Team Leading: A role overview

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Role and Responsibilities
3. Communication
    3a. Direct communication 
    3b. Short Range
4. Taking over the Squad
    4a. Assessing the situation 
    4b. Reporting to Platoon
    4c. Continuing 
5. Change log

1. Introduction
This guide seeks to cover the role of the Team Leader, their responsibilities and position in the squad in the current 10-man Squad Format. There has been some misconception over this role ever since the template changes removed the 2IC role and grandfathered those Tag Holders into Team Leads.

This guide will not go into depth about tactics use, decision making etc as that is determined by several factors outside of paper, such as Current Situation, Squad Leads orders, personal experience etc. This is to clarify the position and usage of a Team Lead inside the current Squad layout.

2. Role and Responsibilities
At its core, the responsibilities of a Team Lead are as such:

1. Execute the orders given to the Fireteam by the Squad Lead
2. Maintain control and discipline over the Fireteam
3. Monitor and report (ACE) the status of the Fireteam when needed
4. Provide information for the Squad Lead (more on this later)
5. Be prepared to take over the Squad

Inside the Squad, both Team Leads are responsible for themselves and the other 3 members comprising their team, those being the AR (Auto Rifleman) and the 2 Rifleman. In this capacity the Squad Leader will be issuing tasks/orders to the Fireteams and it is your responsibility to then take your fireteam and complete the task given. 

You are to maintain control of the fireteam as well as handling ACE (Ammo, Casualties, Equipment) reports. Ideally this would be done either after a contact or event, or when the Squad Lead requests it. Preemptively doing this and having it ready and reporting as a Team means the Short Range Comm is less busy and the reports are more concise (i.e. “Red Team - Green on Ammo, 1x Cat-3, Green on AT”). This report from you as a Team Lead, saves at least 6 more pieces of potential comms traffic. When you add that up across the entire mission, that is a lot of comms time freed up. It helps to pre-warn that this will happen as it will again save some time i.e. “Red Team, Prepare an ACE report for me in 30 seconds/1 Mike (minute)”

Maintaining control of your Team is something that is similar to how a Squad Lead will deal with his Squad as a whole. Part of it is having the Charisma and Respect to be listened to.To take a section from the Squad Leading Overview
“We are FK, a little bit of fucking around should be possible, but it is up to you where to draw the line. If they do give you shit and you made it clear that it is neither the right place nor tolerated, you give them one warning before you get them kicked. If you give a move order and they don’t follow, you LEAVE THEM BEHIND. You do this a couple of times and no one will think twice about doing what you say. This may seem harsh, but you do not have the time to be arguing with people over orders in a firefight. If they have constructive suggestions they can bring it up if the situation allows it.”

There is an aspect of taking initiative as well as providing alternatives to your Squad Lead. Sometimes due to your more forward position or better sight lines depending on your task, you may be operating with more or up-to-date information and as a result can suggest alternatives to the Squad Lead. However that is all it should be. A suggestion. The Squad Lead can override that if they deem it, or take your suggestion. The Squad Lead and both Team Leads need to work together smoothly. That being said - remember the phrase “Too many cooks spoil the broth”. Moderation in suggestions is key, be concise - trust in your Squad Leader to do their job. Respect their final decision when they make it and carry it out to the best of you and your Fireteams ability.

As mentioned previously this role was grandfathered with a template update from the old 2IC. As a result one Team Lead per squad will take the 2nd Long Range. This is not to act in a strict 2IC sense, but to provide awareness and assistance to the Squad Lead when possible as well as being ready to take over if the Squad Lead becomes incapacitated for any reason. As a result, a Basic understanding of Long Range Comms, and the Platoons plan is needed.

Now you’re probably thinking “But Badger, you said the Team Leads held equal sway, now you’re saying the one with the Long Range is going to take over if Squad Lead is down?”

Yes, both of these are true. While the Squad Lead is active and alive, the Team Leads hold equal sway in their position of the squad. When the Squad Lead becomes Incapacitated, the Team Lead with the Long Range becomes the Squad Lead due to having the Long Range and being able to communicate with Platoon and any other squads (including those on additional Nets) quickly and effectively.

3. Communication
In this section, we will go over how best to communicate with your Team as a Team Lead, this is both in terms of giving orders, asking for and receiving ACE reports from your members and general information flow.

3a. Direct communication
In an ideal world, inter-team communication should be done via direct chat (local), as you will be operating as a team, in close proximity with the ability to get visual on each other quickly. If you, as a Team Lead, have to stick yourself on yelling to be heard. Do it. The Short Range should be used for reporting things that the Squad needs to know about (i.e. “MBT, East along the ASR”) even if only one team sees it. Giving out individual team orders over the Short Range is a recipe for disaster as you have 2 Teams trying to do it, on top of any reporting from Squad Members AND whatever information the Squad Lead is trying to pass down.

