At some point or another you will find yourself having to clear a structure by yourself. Even if it was not supposed to happen, it will happen and being read is more important.
No More Multi-Tasking
I love the subject of tactical movement within a structure. It goes by various names and the need for this type of movement is equally diverse. I have utilized these tactics numerous times in the performance of my duties, but only a couple of times in my personal life. What I remember is the challenges of being so exposed. Every step placed me in danger and what it boiled down to was calculating risks then exercising sound tactics. Over the years I refined this methodology and even talked about it during a podcast. No matter your background or experience, you cannot secure and defend in more than one direction at a time.
You Are On Your Own
In the early days I was opposed to dynamic only style of clearing. Even with the little experience I had at the time I recognized the dangers. There was a leap of faith you took along even operating with some of the most squared away men on the planet. I still found it problematic. When I left the Navy I struggled to find credible sources to compare notes or expand my knowledge base. There were some solid dudes who shared great wisdom, but there was still the lack of codified methodology. It wasn’t until I would go back into harms way down range it would start to formulate. When at times we were literally on our own.
Do Not Overcommit
The tactical imperative is so critical in this situation. You must understand the situation because you will only be able to execute one tactic at a time. What dictates your tactics is what is the most important thing at that exact moment. Is it moving in open terrain, is it crossing an open doorway, it ascending a staircase to list a few. Each of these examples has a common theme; they are dangerous. In a team format we mitigate those dangers by having overlapping and redundant fields of fire. By yourself it is much more complicated. If you must perform this type of movement the goal is to only bite off what you can chew. Put another way, don’t overcommit yourself. Then when you do commit have your fall back position clearly identified.
Take It Easy
The purpose of tactical movement is to skillfully move when not in contact with the enemy. It is the objective to avoid contact with the enemy, but should you make contact to be in the better tactical position. Once you define the reason for your movement, why you are moving it will help narrow down your options. I typically break the movement down into two categories; slow and deliberate or fast and dynamic. Both have value, both are important. What matters is knowing when to use one over the other. Slow and deliberate is preferred, taking smaller chunks of real estate. Using distance and angles to support your movement and where possible cover. The terrain can be classified as either known or unknown and when I exploit slow and deliberate movement I can work more of the known problems with the tactical advantage in my favor.
There is surprisingly not a lot you need to know; a few movement techniques. What is surprising is recognizing how dangerous this activity is by yourself no matter how calculated.
