An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 FIELDCRAFt – PARt 1 Every soldier must become an expert in fieldcraft. they must be able to by night and day: a. Use their eyes and ears to find the enemy without being seen. b. Always make the best use of ground and cover. c. Estimate distances and ranges accurately. d. Indicate and recognise targets, obey fire control orders and understand fire discipline. e. Move silently with or without weapons, stores or equipment. f. Act aggressively on their own, out of sight and earshot of their comrades. wHy tHings are seen Explain and demonstrate each in turn whether an object is easy or difficult to see depends upon several factors, the chief of which are: shape: Some things can be recognised instantly by their shape, particularly if it contrasts with the surroundings. Easily distinguishing shapes, which require disguise for concealment, are: The shape of a soldier's outline and the smooth round top of a helmet. shadow: In sunlight, an object casts a shadow, which gives away its presence. For concealment, keep in the shade if possible. The shade affords cover and there are no tell-tale shadows. Remember that as the sun moves, so does the shadow. silhouette: Any object silhouetted against a contrasting background is conspicuous. Smooth, flat backgrounds such as water, a field or, worst of all, the sky should be considered dangerous. An object may be silhouetted if it is against the background of another colour. For conceal- ment, choose an uneven background such as a hedge, bush, trees or broken ground. surface: If an object has a surface that contrasts with its surroundings, it is conspicuous. Shiny helmets and white skin contrast violently with most backgrounds and need to be disguised to assist concealment. spacing: Natural objects are never regularly spaced. Regu- lar spacing means man-made objects. For concealment, avoid regular spacing. Movement: The eye is attracted to movement, especially to sudden movement. If movement is essential, it should be slow and cautious. aircraft: An upturned face is easily spotted by an airborne observer. To assist concealment when being searched for by spotter aircraft/helicopters, resist the desire to look directly upwards. visual training Position some equipment in the training area in such a way to demonstrate the factors of 'why things are seen'. Be aware of daylight conditions changing and the demon- stration losing effect. Position a number of demonstrators to illustrate the factors of 'why things are seen'. Where possible there should be at least two of each item of equip- ment; one to be used at the section position to explain the factor (shape, shadow, etc.) and the other located in the open at a suitable range to demonstrate it. Visual training is training to observe coupled with a knowl- edge of how to conceal. To observe is to see through the enemy's concealment; to conceal is to defeat his observa- tion. Once trained in both, the soldier can locate and kill the enemy without being seen. The important things are: See without being seen, notice de- tails and learn to understand the meaning of what you see, and make the right deduc- tions. Fieldcraft is an integral part of weapon training and must not be separated from it. Unless the soldier learns marksmanship, technical handling and fieldcraft 'hand-in- hand', their progress towards becoming a proficient battle-shot suffers. Individual fieldcraft training is an excellent way to develop character.

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