Back in my old paintball days, I played at a facility in downtown Davenport, IA. It was called Duck's Blind paintball and was an old hotel on 3rd street. 3 stories, 6 stairwells. 144 rooms, all the windows screened and boarded and all the doors removed. The only light was the light that made it in the windows through the cracks in the boards. This is where I first played paintball and where I learned to move quietly , approach corners, clear rooms, and how to acquire targets quickly. I only wish I had this kind of facility today to play airsoft in.

So This article is going to point out what I learned in this kind of environment about CQB and room clearing.

1.) Sounds

Depending on the furnishings in the building, talking to teammates can be OK or a no no. If the rooms are carpeted and there are drapes or curtains or upholstered furniture, you can get away with a little low level talking. If there are hardwood floors though, or the buildings rooms are sparsely furnished..voices travel like wildfire. Also pay close attention to heating vents. I don't know how many times my team won over others because the opposing teams talked out loud as if they were playing outdoors in the woods...thats a no no indoors..hand signals only...we knew where they were all the time.

2.) Sight alignment.

When your in a CQB environment, you need to be able to bring your sights up quickly as things happen VERY fast. However, you also need to have a clear view ahead, especially if the rooms and hallways are dimly lit. So how you hold your weapon is crucial For pistols, you want to have your weapon extended ahead, just below your eye level, your off hand cupped under the grip or at the side of your primary hand. For SMGs and small rifles you want the stock in your shoulder just a little above your armpit. The barrel nose down at about a 35-45 degree angle, to keep your forward vision clear. Both hands on the weapon. The both hands is important, its easier and faster to steady your aim with 2 hands than with 1.

3.) Approaching corners

I'm sure you've seen it..in the movies, two guys with guns..one on each side of the corner 3 feet from each other ready to jump out..doesnt that seem stupid..well it is. When you are approaching a corner or room in a hallway or into a room with no door you want to be as far away from the corner as you can as you approach. if your going to be going around the right side, then you approach the corner against the left side wall, with your sights raised just below your eyes with the gun ALWAYS pointed right at the corner. If there is reason to suspect danger from the opposite corner, such as in a room just across the hall from the one your clearing..then you have a second man doing just the same you are across from you...but several feet back. This way..they will have sight of any danger in that room before anyone in that room can see you...its all about angles... As you get even with the doorway, and you are facing the door from directly across the hall, if you still haven't seen anything, just keep going doing the exact opposite down the hall walking backwards...your cover man approaching the door just as you did...once every possible viewable angle inside the room has been seen..then you can breech...and when you do you know the only areas you should have to worry about are the small angles exact opposite the outside walls that you could not see when clearing the room, or any closets or cabinetry.

I'll write more later...any comments/critiques or corrections on this are welcome and requested.