Summary
Trainees: 2-8 per bounding lane (4 available)
Time: 2-5 per cycle. Recommend doing enough cycles to use up 50% of training session time.
Trainee Difficulty: Easy
Trainer Difficulty: Easy
Required Location: The bounding lanes
Recommended Prerequisites: None
Lesson Objective
To increase the trainees' proficiency at bounding towards a hostile position effective. This lesson also trains marksmanship, communication, movement under fire, initiative and command. The trainees must move to the third phase and then back to the flag without ever letting more than three targets remain for more than two seconds.
Lesson Execution
Note: This lesson plan assumes bounding in fire teams but it can be done in fire-teams or even squads. When bounding Blue Lead is technically also the overall FTL but this is of limited concern for this exercise.
The following steps are what is defined as a “Bounding Cycle”.
The fireteam starts in line with the flag. Red Team prepares to place fire on the targets whilst Blue Team prepares to move to the first piece of cover.
The trainer announces the start of the exercise.
Red Team begins to suppress targets immediately.
Blue Team announces “Blue Moving!” and begins to move to cover on their side of the lane.
Blue Team reaches cover. When ready to begin firing Blue team announces “Blue Set!” and begins to suppress targets.
Red Team announces “Red Moving!” and begins to move to cover on their side of the lane.
Red Team reaches cover. When ready to begin firing Red Team announces “Red Set!” and begins to suppress targets.
Both teams continue to alternate in this fashion until both teams are in cover in Phase 3.
Team leader (usually Blue Team leader) announces “Fall Back!”
Red Team announces “Red Moving!” and begins to back to their previous cover on their side of the lane.
Red Team reaches cover. When ready to begin firing Red Team announces “Red Set!” and begins to suppress targets.
Blue Team announces “Blue Moving!” and begins to back to their previous cover on their side of the lane.
Blue Team reaches cover. When ready to begin firing Blue Team announces “Blue Set!” and begins to suppress targets.
Both teams continue to alternate in this fashion until both teams have returned to their starting points alongside the flag.
Team leader (usually Blue Team leader) announces “Cease fire!” and the exercise is concluded.
Lesson Variations
Fire Team Bounding
Where instead of pairs bounding fire teams bound. Designate one fireteam to be primary (usually the first, so in mission it would be A1, B1, C1) and then alternate with each successive cycle. Instead of using “Red” and “Blue” when communicating use “One” and “Two”. Use radios for communication instead of direct voice.
Squad Bounding
Where instead of pairs bounding squads bound. Designate one fireteam to be primary (usually the the alpha squad) and then alternate with each successive cycle. Instead of using “Red” and “Blue” when communicating use “Alpha” and “Bravo”. Use radios for communication instead of direct voice.
Lesson Notes
Try to enforce crispness and efficiency. Things will always be sloppier in mission but aim high here, it will raise the bar in mission.
Communication is critical. Make sure people are calling “set!” and “moving!”
Cycle leadership between trainees
Make sure that bounding teams stick to their side of the lane and are not cross in front of the other teams fire
You can set yourself as invincible and stand by the targets and fire over the heads of trainees to increase stress. If they're being particularly sloppy don't be afraid to kill them to make an example of them.
Disallow use of smokes. There's plenty of cover and it will drift everywhere and disrupt training.
Disallow frags as they tend to go wrong more often than not and distract from the rest of the training.
Remind trainees to reload while moving to avoid needing to reload when suppressing.
When doing several cycles in a row get trainees used to rearming from the crate and getting ready to start again quickly without needing to be prompted to maximise the number of cycles completed in each session.
Part of the goal of this lesson is to teach potential FTLs to bound without needing their hands held by their SL. Ideally the SL should be able to announce his intent that the squad should bound to a position and then have no further direct involvement unless something goes wrong, freeing him up to worry about other more important things.