BSB Squad Training Manual (STM)

[Beyond Sandbox]

Our MRs and the STM will ensure that you have everything setup properly, so that we don't have to wait on you.

 

IMPORTANT:

• You WILL NOT be able to attend practices/missions until you have completed (post created in Discord) the MRs
• Even if you haven't completed the MRs, you're still required to @mention your SL & SA in your Squad's Discord post stating you can't attend.

 

MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS (MR)

Spoiler

When clicking on any of the links below, we recommend you right click on it and select "new tab" or "new page" (or the equivalents in your browser) to ensure you always have this page open. 

 

1. Bookmark the following pages
   • Squad Training Manual (STM) (the page you're currently on)
   • BSB Reference Forum as you will have to refer to it for the items below and much more.
   • BSB Division Practice Schedule to know all mandatory and optional practices.
   • Time Zone Converter  Use it to know when are practices are in your local area. 
   • The Order of Battles (ORBAT).  You will be expected to know which Fire Team (Red or Green) you've been assigned to and which loadout to take based on your assigned roles
   • BSB Division's Roster
   • A Drill Instructor (DI) will ask you to show him these bookmarks. Please do not waiste their time.
2. Gamer Tag (GT)
   • Your GT on the site and Discord are now the same. If they are not the same as the GT you use in game, contact your Squad Leader.
   • Adding TGx in front  shows dedication but optional.
3. Discord
   • It's VERY important you understand that we always meet in the discord 🔊 BSB Deployments voice channel BEFORE getting in game as Discord is the only common messaging system across all platforms and the only system that allows us to EASELY share our screen which is very useful when:
     • people are having technical issues
     • Breifings
     • How to guides
   • In addition, we need to keep a backup voice comms system working due to possible issues with the voice software. 
   • You must practice sharing your screen via Discord.
   • PC Members must setup a mute key allowing you to mute and unmuate while in game.
   • You can find the setup instructions in the  BSB Division Reference Forum
   • A DI will ask you to share your screen. PLEASE PRACTICE IN ADVANCE to not waist their time.

4. General Voice Communication Procedures

   • Checking In and Checking Out

     When you first join a voice server (Discord, your platform's voice comms and in game, make sure no one is talking and then check in by stating your gamer tag and then saying "checking in". Do the same when you are checking out of a voice server.
     Ex: "(gamer tag) checking in"
     Ex: "(gamer tag) checking out"
   • Breaking
     If you have something to say or have a question, make sure no one is talking and say "break" and then your gamer tag.
     Ex: "Break (gamer tag)"
   • The server controller (Squad Leader, Squad Assistant, Fire Team Leader etc.) will acknowledge your presence when you check in.
     • Ex: "Welcome (gamer tag)"
   • He will also give you permission to speak or ask you to standby when you break.
     • Ex: "Go ahead"
     • Ex: "Standby"
5. Attendance Reporting
   • We carefully track our member's attendance via our Administrative Tracking System (ATS) to know who is active and also because attendance is one of the factors we use for our ranks which are based on a points system. When you cannot attend a practice, you have to contact your direct Chain of Command (CoC) before practice. @mention your Squad Leader and Squad Assistant in your Squad's Discrd channel.
   • You have up to 24h post practice to let us know that you were not able to attend.
6. Primary and Secondary roles

   • You need to select your 2 preferred  roles from the following list. Your selections are not garantied but taken into consideration when your Squad Leader (SL) updates the ORBAT.

     • Pointman

     • Breacher 

     • Last man

     • Sniper

7. Loadouts 
   • Please set up your loadout based on your primary selected role. Again, your primary role is not garantied. So be prepare to adjust once you've been added to the ORBAT. The loadout for all roles will be announced shortly
   • A DI will verify that you have setup your loadouts appropriately. Please do not waiste their time.
8. Completed the MRs?
   Once you've completed the MRs:
   • Create a new post in the 📃-bsb-minimal-requirements Discord forum.
   • The forum will include the MR Post Teamplate post. Use the Discord Copy Text fonction to copy the template

 

• Create a New Post and paste the template. Don't forget that title should be your gamer tag

 

• DO NOT POST UNTIL YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR EACH QUESTION.

A DI will reply to confirm if you've completed the MRs correctly or request corrections. Once the MRs have been completed correctly. The DI will schedule a day and time with you for your in game training  and to visually confirm the MRs have been completed correctly. 

 

 

SQUAD TRAINING MANUAL (STM)

Spoiler

Close Quarters Combat (CQC) doctrine is highly fluid, varying significantly across countries and organizations. Given TG's international nature and gaming environment, our CQC procedures must carefully balance real-world tactical principles with the in-game mechanics and constraints. 

