Rhys Bevan-Experienced Infantryman-01

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

As usual you will have a certain amount of time to complete this certification and at the end I will evaluate it. You have 96 hours, four days, to complete this. Take your time and make sure you are confident in your answers.



Rather obvious but on the map above you are the blue dot and the enemy soldiers are the red dots. I hope you can tell which area is the parking lot. The "X"s are mounted machine guns, I figure you can make out the sidewalk and the difference in trees and bushes. There is also a ditch that runs through the map and the tan boxes represent sandbags.

Scenario:
You have narrowly escaped capture to be turned around and have found yourself near and enemy encampment that was near your mission area. The intel provided stated that there will be a low level General in the DFAC (Dining Facility) in exactly 6 minutes for breakfast. You are also aware that a resistance group will be raiding the entire place in hopes to take him by sheer numbers alone. They are scheduled to arrive in just under thirty minutes. You know that your commander would like to have this one for the credit of the unit instead of letting the resistance take it. You were given a green light to do so if the opportunity arises and have already decided to go ahead with it. You have one standard issue knife, one grenade, and a Thompson with two magazines that are full. The intel was sketchy but the possibility is still there that the resistance was able to fabricate a car bomb and have it placed on a white vehicle.

Please descibe how you would carry out this objective, you may use a map for visual aid if you would like.

Questions:

#1 - What is a bounding over-watch formation and what is it mainly used for? (No it is not one that I discussed)

#2 - What is the approximate cook time on a fragmentation grenade?

#3 - What is the only type of promotion that cannot be stripped away?

#4 - In a very dark building, what is a great tip when shooting at an enemy to keep an advantage? (I know it's kinda vague, but keep in mind the dark part)

#5 - Explain the differences in FMJ and JHP and what each is best used for?



Please post when you have read this post in it's entirety so that I know when to start the clock.

[Rhys Bevan]

OK, start the clock, Miss Vorderman.

*Hopes to god McMillan gets Countdown reference cos it would be funny*

[Rhys Bevan]

The Scenario

OK, well, I've got about five different plans but I guess one will do. I've made quite a few assumptions on enemy movement but apart from that, I reckon it's pretty valid.



First of all, I would move forward and turn my attention on the guard manning the parking lot. I would send two shots towards him; one deliberately hitting a vehicle and another into the guard's leg, a wound bad enough to stop him getting anywhere very quickly but not bad enough to cause immediate death. The man would almost certainly scream for help/back-up and if the enemy in the immediate vicinity didn't hear him, they would most probably hear the bullets.



I've assumed that after hearing the screams and bullets, the enemy would investigate. The only soldiers able to hear the screams sufficiently to go and investigate (in my opinion) are the closest enemy making his way down the road and the two sets of guards. Two of the four guards make their way towards their injured companion (leaving two behind to guard the buildings as any set of guards would do).

I would then throw my grenade into the moderate group around the parking lot. Any survivors are shot from my position, pushing forward to stab them to death - while quieter - is too risky as I would effectively be in the enemy's eye line.



I then stealthily make my way down the road, taking cover behind the assorted trees and bushes regularly in case of hostile fire. I then riddle one of the remaining guards with bullets.



Making my way silently through the lesser building, I would approach the dangerous group of men manning the machine guns. With their backs turned, I would send a number of shots to their heads to lessen the chance of the scattered enemy to hear their screams. I would act as quickly as possible before they had a chance to swivell their machine guns round and turn on me.

With the gunners dead, I destroy the guns, rendering them useless for further use.



(Sorry about the relatively naff map, I forgot to add movement lines)

I would then make my way around the back of the DFAC, going through the door on the far right. I would then sneak through the building and stab the guard in the back from behind.



With the guard dead, I would sent a couple of shots towards the one remaining gunner, deliberately missing in the hope of attracting the few remaining enemy from the North.



(Ignore the dead soldiers, forgot to edit them out)

When I have attracted the enemy, I would make the most of my strong ambush position and, bluntly, shoot them to pieces. Any surviviors would undoubtedly oursue me through the building, but I would discover some sort of defensive position within and shoudl be succesful in killing the final batch of the enemy.

Whew, took me a long time. I know it's not the most orthodox of methods but just one question...did I pass the scenario?

[Rhys Bevan]

#1 - What is a bounding over-watch formation and what is it mainly used for? (No it is not one that I discussed)

A bounding overwatch formation is where a group of men split into two groups. One group takes an overwatch position while the second team push forward to a new covered position. They repeat this, with the first team returning fire to any hostile fire, until the second team (the bounding team) reach their location. They then take overwatch positions and let the first team push forward, take cover, wait, push forward, take cover, wait and so on and so forth.

It is used mainly to (direct quote from book)

"simulate an overwhelming movement towards the enemy and make it more difficult for the enemy to distinguish specific targets."[/i]

#2 - What is the approximate cook time on a fragmentation grenade? 4 Seconds

#3 - What is the only type of promotion that cannot be stripped away? Not a clue. At a guess, I'd say a promotion from NCO to Officer?

#4 - In a very dark building, what is a great tip when shooting at an enemy to keep an advantage? (I know it's kinda vague, but keep in mind the dark part) I'm sorry, I really have no idea. Maybe to attempt to convey the fact that you have more manpower than you truly do?

#5 - Explain the differences in FMJ and JHP and what each is best used for?

A full metal jacket is a bullet encased in a shell of alloy (can be copper or steel) and is extremely effective at piercing armour as they don't expand. They are also more durable than most bullets. FMJ is best for piercing armour.

A hollow point bullet expands when it enters a soft target, decreasing the penetration but causes much more extensive tissue damage than the FMJ. The JHP is best for causing major and deep wounds to human targets

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Well well well, Mr. Bevan, Rhys type, I have reviewed your scenario and answers and here is my conclusion.

I was half expecting you to go with the straight stealth idea for the scenario, and I am glad to swayed from that, you are infantry, not special forces. Although you did assume, what you showed is a very good possibility, not the best maneuvers at the end, but doable.

The questions:

#1 - Nailed it

#2 - Nailed it

#3 - Halfway right, it is from an NCO to an Officer, but it is a battlefield commission ONLY that cannot be stripped

#4 - I had the odd feeling that I might should have worded it another way BUT...yes bluffing is one of the few off the top of my head, a flashlight was one of the big ones I thought of. In a dark environment for a long duration, eyes adjust to see rather well actually, a quick flash of bright light will literally disorient anyone for a few seconds, giving you the opportunity to do, well whatever you please

#5 - and yet again Nailed it

I am honestly happy to award you with this certification. I'm glad to see you put forth the time and effort to find the answers, and not leaving any of them blank. Maybe one day I will see you back here for an upgrade? I look forward to it.

-Edward Scott McMillan

[Rhys Bevan]

Oh, don't worry, I will be back.