Fireteam

A Fireteam is the most basic building block of all Infantry and Mechanized Infantry forces in ShackTac. This 6-player unit is comprised of Infantrymen fighting together as a single, highly-cohesive unit, which will always try to move and fight as a single element within sight of one another.

A Fireteam is exceptionally versatile in its equipment and abilities. Each member may be carrying different equipment, allowing the team as a whole to tackle a wide variety of threats. Fireteams typically carry two Automatic Rifles, four Rifles (one of which with a Grenade Launcher), and at least one Light Anti-Tank Launcher. This may be complimented with Hand Grenades, Demolition Charges, Flares, or any other equipment they may need.

Fireteams operate as part of a Squad, and are fairly cohesive with the rest of the Squad, often maintaining close Radio contact if not direct visual/audio contact for the duration of the mission. The Fireteam receives orders from the Squad Leader, which are interpreted and relayed through the Fireteam Leader.

Typical Structure
{| class="insettable" style="width:100%; font-color:white;" {| class="invistable chart" style="width:100%;"
 * class="invistable" style="width:100%; font-size:150%; text-align:center;" | Infantry Fireteam
 * class="invistable" style="width:100%; font-size:150%; text-align:center;" | Infantry Fireteam


 * }
 * }

Typical Deviations
In order to remain effective as a separate element, a Fireteam needs to contain at least a handful of live soldiers - approximately 3 at the very minimum. A Fireteam that has lost all but 2 men often serves little purpose as a separate element, and may be ordered by its Squad Leader to merge into another element as reinforcements. At that point, the original fireteam ceases to exist.

Fireteams are also the most common recipients of the remnants of other elements. For example, when one of the fireteams in a Squad is whittled down to ~2 men, these survivors will merge into the Squad's other fireteam. The same occurs when members of elements outside the Squad, such as fireteams from other Squads or survivors of destroyed vehicles or command elements, can no longer function as independent units and will seek a Fireteam to merge into.

This sometimes results in Fireteams having in excess of the default 6 men, thanks to the additional joins. The additional men may or may not be allocated a Team Color within the fireteam - this is up to the discretion of the Fireteam Leader.

Roles
The Fireteam contains six players by default, each with a different loadout and weaponry, and different responsibilities to match his equipment. Depending on their equipment, each member of the Fireteam also has a different STHUD icon that informs the others, at a glance, what their role might be.

Fireteam Leader
The Fireteam Leader (FTL) is the infantryman responsible for the cohesion and behavior of all members of the Fireteam. His primary task is to ensure that each member of the Fireteam is accounted for, and that each of them follows the orders given to the Fireteam by the Squad Leader. He will keep the Squad Leader updated about the Fireteam's current strength, stamina and ammunition status; He'll make sure that everyone understands their orders and does not get left behind; And he'll make specific, on-the-spot small-scale tactical decisions for members of his Fireteam to improve their efficiency in any given combat situation.

The FTL has no direct authority over any of the members of his Fireteam, but the other members will defer to his decisions nonetheless. He acts as a surrogate for the Squad Leader when necessary, especially when the SL is out of audible range.

The FTL carries some unique additional equipment, including a Grenade Launcher and Binoculars, when available. Otherwise, he is usually outfitted the same as a Rifleman.

On the Map, the Fireteam's Map Marker will be attached to the FTL. Should the FTL be killed and another soldier takes command as the new FTL, the Map Marker will now track this new FTL.

Automatic Rifleman
The Automatic Rifleman (AR) carries an Automatic Rifle, which is a heavier version of the Assault Rifle carried by other team-members. This weapon has a larger magazine capacity and better recoil-management when properly deployed, and so can saturate an area with constant fire at medium range. This makes the AR deadly against groups of enemy infantry, particularly at a distance.

There are two ARs per Fireteam by default, each assigned to a different Color Team within the Fireteam.

The AR will need to constantly seek a good position from which to cover the fireteam's arc of engagement. His weapon is not very suitable for assaults, so he will rarely be the first to breach a building or clear a bunker, but can do so if necessary.

Due to the weight of his weapon and copious ammunition, the ARs are often the slowest members of the Fireteam, and will need to stop for Stamina more often than the others, especially on long runs. They don't actually carry all of their ammunition themselves, for this reason (see Assistant Automatic Rifleman, below).

Rifleman
The Rifleman is the basic grunt Infantryman. Carrying an Assault Rifle, and often several Hand Grenades, the Rifleman is a general-purpose combatant who can engage enemy infantry and Light Vehicles, provide mid-range and short-range fire, and assault enemy positions.

