Room clearing
- Thread starter rapier144
- Start date
tanksoldier
New member
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.
Doing it by yourself, half-awake in the dark? Not unless my wife's life depended on it.
Blackwater OPS
New member
Have, its scary, worst part is doorways.
VirgilCaine
New member
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.
ReconDoc242
New member
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.
-doc
-doc
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.
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.
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.
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
) ...
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
) ...Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
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.
us.armysniper
New member
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.
stephen426
New member
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!
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!
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
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.