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The Basics of Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain

<h2>Understanding the Importance of Battle Drills</h2><p>Battle drills are vital in military operations. They are standardized, continuous practices that prepare units for combat scenarios. The primary objective is to instill quick, decisive responses to battlefield situations with minimal orders and/or planning, enhancing overall tactical performance. Battle drills are not just about repetition but about building muscle memory and fostering instinctive reactions under stress.</p><p>Battle drills serve as a critical component in the training of soldiers, ensuring they can function effectively as a cohesive unit. The importance of these exercises cannot be overstated as they form the bedrock of tactical excellence. By consistently practicing these drills, soldiers learn to react swiftly and efficiently, reducing the time to execute commands and ensuring that every team member knows their role in every scenario.</p><figure id="figure-58y7bqlc4mavmtlri"><img id="58y7bqlc4mavmtlri" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/38rtB6bpZlp0VrF3GV559N4JdIlSqy5F0iZCw13bCQhADKCOgPJx5zzzmRgoYqXx.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/38rtB6bpZlp0VrF3GV559N4JdIlSqy5F0iZCw13bCQhADKCOgPJx5zzzmRgoYqXx.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>The 15 Second Fight</h2><p>The first 15 seconds of any contact are critical to gaining momentum and minimizing casualties. React by gaining fire superiority and gaining the initiative, which enables us to instinctively dominate these first moments of the battle. Be aggressive, shoot, move, and communicate—the steps to dominating any engagement. Whoever has the initiative will be victorious.</p><p><img id="6nd19oe6yrmavmnr3q" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1bflIGIqeoEucWu58Llkn2hN8595iAmWSri6F1qU5gAyWJG3O5y4nXqY8hxUYivt.png" alt="soldiers training" title="soldiers training" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1bflIGIqeoEucWu58Llkn2hN8595iAmWSri6F1qU5gAyWJG3O5y4nXqY8hxUYivt.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></p><h3>React To Contact</h3><p>Whenever we take contact, the first step is to return fire, take cover, and return accurate fire. When we return fire initially, it is quick and successive 3-5 rounds in known or suspected enemy positions. As we transition to taking cover, we need to look for micro terrain to provide us cover, and if there is none, look for concealment like vegetation. Returning accurate fire is essential, as we must maintain a high enough fire rate to gain fire superiority and allow us freedom of movement. This is on small unit leaders to give their team a rate of fire. When fire superiority is established, issues follow on orders like breaking contact or assaulting through the enemy position.&nbsp;</p><h3>Break Contact</h3><p>When the unit leader issues the order to break contact, the squad leader needs to designate a distance and direction, or a terrain feature to move to. Then, two elements need to be immediately created: a maneuver element and a support element, with the support element beginning to suppress the enemy, allowing the maneuver element to create a smoke screen to mask their movement. Once the maneuver element has bounded backwards, they begin suppressing and will enable the support element to bound backwards. This step is repeated until they arrive at the designated location, and then the unit consolidates and reorganizes.&nbsp;</p><h3>React to Near Ambush</h3><p>If you find yourself in a killzone, your only hope of survival is absolute violence of Action. You must break out of the ambush with high explosives, speed, and intensity. A near ambush is any distance from which you can throw a hand grenade, typically 35-50 meters. Immediately return fire, take cover, return accurate fire, throw as many high explosives as you can, and then assault through the enemy position. The assault cannot stop until the ambush is eliminated or contact is broken. Anyone not in the killzone must identify the enemy position, place accurate suppression, and shift fires as the people in the killzone assault through.&nbsp;</p><h3>React to Far Ambush</h3><p>Like a near ambush, you need to maintain the violence of Action. The difference, however, is that you are outside hand grenade throwing distance, so you have more options. Those in the killzone need to follow the same steps of return fire, take cover, and return accurate fire. The unit not in the killzone has multiple options, as they can suppress the enemy, move along covered and concealed routes, and assault the enemy on the flank. The unit leader assesses the situation, establishes a course of Action, and issues orders. If the enemy fire is sporadic and/or ineffective, we can break contact and move to consolidate and reorganize.&nbsp;</p><figure id="figure-9grd0idvjmavoi72h"><img id="9grd0idvjmavoi72h" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1awPEio3CpqbLuqYffpQ4rPOLrYSI0JIsKjd6dxvxzrBRSdWqWGQFFVX3nVzShMT.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1awPEio3CpqbLuqYffpQ4rPOLrYSI0JIsKjd6dxvxzrBRSdWqWGQFFVX3nVzShMT.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>Conclusion: Vital to Tactical Operations</h2><p>Mastering battle drills is an ongoing journey that requires commitment, consistency, and a willingness to adapt. These exercises form the foundation of tactical operations, preparing soldiers to face the complexities of modern warfare with confidence and precision.</p><p>These are the basic battle drills that we encounter most likely in operations, and as such, they need to be practiced most often—one component that will never change in any battle drill or operation: the violence of Action. We need to maintain this as much as we can, as it preserves our lives, ends our enemies, and gives us the initiative.&nbsp;</p>

