Transcript VIET NAM GUN TRUCKS

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ELO H
CONDUCT ACTIONS AT THE
RELEASE POINT (RP)
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
COMPLETE RELEASE POINT
ACTIVITIES
 Coordinate RP security
 Coordinate medical support for ambulatory
patients
 Report arrival and status to higher headquarters
 Coordinate disposition of KIAs
 Direct off-loading of cargo
 Coordinate maintenance or disposal of damaged vehicles
 Coordinate issue of ammunition and supplies
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
COMPLETE RELEASE POINT
ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
 Coordinate mess and billeting
 Submit convoy commander’s report to higher HQ
 Prepare order and briefing for return convoy
 Direct upload of return trip cargo
 Debrief the S2 element
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ELO I
DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE AND
FUNCTION OF A GUN TRUCK
“The Eve of Destruction”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
VIET NAM GUN TRUCKS
“Iron Butterfly”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
VIET NAM GUN TRUCKS
“The Untouchable”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
VIET NAM GUN TRUCKS
“The Piece Maker”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
LESSONS LEARNED IN
VIET NAM
 Strict adherence to regulations sometimes impeded success
 Engine noise caused delays in recognizing attacks
 Gun trucks were excessively heavy
 Limited ammunition equals limited effectiveness
 Drivers are best defended by other drivers
 Gun trucks should be highly visible and intimidating
 In ambush, the enemy would target gun trucks
(specifically the drivers) first
 Gun trucks did not have an adverse effect on a trans unit’s
mission capability
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
LESSONS LEARNED IN
VIET NAM, cont.
 Ideal gun truck armor was a double layer of steel plate
 Sandbags had to be maintained
 Trucks loaded with the hulks of APCs were too heavy
and unbalanced
 The box type gun truck was best
 Gun trucks generally had four crew members
 The M-2 .50 caliber machine gun was the best weapon
“The Outlaw”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
LESSONS LEARNED IN
VIET NAM, cont.
 Gun shields were heavy and restricted observation
 Shotguns, M-79 grenade launchers, and M-60 machine
guns were highly effective secondary weapons
 Intercom link between members of a gun truck crew
was critical
 The ideal ratio of gun trucks to task vehicles = 1:10
 Gun trucks were well-suited to serve as convoy
control vehicles
 In an ambush, gun trucks were deployed into the
kill zone for a quick and violent response
 The area immediately surrounding the gun truck is
dead space
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
GUN TRUCK FUNCTIONS
 Ambush deterrence
 Ambush defense
 Control vehicles
 Forward security element (FSE)
 Rear security
 Perimeter security during halts
 Evacuation of wounded from the kill zone
 Security for disabled vehicles
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ELO J
IDENTIFY GUN TRUCK
CREW DUTIES
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
(All Crew Members)
 Qualification on all weapons to be employed
 Troop Leading Procedures, Standing Operating
Procedures, and reporting requirements
 All battle drills
 Target identification and engagement
 Latest enemy TTPs
 Convoy control and movement techniques
 Safety and risk assessment
 Rules of Engagement (ROE)
 First aid
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
GUN TRUCK SECTION LEADER
(Convoy Preparation)
 Organizes crews and issues OPORD
 Briefs gun truck section
 Conducts pre-combat checks (PCC)
 Conducts pre-combat inspections
(PCI)
 Conducts section rehearsals
 Participates in convoy rehearsals
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
GUN TRUCK SECTION LEADER/
COMMANDER
(Convoy execution)
 Crosses start point (SP) on time
 Maintains position in convoy
 Controls gun trucks
 Maintains discipline and adheres to SOP
 Maintains convoy security
 Identifies threat and returns fire aggressively
 Identifies and fires on enemy FO (indirect fire)
 Quickly assesses situation and reports to convoy commander
 In convoy commander’s absence, acts aggressively
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
GUN TRUCK SECTION LEADER/
COMMANDER
(At the halt)