The Rifleman has the least responsibility and authority of any player. His job is to follow orders as given by his superiors, and to keep his team-mates safe.

If a Rifleman comes into possession of additional equipment, whether at mission-start or during the mission, his role and designation changes somewhat, as explained in the following sub-sections - but he is still considered a Rifleman and will continue to behave as one.

There are typically 3 Riflemen per Fireteam by default. Their positions within the Fireteam roster and STHUD are typically 3, 5 and 6. Should a Fireteam get additional members at mission-start, the extra members will likely be Riflemen.

Assistant Automatic Rifleman



 * Icon HUD Rifleman White.png The Assistant Automatic Rifleman (AAR) is a basic Rifleman who carries --in addition to his default equipment-- several boxes, magazines, or belts for the Fireteam's Automatic Rifles. This distributes the weight of this heavy ammunition so that the Automatic Riflemen don't get too heavy and slow everyone down.


 * Alongside his normal duties as Rifleman, the AAR will also need to periodically check whether the Automatic Riflemen (starting with the one in the AAR's Color Team) have sufficient ammunition, and to give them the extra magazines when required. In the even that an Automatic Rifleman dies, an AAR will usually pick up his weapon and become the new Automatic Rifleman.

Anti-Tank Rifleman



 * Icon HUD AT White.png Whenever a Rifleman is carrying a Light Anti-Tank Launcher, such as an AT4 or RPG-7, he/she will become an Anti-Tank Rifleman (AT). His icon on the STHUD will change accordingly, to let everyone else in the Fireteam know that he is carrying this weapon.


 * Alongside his other duties as a Rifleman, the AT will need to sue for contact with enemy Vehicles - up to and including enemy IFVs - that are threatening his Fireteam or any other friendlies nearby. The Light Anti-Tank Launcher can, if used correctly, destroy even a Tank.


 * The AT will lose this special role designation if he drops the Anti-Tank Launcher at any point. However, if he simply runs out of rockets without dropping the launcher, the designation (and STHUD icon) will remain.


 * The number of Riflemen carrying an AT launcher at the start of the mission depends on many factors, but there will usually be at least one per Fireteam. Additional launchers are often picked up from enemy bodies and/or resupply points, so the number of AT Riflemen in each Fireteam is very much open to change during the mission.

Equipment
A Fireteam is by far the most versatile of all units, capable of tackling a very wide variety of threats. This stems primarily from the wide variety of weapons and equipment that this unit carries. Each individual soldier in the unit may be carrying slightly different equipment than the others.

Assault Rifles
At least four of the members of the Fireteam will be carrying Assault Rifles at the start of the mission. Three of these are carried by the Riflemen, and one by the Fireteam Leader. Each soldier will also be carrying plenty of ammunition for his rifle, assuming the specific scenario being played does not limit the initial ammunition distribution.

Assault Rifles are good at both medium and close range. As their name suggests, they are suitable for assaulting enemy positions, which is why Riflemen will usually be the first to breach a building or bunker.

In low-tech scenarios, Assault Rifles may be replaced with Semi-Automatic Rifles or even Bolt-Action Rifles. These have a much slower rate of fire than Assault Rifles, but perform the same function overall.

Automatic Rifles
By default, two members of the Fireteam will be carrying Automatic Rifles (and are appropriately designated the team's "Automatic Riflemen", or ARs). These function similarly to Assault Rifles (above), except they are far sturdier and have much larger magazine sizes, enabling them to fire a great quantity of bullets over the same period of time without the need to constantly reload.

Automatic Rifles are deadly against clusters of enemies at medium range, but have several drawbacks as well. For starters, both the rifles and their ammunition are very heavy, which means that the ARs will be slowest among all Fireteam members, and their ammunition must be split up among the other members of the Fireteam (the "Assistant Automatic Riflemen", or AARs). Furthermore, the unwieldy nature of this heavier weapon means that it needs to be properly rested on a Bipod or terrain object in order to achieve peak effectiveness. This weapon is less suitable for assaulting enemy positions or engaging at close-range, though it can still be deadly.

If one of the Automatic Riflemen is killed, it is very likely that one of the Riflemen will pick up his weapon and ammunition. The same goes for AARs - the extra AR magazines they carry will often be scrounged by others.

Grenade Launcher
The Fireteam Leader (FTL) carries a Grenade Launcher and several small-caliber grenades. Typically, the launcher itself will be an under-barrel attachment on the FTL's Assault Rifle, which he can switch to quickly during an engagement. In low-tech scenarios, it will be a separate launcher carried on the FTL's back.

