Group Defense Tactics

[MTT TL]

I am doing a little research and am curious about group defense tactics of groups of three or more people.

I am not curious about LEO/ MIL type operations or family HD type situations.

Looking for other groups such as security teams and guard forces and what types of procedures and practices that they use to protect/defend their assets/ property/ real estate/ client.

Specifically I am curious about:

- Training (individual/ group)
- Procedures when responding to various threats
- Integration with LEAs
- Communications
- Augments and enablers
- Limitations (legal and liability)

Any of this type information, or a point in the right direction would be helpful.

[doh_312]

Many videos can be found on youtube with security details showcasing how they work, what they train to do in situations. I only watched them for entertainment, not a learning experience, so I didn't research who put on the video or why they think their system is the best.

Just a thought

[kraigwy]

Get a copy of the Army's FM 21-75, COMBAT SKILLS OF THE SOLDIER

Check out movements, or mainly BOUNDING OVERWATCH. It will pretty much cover what you are asking.

FIRE AND MOVEMENT
When a unit makes contact with the enemy, it normally starts firing at and moving toward the enemy. Sometimes the unit may move away from the enemy. That technique is called fire and movement. It is conducted either to close with and destroy the enemy, or to move away from the enemy so as to break contact with him.

The firing and moving take place at the same time. There is a fire element and a movement element. These elements may be single soldiers, buddy teams, fire teams, or squads. Regardless of the size of the elements, the action is still fire and movement.

The fire element covers the move of the movement element by firing at the enemy. This helps keep the enemy from firing back at the movement element.

The movement element moves either to close with the enemy or to reach a better position from which to fire at him. The movement element should not move until the fire element is firing.

Depending on the distance to the enemy position and on the available cover, the fire element and the movement element switch roles as needed to keep moving.

Before the movement element moves beyond the supporting range of the fire element (the distance within which the weapons of the fire element can fire and support the movement element), it should take a position from which it can fire at the enemy. The movement element then becomes the next fire element and the fire element becomes the next movement element.

If your team makes contact, your team leader should tell you to fire or to move. He should also tell you where to fire from, what to fire at, or where to move to. When moving, use the low crawl, high crawl, or rush.

Maybe I'm showing my age, the above is from a later manual. We use to call movement, TRAVELING, TRAVELING OVERWATCH AND BOUNDING OVERWATCH.

Maybe one of the youngsters can correct me if its not called that anymore, but the consept is the same.

[MTT TL]

Kraig- I appreciate the cite however FM 21-75 has been replaced by FM 3-21.75 and no longer covers squad tactics just IMT. I know this because I have been in the Army for more than 20 years.

In any case I am fairly familiar with military tactics but am looking for non-military type tactics and procedures about security work. Military mission do not often involve the protection of assets/ persons but focus more on fire and maneuver or LEO type operations on steroids (raid/ cordon and search etc). The legal ramifications are completely different as well. Security functions are often contracted out (base defense, log convoy, escort duty) to free soldiers up for combat operations.

Legally I think a group would be hard pressed to explain in a court of law why they were attacking a another group that was being suppressed by fire.

[Glenn Dee]

Have you tried the Military Police field manual?.. If I remember right... a lot of what your looking for was covered.

[MTT TL]

MPs focus on police and Law enforcement operations with various protections, arrest powers and immunities that a private group protecting property or people would not have. I don't think I am translating this well enough.

[ATW525]

I have a book I picked up titled, "The Bodyguard Manual" by Leroy Thompson. It focuses on the techniques of executive protection. Since I'm not in that field I cannot comment of the validity of the tactics covered or whether they are still in current use by professionals.

[MTT TL]

Thanks. I checked the material does seem dated but the Amazon reviewers suggested Executive Protection New: Solutions for a New Era by Oatman. This seems to focus on bodyguards which hopefully will be a good start point. I will pick it up at the library tomorrow.

I am not exclusively interested in body guards but rather the group dynamics of non-governmental security organizations.