During a recent game, I was struck by the fact that most of the players had little or no idea of how to mount an effective assault or defense of objective. I think it might have had something do to with either their inexperience or their mistaken idea of what these factors are in terms of actual combat operations. Given that this is a game where tactics, strategy and the application of both force and plans are critical components of success, I think that some of the more inexperienced players have an idea what "fire control", "line of advance", "areas of responsibility", and "control of an objective" are, but I also think that understanding of what these concepts really are, is flawed. It is almost as if they think they know what it is, and what they think it is, is not what it really is. If that makes sense.

So, I have decided to create a guide to some of these topics, based on what developed in the scenarios I participated in, and how it could have turned out differently if some of these ideas had been understood better, and applied correctly.

The scenario in which I was involved was a 4 on 4 game, with one team (Red) acting as terrorists planting an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) - it was really a duffle bag with a digital watch attached, and a sandbag weighing 2 pounds) and the other (Blue) team was to prevent placement of the IED by guarding the location where the plant was to take place, or capture of the IED. Each team also had fifth member: a medic who only had a GBB pistol as armament. I was the medic for the Blue team, and my function was to guard the rear of the Blue team against the Red team's advance, and to provide "medic" care for hit members.

The plan for Blue team was to form around the perimeter of the plant area, and take out each Red team member as they approached in order to prevent the IED from being placed. The three members of the Blue team to the west of my position in the rear engaged their targets well, but the fourth Blue member (to the east) did not prevent the rest of the Red team from flanking us, and taking three members of Blue team out. Including me. This one player stood up and charged into the Red team firing blindly and wildly, and was cut down right away, allowing the Red team to circle around and attack the Blue rear. Imagine my surprise to look up and see Red members to my east, within ten meters, not even knowing they were there. I was hit almost before I recognized they were Red members. I did not even have a chance to bring my pistol around.

If that one individual on Blue team had covered his AR (area of responsibility) appropriately, and used his radio to let us know Red team was flanking us, instead of charging into certain death twice, the outcome would not have been a successful placement of the IED, and loss of almost all of the Blue Team.

Therefore, I present these thoughts on AR management, Lanes of Fire, Assault Advance, and Control of Objective.

Management of Area of Responsibility

When in a standard assault formation, or when guarding an objective, each member of the team (whether it be three, four, five or more members) has a discrete area of responsibility inside which everything must be both neutralized and reported. Communications is key, and without it, a team is nothing more than several individuals sort of doing the same things. Think of a team as a fist. Each finger has a different assignment, but if all fingers are not thinking and performing their assigned functions, that fist has no ability to strike with any power.

I have prepared a diagram (Direction of advance) to show what areas of responsibility an assault team has along a given line of advance.

Click to view attachment

For a five man team, “A” is the Team Lead, and is responsible for recon, and everything within the green lines extending approximately 60 degrees on either side of a line along the axis of advance. “B” are the flank guards and fire support, and each is responsible for everything within their green arc as well. Their job is to advance, and protect everything just outside a line along the axis of advance, to just behind 90 degrees perpendicular to the line of advance.

Notice how “A” and “B” overlap slightly, but neither “B” member goes beyond the line where it would place “A” in their line of fire. “C” members are the “drag” and protect the midline perpendicular to the axis of advance to the rear of the line away from the direction of advance. These are important positions, because no OpFor (Opposing Force) should be able to circle and attack from the rear. The blue member at “D” is if it is a four man team with his area of responsibility in purple, and this member has the same responsibility that each “C” member would have.

The areas within the green lines are the Lanes of Fire for which each team member is responsible. Note that they do overlap, but they also stop well short of where other team members are. This is to prevent a team member from firing into the position of someone on their own team. We do want to avoid friendly fire casualties.

Note that if one of these team members should spot something, then their responsibility is to report it and engage it. This prevents the other team members from having to check their six (rear) constantly, and allows each member of the team to focus on a discrete area and nothing else. It is easy to lose situational awareness if you have to watch everything all the time. Better to focus on one discrete area, and then have one other team member swivel to provide you with fire support, but without compromising the team, the position, or other areas of responsibility and fire lanes. For example, Either “C” or “A” could swivel to support B on either side of a line parallel to the direction of advance if the team were being flanked. Either “B” member could swivel to support “A” and that flank would still be covered by the “C” member. Likewise, either “C” could swivel to support the other “C” without compromising the C or without crossing lanes of fire and endangering their own team members.

