISHERS LEFT A 8

SKIRMISHERS • Maintain a minimum of 10 meters dispersion. • At night maintain visual contact • Use this formation when the location and the strength of the enemy are know. • Maximum fire power to the front. 9

FIRE TEAM ECHELON RIGHT A 10

ECHELON • Protect an open or exposed flank • Heavy firepower to the front and echelon flank. • All members will be in a forty–five degree angle to the rifleman • Squad leader will position himself where he can best control his Marines • Maintain visual contact with each other 11

SQUAD FORMATIONS • Squad leader positions himself where he can best control the unit • Fire team leaders may make subsequent changes to their fire teams’ formation • Characteristics of squad formations are similar to those of fire team • Fire team is maneuver element in squad formations 12

SQUAD COLUMN/ FIRETEAM COLUMN 13

SQUAD WEDGE/ FIRETEAM WEDGE 14

SQUAD LINE • Location and strength of the enemy is known. • Maximum firepower to the front. • Formation is organized by teams. • Maintain visual contact • Squad Leader positions himself to control the squad. • Formations of the fire team are determined by the squad leader 15

SQUAD ECHELON 16

SQUAD VEE 17

SUMMARY 18