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Section Command

Role Outline
A section commanders primary role is to act as the leader of an 8 man standard infantry section,
issuing movement and low-level tactical orders during operations. Your main objective is to keep all
of your soldiers alive, and it is often your decisions that will lead to the difference between life and
death situations. It is your responsibility to have your section execute orders from platoon
command, and to plan the on the ground movements and assault of your men. You are also a
fireteam leader, of the CHARLIE fireteam.
You must utilise your section 2ic (second in command) to maintain the logistics of your section. The
2IC should be your right hand man and it is his job to maintain section discipline. The 2IC must
ensure that discipline is maintained by the section; meaning that he is responsible for having all
soldiers hear and understand the section commanders orders, ensuring that the soldiers perform
tasks as ordered. The 2ic is responsible for casualty and ammunition drills within the section, and will
gather ACE reports for the section commander. The 2ic is also responsible for intrasection
ammunition distribution.
What makes a good section commander?

Confidence be confident in your orders to your men. If you are not confident in your plan,
you cannot expect them to execute the task with confidence in the mission, or you.
Listen It is essential you listen carefully to the orders issued to you from platoon
command. If you do not hear these correctly, or you ignore some parts; you can be the
loose screw in messing up a whole mission. Also listen to your men if they are tired, or if
they see an enemy, it is up to you what to do next.
Decisiveness this is not something that comes naturally to everybody. You must therefore
keep decision-making constantly on your mind. If excrement hits the fan and a decision
must be made, decide fast. If you dont make a decision, humming-and-hawing, you could
be putting your section or platoons lives in danger.
Situational Awareness Know where you are going. Know how you will get there. Know the
enemy locations. Know the terrain, and the foliage and the cover. Know everything you can
know, and pass it on to your section when appropriate. If you get lost, or mess up it will be
your fault entirely.
Assertiveness If you are trying to brief your section and they are pissing about, be
assertive and tell them to shut up. You are in charge and make sure they know it. They
should respect you, but if there is a failure in their respect, inform them that they need to
listen to get the job done.

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Organization Quite simply, keep on top of your orders know what to expect next. Have
your 2ic keep on top of the organisation of the section and logistics.

Asking questions in your platoon brief, and briefing your section

Section commanders are briefed by their platoon commanders before deploying on an operation. It
is essential therefore that you listen. Sometimes, platoon commanders miss things out, you as
individual miss information, or somebody thinks of a new idea or an appropriate piece of
information that needs to be known. Therefore, it is important that you ask your questions early,
and as a section commander it is important that you know what you want to ask before deploying.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of some examples

What is the weapons status for the patrol from WP1 to WP3? (Red, Yellow, Green)
Can you just repeat the radio channels?
What is the order of march?
If we take casualty at the front line, will the medic come to us or do you want the casualty to
go to him?
Protocol if we take vehicle damage that leaves us unable to move.
How often would you like ACE reports?
What side of the town is 2 section clearing again?

This should be some food for thought.

Now, you are also responsible for briefing your own section. It is recommended you start this off
with a microphone and a radio check to ensure that the TFAR plugin is working for all members.
After this is complete, you must then go on to brief your section. This is not an exact science but the
structure that many people follow is;

Situation terrain, foliage, getting lighter/darker, distance covered, vehicles/no vehicles.

Enemy How many? What force type? Special forces or standard infantry? Distribution
where are they concentrated?
Objectives brief all objectives, but in particular objective one. Objective plans are
subject to change following the initial objective and therefore it is only essential at this point
that you go into detail for task one.
Protocol Weapons status, ambush reaction, dismount side, radio usage.
Summary explain to section that if they have any questions at any point, ask fireteam
leader when appropriate so that there is no communication breakdown. Explain role you
wish your 2ic to perform.
Take questions from the section.

Orders
The section commander is responsible for executing orders from platoon command. In doing so, the
section commander is also responsible for issuing orders himself.
Here are some examples of the genres of orders you may need to issue

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Navigation Section, we are moving to 123654, heading direct N then turning SE to follow
treeline for 100m. Halt when MSR from Chernogorsk is reached, and initiate obstacle cross
procedure!
Defensive Section, garrison that two storey building 10m to our SE, Marksman take SE
balcony, the rest hold all round security!
Offensive Section, alternate bounding to attack bunker to the front. DELTA COVERING,
CHARLIE ADVANCE
Fire Control Orders G R I T Group Range Indication Target EG Charlie Fireteam,
200metres, SW at the corner of the barn, two times enemy sentry FIRE
Formations Section, move through open field in arrowhead at a walking pace, weapons
up.
Logistical 2ic, get me an ACE report; you have 1.5 minutes!

Fireteams
As a section commander, you are in charge of 8 men, divided into the CHARLIE and DELTA fireteams.
Although the section commander has control over both fireteams, you are classed as the CHARLIE
fireteam leader. The section 2ic is the DELTA fireteam leader.
This means that you will always stay with the CHARLIE fireteam and will lead them specifically. You
will give orders to the DELTA fireteam if you wish for them to break off, and they will be led by the
2ic.

CHARLIE Fireteam The CHARLIE fireteam is the assault fireteam. You have the more
lightweight and manoeuvrable men in your squad, and this puts the C fireteam in better
stead for initiating attack and clearance drills. Use the C fireteam to assault positions first,
clear compounds on point, flanking manoeuvres, and generally moving at the front.
DELTA Fireteam The DELTA fireteam is the support fireteam. It has the more heavily
armed and slower men in your squad, and this puts the D fireteam in better stead for laying
down rapid suppressive fire to keep the enemys head down and to destroy large amounts
of infantry quickly. Use the D fireteam to cover assaults, at the rear of the bound,
supressing emplacements and windows and holding position whilst a section flank takes
place.

Radio Usage
A section commander is provided with a short range PRR (Personal Role Radio) and a long-range
Bowman manpack radio.

PRR Used for intrasection communication; meaning that this is used to communicate
orders to your section. All section members have access to this radio and can communicate.
I recommend requesting relative silence on this radio unless necessary, because it is a vital
part of communication between the section commander and the 2ic. It is up to you whether
you would like to have soldiers using the radio for contact reports, or keep coms clear for
more important matters. Protocol is relaxed, therefore there are no strict callsigns.

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Long-Range Manpack Used for communication between section command to platoon

command. All section commanders are on this net. Protocol is strict and you must to adhere
to the callsigns. Expect to receive tactical orders from the platoon commander. In platoon
operations, the platoon sergeant is on this net also, so expect to receive logistical requests
from him.

Radio Callsigns

PRR N/A (Recommend you refer to yourself as CHARLIE, and the 2ic as DELTA)
Long-Range Manpack [PLATOON No. SECTION No. FIRETEAM]
o E.G. 1 2 CHARLIE

This is your official callsign, but on the platoon net you would generally drop the PLATOON No. as
everybody operating the net is in the same platoon. Therefore, the above callsign would become:"2
CHARLIE

Conclusion
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or additions, contact LionRampant. This is still just a
guide and therefore must not be considered as an official Section Command S.O.P.; although
hopefully if this is checked out then we can have it officialised as S.O.P.
Cheers,

LionRampant