Was wondering if someone can help me, was looking to set up a weekend Fieldcraft exercise for the cadets and I have no idea where to start to or how to get the ball rolling so to speak.
I have been recently teaching the Fieldcraft subject and would be good to get the in the field for some training.
Any help would be appreciated thank you
[quote=“RT85” post=3201]Was wondering if someone can help me, was looking to set up a weekend Fieldcraft exercise for the cadets and I have no idea where to start to or how to get the ball rolling so to speak.
I have been recently teaching the Fieldcraft subject and would be good to get the in the field for some training.
Any help would be appreciated thank you[/quote]
I’ve been doing something similar at my unit. Initial setup can be quite lengthy. Firstly because Fieldcraft can only be carried out on ‘approved’ land. So, you have two options, you can either use pre-approved private land. Land nearby to your unit which someone else has already had approved, (that somebody else can be any military unit, not just the ATC.) or training areas. Realistically most ATC units use private land, owned by someone else. I’ve recently had our training area, which we’ve been using for years approved by Wessex Brigade for a year’s use.
After you’ve had the land approved, the process is a bit easier as you only have to have the exercise approved by wing or region, (which it is depends on the scale of the exercise you’re planning, and whether it goes on past sunset) and then notify your local brigade HQ that you will be using the land on x date.
The reason for this approval rigmarole is that if you damage the land in anyway, or anything on it, the MOD has indemnity insurance for the landowner. This process prevents fraudulent claims.
I’ll PM you to give you some useful docs. But this ^ is for the purposes of engendering debate.
You can also do fieldcraft in your unit…
1 - Teach cadets how to apply Camoflauge cream properly…info can be easly found on net.
2 - Teach cadets about sillohettes
3 - Teach cadets How to sneak about the forest using different techniques (again internet search)
4 - Teach them about camoflauge and concealment, what to look out for…what not to use.
This is just a small example, there is som much that can be done before going out into the woods. Cadets love putting camo cream on.
^^ seconded!
i would certainly offer a lesson on the 7S’s when “camming up” to indicate how it helps
Sight
Sound
Smell
Shine
Shape
Silhouette
and i forgot the last one…anyone?
[quote=“steve679” post=3478]^^ seconded!
i would certainly offer a lesson on the 7S’s when “camming up” to indicate how it helps
Sight
Sound
Smell
Shine
Shape
Silhouette
and i forgot the last one…anyone?[/quote]
Movement (with an S) 
Why things are seen:
Shape
Shine
Shadow
Silhouette
Spacing
Texture
Movement
Sound and smell are not part of it.
Basics of fieldcraft would include:
Why things are seen
Observation
Judging Distance
Cam and Concealment
Field Admin (maybe not as much of an issue for cadets, as I wouldn’t have thought you’ll be cooking washing and shaving out of mess tins)
Field Discipline (noise discipline, light discipline, kit admin/husbandry etc.)
Methods of Movement
Target Indications
Fire Control Orders
Reaction to effective enemy fire
Basic Patrol Formations
Once these Basics are taught you can build on them to pairs, fire team, section, flight and even sqn level drills.
[quote=“rockape3” post=3486]Why things are seen:
Shape
Shine
Shadow
Silhouette
Spacing
Texture
Movement
Sound and smell are not part of it.
Basics of fieldcraft would include:
Why things are seen
Observation
Judging Distance
Cam and Concealment
Field Admin (maybe not as much of an issue for cadets, as I wouldn’t have thought you’ll be cooking washing and shaving out of mess tins)
Field Discipline (noise discipline, light discipline, kit admin/husbandry etc.)
Methods of Movement
Target Indications
Fire Control Orders
Reaction to effective enemy fire
Basic Patrol Formations
Once these Basics are taught you can build on them to pairs, fire team, section, flight and even sqn level drills.[/quote]
No you can’t, because you’re not allowed to. Even Fire Control Orders are technically verboten.
rockape3 - we can only teach the content of ACP16 and that doesn’t (sadly) include Section Battle Drills, target indication or fire control orders.
oh?
i recall being told about it under the same heading…
the likes of "dont go to all that effort of good cam, trees in elastic bands arodn your arm, removal of anything taht may shine only for your to be picked out because you smell of Lynx Africa!!
Fair one, I seem to remember running around fields shouting bang in my cadet days so thought it might still be allowed (assuming it was in the first place). The other bits are still relevant though I take it?
Yes, sound and smell can be an issue, but they come under noise discipline and field admin (washing with unscented soap etc.) not why things are seen.
[quote=“rockape3” post=3486]Why things are seen:
Shape
Shine
Shadow
Silhouette
Spacing
Texture
Movement
[/quote]
I remember it as ‘Surface’ rather than ‘Texture’ (to get an extra catchy ‘S’)!
Could be done, don’t see why those exact words would have to be used if the same meaning is conveyed, texture is simply what we had learn verbatim from the fieldcraft PAM.
