Any civilian infantry tactics books?

[Squeaky 135]

Hello:

 

Many of you are veterans or are active military. I thank you for your service. Seriously.

 

I, however, did not get to serve (but I did try O.C.S. for the Corps) and I was wondering if anyone has written a book that's sort of like "Infantry Tactics for Dummies" for us untrained civilians who (from a vet's perspective) think we're Rambo just because we own an AR-15 and a K-BAR knife. Maybe we've read Carlos Hathcock's book and know about Stalingrad too.  

 

I'm a good shot even without a scope, and I know how to reload ammo. But it occurred to me I don't know squat about real boots-on-the-ground fighting in case the stuff really does hit the fan one day. I naively hope to be able to join experienced veterans. Still ... bringing some knowledge to the table would help everybody instead of me being a liability. I wouldn't want to get anyone killed (or myself killed) due to doing something tactically stupid. 

 

However, friends have said I seem to have a knack for picking good sniper locations. It just takes imagination.

 

As Dirty Harry said: "A man has to know his limits," and that's the angle I'm coming from. All of this knowledge about guns & ammo won't mean anything if I don't know how to employ it. Being the son of a Marine pilot, I know more about dog fighting, energy management, wing loading, and performance envelopes, but that doesn't help on the ground.

 

As always, thank you gentlemen. I'm going to start taking classes at a local Krav Maga gym - just in case. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patriot 7,197]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/

[pjj342 632]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/

BAM!!  You get a thumbs up!

[XD45 7,124]

Pardon my bluntness but "infantry tactics for civilians" is silly.  That's like rules for playing football by yourself.

 

I assume you mean individual tactics. 

 

I recommend Shoot To Live, In the Gravest Extreme, Combat Shooting, and Stressfire.  All from Massad Ayoob.

 

And if you're serious, take a few courses.  Defensive Pistol, Tactical Carbine, Tactical Shotgun.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Darth Saigus

[thebuns1 4,323]

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to better know the tactics of an infantry unit. If your serious, you'll take courses. Otherwise, about the only thing you'll get will be reading from outdated manuals, which would still serve you better than you are right now.

 

What happened with the OCS?

[Matthew Hopkins 1,065]

if you really want to learn infantry tactics, patrolling, ambushing, CQB, shooting and moving etc....  here is what you need;

 

http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/combat/infantryman-11b.html

 

not only will they teach you all that stuff, they'll pay you, house and feed you, then send you somewhere you can put that training to good use.

[thebuns1 4,323]

Well if he wants to be a grunt, go Marines...

[Sdustin 578]

Sounds as though he couldn't make the marines for some reason. The army is much easier to get into. Try that. Also this sounds stupid and I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe airsoft would be a good idea. As stupid as it seems they have to be learning how to "fight" against each other. Or paint ball.

[Tundra1 391]

Gecko45?  The man, the myth, the legend?  Have you been spotted?!!

[Sim_Player 1,939]

You would be better served by reading what kept others alive when SHTF in their own countries.

 

Human behavior never changes.

[Matthew Hopkins 1,065]

Gecko45?  The man, the myth, the legend?  Have you been spotted?!!

 

oh man, haven't heard that username in a long, long time. I don't know which one is more funnier and screwed up in the head, GECKO45 or GUNKID, with his assault wheelbarrow and  the debarked Chihuahua as the best survival alarm you can have  

 

OK, GUNKID wins the funniest and most screwed up in the head contest, hands down.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Matthew Hopkins

[Squeaky 135]

Hey guys:

 

About O.C.S.: I got injured with a severely sprung ankle. It didn't hurt unless I tried to walk. march, hump the hills, or run. Really sucked. I had a flight slot too. There was no offer to recycle and my DD-214 coding for getting discharged is not correct either. This was during the Clinton defense cuts and it seems like they looked for any excuse to wash-out candidates. There was just one company of us too (with one female platoon) so it seemed like every D.I. at Quantico got assigned to us. I think it's safe to say they took one look at me and immediately figured I wasn't "John Wayne" enough for the Corps.There was understandably a bias towards prior enlisted guys trying to augment into the officer ranks, but even some of them were leaving O.C.S. due to injuries too - some for the second or third time. My only achievement was being the only guy in my platoon who didn't get blisters. My Captain complimented my physical prowess for such a small guy. He noted my rope climbing speed and fireman carrying ability.  

 

I feel good knowing I'm not a draft dodger, but I personally should have gone Air Force. However, that in itself is a case of not receiving much advice or guidance as a kid, and being ignorant of the extent of my Air Force heritage until my adult years. My Grandfather was a Silver Star recipient who flew at Hickam Field, Midway, and with the Jolly Roger B-24s in the SWPA. I'm pretty sure he flew in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea too and skipped bombed in B-24s - not B-25s. He was later in the B-29 training command structure. I bet I could have gotten an Air Force academy appointment. The choice of the Marines was due to my Dad having been a Corps pilot. I have memories of "Thunderbolt" F-4 Phantoms at MCAS Beaufort during the 1970s. Really cool paint scheme. I simply grew up being a fan of Naval Aviation and spending summer vacations at my other Grandparents' home literally only 3-5 miles from N.A.S. Pensacola. I'd wake up to T-2C and TA-4J flights every morning, and religiously visited the Naval Air Museum. 

 

I try to give myself a break because I was going to have to jump through more hoops than my Dad did to become a pilot. He was a MARCAD and did a combination of O.C.S. and flight training at Pensacola where the emphasis was on producing pilots for Vietnam. I hit all 12 weeks of O.C.S. "cold turkey" during peace time and would have had to at least do the Basic School afterwards (and maybe another school too) before ever going to Pensacola for flight training. Only in retrospect do I realize I should have done the Corp's PLC program. 

 

I didn't know the Army would let you be a pilot as a CWO without a full college degree. I just didn't know. So .... I'm in my forties now without a military retirement like some of my friends. I am trying to figure out how to return to college to study something else since I have nothing to lose. It's sort of that "you only live once" mentality. 

 

I come from good stock, and I am glad I tried to serve. Marine Corps O.C.S. is THE hardest thing I've ever tried to do. 

 

Per all of your advice above, I will seek civilian gun training programs. I'm sure my area has many of them. Krav Maga really intrigues me too. 

[Jpanzer 1,265]

Not a bad question, just worded slightly wrong. I recommend this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Contact-Tactical-Manual-Collapse-Survival/dp/1478106697/ref=la_B008MNI2FM_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409622825&sr=1-1

 

It's geared towards those with only a basic understanding of tactics and has some excellent advice...

[magsite20 1,664]

Squeaky

? "I feel good knowing I'm not a draft dodger, but I personally should have gone Air Force." ?

 

I burnt my draft card, I was at Lackland AFB in basic training at the time so wasn't a big deal. Air Force people by and large are told in the way of infantry training stay the hell out of the way of the people who know what they're doing and don't get shot. I got the training down pat, for 20 years I never got shot. As a retiree I plan to continue this same tactic.

Edited September 2, 2014 by the 4th Doctor

[Sdustin 578]

If your old enough to have been drafted infantry combat may not be for you.

[Matthew Hopkins 1,065]

 

I feel good knowing I'm not a draft dodger,

 

 

draft? they haven't had a draft since 1973, which if your profile is correct you were only 3 years old. a tad too young to even register for selective service.