When to Train Combined Arms vs Squad level Tactics

Question from an Instructor

This is an important question anyone running training should know how to answer.

Do you train people on the basics of squad maneuvers, loadouts and sectors of fire?
Or just jump into combined arms training like running an Armor unit with an infantry Squad because combined arms is really cool and way more fun to train.

My Answer

So training cadence should be fundamentals to dynamics. Lego bricks. Before you can fly wingman on a 2 havoc team, you need to know fundamentals of engagement ranges, survivability, situational awareness of AO, weak points of friendly bases, etc. Then you build dynamics from that. A havoc fire supporting a infantry squad won't be much use on a platoon level if he can't quickly look at a map and say, "oh shit, there's a gap in the terrain the enemies are going to use to flank this squad I'm protecting, I better have my gunner scan that area periodically."

That type of knowledge can also come from fundamental training in base building like learning defilade, deadzones, etc.

When to train Infantry Combined Arms

For infantry, before combine arms, people need to be up to speed on.

Squad/Team Loadouts (who's covering what threats, AT, AA, Medic, Long rifles, etc.)
Squad Leader 101 (How do you read a map and see weak points in the platoons structure)

CQB 101 (1 and 2 man tactics, lockdown threats, fatal funnels, second story fortifying, pieing a door, when to use nades)

After infantry has learned those fundamentals, combined arms becomes an amplifying force to their maneuvering.

If infantry can't maneuver and engage effectively, aka their survivability sucks, then it just puts the weapon systems in prolonged threats, then the weapons systems get killed and the infantry gets killed. Then no one has fun.

Bad Example

Let's say someone wants to train infantry on a combined arms level with an armor unit.

But that infantry squad has yet to go through Team Loadouts. Where members learn how to properly deal with enemy weapon systems like a Havoc, rocket little bird or enemy armor.
Plus the Squad Leader has yet to go through Squad Leader 101 where they learn how to maneuver his squad into a dominance position like a second story building with basic wire defenses and claymores.

The squad and armor unit are rolling down a road and get engaged by a 2 man sniper team on a tower.

The armor can easily suppress the snipers with MG or HE. No problem. But it's not a wipe, they keep reviving each other, it's an active threat the SL needs to be aware of.

Then an enemy Squad hits our squad from down the road, they are spread out in multiple buildings and second floors. The friendly squad is still huddled near the friendly armor because 120mm is big safe. The friendly squad engages the enemy squad. It's a bit of a stale mate. The friendly armor is switching between threat priority of the enemy squad and sniper. He's now pulling double duty. He is suppressing the sniper and blowing holes in the enemy squads building. The enemy can't push up because of the friendly armor threat.

We are at an inflection point.

If another threat emerges that can't be covered, the squad and armor are going to get wiped.

Doe the SL even process this situation at this level?
Is he measuring the situation and threats?
has he identified the next threat that is the highest priority of "Oh fuck, retreat?"

Inflection Point

At this point multiple things could emerge from the enemy that will wipe the armor and squad.

Another enemy squad could flank, now your in some real trouble. The armor unit can't suppress 3 diverging threats with effect.

This would be the moment the Squad Leader would call a 100m tactical Retreat to reorganize his squad while the armor gives them a quick buffer/breathing room. The team would learn this in MOUT Training. Often times enemy squads just run in a straight line so by retreating it will naturally make the 2 enemy squads converge into one, reducing the diverging threat effect the armor has to deal with.

Another scenario could be;

A enemy humvee 249 could quickly flank the friendlies, this isn't a wipe straight up but it will be able to get rounds off on the squad before the armor can swing his gun, it just takes 1 man down in a road to create a reactive situation because now the squad needs to revive.

Because the SL didn't go through Squad Leader 101 he hasn't positioned his squad into fortified fighting positions, they are open, in the road, behind the tank and around some fences. Not all guns are online, not all sectors are covered and you've got 1 lonewolf FPS shooter trying to frontally charge a fortified enemy squad in buildings. Shockingly, the pro FPS player goes down 30m way from the squad on a road, right in front of the enemy squad and in sight lines of the sniper team.

Now the killing blow.

A single Rocket Littlebird or worse, a Havoc.

The team didn't go through Team Loadouts and the Squad Leader didn't check his squad before HQ lift off if they had SMAAWs or a Verba AA.

No one brought AT or AA.

Now the only counter the combined arms unit has is the MG on the tank or dumping all mags of the infantry in hopes it drives off the threat. If it's a havoc, your fucked. The last desperate hope is you have a friendly unit close by that can spot and handle the threat.

Else, it's a wipe.

Fundamentals before Dynamics

The team didn't learn Team Loadouts.

The Squad leader didn't learn to measure threat levels in Squad Leading 101.
The Squad didn't do MOUT Training so they couldn't do a 100m Tactical Retreat when pinched by 2 squads.
He should have checked squad loadouts and learned defensive positioning of buildings.
He should have called for support once the inflection point hit.

This is what will happen if you train into combined arms to quickly with a fresh group.

Fundamentals must be lined out before dynamic or mutual support training.