1) How to use the STM

• Practice Briefing

• During practice

• Post practice Report

2) Specific voice comms

• Basic Voice Comms (section 3 of BC doc)

• Specific Tango Reporting (not covered in BC doc)

• Specific Map Location Naming Convention

3) Specific Teamwork and Tactics

1. Regrouping (keeping Fire Teams together)

2. Dynamic vs Deliberate CQC

3. Dynamically Changing Roles

4. Specific Weapons

5. Specific Formations

6. Approaches - Single Stacking vs Splitting a Door

7. Breaching Options

8. Entering and Clearing

9. Bounding / Leapfrogging

10. Non Verbal

11. Setting up Security Perimeters

12. TG Badges

5) Potential Chain of Command Members

• Squad Staff (SS) Applications

 

1) How to use the STM

Practice Briefing (PB)

Squad Staff will post a Practice Briefing ONCE A WEEK, On Mondays, but no later than 24 hours (or as soon as they can) after each Sunday's practice.  

**It's important to notify (@squad name) all members via their Squad's Discord channel when a PB has been posted.

During Practice

SS will review the PB before launching the mission. SS are to concentrate on ensuring members complete the objectives set out in the PB and ensure the  SOPs are respected. These include:

• Voice Communication Procedures;

• Gun status;

• Grenade Warning;

• Fire Teams;

Post Practice Report (PPR)

SS will post a PPR in their Squad discussion topic to ensure practice objectives were completed or need to be repeated. Members are to reply with their feedback. It's important to notify (@squad name) all members via their Squad's Discord channel when a PPR has been posted.

2) Specific voice comms

Basic Voice Comms

SS will enforce the basic voice comms of the TG wide Boot Camp document which include:

• Checking In and Checking Out;

• Breaking;

• Questions to the Entire Group;

• Keeping comms clear;

• Reporting Tangos;

• Gun Status; and

• Grenade Warning

Specific Tango Reporting

Heading vs bearing

• Heading: the direction you are moving to. 

• Bearing: the direction a second party is located related to our position

• Example: "We are heading NW and we have an enemy contacts bearing 200 moving SE"

3) Specific Teamwork and Tactics

1 - Regrouping (Keeping Fire Teams together)

• It is the Fire Team Leaders (FTL) responsibility to keep their FT together. It is the SA's responsibility to ensure FTLs do so. This will allow the SL to concentrate on the mission at hand

• The SL is to ensure FTs are not assigned different objectives to ensure they can support each other.

• It's important to take into the consideration of the size of the Squad. A 4-6 man squad, would not require FTLs. As the SL would be in charge of one team and the SA of the other.

2 -  Dynamic vs Deliberate CQC
See this VIDEO

3 - Dynamically Changing Roles

In a military CQC team, roles are fluid and are referred to by the color of their Fire Team (Red or Green), and number based on their position in the "stack". Team members are trained to be dynamically versatile. Depending on your physical location relative to your team mates, your role will change accordingly, see this VIDEO to how the role dynamically changes depending on the relative positions of each team mate. 

1. Point Man

   • Role: The first operator in the stack.

     • Tasks:

       • First to go in and clears his hard corner

         • Button hook (our default) vs flowing (e g. hostage rescue)

       • Position

         • Single stack - If door is locked, moves aside and squeezes/covers the breacher

         • Split stack - is away from the door knob across from the Breacher

         • Split vs Single Stack VIDEO

2. Breacher

   • Roles: The second operator and team lead in a 3 man stack

     • Tasks: 

       • Second to go in and clears the opposite hard corner from the Point Man.

         • Button hook (our default) vs flowing (e g. hostage rescue)

       • Position

         • Single stack - If door is locked, moves inside of point man and proceeds with breach

         • Split stack - is on the door knob across from the Point man

       • Breaching

         • 3 man stack breach

           • With primary weapon in hand, uses hand, lock pick, gun stock or C4 to open / breach the door for the point man.

           • Enters the room and clears the opposite hard corner from the Point Man.

         • 4 man stack breach

           • Without primary weapon in hand, uses hammer, shotgun or battle ram to open / breach the door. Let's the third man enter the room to clear the opposite hard corner from the Point Man. 

3. Last Man

   • Role: FTL in a 4 man stack

     • Tasks: 

       • Controls the stack.

       • Covers angles not covered by the last man while door is being breached

       • Where the Breacher doesn't have his primary weapon in hand to open / breach the door, enters the room and clears the opposite hard corner from the Point Man.

   • Roles: Last Man, Medic, Recon and Bomb Specialists in a 3 man stack

     • Tasks:

       • Last Man. Has to always keeps his eyes behind the team at all time ensuring rear protection

       • Medic. Is to rush to any injured member to apply medical help or replenish stems upon requests from team members

       • Reckon Specialist. Will use Door Cam when requested

       • Bomb Specialist. Will use or pass long cutters to difuse bombs.