 AS FSE, selects halt locations that ensure security
 Positions gun trucks for maximum security
 Conducts consolidation and reorganization
 Submits SITREP/SALUTE report
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ELO K
HARDEN GUN TRUCKS
“Highland Raiders”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
HARDEN THE VEHICLE
 Basic hardening
 Commercial kits
 Ideal armor (?) double layer of steel plate
 Box configuration
 Doors and floorboard
 Windows/windshield
 Readily accessible
 Field expedient
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ARM THE GUN TRUCK
 Determine weapons assets required
 Determine assets available
 Coordinate with higher HQ to obtain shortfalls
 Determine how weapons will be mounted
• Ring mounts
• Pedestal mounts
• Gun shields
• Location
• Supplemental weapons and pyrotechnics
• Training
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
ELO L
EMPLOY GUN TRUCKS
“Little Respect”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
BASIC EMPLOYMENT
 Aggressive, yet controlled and disciplined posture
 Functional communications systems
 Minimum of two gun trucks per convoy; three or more
with convoys greater than ten vehicles
 Gun Truck 1 responsibilities
 Gun Truck 2 responsibilities
 Gun Truck 3 responsibilities
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
MANEUVER RESPONSIBILITIES
 Deter ambush through intimidation
 Disperse crowds blocking the road
 Scan and identify RPG gunners
 Secure intersections and block civilian traffic
 Provide security at halts, rally points, disabled vehicle,
and CASEVAC halts
 On IED attack, repel follow-on attacks
 Maneuver to block civilian vehicles attempting to
infiltrate the convoy
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
FORWARD SECURITY ELEMENT
(FSE)
 Clear route, identify IEDs, check choke points,
provide show of force
 If two or three gun trucks in the convoy, stay in line
of sight of the convoy, no more than 1 to 2 km
 If four or more gun trucks, two gun trucks may
scout ahead, no more than 3 km
 Never deploy one gun truck alone as an FSE
 Maintain communication with convoy at all times
 Travel in overwatch formation
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
SECURE OVERPASS
4
Direction of Travel
After convoy passes,
gun trucks assume
their original positions
in the convoy
1
Gun Truck #1
clears overpass
3
After Gun Truck #1
clears overpass and
before convoy arrives,
Gun Truck #2 assumes
position on other side
of overpass
2
Gun Truck #2
provides overwatch
while Gun Truck #1
clears overpass
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
RETURNING FIRE FROM OVERPASS
Direction of Travel
Gun Truck
Civilian Vehicle
Friendly Fire
Enemy Fire
Gun Truck #2 flanks the
enemy from the other
side of the ramp
Gun Truck #1 moves up the
on ramp to engage the enemy
BEWARE OF
FRATRICIDE!
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
NEGOTIATE TRAFFIC CIRCLE
Direction
of
Traffic
Task Vehicle
Gun Truck
Civilian Vehicle
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
NEGOTIATE ON/OFF RAMP
Task Vehicle
Gun Truck
Civilian Vehicle
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
AMBUSH PROCEDURES
 Gun trucks forward of kill zone maintain
security for the forward element unless
called back
 Gun trucks in kill zone return fire to
neutralize the threat
 Gun trucks to rear of kill zone (except the
last vehicle) move forward to engage the
enemy and neutralize the threat
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
AMBUSH PROCEDURES
(CONTINUED)
 Rear gun truck remains with trail element
unless called forward by convoy commander
 All gun trucks prepare to move, on order, to
engage the enemy
 Gun trucks continue to engage the enemy until
threat is neutralized or the kill zone is cleared
 Gun trucks provide security during
consolidation and reorganization
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
SUMMARY
“I got this jacket at Wal-mart…”
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
SUMMARY
 Characteristics of the threat
 Hardening vehicles
 Convoy briefing
 Convoy execution
 Forms of attack
 IED attack
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CONVOY SURVIVABILITY
SUMMARY
(Continued)
 Consolidation and reorganization
 Release Point Activities
 Gun trucks
 Gun truck crew duties
 Hardening and arming gun trucks
 Gun truck employment
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