Fighting with a Three-Man Crew

. Training interruptions have become almost routine in garrison life. On any given day, soldiers are going on annual leave, recovering from illness, getting their teeth k e d , learning about f i e safety, taking mini-courses, and being levied for post details. When is there time to train a full tank crew? These demands impact especially heavily on armor training, where the basic unit of combat effectiveness is the crew, not the individual. How can we train groups of four men into smooth, efficient fighting teams when, on many days, only three are present for duty? It has become a common question at staff meetings. But if the balloon goes up, will the situation really be any different? Probably not. We will lose crewmen in combat. New men will be delayed in sluggish replacement pipelines. And through it all, crews will have to make do, fighting their tanks one man down if they have to. If we’re going to have to live with this situation, we’d better be prepared by training for it. By accepting daily absences from training as a fact of life, we can make a virtue of necessity, training to fight as threeman crews. Goals and Ground Rules Before attempting to work out the content and details of a threemancrew training program, commanders should set some goals and ground rules. The first four can be established by changes to the battalion SOP At the end of each training day, commanders will designate the crews that will train “onedown” the following day. Tank commanders will not move out on tactical training exercises or on alerts with less than threeman crews. All soldiers drawn for tactical details (observation posts, road guards, quartering parties, etc.) will be provided from four-man crews. If a crew is training “onedown,” it will be the duty of the senior crewman (crew position; i.e., TC, gunner driver, loader, not necessarily rank) present to organize remaining crewmembers into a threeman crew. Other training goals include: All tank commanders and gunners will be thoroughly familiar with threman-crew operation. All gunners, loaders, and drivers will be cross-trained. Livefire exercises will be conduded by threeman crews after the above requirements are met. .Three-man crews will be spotr checked during training exercises and alerts to make sure that they are organized and prepared to fight. Developing a Program There are no comprehensive sour-oesofinfarmationonthreemanaewoper-ation, but these three publications Table 1. Priority Task List for 3-Man Crew Operations.

TASK

may contribute some useful ideas: Index battlesight ammunition into ballistic computer. Place TURRET POWER, MAIN GUN and MACHINEGUN switches in the OP position. Place turret in STABILIZED MODE. Remove backrest from gunner’s seat. Alert crew to modified fire commands. Alert driver to added responsibility for target acquisition and sensing rounds. Place coax mechanical safety in SAFE position. Move to TC station. Move to LD station. Move to DV station. Coax engagement, moving to a halt, moving target. Coax engagement, moving tank, area target. Caliber .50 engagement, moving to a halt, stationary target. Caliber .50 engagement, moving to a halt, moving target. Caliber .50 engagement, moving tank, area target. Adjust fire and subsequent round on target. Acquire targets.

D V LD GN GN GN TC

as as- as as as as

DV LD

D V LD

TC TC (Note: First 10 tasks listed are pre-operations tasks.) I x - X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X january-february 1984 39 matnx tor preclsion and battlesight engagements, but does not include crew drills and livefire exercises for threeman crews. ARI Research Product 79-13, “Tank Crewman Readiness Tests (M60AI),” November 1979-Includes a battery of diagnostic tests of individual crewman duty tasks and tells how to conduct diagnostic tests. ARI Research Product 79-14, “Tank Crewman Training Modules (M60AI),” November 1979-Includes remedial training modules for individual crewman tasks and also provides information on how to conduct remedial training. This publication also includes a comprehensive explanation of a threeman crew training program. The two ARI publications are aimed at M60AI crewmen, but many of the ideas and procedures translate well to MI crew training. Capabilities and Restraints Three men cannot perform as efficiently as four in a tank designed for a four-man crew because of the engineering configuration and the location of fire control instruments. So, in order to develop a training program to heighten the efficiency of threeman crews, the trainer must know not only what a four-man crew can do, but also the constraints on a threeman crew. He must also know what crew and vehicle preparations are required for threemancrew operations. Four-Man-Crew Capabilities. A four-man crew can engage stationary, moving, point, and area targets during daylight or darkness. A four-man crew can engage multiple targets and conduct simultaneous engagements. The TC can place fire on a target by using the main gun, the coax machinegun, or the caliber .50 machinegun. The gunner can engage targets with either the main gun or the coax machinegun. Various types of engagements include: 0 Main gun battlesight. 0 Main gun precision. 0 Coax machinegun battlesight. 0 Coax machinegun nonprecision. 0 Caliber .50 machinegun nonpre 0 Rangecard. 0 Range card lay to direct fire. Three-Man-Crew Constraints. Some types of gunnery engagements cannot be performed by a threeman crew while other engagements can only be cision. Smultaneous engagements (m- possible). Main gun precision engagements with HEP ammunition beyond 1,200 meters (slow pace). Range card engagements (slow Range card lay to direct fire engagements (slow pace). Three-Man-Crew Capabilities. Although some gunnery engagements are not practical for a threeman crew, pace). 0 Coax machinegun. Caliber .50 machinegun. Three-Man Crew Operations Preparation for Three-Man Crew Operations. Whenever circumstances dictate a threeman crew, the actions of the “(3 or surviving senior crewmember should be automatic, following a prescribed SOP. After action, if the tank is operable, Table 2. Conditional Task Cluster. Condition: Loader becomes casualty. Decision: Gunner becomes loader. Action: Move tank to defilade. Reorganize crew. PreDare tank for 3-man operation.

