Owning Battlespace

[Ken White]

"21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

Always, of course, accompanied by Nrs 19 and 20:

"19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get"

[jmm99]

As a segué into this, I've been slogging at the early development of Operational Law since its "conception" in the 1980s-1990s (legal doctrines material to military operations in war and in "other than war"). As part of that, I've been looking at ROE development; e.g., Rules of Engagement (ROE) Handbook for Judge Advocates (CLAMO 2000); and, from the international humanitarian law viewpoint, Rules of Engagement Handbook (Sanremo 2009).

Needless to say, after burying my head in those august publications, Ken's post was a breath of fresh air - and the entire "Marine Rules of Combat" are an oxygen tent. So, here are all of them for perusal by "battlespace owners, occupiers and possessors" (and those who might represent them in consequent courts-martial proceedings):

Rules of Combat

USMC

1. Bring a weapon. Preferably, bring at least two. Bring all of your friends who have weapons. Bring their friends who have weapons.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. Close doesn't count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough, nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a big weaponand a friend with a big weapon.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived and who didn't.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting is more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the weapon.

10. Use a weapon that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket."

11. Someday someone may kill you with your own weapon, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

12. In combat, there are no rules, always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

13. Have a plan.

14. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

15. Use cover or concealment as much as possible. The visible target should be in FRONT of YOUR weapon.

16. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

17. Don't drop your guard.

18. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

19. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).

20. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

21. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

24. Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

25. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a ".4."

Army

1. See USMC Rules for combat

2. Add 60 to 90 days

3. Hope the Marines already destroyed all meaningful resistance

Navy

1. Spend three weeks getting somewhere

2. Adopt an aggressive offshore posture

3. Send in the Marines

4. Drink Coffee

5. Bring back the Marines

Air Force

1. Kiss the spouse good-bye

2. Drive to the flight line

3. Fly to target area, drop bombs, fly back.

4. Pop in at the club for a couple with the guys

5. Go home, BBQ some burgers and drink some more beer

My own summary of the Golden Twenty-Five: Carry a Big Hunting License, but don't kill everything in the forest.

Regards

Mike