The six section battle drills every member should know.
| Letter | Phase |
|---|---|
| P | Prep for Battle |
| R | Reaction to Effective Enemy Fire |
| E | Enemy Location |
| W | Winning the Firefight |
| A | Attack |
| R | Reorganise |
P — Prep for Battle
The initial phase allows the whole section to get ready for subsequent operations, with all necessary equipment in a suitable condition.
- Protection — All round defence
- Ammunition — Loaded in magazines, reserve held with the 2I/C
- Weapons — Pulled through and oiled
- Personal Camo — Clothing appropriate to the environment
- Equipment — Carrying standard equipment, medical kit in backpack, etc.
- Radios — Correct frequencies and a radio check carried out
- Special Equipment — e.g. Wire cutters, chemical detectors
- Orders — Briefing the team
R — Reaction to Effective Enemy Fire
Not a few shots sailing over your head — but rounds dancing at your feet will cause you to:
Dash → Down → Crawl → Cover → Sights → Return Fire
E — Enemy Location
Locating the enemy is vital. “Can anybody see the enemy?”
If you can see the enemy, give GRIT:
- Group — Who in your section will fire back
- Range — In metres
- Indication — Give an obvious and unique description
- Type of fire — To be returned
Example: “BRAVO, 200m, left hand building, RAPID FIRE!”
Orders are to be given:
- Clear
- Loud
- As an order
- With pauses
W — Winning the Firefight
This means putting down enough rounds to keep the enemy’s head down and allow you the freedom to manoeuvre.
A — Attack
Split into three phases:
- Approach
- Assault
- Fight Through
Left or right flanking, or straight up the middle with bags of smoke. Section commander and 2I/C control the section to make best use of available cover.
R — Reorganisation
After “Position Clear!” has been called, the whole section is to move to a position 20–30m from the cleared enemy position. All troops approach along the proven route.
- Protection — All round defence
- Ammunition — 2I/C to sum up total number of mags and redistribute
- Casualties — How many; start treating
- Equipment — Is it all there? Do bergens need to be collected?
- Searches — Of enemy dead, under the section commander
- Sitrep — Report situation up the chain of command
- Dig in — In case of enemy counter-attack
- Orders — What are your next tasks?