TASK

Index battlesight ammunition into ballistic computer. Place TURRET POWER, MAIN GUN, and MACHINEGUN switches in ON position. Place turret in STABILIZED MODE. Remove backrest from gunner‘s seat. Alert crew to modified fire commands. Alert driver to added responsibilities for target acquisition and sensing rounds. Place coax mechanical safety in SAFE position Move to loader station. Issue modified fire commands. Respond to modified fire commands. Respond to regular fire commands. Operate tank radios. Index ammunition into ballistic computer. Load main gun. Load coax. Reduce coax stoppage. Determine corrective action required by replen isher tape. Conduct main gun misfire procedures. Identify ammunition by type and location.

TC GN LD

DV - X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X - X 40 it should .,e move into defilade where casualties can be treated and evacuated, the crew reorganized, fire control equipment preset for future operations, and modified fire commands reviewed. Crew Reorganization. Three crew positions must be filled. the tank commander, loader, and driver. When the crew is reduced to three, the gunner’s position is always eliminated and his duties are assumed by the TC through use of the tank‘s redundant fire-control equipment. There are four possible casualty situations. If the gunner is a casualty, the crew continues to fight the tank with the remaining three crewmembers at their normal positions. In the other three cases, if the TC, driver, or loader are casualties, the gunner is designated to replace the missing crewmember. Tank Preparation. After the crew has been reorganized, the following actions must be taken to prepare the tank Index battlesight ammunition into the ballistic computer. Place machinegun mechanical safety in SAFE position. Remove backrest from gunner’s seat. 0 Place TURRET POWER, MAIN GUN, and MACHINEGUN switches in the ON position. Place turret in the stabilized mode. Review Modified Fire Commands. In final preparation and before moving out of deflade, the TC must review modified fire commands with the crew. The word GUNNER is deleted and the word BATlIXSIGHT becomes the alert element in main gun battle sight engagements. The word LOAD, followed by the type of ammunition, becomes the alert element in main gun precision engagements. Fire commands for caliber -50 machinegun engagements are unchanged. The word COAX becomes the alert element for coaxial machinegun engagements. Developing a Training Program The next steps in developing a three-man-crew program include identifying new tasks for each crew position, clustering tasks to fit varying conditions, structuring modified fire commands, developing sequential crew duty matrices, and preparing standard operating procedures, three man crew drills, Finally, a threemancrew livefire exercise is fired. (The fol-Table 4. Sequential Crew Duty Matrix. Tank Commander Loader Driver Announce LOAD, SABOT (or

HEAT).

Announce TANK and lay main gun for direction. Range to target. Lay crosshair at center of target. Announce ON

THE WAY.

Fire main gun. Observe for strike of the round. Announce

TARGET.

Unlock ammunition ready rack. Select sabot (or

HEAT).