Control of Objective

This is often one of the most overlooked things in terms of tactical briefings in scenario play, and would have come in handy if the Blue team members in the previously mentioned scenario had been more aware of their responsibilities during the game. This diagram (Objective) shows the basic scene, and the number of players at each position can be adjusted as required to cover your own team's needs and mission.

Click to view attachment

“1” is Team Lead, and has the responsibility for the frontal area, and “2” are the members responsible for either flank. The blue figure at position “3” are either what is being guarded, medics (if the scenario calls for them) or extra team members ready to move *through* the objective area to support those members in area “1” or area “2”. If they are combatant members, they can be considered either tactical or ready reserve members. Notice with this setup, no member of the team should ever have to worry about enemy approaching from their rear.

Keep in mind that this figure shows positions rather than individual members, and there could be two or even three persons spread out along a line around the area of responsibility, each with discrete fire-arcs at each position. This diagram of an "objective" can be applied to any given scenario where one team has to assault a given area, and one team has to defend or protect that area. It could also be applied to a mobile situation, where position “3” is guarding the rear flank akin to the responsibility that “D” would have in the tactical assault diagram mentioned above. This still allows a team to be on the move while protecting an objective or area.

Remember, your responsibility is to your team, and not to your own individual participation. A team is useless if anyone in it is not acting with the mission and interests of the team ahead of their own. Protect your areas of responsibility, manage your fire, and be sure to communicate with the other members of your team and your combat power will be maximized.

I know there are a number of things I have left out of this discussion, but I have posted the main points in the hopes that it will stimulate questions and discussion about these very important topics. I'll do my best to answer any questions that might come of this article, and I hope it spurs some good discussion.

Thanks for reading...

Thanks for taking the time to write this. There are so many times when I get so mad that my team has no idea what it's doing let alone working together effectively. I'd like to someday put together a team of knowledgable individuals who know about these things. Especially when it comes to things like trigger discipline, stealth, flanking and crossfire techniques, etc. So many airsofters seem to have no knowledge of this.

I appreciate that you took the time to write.

The objective of my post was to provide another training aid for those who might wish to utilize it for that purpose.

I have been going through the threads looking for posts that describe things that need to be common knowledge for team operations, so that I can compile a "training manual" of must-read information for my group. I was recently asked to be Operations and Training Officer (S-3) for my group, because I have some experience in these things, and most of the rest of the team isn't as old as my oldest pair of shoes. LOL

If anyone wants to contribute to that Training Manual, or would like to recommend a post (I haven't seen them all, by any stretch of the imagination) feel free to do so, and I will read it over. If it is suitable for my purposes, I will contact the author for reprint permission.

Once I get this manual together, I might just make it available to other Airsofters... Hmm....

Thanks again.

I believe that is the one thing I see constantly missing from the airsoft experience is: military (or at least somewhat close) discipline. To be effective you really need teamwork and imo, a ranking system so people just don't go rogue. Man, I need to put a team together or something.

Your article was pretty general, but so many people would benefit if they just took the time to apply these principles. I think one with a team that practices these would mess up anyone else in the airsoft world.

Excellent points raised here, Shike...

1) Team Lead makes the rules. Period. If someone on their sub-team doesn't want to follow these rules, put someone else on the team in their place.

I kinda thought that the discipline of being able to follow a given plan was something that went without saying, but I also forgot that not everyone here has spent time in the military where you do your job, or you (and your whole team) can get killed for not doing it properly. I know this is a game, but what's the objective here? To my way of thinking, it is to become so effective that nothing can stop you. The reason the military trains so much and so hard is that everyone can do their job (and someone else's) automatically, without thinking. That's so that when something goes wrong, they know what everyone else is doing and can then act to cover the screwup.

I wrote the article precisely to BE general, because I know that not every team is going to train exactly the same way, every time. I also know that what works for me, might not work the same way for you. Please, by all means, use your initiative and the strengths of your teammates to adjust and refine these principles so that they do work well for you.

As I said, I am hoping to create a sort of virtual training manual. This is the first of many posts to that end, I hope.

Thank you so much for your comments!

Excellent work! Almost exact to military standards. I plan to print this out and use it as a guide to help my teamates. I would hate to be the point man though. Always the first to get taken out. And yes, the points of loyalty and authority are quite important, and I am glad to see they were brought up.

Very informative article, I will be sure to print this out and hand it out to my squad. Thanks for a great guide!

Great article! I will be implementing this in my next practice, keep it coming!

cool, very helpfull guide