Jungle
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 12
- Points
- 430
Long article, but I couldn‘t link.
Article from the (CDN) Infantry journal
The Canadian Commando Course
Capt (PERSEC)
The Army is suffering a moral crisis. It is losing it‘s "combat mindset", that outlook of the profession that sets it apart from the rest of society. Combat mindset is the way of thinking that causes leaders to ask "will this make my unit more capable of defeating the enemy" or "Will my soldiers be tougher?" as opposed to what will this do to my career... or why bother, anyone can be uncomfortable". Indications that a combat mindset exists are intense interest in weapons, and tactics, physical Fitness, combat survival and adventure training. Minor injuries are considered part of training, experimentation with methods and tools to defeat the enemy is encouraged and physical luxuries in the field are seen as weakness.
If the current decline in combativeness is not reversed quickly the army will soon be little more than a police force. One step toward instilling combat mindset into the corporate body of the army is to establish a school with the sole purpose of training soldiers mentally, physically and technically for close combat. I propose that the Army establish a "Commando Course" for this purpose.
AIM
The aim of the Commando Course shall he to indoctrinate soldiers with A combat mindset and improving the armies ability to right. It will achieve it‘s goal by:
Instilling combat mindset through rigorous indoctrination,
Vigorous training in close combat and covert mobility,
Creating a big desired qualification to improve morale,
Motivating soldiers to prepare themselves for a challenging course,
Creating a test bed for infantry weapons, equipment and tactics.
Creating a cadre of highly trained irregular warfare instructors.
SCOPE
The course will be based on the World War 2 Commando Course run at Achnacarry, Scotland. It is not a version of SAS selection, the U.S. Army Ranger program or Special Forces courses. It is a course in how to fight. It is a combat skills course not a leadership course nor a unit selection device.
The course would be six weeks long and would be based at the CTC. It would he open to any trained combat or combat support arm soldier who could pass the pre-course physical fitness test. Which would consist of the current combat swim test with all times and distances doubled, the 13,78 km battle fitness test in 1 hr 45 min minutes, 8 palm down pull ups and a bench press of the candidates body weight. Candidates would also have to fire
the infantry PWT to marksman and complete all tests of elementary training on rifle platoon weapons and the pistol within 3 months of attending the Commando School.
The course would last 45 days (39 training, 3 admin, 2 travel days). Each training day would consist of 16 training hours. The course content (with the percentage of course time devoted to each and approximate hours) would consist of the following:
a. Close Quarter Battle with small arms including training with pistols, M203, flame-throwers, jungle lanes, room clearing, night fighting, expedient weapons and unarmed combat (15.51/ol 97 hours).
b. Demolitions using issue, expedient and foreign explosives (12,5%/78 hours).
c. Combat Survival including resistance to interrogation and counter tracking dog techniques (14.5%/90 hours).
d. Watermanship including combat swimming and the use of assault and recce boats (6%/ 37 hours).
e. Mountaineering (19%/ 118 hours).
f. Combat Medicine including IVs, CPR, practical gunshot training and drug administration (2.5%1 16 hours).
g. Foreign Weapons including training on all Russian company level small arms, RPGs and automatic grenade launchers, G3, MG-31, M-60, SA-80, Steyr AUG, MPS, FNC1‘ and FAMAS Fl. (10%1 62 hours).
h. Live Fire Tactics including bunker,, building and trench clearing,
section and platoon ambushes, attacks and counter ambush drills (12.5%/ 78 hours).
i. Helicopter Operations including ILZ marking, rappelling and fast
roping. (3%/ 19 hours)
j. Tank Hunting with M72, RPG-7, V, mines and expedient weapons (4.50 %/ 28 hours).
k. Battle Indoctrination including close work with artillery, demolitions and gas (1%/ 6 hours).
l. Physical Training including cross country speed marches and assault courses (15%1 93 hours).
The course would he broken down into a number of phases:
Phase 1 (2 weeks)
Combat survival, mountaineering, watermanship, combat medicine
Phase 2 (2 weeks)
Demolitions, weapons, close‘ quarter battle, tank hunting, helicopter operations.
Phase 3 (2 weeks)
Weapons, demolitions, live fire tactics, battle indoctrination.
The school should have a number of foreign subject matter experts on staff to help ensure that the curriculum is first rate. Canadian staff would be expected to he graduates of Allied "combat" schools and would receive intensive preparation training over the course of a year. Classes would he
based on platoons of 36 students. Five to six classes would be taught annually. The stringent entrance requirements will keep intake low. Staff would fill all platoon and section command slots on tactical exercises with students acting as team leaders. Safety distances would have to be modified by approximately 50 % to increase realism. The number of safety staff required would need to be reduced as would the need for special identification or rules preventing them from fitting in with the unit, for example prohibitions on the safety staff from camming up and carrying
weapons. The ration scale and accommodation would be austere. There would be few amenities at the school. Students would train for war for six weeksand nothing else. The final exercise would consist of a platoon live fire air assault supported by artillery and attack helicopters followed by an attack on a bunker complex using demolitions, M72, M203 and flame throwers. Preferably, the requirement to climb a cliff could he fitted somewhere into the scenario.
On successful completion of the course the graduates would receive a ornate metallic badge, similar to those awarded for the French Commando Courses, to be worn on dress uniforms and DEUs and a subdued "Commando" flash to be worn on combat.
CONLUSION
The establishment of the Commando School just might save the Army by stopping the rot. It would mold the minds of junior leaders and, slowly fill units with tough combat trained soldiers with the correct combat mindset. Ideally in the future it would be expected that an infantry officer or sergeant major will have graduated from the Commando School and similar intensive training would become the norm throughout the Army.
