Frag Out! Magazine

Necessity to implement new standards is succession of joining Poland into the NATO in 1999. Seventeen years of developing with great effort new operational standards and millions of dollars invested in training should bring expected results. Is that what really happened? Many try to figure out how to check that and what is to compare with… To endanger my several years' experience of military service (in Formoza naval special warfare unit, domestic and foreign training facilities and Afghanistan) I dare to say that such an assessment make legitimacy only in the comparison to the official NATO standards that comes from very mature US and British experiences. So let's start from the digression and question at once: „Tactics of Infantry Fireteam/ Platoon or tactics, techniques and procedures of Infantry Fireteam/ Platoon?" If we ask that question some major or colonel in the battalion of brigade headquarters, that act as master chief of training section he will answer something like: "Tactic has not plural number!" ... Officer in the SOCOM units will not be so sure to answer like that, because term and relater acronym TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, Procedures) he heard or even used, although not fully understanding and able to tell the difference between tactics techniques and procedures, but knows that package like that is something that his unit has to know and train to be combat effective. And that digression is best picture of level of transition from Polish Military standards to NATO standards. I am sorry, Major, but you are all wrong, Sir... Word tactic must have plural form because if it didn't that would mean that infantry fireteam has one and only pattern of tactical maneuver, yet conducting for example recon or raid on the object we can apply different tactics of action. It will depend on situation (METT-C). That is why for example line of advance and defense as primary tactical maneuver of fireteam/platoon/company trained in the army since 1950s is totally inadequate to modern conditions and experiences that were taken out from taking part in conflicts and military operations. To perform tactical maneuver we have to know much larger range of methods of fighting that is tactics, techniques and procedures and know how to choose them supported with analyze of METT-C (mission, enemy, time, troops available, civil considerations). Digression mentioned above refer only to nomenclature used, but believe me, unsuited nomenclature leads to chaos in textbooks that determine standard of fighting and „tactic" as subject of teaching with omitting elements of techniques and procedures of operating is like driving bike at night, on the dark alley, without light and brakes... Everything is perfectly written and defined in US Field Manuals, NATO doctrines and so on. Why after seventeen years, we cannot find in the whole armed forces few NCOs and officers that understand those differences and are able to set operational standards on the tactical level from the beginning? Why manuals for the units of land forces are written by colonels with minimum doctor titles that sit comfortably at the military academy from several years? I personally have my own answer for this question and I consider that this is aftermath of lack proper standard with creating leaders, able to administer the change. Vicious circle right? Lack of one standard gives no permission to change others. So old model of education and training from the times of Warsaw Pact creates unsuited to the NATO dynamics and wars of 21st century leaders unable to make the change. Here I decide to end the divagation about leadership in the military. That issue I discus gladly next time. Let's get back to the tactics, techniques and procedures of small units. How to sort out, define those issues, to stop wander and blend old with the new that makes tragicomic and dangerous hybrids. TAcTics are sorted out ways of operation and cooperatives of units and their elements in the range of moving (according to themselves, terrain and the enemy), their cooperation, firing and support. Choose of proper technique of operation allow to maximize the combat power. Techniques ale different ways to execute activities by individual soldier or small element of the unit in order to fulfill tactics (tactic maneuver). They are not always the same and can be choose by soldiers or small elements of the units according to experience, good practices and rules influencing on the safety rules. www.fragoutmag.com

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