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071-326-5703 (SL1) - Construct Individual Fighting Positions

Standards: Constructed a hasty fighting position that gave frontal cover from enemy direct fire but allowed you to fire to the front and oblique. Constructed a one-man fighting position with the following characteristics: � Wide enough for you and your equipment. � Armpit deep with frontal and overhead cover at least 18 inches deep. � Had grenade sumps and a floor sloped toward the sumps. � Allowed you to place fire on your assigned sector.

Conditions: Given load-carrying equipment (LCE) with bayonet,
scabbard, entrenching tool, poncho, and
M16A1 rifle, a specific location and sector
of fire, and logs construct an individual
fighting position.

Standards:  Constructed
a hasty fighting position that gave frontal
cover from enemy direct fire but allowed you
to fire to the front and oblique.
Constructed a one-man fighting position with
the following characteristics:


  • Wide enough for you and your
    equipment.

  • Armpit deep with frontal and
    overhead cover at least 18 inches deep.

  • Had grenade sumps and a floor
    sloped toward the sumps.

  • Allowed you to place fire on
    your assigned sector.

Performance Steps

Note: When you first move into battle, there may be little or
no time to prepare a position.

1.   Prepare a hasty fighting position.

a.
Select a hasty fighting
position that-

(1) 
Is behind whatever cover is
available.

(2) 
Provides frontal
protection.

(3) 
Allows you to shoot to the
front and at an oblique angle.

(4) 
Is in a small depression or
a hole that is at least half a meter
(18 inches) deep.

Note. The term "hasty position" does not mean there
is no digging.

b. Improve your position with
whatever time is available by digging
or scraping out a prone shelter that
will give you some protection (figure 071-326-5703-1).





Figure 071-326-5703-1.
Hasty fighting position

 

2.   Prepare a one-man fighting position (figure
071-326-5703-2).





Figure 071-326-5703-2.
One-man fighting position

 

Note. This type of position allows flexibility in the use of
cover. The hole only has to be long
enough for you and your equipment. You
must be able to shoot to both the
front and oblique from behind frontal
cover. It does not provide the
security a two-man position does.

a.
Obtain position location
and sector of fire from your leader.

b.
Put in sector-of-fire
stakes.

c.
Partially clear a field of
fire within your sector.

d.
Dig a hasty hole for
minimum protection, being careful not
to destroy natural camouflage around
your position.

e.
Save grass clumps for use
as camouflage later.

Note. At this stage of construction, you should be able to
fight effectively from the position if
there is a surprise attack.

f. 
Dig in, shaping the hole to
fit the natural cover available.

Note. Depending on the size and shape of the frontal cover,
you may not be able to dig a
rectangular hole.

(1) 
Make the hole armpit deep
(figure 071-326-5703-3).





Figure 071-326-5703-3.
Fighting position armpit deep

 

Note. Frontal cover is important so you can shoot without
exposing your head to enemy fire.
Ideally, you will have a natural
parapet, such as a tree, mound, rock,
or stump that will blend with the
surrounding terrain available for
frontal cover.

(2) 
Use the dirt from your hole
to build a parapet that–

(a)  
Provides frontal cover with
at least 45 centimeters (18 inches) of
earth between you and the enemy if a
natural parapet is not available.

(b)  
Is high enough to cover
your head.

(c)  
Is far enough in front of
the hole to allow for elbow rests and
sector stakes.

(3) 
Modify your position on
steep terrain by digging out firing
ports at each end of the hole so the
ground between the firing ports serves
as frontal cover for the position
(figure 071-326-5703-4).






Figure 071-326-5703-4.
Fighting position on slope

 

Note. On a steep slope, a soldier in a hole behind frontal
cover cannot shoot attackers without
being exposed to enemy fire.

g. Save remaining dirt for
use as flank, overhead, and rear cover
later (figure 071-326-5703-5 and
figure 071-326-5703-6).






Figure 071-326-5703-5.
Constructing overhead cover (1)
 


 






Figure 071-326-5703-6.
Constructing overhead cover (2)

 

h.
Dispose of excess dirt.

(1) 
Carry dirt away from your
position.

(2) 
Camouflage excess dirt.

i.  
Dig two trench-shaped
grenade sumps (figure 071-326-5703-7).






