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ROYAL AIR FORCE. COMMON CORE AND DEPLOYMENT SKILLS AIDE-MEMOIRE

TENTED ACCOMMODATION

Discipline in the tented area is vital. You have a collective responsibility for the following:

◉ Site discipline for waste disposal.

◉ Site discipline for urination and defecation.

◉ Do not feed feral animals.

◉ Do not adopt local wildlife as mascots.

TENT CONTENTS (12ft × 12ft - 3.66m × 3.66m)

FIG 1

◉ 1 x Valise containing (fig 1):

◉ 1 x Roof and wall section.

◉ 2 x End sections.

◉ 1 x Liner (not shown).

● 1 × Groundsheet (not shown).

● 2 × Storm lashings.

● 2 × Webbing ties.

● 4 × Guide ropes.

◉ 1 × 'A' and T piece bag containing:

● 9 × 'a' pieces.

● 6 × 't' pieces.

◉ 1 × Pole bag containing:

● 22 × Poles.

◉ 1 × Peg bag containing:

● 24 × 10 pegs.

● 10 × 18 pegs.

● 1 × 3lb hammer.

SITING CONSIDERATIONS

◉ Pitching space - 21ft × 21 ft, 6.4m × 6.4m.

◉ Maximum height - 8ft 10in, 2.66m.

◉ The site should offer good drainage and protection from the elements.

◉ Site the entrance to the tent away from the prevailing wind.

◉ If possible the site should provide natural camouflage.

◉ Flat and even.

◉ Free from stones and roots.

ASSEMBLY

FIG 2

◉ Lay out the poles, 'a' and 't' pieces (fig 2).

FIG 3

◉ Assemble the poles to form the roof section (fig 3).

◉ Attach the liner (if required) to hang below the apex and eaves ridgepoles.

FIG 4

◉ Lift the canvas onto the roof frame and fit the 'a' piece ends into the sleeves on the end sections of

the outer canvas. Tie the sleeves firmly onto the 'a' piece (fig 4).

◉ Lay the storm lashings over the roof.

◉ Place all wall canvas onto the tent roof, this will aid when raising the tent.

FIG 5

◉ With one man on each 'a' piece of the windward side of the tent, raise the tent and fit the wall poles and 't' pieces (fig 5).

◉ Pull the windward side wall section down into position.

◉ Secure all the ground poles and 't' pieces through the securing loops on the wall canvas.

◉ Attach all internal roof and liner ties.

◉ Repeat with the leeward side.

◉ Check the doors fasten correctly.

◉ Secure all 't' pieces firmly to the ground using 10 pegs, this secures the frame to the ground.

FIG 6

◉ Peg down all guy ropes and storm lashings (fig 6).

◉ Peg down and secure the entrance that is not in use.

◉ Use sandbags to ballast the cloths and skirts.

◉ Stow all bags and spare equipment.

FIG 7

◉ Use your imagination to make your tent as homely as possible (fig 7).

BREAKING CAMP

To break camp, the assembly instructions are carried out in reverse order.

FUEL FILLED HEATERS AND LAMPS

There are many types of heating and lighting appliances. The type of appliance you are issued will depend on your unit's scale of equipment and the theatre you are deploying to. There are significant health and safety issues when using heaters and lights in a tented area. The following are some common safety considerations:

◉ Only fill the appliance with the correct type of fuel.

◉ Only store fuel in approved containers that have been marked.

◉ Always wear gloves and goggles when fuelling/emptying appliances.

◉ Always refuel at a POL point.

◉ Never fill the appliance whilst lit or hot.

◉ Never leave the appliance alight at night whilst asleep.

◉ Never leave the appliance unattended.

◉ Never stand appliances on or under tables.

◉ Always stand appliances on level ground.

◉ Always use metal hooks to suspend lamps.

FIELD DEFENCES

Where there is a threat of attack every member of the deployed force should have a stand-to or shelter position to go to. In the early days of a deployment you may have to prepare shellscrapes and trenches to provide protection against small arms fire, mortar, artillery and air attacks.

STAND-TO POSITIONS

Should Provide:

◉ Cover from fire.

◉ Cover from view. This includes view from Thermal Imagery, if possible.

◉ A solid background will avoid silhouetting sentries. The overhead cover can be angled to provide a solid background.

◉ Detailed Range Card.

◉ Arc Markers.

◉ Where possible protection from the elements.

