FORT CARSON, Colo. — A fire team with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, maneuvers to clear a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
By Capt. Tobias Cukale
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An infantry squad with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stacks behind cover before moving to clear a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — In 1944 the Army Pictorial Service produced Film Bulletin No. 151, The Infantry-Tank Team, which discussed the tactical effectiveness of combining infantry and still newly developing tank corps. Its opening statement summarized that infantry needs tanks and tanks need infantry.
Over time the infantry tank team tactics laid the groundwork for combined arms and the infantry-tank team itself evolved into the modern armored brigade combat team (ABCT). While the infantry’s mission remains foundationally the same, an ABCT differs significantly from a brigade combat team.
“In a light unit, the infantry is really all of the combat power. So, it does everything,” said Maj. Zachary Morris, operations officer, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “In an armored brigade … there’re only four infantry companies, so it’s almost a critical resource or a critical capability that we just don’t have a lot of. The key function (of the infantry in an ABCT) is to enable the armored vehicle’s success and speed, and one of the key ways to do that is to clear restricted terrain and to seize restricted terrain, that’s going to allow armored formations to continue moving.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Two Soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, move to clear a short room Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
Calling track mechanized infantry companies, a limited critical resource isn’t an exaggeration, as they make up less than 50 total companies Armywide, and they are crucial to the survival of an armored formation. Soldiers with 1st Bn., 8th Inf. Reg., 3rd ABCT, effectively demonstrated this during the brigade’s National Training Center rotation in April, seizing cities and clearing restricted terrain that allowed their armored battalion counterparts to strike deep into opposing force territory.
Morris also pointed to historical large-scale operational instances of the combined strength of infantry-armor partnerships
“If you look at Thunder Run in 2003, having the infantry supporting the armor in Baghdad was critical. Armor does not work effectively on its own, especially as soon as you start to hit restricted terrain,” he said.
Maneuvering on a shared battle space can be a drastic change for many coming from light backgrounds.
Sgt. 1st Class Dustin McClure, an M2A3 Bradley master gunner, 3rd ABCT, experienced this change.
“I was used to six grid square (6km) missions, very small missions, especially the (counterinsurgency) fight,” McClure said. “Then I come here (to an ABCT), and (are) now talking (about) 30 grid square (30km) massive missions. Now, you have to think of everything that you’re going to need in that Bradley, to keep it going to carry your dismounts to the fight.”
In addition to the speed and scope of mission, the capabilities of a track mechanized infantry platoon also greatly increase, said Sgt. 1st Class Paul Roath, an M2A3 Bradley master gunner, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Reg., 3rd ABCT.
“You have the tanks and the Bradleys, which provide us speed and much greater maneuverability than wheeled vehicles would as well as protection,” Roath said. “Additionally, in a typical light infantry formation, you have your weapons squad and your heavy weapons company, but what is spread out across a platoon and a company is now completely organic to a (mechanized infantry) platoon. The heavy platoon can do everything that a light platoon can and more.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An infantry squad with 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stacks behind cover before moving to clear a building during battle drill training Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
The necessity of vehicle and weapon integration is most visible during the train-up to cumulative events such as gunnery and platoon situational exercises, to include the squad and team live-fire exercises that have been the recent focus of the infantry units in 3ABCT.
“Getting that combination of vehicle integration with the dismounts, and the dismounts enabling those vehicles by clearing that restrictive terrain is what we’re looking to do,” Morris said. “That is what really enables the success of the brigade in large part.”
McClure also discussed the importance of syncing the maneuver of both dismounted and mounted components at the lowest levels.
“Incorporating the Bradley into those squad tactics is pivotal, that way when you go to the platoon, there’s not (a) gap (in understanding),” McClure said. “You have to do those basics (battle drills), but if you don’t bring in those Bradleys and (the communication between the leaders), you’re going to miss those tasks.”
Morris agreed and said practice, communication and rehearsals are paramount.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A Soldier with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, maintains security after clearing a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
“It’s complicated, it’s hard and it’s very, very fast,” he added. “The armor formation lets you be a lot faster. A lot of times, those Bradleys are dropping off those dismounts right on the objective.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A Soldier with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, maintains security after clearing a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, maintain security as their team regroups and prepares to clear the next building Aug. 4, 2021, during battle drill training at Fort Carson. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An infantry squad with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stacks behind cover before moving to clear a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A Soldier with 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, a maintains security after clearing a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A machine gunner with 2nd Platoon, Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, covers a fire team as they maneuver to clear a building Aug. 4, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The platoon performed squad building clearing lanes as a part of battle drills for a larger train up that culminated in platoon live fires. (Photo by Capt. Tobias Cukale)