Figure 071-326-5703-7.
Two trench-shaped grenade sumps

 

(1) 
Place one at each end of
the position.

(2) 
Make the trenches as wide
as an entrenching tool blade, as deep
as the entrenching tool, and as long
as the position is wide.

j.  
Slope the floor toward the
sumps (figure 071-326-5703-7).

Note. The slope should be steep enough so a grenade thrown
into the position will roll into one
of the sumps.

3.   Complete clearing the field of fire (see Task
071-331-0852).

a.
Clear only what is
absolutely necessary.

b.
Check the observation and
field of fire from inside the
position.

4.   Save any cut foliage, dirt, or grass clumps to
camouflage your position.

5.   Construct the fighting position overhead cover that
provides the best possible protection
from airbursts while allowing you to
fight from underneath it.

a.
Use logs 10 to 15
centimeters (4 to 6 inches) thick for
the supports, base, and top.

b.
Construct front and rear
supports that are the same height as
the terrain.

c.
Cover logs with at least 45
centimeters (18 inches) of dirt.

6.   Construct flank overhead cover when frontal
overhead cover would significantly
increase the silhouette of the
position, making it vulnerable to
detection (figure 071-326-5703-8).






Figure 071-326-5703-8. Flank overhead
cover

 

7.   Camouflage your position using available materials
(grass clumps, foliage) to make your
position blend into surroundings.

8.   Check the camouflage by moving 35 meters to the
front; if you can spot it easily, you
need more work on camouflage.

Evaluation Preparation: 

Setup: Select an area of terrain with varying features such as
fences, hedgerows, rocks, trees, and
ravines.

Brief
Soldier: Tell soldier the approximate
location of enemy positions. Order the
soldier to construct a hasty fighting
position and an improved fighting position.

Performance
Measures

GO

NO GO

1.   Prepared a hasty fighting position that-

a.
Was behind whatever cover
was available.

 

 

b.
Provided frontal
protection.

 

 

c.
Allowed you to shoot to the
front and at an oblique angle.

 

 

d.
Was in a small depression
or a hole at least half a meter (18
inches) deep.

 

 

2.   Prepared a one-man fighting position that-

a.
Had sector-of-fire stakes.

 

 

b.
Was dug in a shape that
fits the natural cover available.

 

 

c.
Was armpit deep.

 

 

d.
Had a parapet that-

 

 

(1) 
Provided frontal cover with
at least 45 centimeters (18 inches) of
earth between you and the enemy, if a
natural parapet was not available.

 

 

(2) 
Was high enough to cover
your head.

 

 

(3) 
Was far enough in front of
the hole to allow for elbow rests and
sector stakes.

 

 

(4) 
Was modified on steep
terrain by digging out firing ports at
each end of the hole so the ground
between the firing ports served as
frontal cover for the position.

 

 

3.   Disposed of excess dirt.

a.
Carried dirt away from your
position.

 

 

b.
Camouflaged excess dirt.

 

 

4.   Dug two trench-shaped grenade sumps.

a.
Placed one at each end of
the position.

 

 

b.
Made the trenches as wide
as an entrenching tool blade, as deep
as the entrenching tool, and as long
as the position was wide.

 

 

5.   Sloped the floor toward the sumps.

6.   Completed clearing the field of fire:

a.
Cleared only what was
absolutely necessary.

 

 

b.
Checked the observation and
field of fire from inside the
position.

 

 

7.   Constructed the fighting position overhead cover
that provided the best possible
protection from airbursts while
allowing you to fight from underneath
it.

a.
Used 4- to 6-inch logs for
supports, base, and top of cover.

 

 

b.
Covered logs with at least
18 inches of dirt.

 

 

8.   Constructed flank overhead cover when frontal
overhead cover would significantly
increase the silhouette of the
position, making it vulnerable to
detection.

9.   Camouflaged position using available materials so
it was not visible from 35 meters to
the front.

Evaluation
Guidance:
 
Score the soldier GO if all
performance measures are passed. Score the
soldier NO GO if any performance measure is
failed. If the soldier scores NO GO, show
him what was done wrong and how to do it
correctly.

References


 

Required


Related


 

FM
7-8

 

 


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