This has an additional effect. By staying in direct communication range, it means you and your team members are less likely to wander off, be caught out by themselves and bleed out because no one knew they were that.

That being said there will be times where Short Range for inter-team comms will be needed.

3b. Short Range
Again, in an ideal world, the short range for you as a Team Lead should be used for information and orders down from the Squad Lead, as well as reports and information (and sometimes suggestions/advisements) from you to the Squad Lead and other Team Lead by proxy.

However we don’t live in an ideal world, typically we would experience a mixture of the above (inter-team communication via direct) and inter-team communication via the Short Range.This could be due to team members being trapped or split off during contact. Or sometimes wondering off or getting lost. As a Team Lead one of your responsibilities is managing your Fireteam and Comms discipline and usage falls into that. As long as the Short Range comms doesn’t disrupt the other Squad Members or force the Squad Lead to clamp down on it, it’s acceptable.

The Short Range is the Key for information flow in the Squad. It ensures all Squad members are on the same page in terms of Key information and orders. It is imperative that this is not shitted up.

There is an alternative that you can take - Using additionals. As mentioned in the TFAR Guide

The Short Range radios can set up an additional channel that can be used for inter-team communication. This way the Fireteam can be spread out a bit more and you can rely on not having to be heard via shouting. There is a caveat to this - this can get messy.

In the heat of the moment Team members may forget which channel to key up on, every relaying useless information meant for the Team or Team Lead, or vice versa, relaying information meant for the Squad to just the team. Additionally - if the Team lead with the Long Range has Squad Short Range,Team Additional  Platoon Net, Long Range Additional channels all set up - this may get a bit overwhelming and too much. 

If you do choose to set up an additional Short Range channel for your team, there are several things you MUST do:

1. Inform the Squad Leader
2. Get a Primary Channel Short Range check done to make sure no team member has overridden the Squads Primary channel (this should be performed by the Squad Lead)
3. Get an Additional Channel Short Range check for the team - to ensure all Team Members can hear you. Otherwise one or more members may get left behind, confused or not know what to do

4. Taking over the Squad
There will be situations either during or after contacts or major events that the Squad Lead has become incapitated or Killed in Action. As a Team Lead (either with or without the Long Range - more on that later) you need to be prepared to take over and lead the Squad as well as your term. For some this can be a daunting process, having to communicate over the Long Range, handling a Squad rather than a fireteam. 

4a. Assessing the situation 
If the Squad Lead is down, this is usually the result of a Firefight or incoming fire from OPFOR Support. As a result when you as the Team Lead with the LR, become aware of this development. You need to assess the situation first. Don’t immediately report to Platoon because if you do, they will ask for a Sitrep and you won’t be prepared for it.

If the situation allows - i.e. the contact/firefight has ended - do an ACE (Ammo, Casualty, Equipment) report. Go down the list of your Fireteam as you would normally and then ask the other Team Lead for theirs. This gives you the overview of the Squad near the end or post contact and gives the situation that Platoon will be dealing with post report.

After that assess your current task. How far through are you with clearing the town? Are you able to maintain your overwatch? How close were you to getting to your objective? Etc. Again knowing this before reporting over the Long Range to Platoon will save time and comm traffic and let you get a better handle of the situation before being tasked to continue on.

4b. Reporting to Platoon
Once you have assessed the situation from the above steps or something similar. You need to report to Platoon and update them.

You: “Platoon, this is Alpha - Standby for SITREP. Over”
Plt: “Platoon standing by to copy”
You: “Alpha Actual KIA, Red/Blue Team Lead Taking Over. Break. ACE Report as follows Ammo Green, 2x Cat-2 1x Cat-4 Inc Actual. Red on AT. We have finished clearing TRP Apollo, standing by for next tasker. Over”
Plt: “Platoon copies all, Stand by”

Remember good comms etiquette. The reason we assess before calling in to Platoon is to give ourselves the needed time to think to report. That way the report is concise, calm and clear and doesn’t hold up the net with unnecessary traffic. Additionally - other squads who may be the vicinity are aware of the situation and can prepare to adapt to having to assist your squad, or get ready to be retasked etc.

4c. Continuing with the mission
After the report to Platoon has gone out and they have given the orders for the Squad, it is down to you to assume the role of Squad Lead and carry on with whatever tasks have been given to you. If possible, ensure that the other Team Lead is aware and attempts to get the Long Range from the Squad Lead (dropping it when they return). This is to allow the same thing above to happen again if you are incaptiated or Killed in Action. This allows the flow of communication to keep going as Platoon being in the dark will not be able to assist you.

Use the Information given by your Squad Lead at briefing to guide you in your decision making process. If it helps, confer with the other Team Lead for advice or suggestions. Again, you work as a team together to achieve the objective. It’s perfectly acceptable to lean on those around you. But remember it isn’t a democracy. Suggestions should just be that. It is important you decide and be decisive. 

5. Change log
v1.0 - 23/05/2020 - Posted initial guide