Many of the grenades carried by the FTL will be High Explosive Grenades (HE) or High Explosive Dual-Purpose Grenades (HEDP), which are deadly against clusters of infantry and can also be used against certain vehicles. They can also be used to kill enemy behind hard cover, by landing the grenade next to or behind the enemy, and catching them in the blast.

FTLs also often carry Smoke Grenades for their launchers. These will be used to mask the team's movement, obscure the enemy's line-of-sight, or to hide the body of an injured or dead soldier while others attempt to reach him for medical aid / corpse looting.

Finally, during some night missions, FTLs may carry launchable Flares. These are used to provide light for a short period of time, mostly by firing them upwards into the sky.

Light Anti-Tank Launchers
Very often, at least one Fireteam member will be given a Light Anti-Tank Launcher (AT) at the start of the mission (and usually there will be two). This weapon fires a rocket that can be deadly to both enemy infantry and particularly Vehicles.

When used correctly, a Light Anti-Tank Launcher can even destroy enemy Armor, including Tanks. However, they will mostly be used against enemy APCs and Armored Cars, which are very vulnerable to this type of weapon. On rarer occasions (particularly in Adversarial missions), an AT launcher can be used against buildings to some effect, or against clusters of enemy infantry - but will usually be conserved for use against enemy vehicles, in case they appear.

A Rifleman carrying this kind of launcher - even if he has no rockets for it - is marked with a different icon on the STHUD (see Anti-Tank Rifleman, above). It is their job to move forward and seek contact with enemy vehicles threatening the Fireteam or other nearby friendlies. If they are not proficient in the use of this weapon (which requires good skills and a good notion of the range to the target), they might pass the weapon on to another member of the Fireteam who is more proficient.

Most AT launchers used by ShackTac are single-shot disposable rockets, which become useless after firing and will immediately be dropped to manage the soldier's weight. The RPG-7, on the other hand, is a multiple-use launcher, provided one can secure additional rockets for it.

Hand Grenades
Different members of the Fireteam may be equipped with a number of Hand Grenades, which can be thrown a short distance and explode after a few seconds. The most common are fragmentation grenades, which are useful against clusters of infantry, against infantry in cover or inside buildings, and sometimes against Vehicles. Players will often throw these over obstacles or through windows, at locations where enemies are suspected to be approaching from, but cannot currently be seen.

Additional types of Hand Grenades include smoke and flare grenades. Smoke can be used to provide concealment for movement through areas covered by the enemy, or to mask a fallen comrade who needs medical assistance. Flares provide light in low-visibility conditions.

First Aid Kits / Bandages
The First Aid Kit (FAK) is used to provide basic-level medical treatment to an injured player. In ArmA 3, this allows the player to remove part or all of their injuries, restoring their Stamina recovery to its original state and repairing their aiming ability. In ArmA 2, Bandages were used to stop a player from bleeding, and otherwise had a similar effect.

In most missions, each player will be carrying a few of these kits at the start of the mission, and will likely use them on himself. In ArmA 2, where bleeding was an important factor, Bandages were often used on injured friendlies to prevent them from bleeding out.

In both ArmA 2 and ArmA 3, this type of medical treatment is usually not an optimal solution for serious injuries. It will either partially mitigate the effect of such injuries (Arma 3) or simply stop the bleeding (ArmA 2). A Medical Kit needs to be used in cases where more serious injuries render a player ineffective, unconscious, or immobile - and these are not normally carried by any member of the Fireteam.

Binoculars
The Fireteam Leader (FTL) typically carries a pair of low-magnification Binoculars, which help him scout the area around the Fireteam and spot enemies, avenues of advancement, or other important landmarks. These binoculars are not very powerful, but can still be used effectively within the context of a Fireteam's operations.

If the Fireteam Leader is killed, the Binoculars will often be looted along with the rest of his equipment.

Radios and Maps
Under normal conditions, each member of the Fireteam will be carrying a 343 radio (see, below). This allows them to stay in contact with each other, as well as with the other members of the Squad, at all times.

Additionally, each member of the Fireteam normally carries a Map, to give them a sense of where they are, and where friendlies might be.

In low-tech and special scenarios, either or both of these may be absent from most or all members of the Fireteam. However it is more likely that at least the Fireteam Leader will be carrying a radio, a map, or both.

