Troop/Platoon level whiteboard training ideas

[jeffb]

Given the current fiscal climate, I have found that we, the sub-unit I am employed at, are having to be much more creative in our training ideas. Rather then trying to reinvent the wheel I thought I'd throw it out to the army.ca community to see if you have any suggestions. So, the task is to come up with some Troop/Platoon level training. The following restraints/constraints are in place:

1: The budget has to be $0 per activity and fit within a normal work day.
2: You can not rely on any expertise that you would not normally find at a Btn or Regt.
3: Has to fit with Training Safety and all other CF/Army publications
4: Interesting/ challenging for the soldiers.
5: You have the resources available that are normally found at a major base (Petawawa, Edmonton, Valcartier, etc.)

Really, I'm just looking for some ideas here. It is not as if I don't have any of my own but perhaps this would be a good forum to share some of our collective whiteboard training ideas.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Get a map of the middle east, partition it up, and play risk, winner gets a days short leave

 

[ballz]

Close quarter combat training... hand-to-hand, bayonet fighting, etc, etc

 

[The Bread Guy]

Although based on a Reserve Class A environment, this thread may have some ideas of use to you/others in the same situation.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Introduce your soldiers to the combat estimate by having them do TEWTs.  Write orders and produce a trace that gives them a tactical problem and some resources at their disposal.  Give them a time limit to analyze the problem and then backbrief you on their COAs.  I did this a couple of years ago with my platoon and the guys really enjoyed it. 

 

[Old Sweat]

Try an exercise in crater analysis and fragment identification, which would be useful for STA gunners. You could show how pending Chinese attacks in Korea were detected before hand by the Divisional Counter-Bombardment Officer, who noted that the light shelling was actually adjustment by a large number of batteries. See Right of the Line for details. You could also ask your CO to give a short briefing re he and his BSM doing one along with the outgoing BC and BSM after they were mortared during their changeover.

 

[392]

How about practice of dismounted patrolling techniques? SAT range? Laying and picking up of protective minefields (including the recording of) and defensive position fencing (these are all arms tasks that really don't get practiced all too often)? Dry C19 trg? In-depth ETHAR trg (i.e. more in depth than what the normal IBTS lecture consists of)? Maybe some lectures on obstacle emplacement, how MGB and ACROW bridges are built or even some SMEs from the different units around the Bde to give some PD on things your Gunners normally don't see?

All these suggestions require $0, and some might require a TSR over to your supporting CER for SMEs. But it gets your troops out into the fresh air for something that they might not regularly do (plus it gives the Sappers a chance to improve their instructional technique and sort out changes to the training they deliver to the Brigade). Back in the early / mid 90s, as a young Spr in 2CER, we used to go "to the field" almost daily (really the back 40 behind the Regt) and practice a LOT of underused skillsets with dry mines or reusable fd def stores at no cost. Add to that a nice long patrolling / nav ex that conveniently had a leg that brought us back to our own lines around lunch (or even having soon-to-be-expired IMPs) allowed troops to conduct their ordinary lunch routines, and then back at 'er right after lunch.

Don't get me wrong - I am all for chalk talks, but I am an even bigger fan of (as my father used to say) getting outside and blowing the stink off  ;D

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Navex with good old fashioned map and compass.  Leave the GPS behind.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Fire missions with black board shoots or panoramas laid out on the drill deck.

 

[medicineman]

Give low level leadership practice at controlling harbour recce and site occupation drills?

MM

 

[Spooks]

This idea may work best at the Platoon level, or better yet, the section level.

--Grande-sized Risk---

Have a map model of some area, and have the junior ranks plan and carry out various attacks based on doctrine. Have senior ranks watch and critique as to wy this would be a good ambush site or not, why moving your sections in this manner on an attack is good or not. Example could be to give the Cpl a mission brief (mission: Ambush enemy convoy at this grid. Enemy is reportted to be 3 TCVs) and let him set up his ambush. Essentially, allow the ranks to play the tactician on paper and learn (in theory) different aspects of maneouvers.

To expand on this as the 'FTX', have two identical map model areas. Split your crew up into two - Red and blue. Blue moves their pieces on their board, then red moves theirs - broken down to small blocks of time, say 5min or 10min. When their 'turn' is over, red moves their pieces on their board. Show on each board what their units may see or not see (ie. having units on the highground gives you oversight but then the enemy can see that highground piece. Having a unit in the low ground may save it from view of the enemy but it cannot see anything iteself. With the oversight judge (Sgt or WO) have him use his expertise on the passage of time or what can be done in a 'turn'. When a unit engages another, the oversight judge can explain what can and cannot be done in an effort for the junior ranks to learn about overwhelming the enemy. Essentially, is a big game of risk and the only rules are what the pieces can normally do or not do.

Training Benefit: Low level tactical thinking
Training cost: Price of model mats

--E+E for Everyone--

We did this while on PAT before SQ. Was a lot of fun, esp in the snow of Wx.

