Room Clearing

- Enter the doorway (get out of the fatal funnel!!)
o As each assaulter makes entry through the breaching point, he must not stop or delay. He should continue to move out of the doorway to his respective sector, so that he is not silhouetted or backlit from the door.
- Clear immediate threat area
o Each individual will clear the immediate threat area, within two meters, in the direction that he is moving. The assaulters are identifying hostile persons and physically clearing any obstructions that may impede entry by the rest of the assault team. This function is performed while the assaulter is moving in his respective lane.
- Clear the corners
o The corners nearest to the entry point are the most dangerous part of the room, because as soon as one takes a step into the room, the near corners are already behind the assaulters. Therefore, those corners must be cleared immediately upon entry.
o The first two assaulters to enter the room will generally be responsible for clearing the corners. These assaulters will scan the immediate threat area as they are entering the room, then immediately shift their focus and muzzles to their respective corners as they are traveling in their lanes.
o Depending on the size of the room and location of the door, they may or may not move beyond the corners before pivoting to cover the center of the room.
- Move to points of domination
o Points of domination are locations inside the room where assaulters can cover and control all personnel (targets, innocents and unknowns) in that room. Each assaulter that enters the room on initial entry will assume a position of domination after clearing his sector.
- Establish overlapping fields of fire
o Over-lapping fields of fire are achieved when each assaulter has cleared his sector, stopped his movement at a point of domination, and can safely scan the majority of the room without covering his teammates with the muzzle of his weapon. This allows the assaulters to re-enforce each other and provides a redundancy in coverage on the threat areas. The general rule that applies is not to point one's muzzle closer than one meter to any teammates.Dynamic Entry
Stacking Up to the Fatal Funnel

1. The squad leader designates the assault team and identifies the location of the entry point for them.

2. The squad leader positions the follow-on assault team to provide overwatch and supporting fires for the initial assault team.

3. Assault team members move as close to the entry point as possible, using available cover and concealment.


2. The assault team enters through the breach. Unless a grenade is being thrown prior to entry, the team should avoid stopping outside the point of entry.

a. The number 2 man may throw a grenade of some type (fragmentation, concussion, stun) into the room before entry.

b. The use of grenades should be consistent with the ROE and building structure. The grenade should be cooked off before being thrown, if applicable to the type of grenade used.

c. If stealth is not a factor, the thrower should sound off with a verbal indication that a grenade of some type is being thrown ("frag out," "concussion out," "stun out"). If stealth is a factor, only visual signals are given as the grenade is thrown.

d. On the signal to go, or immediately after the grenade detonates, the assault team moves through the entry point (Figure 1) and quickly takes up positions inside the room that allow it to completely dominate the room and eliminate the threat (Figure 2). Unless restricted or impeded, team members stop movement only after they have cleared the door and reached their designated point of domination. In addition to dominating the room, all team members are responsible for identifying possible loopholes in the ceiling, walls and floor. Room Clearing Procedures

1. The first man (pointman), enters the room and eliminates the immediate threat. He has the option of going left or right, normally moving along the path of least resistance to one of two corners. When using a doorway as the point of entry, the path of least resistance is determined initially based on the way the door opens; if the door opens inward he plans to move away from the hinges. If the door opens outward, he plans to move toward the hinged side. Upon entering, the size of the room, enemy situation, and furniture or other obstacles that hinder or channel movement become factors that influence the number1 man's direction of movement.

a. The direction each man moves in should not be preplanned unless the exact room layout is known. Each man should go in a direction opposite the man in front of him (Figure 1). Every team member must know the sectors and duties of each position.

b. As the first man goes through the entry point, he can usually see into the far corner of the room. He eliminates any immediate threat and continues to move along the wall if possible and to the first corner, where he assumes a position of domination facing into the room.

2. The second man (team leader), entering almost simultaneously with the first, moves in the opposite direction, following the wall and staying out of the center (Figure 2). The second man must clear the entry point, clear the immediate threat area, clear his corner, and move to a dominating position on his side of the room.

3. The third man (SAW gunner) simply goes opposite of the second man inside the room at least one meter from the entry point and moves to a position that dominates his sector (Figure 3).

4. The fourth man (Assist) moves opposite of the third man and moves to a position that dominates his sector (Figure 3).

Points of Domination and Sectors of Fire

· Points of domination should not be in front of doors or windows so team members are not silhouetted to the outside of the room (Figure 4). No movement should mask the fire of any of the other team members.

· On order, any member of the assault team may move deeper into the room overwatched by the other team members.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4