Map Markers
The Fireteam has a map marker that looks like this:

xy


 * The central symbol is the NATO symbol for Infantry, topped by a single dot marking a team-sized element.
 * X is a letter representing the name of the parent Squad: A for Alpha, B for Bravo, C for Charlie, and so on.
 * Y is the number of the Fireteam itself, within its Squad (1 or 2).
 * The entire symbol will be colored the same as the corresponding color of the parent Squad: Red for Alpha, Blue for Bravo, Green for Charlie, with a repeating cycle for any subsequent letters.

 Examples: 

The Fireteam's map marker tracks the position of the current FTL. Should anyone else take command of the Fireteam, they become the new FTL and the map marker will now follow them instead.

Communications
A Fireteam is expected to move as a cohesive group. It is rare for any member of the team to be outside of hearing distance from the others. Therefore, most of the communication between team-members will be done by Voice. Due to the close association, members will usually refer to each other by name.

The Fireteam will also stay in contact with the rest of the Squad using 343 radios, when available. They'll mostly use the radio to call out contacts that the entire Squad needs to pay attention to. The Fireteam Leader (FTL), however, will use his radio to keep constant contact with the Squad Leader.

Voice
Most of the communication between members of the same Fireteam takes place through Voice, without the use of radios. The members of a Fireteam will almost always stay within voice range of one another, so this is the obvious preference over using the radio to report things that are not relevant to the operation of the entire Squad.

Aside from plenty of friendly banter, Fireteam members will use Voice communications to indicate enemy contacts and their direction, call out to people who may have just been killed/incapacitated, and point out important equipment to be looted off enemy or friendly corpses.

The FTL will tend to relay orders from the SL to his fireteam members by voice, if they are all within earshot. The Fireteam members will have probably already heard the same orders from the SL on the radio, but the Fireteam leader will then repeat them in his own voice and sometimes clarify them, with more minute details if necessary.

Radio
Except in truly low-tech scenarios (e.g. Vietnam or pre-Vietnam era scenarios), each member of every Fireteam carries a 343 radio. They each set their radio to the dedicated channel of their Squad. Every member is expected to listen for commands and reports on this channel - even if they are not in a leading role - in order to maintain constant awareness of their orders and the situation the Squad is in.

Non-leadership members are expected to use the radio only when it is imperative. The primary case is when a soldier spots an incoming threat that is strong enough to merit the attention of the entire Squad, rather than just his or her own team-members. Calling for a Medic on the 343 is also acceptable, if the medic's position is unknown and the injury is severe. Finally, if contact with a team-member has been lost, another member may call out that person's name on the radio to make certain whether they are alive or dead. Furthermore, during heavy firefights where the noise levels can drown out direct Voice communications, the Radio can be used to relay information that would otherwise be spoken out loud.

The Fireteam Leader, on the other hand, is expected to keep steady contact with the Squad Leader via Radio. The SL will often issue orders on the 343 rather than by voice (especially if either FTL is not within immediate earshot), so that all members of the Squad can keep up to date with their current orders. The FTL will also relay reports back to the SL on any pertinent issue. This includes informing the SL of important enemy contacts that might require both Fireteams to confront, reports on casualties and men in need of medical treatment, and finally reports on ammunition levels as necessary. The SL will often ask for such reports, but they can also be given without prompting if the FTL feels this information is important at the time.

Finally, whenever a Fireteam is split up into two color groups, and one group moves away from the other, the FTL and team members may use the radio to stay in contact between these groups. These situations are rarer, but radio contact is the only way to maintain coherent contact in such situations.

Callsigns and Terminology
Below are several terms used in Voice and Radio communications both within the Fireteam, between Fireteams, and between the Squad Leader and his Fireteams.

Chain of Command
The Fireteam has an interesting command structure that is dissimilar to that of any other unit. Its de-facto leader, the Fireteam Leader, simultaneously is and is not the direct authority over his men. The true leader of the Fireteam is the Squad Leader, who has near-total control. Both Fireteams in a Squad will work so closely together as to make them almost a single body rather than two separate parts.

The Squad Leader (SL) will give each Fireteam their movement and attack orders. The Fireteam Leader (FTL) has very little leeway in interpreting those orders - his main job is simply to make sure that his men understand the orders and follow them correctly. The Fireteam Leader may make small, low-level tactical decisions, such as which door to breach a building from, because he sometimes has a slightly better awareness of the situation his Fireteam is in. If the FTL wishes to make any greater adjustment to the combat orders, he will request permission to do so from the SL.

