The session takes place at Fort Scott, Kansas with Fort Scott Munitions and Battleline Tactical during a two‑day course led by Chris “Tanto” Paronto, known as one of the Benghazi operators depicted in the film 13 Hours. Before the live‑fire portion begins, the group arrives a day early for close quarters battle training using airsoft. The plan is to start in a classroom setting to review basic concepts, then move into practical scenarios. The instructors intend to revisit patrolling and formations that some attendees learned previously in the Marine Corps, but now apply them to more realistic, scenario‑driven environments inside structures and in the field.
Instructors explain that much of the work will occur at night, when fatigue, hunger, and darkness add self‑induced stress. Training under those conditions is intended to make daytime operations feel easier by comparison. The cadre outline how the group will be divided into two assault cells for better control. With seven students plus two instructors, one cell will have three students and one instructor, and the other will have four students and an instructor. This structure allows tasks to be split between elements, with one instructor directing one cell while the other instructor manages the second, maintaining control and coordination during movement and problem‑solving.
The instructors review basic patrolling formations, emphasizing that a straight line is rarely ideal in open terrain. Students are asked how they would move, and the answer is a staggered or wedge formation. With a lead element up front and the second element behind, the wedge provides a wider field of vision and more guns oriented toward a potential threat to the front. They contrast this with a single file, which offers less observation forward but is useful in narrow or dense terrain, such as thick woods or tight entry points. Hand and arm signals are used to shift between wedge and file without shouting, preserving noise discipline while adapting to terrain.
The class then focuses on crossing roads, described as linear danger areas because anyone positioned along the road has an extended line of sight and can engage with rifles or machine guns. Instead of simply walking across in the same wedge or file, the patrol halts using a raised hand signal. Everyone takes a knee, faces out, and lowers their silhouette. A specific hand signal indicates a linear danger area, which is echoed through the formation. One element moves forward to establish security on both sides of the road, ready to return fire if needed. Once security is set and confirmed with a thumbs‑up, the other element crosses, re‑forms the wedge, and continues movement, maintaining two‑cell integrity and clear command and control.
Students step outside to practice the formations just discussed. The instructor explains that anyone on the right side of the wedge is responsible for security to the right, and those on the left cover the left. The lead walker moves first, followed by others who maintain spacing as they form the wedge. Approaching a road, the group pauses short of the edge, using available cover and concealment. Hand and arm signals are passed back so everyone understands that a linear danger area is ahead. The instructor notes that in real operations, maps, GPS, and road bends would be used to choose the most tactically advantageous crossing point. Angles, bends, and terrain features dictate where each person positions to cover key avenues of approach, ensuring the best vantage points rather than rigidly following a diagram.
Inside a building, the focus shifts to radio procedures. Call signs are simplified to numbers such as 1, 2, or 3, while one instructor uses the call sign “Roar.” To contact another team member, the format is “You, this is me,” followed by call signs, for example, “Six‑Six, this is Roar.” The person who initiates the call is responsible for terminating it; the receiving party does not end the conversation. If a speaker needs to pause but will continue, the word “break” is used to keep the channel open so others know not to interrupt. Once finished, the initiator ends with a clear closing word such as “out.” Instructors warn that chaotic situations can cause everyone to key the mic at once, so a designated team leader should handle most communications up the chain, reporting explosions, casualties, and status updates in an organized manner.
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