Room Clearing

By Crusty
Urban Terrain
 3 Principles of CQB

Speed

Surprise

Violence of Action
 3 Principles of CQB

Speed: Is achieved through a well-designed

plan and solid tactics to gain proximity to the
Objective with an undetected approach, with
the use of multiple entry points to flood the
Target site.
 3 Principles of CQB

Surprise: The objective is to complete all offensive

action before the party being engaged is able to react
and set up a Defense. To gain this element of
surprise, the entry teams use stealth movement and
noise/light discipline to get as close to the targets as
possible, hopefully putting themselves in a position to
engage the enemy from the moment he becomes
aware of them.
 3 Principles of CQB

Violence of action: Gaining and maintaining

physical and psychological momentum is
essential. Breaching doors, blasting holes in
walls and coming through windows and the
use of Vehicles to breach are used to create
unexpected entry points. Dynamic Entry with
the use of flashbangs and gunfire is
complemented by the intimidating and
aggressive actions of the assault team.
Assaulters must maintain dominance over
anyone still alive.
 8 Fundamentals of CQB

1. Dominate 5. Search Room

2. Eliminate 6. Search Living
3. Control The Living 7. Communicate
4. Search Dead 8. Exfiltrate
 INITIATIVE BASED TACTICS (IBT)

• In the use of IBT every Shooter has to be able to step up

and be able to make a decisive decision on the move.
• Head and Eyes up!
• Move to your point of Domination.
• Shoot on the Move, Fast & Accurate Shooting.
• Shooters dominate the room from opposing corners,
forcing the Enemy to shoot at separate targets.
• Be Pro-active! not Reactive!
• Close on lone Shooters and Danger areas
• Maintain your sector of fire.
• Remember the 1 meter Rule.
• Must have the ability to perform IBT sub-consciously!!!
Muscle Memory.
 Doors
• If the Hinges can be seen this is the key Indicator that
it is an outward opening door. If no hinges are present
it’s an inward opening door or sliding door.

• Depending on what side the Door Knob is on in relation

to the stack, if the door knob is on the far side of the door
from the stack, some of the shooters are going to have to
move to other side of the door and stack accordingly.
Stack Procedures
 Number One Man
• The number one man must first identify what side of the hallway
the door is on, then needs to Identify if the door is open or closed,
once identified stacks accordingly. Once the number one man has
stack up on the door he has to check for any kind of Booby Traps,
then he has to Identify if door is locked or unlocked, If the Door is
locked it’s time to call out “Breacher UP!!!” and get ready to detroy!

• The one Man has the shot if the door opens. The number one man
never takes his eye’s off the door incase someone form inside the
room opens the door up.

• Once the room has been processed the last man in the room is
most likely going to be the first man to exit the room since he is
closest to the door. Now he will be taking over as number one man
and taking over the responsibility’s in calling the shots to the next
Room.
 Number Two Man
• As the number one man is covering down on the door the number
two man is pulling security down on the long axis of the hallway
also he is assessing the hallway for the next objective room and
looking for any kind of obstacles that might impede the team.

• If the number one man is unable to open the door or is not

comfortable with opening the door the number two man may step
around the number one man and check the door to see if it’s locked
or not, prep a flashbang, open the door, throw the flashbang in the
room wait for the flashbang to detonate then follow the number one
man into the room.
 Number three man
• Number Three man’s responsibility is the pull security to the flanks
and overhead of the stack.
 Number Four Man
• Number Four Man is or can be the Breacher. When “Breacher up”
is called out the Number Four Man will breach the door.
 Number Five Man
• The number five’s main area of responsibility is to the rear.
Fatal Funnel
 Method of Entry
• Number One Man running the Wall that he sees
on an Inward opening Door.
 Method Of Entry
• Number One man Running the Wall that he
sees on an Outward opening Door.
 Method Of Entry
• Number one man Button Hooking around
a Corner that he cannot see.
 Room Clearing

To rapidly and methodically seize control of a room, or

series of rooms, and all of its inhabitants; both hostile
and non hostile by eliminating the threat, dominating
the room, and controlling the room and situation.
 OBJECTIVE

ASSAULT

SECURITY SECURITY

SUPPORT BY FIRE
 ASSAULT

SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT

 ASSAULT

OBJECT

SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT

 CENTER FED ROOM

CENTER FED CORNER FED

 CORNER FED ROOM

CENTER FED CORNER FED

OTHER TECHNIQUES
Center Fed Strongwall
Center Fed Horseshoe
Corner Fed Strongwall
Corner Fed Horseshoe
DANGER AREA SECURITY
DURING ROOM CLEARING
OPEN DOOR
FRONT
OPEN DOOR FRONT

OPEN DOOR FRONT

OPEN DOOR FRONT

LAST
MAN
CLEAR CLEAR

CLEAR

CLEAR
OPEN
DOOR CLOSED
DOOR
LEFT
RIGHT
LAST
MAN
CLEAR

CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR

CLOSED
DOOR
FRONT
LAST
MAN
 CLEAR CLEAR

CLEAR

CLEAR
OPEN OPEN
DOOR DOOR
LEFT RIGHT
LAST
MAN
 CLEAR

CLEAR

CLEAR
CLEAR
OPEN DOOROPENFRONT DOOR

FRONT
OPEN DOOR FRONT
LAST
MAN OPEN DOOR FRONT

OPEN
DOOR CLEARCLOSED
DOOR
LEFT CLEAR

RIGHT

CLEAR

CLEAR
 CLEAR

CLEAR

CLEAR

LAST
MAN

CLEAR
CLOSED
DOOR
FRONT
 LAST
MAN

LAST
MAN

OPEN OPEN
DOOR
CLEAR
DOOR CLEAR

LEFT RIGHT

CLEAR

CLEAR
 CLEAR

CLEAR

LAST
MAN

CLEAR

CLEAR
COMMUNICATE
 Remember

• Learn to fight out of intent and will, not out of

panic and fear.
• Focus on ability, not vulnerabilities, focusing on
vulnerabilities will cause fear, fear will cause
hesitation.
• If you are going to live by the sword, you have to
be prepared to die by the sword.
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO RISE TO THE
OCCASION, YOU ARE GOING TO DEFAULT TO
YOUR LEVEL OF TRAINING!!!
REHEARSE
REHEARSE
REHEARSE
• CQB Demo and Practical Application will be
during STX and MRX at Range 220a.
 CQB Summary

• 3 Principles of CQB
• 8 Fundamentals of CQB
• Initiative Based Tactics (IBT)
• Room clearing Tactics and Responsibility’s
• Hallway procedures