Fire Team Operations Course

Lesson 1 • Corporal's Leadership Responsibilities

Defines the corporal's role as the primary fire team leader. Distinguishes leadership duties from individual combatant tasks.

Lesson 2 • Squad and Platoon Integration

Explains how the fire team fits within the squad and platoon hierarchy. Provides context for coordinated action across echelons.

Lesson 3 • Fire Team Composition and Roles

Defines the four-man fire team and each assigned billet. Anchors all subsequent tactical instruction to a clear understanding of team structure.

Lesson 1 • Team Movement Formations

Teaches wedge, file, line, and echelon formations and their tactical applications. Students select formations based on terrain and threat.

Lesson 2 • Individual Movement Fundamentals

Covers low crawl, high crawl, and three-to-five-second rush techniques. Establishes the individual skills that underpin all team movement.

Lesson 3 • Movement Route Planning

Instructs students in selecting and briefing movement routes using terrain analysis. Reinforces decision-making skills introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Danger Area Crossing Procedures

Covers procedures for crossing open areas, roads, and linear obstacles safely. Applies bounding and overwatch skills in high-risk terrain.

Lesson 1 • Fire Commands and Control Measures

Covers the standard fire command format and control measures used to direct team fires. Provides the communication framework for all fire and manoeuvre tasks.

Lesson 2 • Organic Weapons Capabilities

Reviews the capabilities and limitations of the rifle, automatic rifle, and grenade launcher. Ensures leaders understand each weapon's role in the team's firepower.

Lesson 3 • Sector of Fire Assignment

Teaches how to assign and adjust sectors to achieve all-around security and mutual support. Directly enables effective fire control in all subsequent tactical scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Integrating Supporting Fires

Introduces coordination of machine gun, mortar, and adjacent unit fires in support of fire team actions. Prepares students for combined arms integration in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Attack Planning and Preparation

Covers the steps to plan a deliberate or hasty attack at fire team level. Applies the decision-making process from Chapter 1 to offensive scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Executing the Assault

Teaches the sequence of actions from line of departure to consolidation on the objective. Integrates movement, fire control, and leadership skills from prior chapters.

Lesson 3 • Offensive Operations Overview

Defines the types of offensive actions a fire team conducts and their tactical purposes. Sets the conceptual framework for all offensive technique instruction.

Lesson 4 • Ambush Planning and Execution

Covers point and area ambush planning, emplacement, and execution at fire team level. Emphasises surprise, violence of action, and controlled withdrawal.

Lesson 1 • Fighting Position Construction

Covers the steps to construct a two-man fighting position with overhead cover. Directly enables survivability and sustained defensive combat.

Lesson 2 • Defensive Fire Planning

Teaches how to integrate sectors, final protective fires, and target reference points into a defensive fire plan. Applies fire control skills from Chapter 3.

Lesson 3 • Counterattack and Battle Handover

Instructs students in executing a local counterattack and conducting a battle handover. Reinforces offensive skills in a defensive context.

Lesson 4 • Defensive Operations Fundamentals

Defines area defence, mobile defence, and retrograde and their fire team implications. Provides the conceptual foundation for all defensive technique instruction.

Lesson 1 • Combat Patrol Execution

Teaches the execution of ambush and raid patrols from departure to return. Integrates offensive tactics from Chapter 4 into the patrol framework.

Lesson 2 • Reconnaissance Patrol Techniques

Covers area, zone, and route reconnaissance methods at fire team level. Emphasises information collection without compromising the patrol.

Lesson 3 • Patrol Base Operations

Instructs students in establishing and maintaining a patrol base for rest and planning. Covers security, maintenance, and administrative tasks in a patrol base.

Lesson 4 • Actions on Contact During Patrols

Covers immediate action drills for chance contact, ambush, and indirect fire during patrols. Reinforces fire and movement skills in a patrol context.

Lesson 1 • Room Clearing Procedures

Covers the four-man room clearing sequence, corner dominance, and room control. Directly applies fire team structure and coordination from Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Movement in Urban Terrain

Covers movement techniques specific to streets, alleys, and building exteriors. Applies and adapts movement skills from Chapter 2 to urban conditions.

Lesson 3 • Urban Environment Fundamentals

Defines the characteristics of urban terrain and their tactical implications for a fire team. Establishes the environmental context for all urban technique instruction.

Lesson 4 • Urban Defensive Positions

Instructs students in preparing buildings and urban positions for defence. Applies defensive skills from Chapter 5 to the urban environment.

Lesson 1 • Preparing for the Next Operation

Covers post-operation tasks including resupply, maintenance, and mission debrief. Ensures the team is ready to execute follow-on operations at full capability.

Lesson 2 • Decision-Making in Ambiguous Situations

Teaches recognition-primed decision-making and rapid assessment under time pressure. Builds on the decision cycle introduced in Chapter 1 for high-stress application.

Lesson 3 • Maintaining Team Cohesion

Covers techniques for sustaining morale, trust, and cohesion during sustained operations. Connects leadership responsibilities from Chapter 1 to operational endurance.

Lesson 4 • Conducting After-Action Reviews

Teaches the structured after-action review process to identify lessons and improve performance. Provides the primary tool for continuous improvement at fire team level.