The Facade of CQB

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.