Clearing Stairwells

General: Stairwells add to the "fatal funnel" effect of doorways, by including additional levels in to the equation. This creates a " 3 dimensional " atmosphere. The movement of the squad/team will differ de-pending on direction of travel, and the layout of the stairwell. In any case the method follows a basic for-mat.

1 The squad leader designates an assault element to clear the staircase.

2 The squad/team maintains 360 degree/3 dimensional security in the immediate vicinity of the stair case.

3 The squad leader then directs the assault team to locate, mark, bypass, and or clear any obsta cles/booby traps that may be blocking access to the staircase.

4. The assault element moves up the stairs using either the fire team flow, or the Buddy team flow, providing overwatch for movement, up/down on the stairwell, to the degree possible. The three man team is the preferred method.

a. Straight Staircase: The number 1 man scans and clears the stairwell for booby traps. The number 2 man scans forward and up the stairwell. The number 3 man scans directly up and to the rear to check the upper level. He does this by moving backwards, his back pressed to the backs of the number 1 and 2 men. (see figure next page)

b. Split Flight of Stairs: The 1 man clears forward and up, the 2 man clears up to the next split level and the 3 man clears up and back as in figures below.

5 A stun or fragmentary grenade may be employed to the upper/lower landing if the stairwell, struc ture, and ROE permit. (If clearing downward on a stairwell grenades may be employed before movement).

6 No soldier’s head will crest the top of the stairs. Soldiers crouch lower to get as far up the stairs as possible. Simultaneously all three members crest the stairs above floor level clearing 360 degrees simultaneously.

7 The squad leader determines when to rotate elements during movement and reports the clearing status to the platoon leader.

8. The following actions will be, at a minimum, taken when enemy forces are encoun

tered.

a. The squad/team will assault to secure the landing/flight of stairs by fire and maneuver.

b. Remain at the last covered and concealed position until the squad/team has gained fire superiority and is able to move up the staircase. Grenades and M203 rounds through win dows may be used to help achieve this.

c. If fire superiority cannot be achieved the squad/team will request assistance.

9. THE CHEATER. The Cheater is our safety valve. If we are conducting a two man clear and one of the shooters goes down, that leaves one shooter in the room to fight, by himself. That is a lot to put on one mans shoulders in CQB. Therefore, we use what is called the Cheater. As the stack comes to a Danger Area, two shooters make entry and the stack continues down the hallway. The last man in the stack, how-ever, will stop at that room that was just entered, stack on it, and listen and "peek" in the room. If it is clear that the two shooters the made room entry do not need assistance, then the cheater continues down the hallway. If the two shooters do require assistance, then the cheater announces "COMING

THROUGH" and moves into the room to render assistance. The word "peek" that I just used does not mean to stick your head into the room, but to look at the room from an angle.

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10. CHALLENGING A ROOM: Anytime that you come upon an unmarked room, this is known as a danger area. If you are catching up to the stack and come upon an unmarked room, then there is the possi-bility that the unmarked room is currently occupied by other shooters, involved in a room clear. If, at any-time, there is that possibility, then you should challenge the room. This is done as follows:

a. Stack on the unmarked room.

b. Listen for familiar teammate verbiage being exchanged within the room.

c. If still unsure then bang on the door, (without placing your body in front of it), or the wall three times with your support fist, simultaneously giving the challenge three times. The school house challenge is

"AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN".

d. If you happen to be in a room and are conducting the fundamentals and hear the challenge, you should immediately return the challenge " AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN ", and move to the door and bang three times. If you do not, the room may be aggressed by another two man team.

e. Upon receiving the challenge, ensure that the room does not require a cheater, and then continue to look for the Danger Area, Lone Shooter.

f. If you issue the challenge and receive no reply, challenge a second time. If still no reply, sound off with "SUPPORT". Once a teammate stacks on you, the two of you will make a proper room entry.

g. If you are in a room and are conducting the fundamentals and another team aggresses that room, the first hint will probably seeing the flashbang being deployed in the room. If you are getting ready to get flashbanged, close your eyes and attempt to place the flashbang at your back by turning your body. Once the bang goes off, immediately sound off with the challenge to alert the incoming entry team of your pres-ence within that room. Whatever you do, do not point your weapon at the incoming entry team.

If you ever have any doubt as to whether or not a room is occupied by other shooters, don't hesitate to challenge.

11. CONSOLIDATION:

a. At this point, we have lead the troop on an assault. Refer back to the three rules of IBT; Look for the Danger Area, Lone Shooter, and if there are none, then establish choke points, enroute to the Hostage Holding Area.

b. Once the last room has been made entry into, shooters may tend to gather in the hallway at this last room. Once the cheater on the outside is sure that the room is in fact the last room, (ensuring that their are not adjoining or successive rooms), he will sound off with "LAST ROOM", at which time all shooters turn about, moving toward the Hostage Holding Area,

still looking for the Danger Area and Lone Shooters; if there are none, then shooters look for and establish chokepoints.

c. Choke Points. A Choke Point is a physical location with the Crisis Site from which the troop will have to flow through to get back to the HHA. Choke Points are at hallway intersections, ladder well land-ings, and down long hallways. The purpose of establishing a Choke Point is to cover our movement back to the HHA. Even though by not having any more Danger Areas signifies that there is no more threat, we still provide continuous security. Just remember, Jason lives. One rule on Choke Points that you cannot forget is that a Danger Area, Lone Shooter, or hearings the verbiage “Support” all take precedence over es-tablishing the Choke Point. If any of these have occurred after you have established the Choke Point, then abandon it, and let someone else pick it up.

B.P.

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H.H.A. O

POINTMAN CHOKEPOINT POINTMEN

H.H.A. SECURITY

fig. 9

d. Moving to Consolidation. Now the problem that we are faced with is how we are going to pull our choke point men back without losing some security? What will happen is that the shooter that comes out of the "Last Room" will grab the Point man in the hallway on the shoulder and tell him "Last Man". The point man now knows that he is the last man in that hallway. The point man should then sound off with

"PICK ME UP...PICK ME UP". The choke point man closest to the point mans position, and covering in that direction, will respond with "POINT MAN, TURN AND GO", which the point man does. If the point man is walking right down your barrel, then direct the point man to "STAY TO YOUR

LEFT/RIGHT", in order to get him to switch sides of the hallway. As the point man passes your choke point position, he should grab your shoulder and tell you "LAST MAN". Now you know that you are know the last man in that hallway. You should the start the verbiage "PICK ME UP...PICK ME UP", until the Choke Point behind you complies. The last shooter to enter the Hostage Holding Area should go directly to the HHA Controller and tell him "LAST MAN". The HHA Controller will most likely direct that shooter to obtain a shooter count.

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H.H.A.

B.P.

fig. 10

SUMMARY: As you can see, the point man responsibilities are second to none. Every shooter must ob-tain the skills needed for the troop to be effective. You know when you may be a point man.