Have troops get from point A to Point B w/o getting caught. Have the points about 5km from each other. All senior ranks are enemy force catching the ranks. Ranks have to get from A to B, get some sort of token and return it to A for one point. Most points and end-game wins. If caught by the senior ranks, lose the token if they have one, held 'captive' for 5min (disallowing them to continue game and gain points) and returned to Point A to start over. Twist could be to use teams (ie. Section vs Section) and some member of the team could be a decoy IOT allow the token carrier to gain points. Further twist: play in the dark/twilight (Hazard with that is injuries from sprains and such)

Training Benefit: Teamwork, Personal Cam and Concealment, Tactical Movement
Training Cost: Nil

--Recce-R-Us--

Have senior ranks set up a tent and fire (ie a small campsite for an oblivious enemy force). Recce patrol led by a senior cpl navigate out (via compass only) to the objective and gain as much info about the enemy poision as possible (number of en, weapons, morale, defenses, etc) w/o being heard or detected. If camp hears of suspects recce patrol nearby, can launch a paraflare IOT increase patrol tension and remind them to be more quiet. Report back to home objective. Twist. Have a two-man enemy patrol roaming 200m away from camp IOT find troops. Also, setting up tripflares could be a suprise.

Traqining Benefit: Small group leadership (for the patrol ldr), recce reportting skills, memory, stealth mvmt
Training Cost: Tripflares, firewood, paraflares

I will try to think of more activities later

 

[cupper]

Vehicle / Weapon / Aircraft recognition

 

[MikeL]

Comms refresher,  improvised antennas, DAGR,  reports/returns - fire missions, sitreps, contact reports, etc

Land Nav with and without GPS

Dry weapons training(all weapons,  not just pers weapon),  go over drills, firing positions (include obstacles),  SIM centre,  CQB

Bust out binos, vectors, and pers weapons,  practice judging distance,  finding targets/PID, observation/call out what you see,  talk others onto what you see.

Patrolling,  cam/concealment

PT

FA/CFA/TCCC Refresher

PD



Saw this posted on another forum in a similar topic

had a buddy who had a platoon, some hills, and zero money to spend.

Week 1: run up the hill.
Week 2: run in flaks up the hill.
Week 3: run in full gear up the hill.
Week 4: run in full gear, dig a fighting hole on the hill, fill it in.
Week 5: run up with gear (and radios), dig a hole, call for fire.
Week 6: fire teams of five... Run up, dig hides, call for air, arty, mortars, IED 9-line, then medevac. Then each team leader was "killed", loaded onto stretchers, and carried back down the hill.

Turned into fire team/squad races, and eventually added in range cards and observations, with some Kim's game.

Basically, just checked out some gear and charged up the radios, and were able to do a lot of stuff 3x a week, before lunch.



Also, if you're able to send just one dude to schools of any kind, have them beg/borrow/steal every bit of course material they can, then (with a senior person guiding them), have 'em run their own little "course" for those that didn't go. Even without an official certificate, it's still good to learn whatever info is given at outside schools.



Also, if your guys want education on tanks, arty, aircraft, etc... Then take a field trip to those units, and have their dudes hold the classes. Maybe your dudes will never need to know how to use the grunt phone on the back of an Abrams, but it's an extra tool in the toolbox.

 

[PAdm]

I am in PER hell and could use help!  Send them my way, or at least call in a fire mission on my location. Poorly written PERs are inside the wire!  :'(    Anyone thinking paperwork is a better alternative to your white board training would see reality and be happy with whatever you have planned!

 

[MedCorps]

First aid / combat first aid 
knots and lashings,
map and compass,
self / paired vehicle recovery

MC

 

[Old Sweat]

Here is a thought. Break the gunners into syndicates and task them to come up with a plan within the parameters you lay out. Discuss the plans and select a course of action with the troops involved in organizing its development and execution. You may will be plesantly surprised.

In the old army, when I was a teen-aged gunner, we would have done lots of foot and arms drill.

 

[Shamrock]

Grab a copy of IBTS and complete the classroom portions which typically get lip service. Go through your BTS and give stands on the various tasks.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Given the current fiscal climate, I have found that we, the sub-unit I am employed at, are having to be much more creative in our training ideas. Rather then trying to reinvent the wheel I thought I'd throw it out to the army.ca community to see if you have any suggestions. So, the task is to come up with some Troop/Platoon level training. The following restraints/constraints are in place:

1: The budget has to be $0 per activity and fit within a normal work day.
2: You can not rely on any expertise that you would not normally find at a Btn or Regt.
3: Has to fit with Training Safety and all other CF/Army publications
4: Interesting/ challenging for the soldiers.
5: You have the resources available that are normally found at a major base (Petawawa, Edmonton, Valcartier, etc.)

Really, I'm just looking for some ideas here. It is not as if I don't have any of my own but perhaps this would be a good forum to share some of our collective whiteboard training ideas.

Why not train for the Cambrian Patrol Competition? It's mostly about solid basic skills and covering long distances with big bergens... only sado-masochists need apply  ;D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVh-EBUwlFo

 

[dapaterson]

First aid / combat first aid 
knots and lashings,
map and compass,
self / paired vehicle recovery

MC

...which are all also useful skills for a Saturday night out in Pembroke...

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Why not train for the Cambrian Patrol Competition? It's mostly about solid basic skills and covering long distances with big bergens... only sado-masochists need apply  ;D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVh-EBUwlFo

Rumour has it that there will be a Canadian competitor to this competition next year.  I heard that it will be 60km like the Cambrian patrol, but over 72 hrs vice 48....because it will be in February and the team will be pulling a toboggan with a tent group.