◉ Roll mats can be used to provide insulation from the cold.

SURVIVAL SHELLSCRAPES

Considerable protection can be achieved quickly with a minimum of digging. By developing the hole further a good firing position can be constructed. They are only suitable as temporary positions.

BATTLE TRENCH

The Battle Trench offers good protection against small arms fire, mortar, artillery and air attacks. Overhead protection is designed to provide ballistic protection and reduce the effects of nuclear radiation. The Individual Kit Protection can be used to construct overhead protection; instructions for its use are enclosed in the kit.

WIRE OBSTACLES

The following list contains the stores, tools and their approximate weight and how many can be loaded onto a 4 tonne truck.

WIRE TYPES

LOW WIRE

PROS: Quickly erected in woods or scrub. Pickets not always required. Easily concealed. Not easy to destroy or breach.

CONS: Has to be concealed to be effective.

REMARKS: Particularly suitable for close country. Use ordinary barbed wire at shin height, deployed irregularly.

SINGLE CONCERTINA

PROS: Quick and simple. Can be improved in stages. Easily concealed.

CONS: Easily breached. REMARKS: Not a standard obstacle but may be used as a starting point.

TRIPLE CONCERTINA

PROS: Can be developed from a single concertina.

CONS: Difficult to conceal. Fairly easily breached.

TYPE 4

PROS: Can be developed from a single concertina. More difficult to breach. Simple to construct. Relatively easy to conceal.

DOUBLE APRON

PROS: Ordinary barbed wire from fences, etc, can be used.

CONS: Slow to construct. Easily breached.

REMARKS: In general only used where concertina wire is not available.

CATWIRE TYPES 1, 2 and 3

PROS: Difficult to breach. Can be improved in stages. Looks a formidable obstacle.

CONS: Difficult to conceal. Types 2 and 3 expensive in stores. Not suited to protect a defensive position.

REMARKS: Used mostly for protection of static positions, ie, key points.

HIGH WIRE

PROS: Difficult to breach. Looks a formidable obstacle.

CONS: Difficult to conceal. Expensive in stores. Not suited to protect a defensive position.

REMARKS: Used mostly for protection of static positions, ie, key points.

STORES NEEDED FOR 100m OF OBSTACLE

SANDBAG EMPLACEMENTS

◉ A sangar 2m × 2m × 0.7m high will need 200 sandbags.

◉ 3 people can fill approximately 60 sandbags in 1 hour.

◉ Sandbags are 3/4 filled and their necks (chokes) tied.

◉ Sandbags are laid so that neither their chokes nor side seams are in the outer face of the wall.

◉ The corners of each bag are tucked in as they are laid.

◉ The chokes are tucked under to prevent bursting.

◉ Each sandbag when laid must be beaten with a pick helve or shovel.

◉ Joints in adjacent courses are staggered.

◉ The sangar should be approximately shoulder height with fire ports.

◉ Camouflage once completed.

The following illustrations are in plan view:

COURSES 1, 3, 5, etc

COURSES 2, 4, 6, etc

REPORT FORMATS

SITUATION REPORT (SITREP)

◉ The SITREP is probably the simplest report to send or receive. Used at all levels across the 3 Services and throughout NATO and recognised in its standard format.

◉ The SITREP is used to give a commander up-to-date information of the situation that has developed or is developing on the ground.

CONTACT/SIGHTING REPORT

◉ In a contact report it is assumed that the enemy is aware of the friendly forces position, usually because exchange of fire has taken place.

◉ A sighting report is used when enemy forces are sighted, no exchange of fire has taken place, and it is assumed that the enemy is unaware of the observer.

◉ Whilst all serials should be transmitted, it is generally accepted that occasionally, due to the nature of the incident, not all serials will be reported.

BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL NBC 1 REPORT

◉ A system for warning and reporting of NBC hazards is well established throughout NATO. It is vital that the information is made available as soon as possible so that commanders can react accordingly and warn other units, thus preventing unnecessary casualties.

◉ This information can be passed via a standard NBC 1 format recognised by the 3 Services and throughout NATO.

◉ Not all the information required may be available at once, however, it is important that serials A-F be transmitted at the earliest opportunity so that predictions can be formulated. A completed NBC 1 should be transmitted as soon as the information becomes available.

◉ The NBC 1 should be accorded the same priority as a Contact Report.

ABBREVIATIONS

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