Warfighting Tactics and Techniques
These are acronyms and definitions that you might need to know. I've hand picked these from various sources (listed at the bottom). This is NOT a complete list of everything. Some of this you might never be asked, and something you might get asked may not even be here. If you think something should be here, feel free to contact me through the
Contact Us page.
A: BAMCIS:
B - Begin Planning
A - Arrange Reconnaissance
M - Make Reconnaissance
C - Complete Planning
I - Issue Orders
S - Supervise (Supervise being the most important step)
A: O-SMEAC
O - Orientation
S - Situation
M - Mission
E - Execution
A - Administration and Logistics
C - Command and Signal
A: SALUTE
S - Size
A - Activity
L - Location
U - Unit
T - Time
E - Equipment
A: Contents of the Admin and Logistics paragraph of the 5 Paragraph Order
Beans - Food
Bullets - Ammunition
Batteries - Communication Resupply
Band-Aids - Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC)
Bad Guys - Enemy POWs
A: There are many acronyms to remember for tactics and planning:
LOD - Line of Departure (a line designated to coordinate the beginning of an attack)
FCL - Final Coordination Line (coordinates final deployment of assault echelon)
RFL - Restrictive Fire Line (limits the fires and effect of fires of maneuver elements)
FEBA - Forward Edge of the Battle Area
MBA - Main Battle Area
A: METT-TSL
M - Mission
E - Enemy
T - Terrain and Weather
T - Troops and Fire Support Available
TSL - Time, Space, and Logistics
Q: What are the steps in establishing the defense?
A: SAFE-SOC
S - Security
A - Automatic Weapons
F - Interlocking Fields of Fire
E - Entrenchment
S - Select primary and supplementary firing positions
O - Construct Obstacles
C - Camouflage, cover and concealment
Q: What are the fundamentals of the Defense?
A: KOCOA
K - Key terrain
O - Observation and Fields of Fire
C - Cover and Concealment
O - Obstacles
A - Avenues of Approach
A: Initial, En Route, and Objective
A: TAR: Tactical, Alert, and Ready
A: 5S's and a T
Search, Segregate, Silence, Speed, Safeguard, and Tag
(edit by Brian Toop)
Sources: MCI Warfighting Tactics 8015A, Marine Rifle Squad MCRP 3-11.2 Ch 5, and Warfighting Techniques 8016A