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Old October 20, 2005, 09:15 PM   #1
rapier144
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Room clearing

I saw the thread about room clearing and was wondering how many of you have actually cleared any house besides your own. In a real life situation.
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Old October 20, 2005, 10:24 PM   #2
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I've cleared rooms and buildings in Iraq. Even with a trained squad of MPs or infantry, and backup on heavy weapons outside, clearing a building is a dicey affair. (You don't want to know what it was like with half-trained tankers playing at being infantry...)

Doing it by yourself, half-awake in the dark? Not unless my wife's life depended on it.
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Old October 20, 2005, 11:32 PM   #3
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Yep - most all of our LEO and former LEO members can answer thus...
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Old October 21, 2005, 01:53 AM   #4
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Have, its scary, worst part is doorways.
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Old October 21, 2005, 02:02 AM   #5
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Room clearing .... rgr that. It is an art form (as long as you are not #1 and around to talk about it). Soooo many techniques...so little time. However nobody does room clearing better than <....insert name/group/org here>. They are just that best at it!
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Old October 21, 2005, 08:53 AM   #6
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Yes, about once a month....when even I can't stand the mess....
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Old October 21, 2005, 10:30 AM   #7
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I've participated in MOUT operations in Panama and during Desert Storm (bunkers near Khafji). No fun. It's an art, really...no, a science. It's something you drill and practice over and over and over. My memory of clearing buildings/rooms is a blur, but I do remember I didn't like it.
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Old October 21, 2005, 10:31 AM   #8
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i've done it a lot, almost on a daily basis fir a few months both in Iraq and afghanistan. Cant say i've ever enjoyed it, specially being in the fatal funnel(doorways). Not fun.
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Old October 21, 2005, 10:36 AM   #9
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My son is a "half-trained tanker" (1st Armored Division) who will soon be on his way over there. They still do tank training but have been doing more just using Humvees, which he called scout training.
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Old October 21, 2005, 10:54 AM   #10
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Done it on a boat. Kinda hairy though, not much room......
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Old October 21, 2005, 11:02 AM   #11
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I have to agree. It is a science, and it is not fun. You are at a disadvantage from the entry. The BG has a jump and already knows the building better than you do just because they have been in it longer. On the movies where they run around with constant on lights will get you killed, so you are mostly working in the dark. If you are lucking there is one set of switches that turn on every light in the building at once. If you are not lucking you are just hoping to not trip over something, or worse, get spotted first.
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Old October 21, 2005, 11:38 AM   #12
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Have done it a bunch, here in the US. Best approach I found was to become totally calm (conditions premitting) and then move through at a speed that didn't compromise attention to detail- but not too slow, either. You don't want the baddies to anticipate your arrival at their precise location. Always be looking for something to get behind if need be, use any available cover and lighting to your advantage.

Rookies occasionally did two things that drove me nuts. They would either have the gun up in front of their face where they couldn't see squat, or they would make so much noise that a deaf person could tell where they were, and which way they were moving.

There's a lot to be said for sending the dog in, first.
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Old October 21, 2005, 11:46 AM   #13
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Yep, done my fair share of it for work ...

Depending on my activities at work, sometimes I can go days without doing it, and then sometimes I'll have to do it several times a day.

It's easier with a trained partner, and without the bad guy's pitbull yapping at your feet (or other appendages ) ...
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Old October 21, 2005, 11:59 AM   #14
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Once. A long time ago.

Not in any hurry to do it again.
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Old October 21, 2005, 12:13 PM   #15
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More times than I can remember. The worst ones are what we call "shotgun hallways", a long narrow hallway with no side doors and a closed door at the end. No cover and nowhere to go.
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Old October 21, 2005, 12:50 PM   #16
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the reason they call doors "vertical coffins" is anyone with a little bit of sense and a gun can smoke the first guy through.
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Old October 21, 2005, 12:55 PM   #17
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It dosen't even need to be a badguy on the other side of that door if they set it up right they can have the room vacant when, the team or whoever barges in, it hits the trip on the shotgun angled down at the entrance and them opening the door takes off their on head off. you can make all kinds of traps with expolsives but i am giving an example that a normal badguy could use, i haven't seen many situations where a guy barracaded in a room has c-4 and semtex at his disposal.
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Old October 21, 2005, 01:08 PM   #18
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I can clear a room easy. Give me a can of pork and beans and in less than five minutes... CLEAR!!!

Just kidding. I cleared the house the other day. The alarm panel had some weird error message so I did it just to be safe. It is different when it is a property you are familiar with. You know the full layout of the house including the furniture (either potential hiding places for the bad guy or cover for you). It was at night so I grabbed a 3-Cell Maglight and went room to room. It might even help if you use your blueprints to make a house clearing plan (just in case).

I stay further away from the doorway and sweep my light in an arc. Just remember that most interior walls don't offer squat when it comes to protection. If you hug the doorway, the bad guy can shoot your unexposed parts through the wall. Don't laugh but I kind of point the gun "gangster" style (up high pointing downwards) I feel there is less of a chance for a gun grab since you aren't sticking your arms out as far into the uncleared room. I also feel it is safer than keeping it close to my body in case the bad guy takes a shot at the gun.

One other thing to consider is letting your dog do the searching for you if you normally keep it outside. Their noses should be able to lead you right to a bad guy if he is hiding in your house. My dog would probably eat the bad guy and I wouldn't have to lift a finger. I love my dog but I'd rather she take a bullet and flush out the bad guy instead of me getting shot. If I'm out of commision, I can't protect anyone else in the house!
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Old October 23, 2005, 01:46 PM   #19
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In my ignorance, and in my arrogance, as a much younger person with a firmer grip on total immortality,, I did such things.

(Ain't gonna happen no more!)

May God bless,
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Old October 23, 2005, 03:39 PM   #20
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Quote:
I love my dog but I'd rather she take a bullet and flush out the bad guy instead of me getting shot.
Not me; my dog's family! That's why the sticker on my back door reads "Forget the dog, beware of owner!" Anyone that shoots my dog is going to have a MUCH worse day than he would have otherwise.
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Old October 23, 2005, 03:53 PM   #21
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I've heard it said that clearing a house by yourself is called "looking for a bullet" by the experts and is not really feasible. i.e. will get you killed regardless of your skill level unless you get very, VERY lucky.

CaptCharlie,

Got no problem with that as long as you don't ever call the cops to clear your house.
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Old October 23, 2005, 04:32 PM   #22
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Quote:
Got no problem with that as long as you don't ever call the cops to clear your house.
Hmm. I called me once for that, but could only get a busy signal and had to do it myself.
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Old October 23, 2005, 07:47 PM   #23
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Been there and done that {BTADT} it sucks but well worth it in the end when you have your team behind you depending on you and the guy that goes in with you. Shotguns are usually the rule here with a medium sized Buckshot load and a good .45 A.C.P. just in case too.
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Old October 23, 2005, 08:44 PM   #24
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I don't like doorways--but I like having to clear going UP stairs even less.
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Old October 23, 2005, 09:06 PM   #25
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been wondering when someone was going to mention stairways try going downstairs into a dark basement with open stairs that was fun
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