Command & Crew Roles
This crew member has the ultimate responsibility for conducting the internal and HHQ after-action review (AAR), inventorying sensitive items, and verifying work/rest cycles.
Who is the Convoy Commander (or Assistant Convoy Commander)?
Convoys utilize this specific layered communication structure, standing for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency, to safeguard against a total circuit failure.
What is a PACE plan?
This standard formation is highly suitable for night movements, provided its spacing interval is compressed
What is the Column formation?
This standard instruction is given to maintain forward movement and drive directly through an active engagement area without halting.
What is a "Blow Through"?
This deceptive enemy tactic connects two or more explosive devices together so that a decoy visual indicator channels traffic into a wider blast zone
What is daisy chaining?
This specific type of vehicle commander assists the convoy commander with pre-mission route planning and monitors both the location and movement rate during travel.
Who is the Navigator?
These are the first two steps a unit executes when beginning the standardized Convoy Troop Leading Procedures.
What are "Receive the mission" and "Issue the WARNORD"?
Driving down the exact centerline of a roadway in a column formation provides the distinct tactical advantage of minimizing these.
What are IED blast effects?
During a vehicle egress drill under fire, crew members sitting on the side receiving enemy contact must execute this action first.
What is returning fire (before dismounting on the non-contact side)?
What is the Downed Driver drill? This emergency drill is instantly triggered the moment a vehicle commander is incapacitated and forced to hand steering control over to a passenger.
What is the Downed Driver drill?
This personnel asset holds direct accountability for all cargo, equipment, and people within an assigned vehicle while providing guidance to the driver.
Who is the Vehicle Commander?
When threat disposition indicates danger, the convoy commander must ensure arrangements are made for this type of specific asset to lead the movement.
What is a route clearing platoon?
This formation allows for robust all-around security, greater headlight coverage, and flexibility, but leaves the convoy highly vulnerable to multi-vehicle IED hits.
What is the Staggered formation?
This vehicle configuration change is used to prevent third-party traffic interference and relies on a rear asset moving out to secure a lane.
What is Changing Lanes?
Car alarms, remote doorbell devices, cell phones, and passive infrared devices are all noted as common ways the enemy achieves this action.
What is command detonation (or detonating an IED)?
Operating the vehicle safely, following the tracks of the vehicle in front, and maintaining spacing intervals are all primary duties assigned to this role.
Who is the Driver (or A-driver)?
Space imagery, aerial photos, and feedback from civilian contractors or engineering units are leveraged when executing this specific, non-physical intelligence step.
What is a Map Reconnaissance?
This unique tactical layout successfully combines the general maneuver flexibility of a staggered formation with the simple control of a file formation.
What is the Offset formation?
If a vehicle is disabled during contact but no physical roadway barriers are present, recovery teams will utilize these two standard mechanical solutions.
What are pushing or towing?
Staging explosives inside an abandoned car often alters its visual profile, creating this telltale physical indicator that watch standers scan for.
What is the vehicle sitting low on its suspension system?
This specialized platform unit is specifically responsible for establishing radio communication with pilots and securing the area for medical extraction.
What is the Landing Zone (LZ) team?
To account for route shifts caused by weather or enemy intervention, a physical reconnaissance team should ideally include this specific supporting element.
What is an engineer element (or engineers)?
Both the Diamond formation and the Inverted T formation share the same operational advantage of limiting this specific threat behavior.
What is third-party infiltration (or third-party traffic interference)?
Under this battle drill, a security element and an assault force suppress a threat with accurate fire, allowing a unit to maneuver and aggressively clear the enemy position.
What is a Hasty Attack?
While adding armor plating, ballistic glass, or sandbags protects personnel, it forces these two negative mechanical tradeoffs on a vehicle's performance.
What are increased braking distance and higher maintenance requirements (or altering the center of gravity)?