Tactical Manual: Small Unit Tactics

Bottom line up front, this is the best tactical manual for small infantry units you can buy. While it may not be perfect, it is as close as you are going to find, at least until the author puts out his next book.I base this evaluation on having served as a regular U.S. army armor officer and a lifetime of fascination with tactics and military affairs. The author covers nearly all of the topics I would expect for preparation and training of a small infantry unit. (There are one or two exceptions, but they are not enough to change my rating. Rather, they are simply a reflection of the fact that no one volume can cover everything about small unit tactics, but this one comes very close.) The initial chapter on individual skills is really just an outline, but that is perfectly acceptable as the purpose of the book is not to teach those skills, and the outline serves to identify what the book assumes you know or will learn to implement the rest of the book. The remainder of the book is a first class explanation of good small unit tactics based on U.S. doctrine, U.K. doctrine, and some items which are not official doctrine but are clearly the result of experience. The primary tactical tasks covered include what I expected, attack, defense, patrolling, CQB, tactical vehicle movement, and military decision making (doctrine, situational assessment, planning/order process). The explanations are, for the material covered, short and well written prose with appropriate diagrams and bullet points/checklists mixed in. Page for page, this book explains more of small unit tactics better than any official manual I have read. The chapter on patrols is particularly good, and is far more likely to be understood by those without prior military training on the subject than the parallel material in the Ranger Handbook or most military manuals.Now for a bit of nitpicking and what this tactical manual isn't. I do have a few observations about how I think the Tactical Manual could be improved. First, the military decision making process information is buried towards the end of the book, it should be covered first. Second, the treatment of the METTC mission assessment and the OCOKA terrain analysis is not the strongest I have seen. The weakest part of this is the obstacles discussion. The book works on the general assumption that a squad, or at most a platoon, is operating according to its guidance. While that size unit will not generally create large obstacles on its own, even relatively small obstacles can be critical in the defense. Likewise, a better understanding of obstacles is needed to mount successful attacks around or through enemy obstacles. Third, the CQB chapter acknowledges that it is really more of an aide memoire for those who have attended a Max Velocity class. Unlike the rest of the book, which is geared towards those attending his classes, but is also very informative for those who have not, it is simply not a very useful standalone explanation.As with all books on tactics, you should not rely on just one if you can help it. (If, however, I was only allowed one reference to take with me to train a small unit, this would be the one volume I would take with me.) I recommend reading this one and several others to work through the weaknesses I noted and to gain context. Sweat saves blood. That includes the mental sweat of reading and learning from the experience and knowledge of others.

Who this book is for:1) special operations, light infantry and paramilitary organizations2) readers of Max's other books (Contact!, Patriot Dawn, Patriot Rising)3) those who have, or will be, training with Max Velocity Tactical4) prepared citizens who want REAL tactical knowledge and wisdom5) military aficionadosWhat it's like:Convenient size, matte cover, clean looking sans-serif text formatting. Not watered down or dumbed down, but not riddled with obscure jargon either. There's a glossary at the end though. Structured like an outline but with full sentences and paragraphs filled with practical tips. Concise but thorough. Clear explanations and lots of diagrams. Basically a 400+ page "cliff's notes" of the MVT curriculum applicable to anyone interested in small arms light infantry-style tactics. MVT teaches both civilians and SOF and this work is suitable for both. This book is a classic that will stand the test of time.What's in it:Fieldcraft & Basics: individual factors, battle preparation, observation, natural night vision, why things are seen, camouflage, judging distances, aiming off for wind, application of fire, locating the enemy, target indication, fire control order, weapon stoppages and malfunctions, combat and tactical reload, nighttime weapon manipulation, hand signals, halts.Battle Drills & Movement: introduction, reaction to enemy fire, cover & concealment, coming under fire, cover shooting, fire & movement, team and squad formations, squad movement, communication, team/squad organization, maneuver support group, troop offensive organization, live fire maneuver safety,Offensive Tactics & Techniques: principles, offensive fire & movement techniques, using the flank, fratricide / control measures, fire & movement assault methods, move / fire technique, trench / bunker assault, squad battle drills & the hasty attack, assault cycle & sequencing, deliberate attack, why use the flank?Fighting in Structures - Close Quarters Battle: general CQB considerations, CQB techniques, team structure, breaching, communication, hallways.Patrols: principles, types of patrol, patrol planning, patrol sequence, route out / back / ORP, point recce / close target recce, surveillance & observation patrol, raid, night attack, deliberate ambush, planning factors, hasty ambush, ground domination activity, troop ORBAT & maneuver examples, 'actions on', searching bodies, IED threats, immediate action drills, contact drills, break contact drills, offensive drills contact/ambush, patrol bases, patrol tactical check notes.Tactical Vehicle Movement: general considerations, vehicle movement basics, specific threats and TTPs (roadblocks, ambush, crowds, cons), counter-ambush drills, actions on halts.Defensive Operations: principles of defense, static (key point) defense, mobile (area) defense, static/mobile combinations, defensive operations in built up areas, urban anti-armor ambush, entry control points, traffic control points, platoon defensive positions, range cards.Combat Doctrine: principles of war, mission command, planning & decision making, troop leading procedures, planning tool - METT-TC, combat estimate, operations order - basic and specific formats, patrol ordersTactical Map Exercises: (various maps and scenarios including hasty attack, surveillance and observation patrol, S&O / CTR patrolAnnex A: Tactical Combat Casualty Care / TC3: overview, care under fire, tactical field care, casualty movement/evacuation, worksheet.Annex B: Training Classes & Progression: hostile environment marksmanship, advanced tactics 1 / 2 / night, force on force, close quarter battle, and team leader classes.Annex C: The Warrior MindsetGlossary

This book definitely breaks down small unit tactic Barney style so even the lowest commen denominator can grasp what's being taught, perfect if you don't have military experience/wanting to brush up on skills you forgot or even airsofters looking to up their game

Small Unit Tactics manual is exactly what it says; "Small Unit Tactics"There's no beating around the bush and it gets straight into the deep facts and processes.I would recommend you have at least some basic understanding of military operations as it will reference certain tings without going too deep into their details - these are things that needs to be known by the reader in advance.Great book.

Excelente livro com muitas informações úteis.

Molti argomenti sono trattati in maniera più esaustiva in altri manuali.Interessante il capitolo sulla mobilità base veicolare.

Excellent well written broken down with clear text and diagrams. Author clearly knows his stuff would recommend to anyone interested in the subject .