3 - Specific Weapons

Loadouts

It's important that Squad Staff (SS) ensure proper loadouts for each mission. SS and members are to respect the ORBAT

4 - Specific  Formations

1 - Cross Coverage (Cross Panning) Review THIS VIDEO to see how each column is to cover the other team's side

2 - Single File/Column

• As the squad moves out, the SL may ask the Squad to form a  single column. Without stopping and in no particular order (except medics in the rear), SMs move into a single column

• Coverage

  1. The lead  SM looks forward

  2. As they move forward, all members have their "heads on a swivel". Which means alternating looking left and right trying to look in the other direction of the person in front of them.

  3. The last member keeps an eye on the rear

3 - Double File/Column

• As the squad moves out, the SL may ask the FTs to form a double column where team red is asked to form on the right and team green on the left. Without stopping and in no particular order (except medics in the rear), FTs move into a double column

• Coverage

  1. The lead SM looks forward

  2. As they move forward, all members have their "heads on a swivel". Which means alternating looking left and right trying to look in the other direction of the person in front of them.

  3. The last member keeps an eye on the rear

4 - From Column to Line

if fired upon, the SL may give the order to move from a column to line formation to return fire. It would look like the following example.

5 - Approaches - Single Stacking vs Splitting a Door

Review THIS VIDEO for the various approaches and the Door Anatomy: Strong Side vs Weak Side video.

6 - Breaching Options
The configuration and placement of the door helps the team lead decide how to breach. Tnings to concider may include:

• possible dead space

• the location of the knob locked or not

• the location of the hinges

• the direction the door opens

All these elements will determine what methods and tools to use to breach an enter. Including

• Explosive charges

• Shotgun

• Lock pics 

• Sledge hammer

• Your Weapon

• Etc

Review THIS VIDEO to see various methods of breaching. 

7 - Entering and Clearing

Dynamic vs Deliberate CQC
Review THIS VIDEO to see when we need to rush or slow down.

Entering

 We will use the "button hooking" and not the "flow" technique to enter rooms. Why?  There is a fraction of a section where the back of the operative is compromised when using the flowing technique vs the button hook.

1. See the following section

2. Review THIS VIDEO for visual aids. Pay attention on how they are "slicing" before going in.

Clearing Unanchored Dead space

When clearing unanchored dead space specific work order is given by the team lead which includes:

• "hold (left, right, front or rear)" - meaning the person in that position is to hold position

• "Work (left, right, front or rear)" - meaning the person in that position is to clear the location

• For example, the team lead would say "hold left work right".

Review THIS VIDEO for more details.

Anchored Dead Space

Review THIS VIDEO

Cross Coverage (Cross Panning)

Review THIS VIDEO to see how each team / team mate is to cover the other team's  or team mate's side

Advanced Threshold Assessment 

See THIS VIDEO

8 - Bounding / Leapfrogging

Bounding is a tactical movement technique used to advance a unit while minimizing its exposure to enemy fire. It's also known as "bounding overwatch" or "leapfrogging."  Key terms to remember:

• "Name Moving out" -  when moving

• "Passing you on the (left or right)" - When approaching team mates to let them know which sides we're coming from to avoid friendly fire.

• "Passing you on the (left or right) and last man" - As described  above and to indicate that you were the last man in the line allowing your team mate to turn around and cover the rear

• "Name Set" - When arrived at the position.

• 3 seconds space - Once you have passed your last team mate, you need to count in your head, 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand and then find cover to announce you're set.

• Remember to use the radio once the distance is getting our of proximity range

Watch THIS VIDEO as an example

9 - Non Verbal

One of the big advantages of VR is starting to use hand signals. Especially in situation where we think enemy personnel could be close and we don't want them to hear us.

Basic Hand Signals

• Raised hand = Freeze

• Low wave forward = come to me

• Flat hand across the throat = danger

• Pointing hand = You

• Cross arms over chest = Hostage sighted

• Tap your helmet = Need team mate / need to be squeezed

• Door Cam request

Weapon and Head signals

• Barrel up and down with or without laser pointer = go, open, move or execute to indicated location by laser pointer

• Head up and down = go, open, move or execute

• Head leaning left or right towards a direction = signaling direction

• Lasers pointer

  • Lassos (circles) a door = Breach with C4

  • Up and down a side of a door = stack up on that side

• Flash light

  • Under doors = indicates to the other side friendlies present

  • Flash directly a person = Come to me or look at me

10 - Setting up Security Perimeters

As the Squad arrives at an objective to complete various tasks, the SL will assign a FT to secure the perimeter while the other FT complete the task.

11 - TG Badges

Refer to the Badges page for detailed descriptions of each role typically found across TG's Divisions.

5)Potential Chain of Command Members

Want to become a leader? Refer to the TGS Squad Staff (SS) Applications topic.