Course Introduction, Stress Training, and Patrol Basics
The video opens with light banter before Clint from Classic Firearms introduces a Battleline Tactical two-day course at Fort Scott, Kansas, hosted with Fort Scott Munitions. Students are told they will start with CQB using airsoft and then progress to live-fire instruction led by Chris “Tanto” Paronto, known from the Benghazi events depicted in 13 Hours. In the classroom, instructors stress training under fatigue and self-induced stress, especially at night, explaining that performance when tired reveals real capability. The class is divided into two assault cells and introduced to patrolling concepts. Instructors compare wedge and file formations, explaining how wedge offers better field of view and dispersion in open terrain, while file is preferred for narrow entries, thick woods, or suspected IED and minefield areas. They emphasize when to choose each formation based on terrain, threat direction, and the need to maintain firepower forward while minimizing exposure.
Switching Formations and Crossing Linear Danger Areas
Instructors explain how patrols transition between wedge and file using clear hand-and-arm signals so the formation can flex with changing terrain without losing cell integrity. They describe operating as two maneuver elements in a squad column, each built around a fire team wedge, which allows rapid reaction to contact from the front or either flank. The lesson then focuses on crossing linear danger areas such as roads. Students are taught to halt short of the road, signal silently, and push security forward to observe both directions. Elements are moved across in a controlled sequence so that at any moment the unit can return fire and avoid bunching on the road. The instructors stress that these procedures must be rehearsed repeatedly, especially for night operations, because command and control become significantly harder when everyone is tired, in the dark, and under stress, and these fundamentals must be solid before moving into CQB work.
Practical Wedge Movement, Terrain Use, and Radio Procedures
The class moves from whiteboard instruction to practical application, stepping off in a wedge formation to demonstrate real-world spacing and movement. Instructors show how the team approaches a road as a linear danger area, using bends in the road and surrounding terrain features to gain angles and reduce exposure. They assign security sectors based on who has the best vantage point, emphasizing that positions should be adjusted dynamically rather than rigidly holding initial spots. The training then shifts to radio communication procedures. Students are given simple numeric call signs and taught how to properly enter and exit the net, who controls the conversation, and how to keep transmissions short and clear. The use of the word “break” is explained as a way to hold the channel open while passing multiple pieces of information. Every transmission is expected to end with “out,” reinforcing disciplined, closed-loop communication that supports movement and contact drills.
Radio Discipline and Fundamentals of Two-Man Room Entry
Instructors reinforce that whoever initiates a radio transmission is responsible for ending it, preventing cluttered airwaves. A designated team leader should handle most communication with higher command so that a single shared channel does not devolve into chaos. The focus then shifts to CQB entry principles. Students are told that a minimum of two people should make an entry, with four preferred for better security and control. Approaches to doors are demonstrated, showing how to get close enough to act without overexposing to outside angles. The mechanics of a two-man entry are broken down: the number one man commits to either left or right, never driving straight through the center of the room, while the number two man automatically takes the opposite side. Both prioritize their near corners with muzzle and eyes, clearing those immediate threats before expanding their scan. Inside the room, they must quickly identify open and closed doors as indicators of follow-on rooms and manage exposure accordingly.
Four-Man CQB Roles, Door Management, and End-of-Sector Calls
The training progresses into managing doors that may conceal threats. Students learn to push past the door, maintain coverage on likely threat areas, and use non-verbal cues to coordinate with a breacher. A simple muzzle-lowering and raising motion signals when the breacher should open the door without unnecessary talking. In a four-man team, roles are fluid: different numbered positions can assume breacher duties while others cover sectors and rear security, ensuring all angles are controlled. The number one man’s entry sequence is detailed step by step, from placing the muzzle on the near-side door frame, to clearing the initial corner at about three to five feet, then collapsing to an alternate position for better fields of fire. After initial domination, he re-scans the room and any open doors. The team maintains points of domination and moves as a unit, using verbal calls like “clear,” “open door,” and “end of sector” to mark progress and indicate when a portion of the structure cannot be pushed further and is considered clear for the moment.
End-of-Sector Re-clearing and Managing Unknowns in Rooms
Instructors clarify the end-of-sector concept, explaining that once a team leaves a previously cleared area, they have effectively surrendered that space and must re-clear it if they return. Areas continuously occupied by team members do not require re-clearing because security has never been relinquished. A room setup with a closed door, a role player, and an unchecked area is used to demonstrate managing unknowns. Students practice controlling a non-immediate-threat subject verbally from a distance, giving clear commands while another operator covers the unknown space. They are warned not to turn their backs on the subject, even if compliant. The scenario expands to handling a compliant individual near an open doorway, where one operator must stay on the subject until the rest of the team passes through and secures the next room. This ensures that no one abandons a potential threat or source of information while the team continues clearing.
Hallway Movement and Split-Stack for Opposing Doors
The focus shifts to movement down a long hallway, where threats can appear from multiple directions in confined space. Instructors stress the need for increased verbal communication so everyone understands which sectors are covered and which doors are being addressed. They introduce the split-stack technique for dealing with two open doors on opposite sides of the hall. Rather than overcommitting to one side, the team forms a stack on each door, creating two two-person elements that can take both rooms simultaneously. This temporarily sacrifices some coverage straight ahead at the 12 o’clock but prevents leaving a completely open, uncleared room at the team’s back. Students practice coordinating timing, muzzle discipline, and entry sequences on both sides, learning how to balance speed with control in a tight corridor where angles are compressed and mistakes can quickly become fatal.
Support Calls, Last-Man Duties, and Full Run-Through
Instructors explain the use of a “support” call, which signals that a team inside a room or sector needs additional help. When responding, the first and second person exiting a room are taught how to orient their weapons to cover likely threat directions while moving to assist. A supporting element must re-clear and plug a doorway from the threshold, ensuring no gaps in security as they move. The responsibilities of the last man are highlighted: he closes out the six o’clock, briefly stepping out to cover rear security and confirming that no threats are emerging from behind. As he passes teammates, he signals his position so everyone knows the rear is still covered. The group then conducts an uncoached full run-through of the structure. Instructors correct issues such as poor door reading and number-two-man responsibilities, tying these corrections back to real mission objectives where incomplete clearing can leave threats or intelligence behind.
Kill/Capture Objectives and Post-Assault Walkthrough
The final portion of the video focuses on mission intent. Instructors emphasize that the objective of clearing a structure is not just to neutralize threats but ideally to capture individuals and gather information for follow-on targets. After reaching an end of sector, teams are expected to re-clear areas, then deliberately slow down for a methodical post-assault walkthrough. During this phase, leaders account for dead enemies, unknown persons, and valuable items such as paperwork, cell phones, and laptops. They must understand the layout, how many people were shot, how many remain unknown or alive, and what intelligence needs to be collected. Resources and time are organized accordingly, turning a chaotic assault into a controlled exploitation of the site. The instructors close by stressing that CQB is a set of techniques in service of the larger mission of killing or capturing targets and collecting information, not an end in itself.
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