The Basics of Battle Drills

<p>In recent years, there has been a massive fascination with Close Quarters Battle (CQB), often linking it to the perceived 'elite' status of military units. This obsession is not limited to the MILSIM community; real-world militaries exhibit a similar trend. Take groups like Forward Observations and GBRS, for instance. They showcase high-speed CQB tactics that capture attention, yet often overlook the numerous steps required to achieve such proficiency.</p><p>How often do we see the preparation involved? The process includes gathering intelligence, conducting extensive briefings, managing administrative tasks, and navigating towards the objective. Once at the target, there’s isolating the objective, moving through hazardous urban terrain, and ultimately performing CQB. Each of these steps—reconnaissance, planning, coordination, and execution—comes with its own set of challenges.</p><p>I am not arguing that CQB is useless; it has its place in military operations. The Marine Corps learned this lesson the hard way in Fallujah, where the need to clear structures safely and effectively became evident. Almost every objective will involve navigating and clearing urban terrain, making CQB an inherent aspect of the mission. However, CQB plays a modest role in operations compared to critical components like Small Unit Tactics (SUT) and Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). An often overlooked aspect of CQB is safely arriving at the objective. Does it matter how quickly you can clear a building if you get shot crossing an open danger area on the way?</p><p>The U.S. Military has a guideline for CQB: "Never clear with personnel what could be destroyed with high explosives instead." CQB is inherently dangerous; if you can clear an area without entering it, that is usually the safest option.</p><p>Creators in this space are aware of this reality and have acknowledged it. However, the emphasis on CQB in their content often leads audiences to forget the effort required to get there. Why do they continue to focus on it? It attracts viewers because it fits the popular image of 'Operators.' People typically do not envision an operator hating their situation, soaking wet from weeks of rain, taking shelter in a thorn bush, even though that might be a more accurate depiction of many encounters.</p><p>The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) further complicates this perception. Many Special Operations Forces (SOF) units were able to air assault, sprint to their objectives, and secure them quickly because the enemy often lacked the equipment and training to respond effectively. However, as we move forward, adversaries will not face the same limitations. They will possess the capability to detect and thwart close-range air support and will know how to establish proper defenses against our fast assaults.</p><p>My motivation for starting this group is to inspire a shift in mindset. It's time to move away from the 'CQB is everything' mentality and focus on the skills that truly matter in most operations. By sharing my real-world experiences alongside my Lego scenarios, I aim to impart practical and effective skills and knowledge to as many people as possible. I believe that the entire MILSIM community will benefit from this change in perspective, and I'm excited to be a part of it.</p>

The Facade of CQB

Seraph Eustace Group

Seraph Eustace Group is a premier tactical training and consulting organization committed to forging elite-level proficiency in military, law enforcement, and security professionals. Founded by seasoned combat operators, the group brings together deep operational experience, modern tactics, and a relentless drive for excellence.

Inspired by the warrior ethos and grounded in discipline, Seraph Eustace Group offers dynamic, real-world training in CQB, mission planning, small unit tactics, and leadership development. Our curriculum is battle-tested, principle-driven, and designed to elevate performance under pressure—whether on the battlefield, in urban environments, or during high-risk operations.

Like GBRS, Achilles Tactical, and Hades Tactical, we don’t just teach tactics—we shape mindsets. Our training pushes beyond mechanics to instill clarity, aggression, and purpose in every action. At Seraph Eustace Group, we believe warriors aren’t born—they’re forged.

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The Basics of Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain

The Basics of Battle Drills

The Facade of CQB