Load main gun. Place main gun safety at FIRE position, announce UP. Brace. Loadsecond round; announce u P. Place main gun safety in SAFE position. Maintain steady rate of speed. Drive to defilade firing position. Bring tank to a smooth, gradual halt. Lock brake. Sense round. Unlock brakes. Note: Announcing LOAD alerts crew of main gun engagement. lowing tables are extracts from the ARI research cited.) Priority Task Lists. Table 1 lists tasks which are required for three man-crew operation and which are new to a crewmember moving to a new crew position. The table lists the tasks for each crew position under varying conditions. (Tasks which a crewmember performs during normal four-man-crew operations are not included.) Conditional Task Clusters. Table 2 is the priority task cluster for a loader vacancy. The tasks are from the priority task list. Structuring Modified Fire Commands. The modifications of &e commands required for battlesight, precision and coax engagements are shown in table 3. Sequential Crew Duty Matrix. After priority tasks are identified and clusbred for each condition, a matrix is developed to indicate sequential crew duties for each threemancrew engage ment (table 4). By showing task performances in sequence, crewmen know what is to be performed-and by whom. Table 4 is a matrix for a main gun precision engagement after moving to a halt, against a stationary target. It is one of eleven sequential crew duty matrices. SOPs for Three-Man-Crew Operations. When battlefield conditions re quire threemancrew operations, the changeover process must be auto matic. The rapid transition from a four-man to a threemancrew configuration can be accomplished by a training program in which the process is outlined in the unit’s SOP and is practiced by crew drills and livefire exercises. Three-Man-Crew Drills. After completing preparation of SOPs for t h e january-february 1984 41 man-operations, a series of crew drills is developed to cover various casualties. The drill should carry out the SOP and prepare the crew to react automatidy when a casualty occurs. Operational Testing. The h a l development in the three-mancrew pre gram is the crew operational test. This livefire exercise covers all four crewmember casualty situations. The engagements are: 0 Condition: Tank commander c88- ualty. Engagement: Main gun, battlesight, moving target. 0 Condition: hader casualty. Engagement Main gun, precision, stationary target. Condition: Driver casualty. Engagement Coax, area target. The threemancrew operational test course begins with a four-man crew. After each engagement, the scorer will direct the tank commander to reorganize his crew back to a four-man codguration and to place weapons, fire control, and other equip ment back to their original positions. The t h r e e m a n m operational test scorer’s instructions and scoresheet is divided into two parts: response what the senior surviving crewmember does when a casualty occurs, and engagement-the scoring of the three mancrew engagement. Training Management Managing threemancrew training includes administering diagnostic readiness tests, remedial training modules, crew drills, and the operational test. Diagnostic Readiness Tests. Two types of readiness tests are used to determine threemancrew training re quirements. The SOP item, “Prepare tank for threemancrew operations” is used as a readiness test to determine the tank commander’s and gunner’s proficiency in threemancrew operation. The individual duty position readiness tests, in ARI Re search Product 79-13, are used to determine gunner, loader, and driver cross-training proficiency. Remedial Training Modules. Afler readiness tests have been given, training modules, as shown in AFU Re search Product 79-14, are given to correct deficiencies. If a training module has not been developed for a task; e.g., reorganize crew, etc., corrective training for the task can be done by one-on-one, instructorcontrolled training. Crew Drills. After tank commanders and gunners have demonstrated proficiency in three-man-crew operations, and gunners, loaders, and drivers have demonstrated proficiency in ingagement Battlesig ht Precision Coax Table 3. Modified Fire Commands. Regular Fire Command Modified Fire Command

GUNNER-

BAlTLESIG HT-

TANK-FIRE

GUNNER-

SABOT-(or

FIRE

HEAT) TANK-

GUNNER-

COAX-TROOPS

FIRE

BATTLESIGHT-

TANK

LOAD SABOT

(or HEAT)-TANK

COAX-TROOPS

Remarks Delete words GUNNER and FIRE. BAlTLESIGH is new alert element. Delete words GUNNER and FIRE. LOAD is new alert element. Delete words GUNNER and FIRE. COAX is new alert element. Note: Prior to firing, TC will announce ON THE WAY. duty-position cross-training, each tank commander assembles his crew and walks them through the threemancrew drill steps for each crew vacancy. When the crew becomes proficient, an independent scorer administers the battery of drills to determine crew proficiency. If the scorer notes any deficiencies, the crewmember is referred to the appropriate training module for remedial training. Operational Test. The threemancrew training program ends with the operational test and scoring of the test. Conclusion During tactical training, alerts, and combat, some tanks will be short of crewmembers. To enhance and SUStain the firepower of each tank during combat, crews must be trained in peacetime to organize and function as threeman units. This training will ultimately save lives and enhance mission success. The procedures for such training are available and such training should be incorporated in each tank battalion’s annual t r e g program. It is imperative that our tank crews train to fight in the threeman configuration. Crew, squad and platoon survival may well hinge on such training as casualties reduce four-man crews to the threeman minimum. Train now and don’t have regrets at a later date. 42

LIEUTENANT COLONEL

RICHARD E. OBRIEN was commissioned in armored cavalry from OCS in 1949. He served in the lOlst Airborne Division in WW II and later commanded armored cavalry platoons, tank companies and an armored cavalry squadron. He has served on the faculty of USAARMS; as senior advisor to the 107th Armored Cavalry Regiment, OHARNG; as general staff officer, force developments, HQ, USAREUR; as operations o f f i c e r , H Q V Corps, and as chief of Doctrine Division, CDC Armor Agency. He is a graduate of AOB, AOAC, and AC&GSC. He retired in 1979 and is employed with the Human Resources Research Organization.