Article from the (CDN) Infantry journal
The Canadian Commando Course
Capt (PERSEC)
The Army is suffering a moral crisis. It is losing it‘s "combat mindset", that outlook of the profession that sets it apart from the rest of society. Combat mindset is the way of thinking that causes leaders to ask "will this make my unit more capable of defeating the enemy" or "Will my soldiers be tougher?" as opposed to what will this do to my career... or why bother, anyone can be uncomfortable". Indications that a combat mindset exists are intense interest in weapons, and tactics, physical Fitness, combat survival and adventure training. Minor injuries are considered part of training, experimentation with methods and tools to defeat the enemy is encouraged and physical luxuries in the field are seen as weakness.
If the current decline in combativeness is not reversed quickly the army will soon be little more than a police force. One step toward instilling combat mindset into the corporate body of the army is to establish a school with the sole purpose of training soldiers mentally, physically and technically for close combat. I propose that the Army establish a "Commando Course" for this purpose.
AIM
The aim of the Commando Course shall he to indoctrinate soldiers with A combat mindset and improving the armies ability to right. It will achieve it‘s goal by:
Instilling combat mindset through rigorous indoctrination,
Vigorous training in close combat and covert mobility,
Creating a big desired qualification to improve morale,
Motivating soldiers to prepare themselves for a challenging course,
Creating a test bed for infantry weapons, equipment and tactics.
Creating a cadre of highly trained irregular warfare instructors.
SCOPE
The course will be based on the World War 2 Commando Course run at Achnacarry, Scotland. It is not a version of SAS selection, the U.S. Army Ranger program or Special Forces courses. It is a course in how to fight. It is a combat skills course not a leadership course nor a unit selection device.
The course would be six weeks long and would be based at the CTC. It would he open to any trained combat or combat support arm soldier who could pass the pre-course physical fitness test. Which would consist of the current combat swim test with all times and distances doubled, the 13,78 km battle fitness test in 1 hr 45 min minutes, 8 palm down pull ups and a bench press of the candidates body weight. Candidates would also have to fire
the infantry PWT to marksman and complete all tests of elementary training on rifle platoon weapons and the pistol within 3 months of attending the Commando School.
The course would last 45 days (39 training, 3 admin, 2 travel days). Each training day would consist of 16 training hours. The course content (with the percentage of course time devoted to each and approximate hours) would consist of the following:
a. Close Quarter Battle with small arms including training with pistols, M203, flame-throwers, jungle lanes, room clearing, night fighting, expedient weapons and unarmed combat (15.51/ol 97 hours).
b. Demolitions using issue, expedient and foreign explosives (12,5%/78 hours).
c. Combat Survival including resistance to interrogation and counter tracking dog techniques (14.5%/90 hours).
d. Watermanship including combat swimming and the use of assault and recce boats (6%/ 37 hours).
e. Mountaineering (19%/ 118 hours).
f. Combat Medicine including IVs, CPR, practical gunshot training and drug administration (2.5%1 16 hours).
g. Foreign Weapons including training on all Russian company level small arms, RPGs and automatic grenade launchers, G3, MG-31, M-60, SA-80, Steyr AUG, MPS, FNC1‘ and FAMAS Fl. (10%1 62 hours).
h. Live Fire Tactics including bunker,, building and trench clearing,
section and platoon ambushes, attacks and counter ambush drills (12.5%/ 78 hours).
i. Helicopter Operations including ILZ marking, rappelling and fast
roping. (3%/ 19 hours)
j. Tank Hunting with M72, RPG-7, V, mines and expedient weapons (4.50 %/ 28 hours).
k. Battle Indoctrination including close work with artillery, demolitions and gas (1%/ 6 hours).
l. Physical Training including cross country speed marches and assault courses (15%1 93 hours).
The course would he broken down into a number of phases:
Phase 1 (2 weeks)
Combat survival, mountaineering, watermanship, combat medicine
Phase 2 (2 weeks)
Demolitions, weapons, close‘ quarter battle, tank hunting, helicopter operations.
Phase 3 (2 weeks)
Weapons, demolitions, live fire tactics, battle indoctrination.
The school should have a number of foreign subject matter experts on staff to help ensure that the curriculum is first rate. Canadian staff would be expected to he graduates of Allied "combat" schools and would receive intensive preparation training over the course of a year. Classes would he
based on platoons of 36 students. Five to six classes would be taught annually. The stringent entrance requirements will keep intake low. Staff would fill all platoon and section command slots on tactical exercises with students acting as team leaders. Safety distances would have to be modified by approximately 50 % to increase realism. The number of safety staff required would need to be reduced as would the need for special identification or rules preventing them from fitting in with the unit, for example prohibitions on the safety staff from camming up and carrying
weapons. The ration scale and accommodation would be austere. There would be few amenities at the school. Students would train for war for six weeksand nothing else. The final exercise would consist of a platoon live fire air assault supported by artillery and attack helicopters followed by an attack on a bunker complex using demolitions, M72, M203 and flame throwers. Preferably, the requirement to climb a cliff could he fitted somewhere into the scenario.
On successful completion of the course the graduates would receive a ornate metallic badge, similar to those awarded for the French Commando Courses, to be worn on dress uniforms and DEUs and a subdued "Commando" flash to be worn on combat.
CONLUSION
The establishment of the Commando School just might save the Army by stopping the rot. It would mold the minds of junior leaders and, slowly fill units with tough combat trained soldiers with the correct combat mindset. Ideally in the future it would be expected that an infantry officer or sergeant major will have graduated from the Commando School and similar intensive training would become the norm throughout the Army.