SUDDEN movement for the full set of S
Fortunately of course, outside the world of fieldraft and into the world of skill at arms we are specifically required to cover the full course of training for the L98 which includes Lesson 9 “Firing From Other Positions” (best taught outside where they can see the benefits of each position on different terrain), and Lesson 11 “Use of Cover, Carriage of the Weapon, and Reaction to Effective Enemy Fire”. The latter which includes firing from trenches, scrub, low banks and folds in the ground, and walls and houses. “Confirm by practice”
Reaction to effective Enemy fire requiring the cadet to be familiar with the action to take on the commands “take cover”, “prepare to advance (or move)”, and “advance (or move)”.
Also “Confirm by practice”.
All of the above are far easier to teach and have more benefit if the cadet is already trained in basic fieldcraft.
In fact, it’s somewhat difficult for the cadet to “fire at…a target indicated by the section commander” without having been trained in target indication.
HQAC’s hands are tied with regards SAA…SASC are very clear that we WILL deliver the full course to satisfy the Safe System of Training. So hopefully they will eventually realise that the logical thing to do is open up the oppertunities for fieldcraft which clearly compliment the later lessons in SAA.
The two simply have to coexist.
It includes Target Indication, and judging distances. So once you’ve taught those you’ve got half of GRIT right there…
Target Indication isn’t in ACP16 - without wishing to be pedantic, it’s OBJECT Indication (despite having one or two references to ‘target’ in the text!).
However, as we aren’t permitted to go outside of the manual and as cadets can’t carry small arms during fieldcraft training, there’s no valid reason to teach FCO’s, is there?
[quote=“Gunner” post=3598]Target Indication isn’t in ACP16 - without wishing to be pedantic, it’s OBJECT Indication (despite having one or two references to ‘target’ in the text!).
However, as we aren’t permitted to go outside of the manual and as cadets can’t carry small arms during fieldcraft training, there’s no valid reason to teach FCO’s, is there?[/quote]
Good pedant tekkers. I like it.
The reason I teach them, is to give the range card, judging distances and object indication lessons one coherent background. although we drop the T in GRIT, as it’s not necessary, like you say, without weapons. (However, types of fire are taught when firing weapons on the range.) We then build them into radio exercise games we play on squadron. Where we sit the cadets around a hill and radio them fire control orders. They then have to give us an accurate bearing and distance using navigations skills to the target. We then plot their ‘answers’ on a map and show them how much of the town they managed to blow up which wasn’t the target. (with new cadets the target would sometimes be the only thing left standing!) But that’s using ACP16 lessons outside of the ACP16 environment. Which is probably illegal somehow. But we find it brings together a lot of the lessons to have something called fun…
Another reason for teaching FCOs is that ACP16 is designed to be the foundation for the MST training delivered on ACLC and JL, and it saves a lot of training time if the cadets are aware of the concepts before they arrive.
These examples, and what wdimagineer2b say above ask the interesting question. ACP16 says we can only teach what is contained in ACP16 in terms of fieldcraft. So we cannot add in things like fire and manoeuvre. But what about stuff which exists in the other parts of the ATC syllabus? For example, ACP16 doesn’t include a navigation lesson. But it’s clear that Navigation is part of good fieldcraft skills, as shown by the route selection lessons. Personally, I think that bringing things which are part of the ATC Syllabus into fieldcraft is a good thing.
Strictly speaking, it’s:
Shape
Shadow
Silhouette
Spacing
Movement
Texture
(not necessarily in that order) - because that’s how it’s written in the book!
[quote=“Baldrick” post=3619][quote=“Gunner” post=3598]Target Indication isn’t in ACP16 - without wishing to be pedantic, it’s OBJECT Indication (despite having one or two references to ‘target’ in the text!).
However, as we aren’t permitted to go outside of the manual and as cadets can’t carry small arms during fieldcraft training, there’s no valid reason to teach FCO’s, is there?[/quote]
Good pedant tekkers. I like it.
The reason I teach them, is to give the range card, judging distances and object indication lessons one coherent background. although we drop the T in GRIT, as it’s not necessary, like you say, without weapons. (However, types of fire are taught when firing weapons on the range.) We then build them into radio exercise games we play on squadron. Where we sit the cadets around a hill and radio them fire control orders. They then have to give us an accurate bearing and distance using navigations skills to the target. We then plot their ‘answers’ on a map and show them how much of the town they managed to blow up which wasn’t the target. (with new cadets the target would sometimes be the only thing left standing!) But that’s using ACP16 lessons outside of the ACP16 environment. Which is probably illegal somehow. But we find it brings together a lot of the lessons to have something called fun…
Another reason for teaching FCOs is that ACP16 is designed to be the foundation for the MST training delivered on ACLC and JL, and it saves a lot of training time if the cadets are aware of the concepts before they arrive.
These examples, and what wdimagineer2b say above ask the interesting question. ACP16 says we can only teach what is contained in ACP16 in terms of fieldcraft. So we cannot add in things like fire and manoeuvre. But what about stuff which exists in the other parts of the ATC syllabus? For example, ACP16 doesn’t include a navigation lesson. But it’s clear that Navigation is part of good fieldcraft skills, as shown by the route selection lessons. Personally, I think that bringing things which are part of the ATC Syllabus into fieldcraft is a good thing.[/quote]
Personally, I think its about time HQAC issued a Vol2 to ACP16 because I think that over the last 5 years, we’ve proved to them that we can handle sticking to the basics.
I’m not holding my breath ,though…