Battle drill
Infantry training procedure
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A battle drill is a type of standard operating procedure used in the training of infantry. Based on commonly encountered scenarios, battle drills are used to establish standardized actions of a team, allowing for a quick collective response without the need for deliberate decision making. Platoons and squads apply fire and maneuver accordingly, requiring leaders to rapidly make decisions and quickly issue brief oral orders.[1] In 1944, Colonel Charles Stacey defined the practice of battle drill as "the reduction of military tactics to bare essentials which are taught to a platoon as a team drill, with clear explanations regarding the objects to be achieved, the principles involved and the individual task of each member of the team."[2]
A US Army publication from 2016 identifies fourteen "essential battle drills that an Infantry platoon and squad must train on to ensure success":[3]
- 1: React to Direct Fire
- 2: Conduct a Platoon Attack
- 2A: Conduct a Squad Assault
- 3: Break Contact
- 4: React to an Ambush
- 5: Knock out a Bunker
- 6: Enter and Clear a Room
- 7: Enter a Trench to Secure a Foothold
- 8: Conduct the Initial Breach of a Mined Wire Obstacle
- 9: React to Indirect Fire
- 10: React to Aircraft while Dismounted
- 11: Establish Security at the Halt
- 12: Conduct a Hasty Attack
- 13: Dismount a Vehicle under Direct Fire
- 14: React to a Chemical Attack
- 15: React to a Chemical Agent Attack