Upwards Inheritance
Should an FTL die or be otherwise incapacitated, his job is inherited by the next person on the Fireteam's roster. This will usually be the Automatic Rifleman (AR) of the first Color Team. If that person is also killed, the other Color Team's AR will take the group. Inheritance doesn't always proceed in this manner, because the most experienced member of the Fireteam may be asked to take command instead.

The new FTL may want to recover equipment from the fallen body of the previous FTL, especially his Grenade Launcher, Hand Grenades, and/or Binoculars. If he decides not to take those items, someone else probably will.

Should a Fireteam lose several FTLs in succession, the SL (or the survivors themselves) may decide that they should simply "merge in" with the Squad's other Fireteam, instead of appointing yet another FTL to command the few that are left.

Downwards Inheritance
Should the Squad Leader fall, one of the Squad's FTLs will take over the entire Squad. This will generally be the original FTL of Fireteam One, if he is still alive. Otherwise, it may be the FTL of Fireteam Two. If both of these are dead, the surviving Fireteam members may decide among themselves which of them will take command. If too few survivors are left in the entire Squad, they may prefer to merge in with another Squad instead of electing a new leader.

The SL carries quite a bit of important equipment, which the new SL will want to pick up. This is particularly true in low-tech scenarios, where the SL might be the only person in the Squad equipped with a radio and/or map. In all scenarios however, the SL carries the Squad's only 152 (or 148) radio, which is the Squad's only means of communicating with the rest of the Platoon. Soldiers sometimes risk their lives retrieving this important piece of equipment.

Upon inheritance of the SL position, the new SL will report this in with the Platoon Leader, and will likely ask for new orders or a repeat of the standing orders. If the Squad is still in good condition, the Platoon Leader may simply instruct the Squad to continue what they were doing. Otherwise, the Squad may be ordered to pull back and get their bearings, or to merge into another Squad as reinforcements.

Color Teams
The Fireteam is a small organizational unit, but even this unit has a mechanism that allows it to split in two. This mechanism is called "Color Teams".

By default, the players in slots 2 and 3 in the Fireteam are assigned one color, while the remaining three players (slots 4, 5 and 6) are assigned a different color. The color assignments are readily visible on both the STHUD roster and compass regions.

Whenever the Squad Leader (SL) or Fireteam Leader (FTL) wish to have the Fireteam do two different things at once, they may give an order to one of these two Color Teams, separately from the others. To do so, the leader giving the order will refer to the team by its color. For example, he might tell Green Team to "assault that bunker" while telling Red Team to "stay here and cover". Although each team is weaker than a whole Fireteam, this allows the teams to coordinate an action that is too complex for a single unit to perform.

By default, Fireteam One in a Squad will have a Red Team and a Green Team. Fireteam Two will have a Blue Team and a Yellow Team. This prevents confusion, because all of these teams will likely be coordinating on the Radio, so having different colors in each Fireteam makes sure that there is no ambiguity.

Note that the FTL himself is not normally assigned to either Color Team. His color on the STHUD will be White, and when the team does split, he will "tag along" with the Color Team most in need of his assistance at any given time.

If reinforcements join the Fireteam, the FTL may choose to assign them to either of his Color Teams. Otherwise, he may leave them white and refer to them as such, or give them a third color that was not previously assigned. The latter two cases are only reasonable when the other Fireteam in the Squad has been fully wiped out (or merged in), otherwise this can cause some confusion.

Even when not given separate orders, the players in each Color Team are expected to be mindful of the other members of their Color Team. This is why this grouping is sometimes called a "Buddy Team". These soldiers will fight right next to one another, check each other's status periodically, provide first-aid medical treatment if necessary, and be responsible for recovering each others' items should they get killed.

Motorized Fireteam
In some scenarios, a Fireteam may be provided with a Truck or other unarmed Light Vehicle which they will use for transportation (and in some cases, close fire support). In scenarios involving Infantry-only units, these additional vehicles will not receive their own Vehicle Crews. Instead, the members of the Fireteam will utilize the vehicle as just another piece of equipment, and abandon it fully when not in use.

This sort of set-up in military lingo is called a "Motorized Fireteam". Unlike in Mechanized Infantry units, the additional vehicles are meant mostly to transport the Infantry around. Even if the vehicle is armed, the Fireteam will prefer to fight together as Infantry rather than constantly throw their vehicle into the fray.

In most circumstances, the Motorized Fireteam will only use its vehicles to transport into or out of the combat zone. At that point they will dismount as a whole group and proceed entirely on foot, leaving the vehicles behind. In other cases, a member of the Fireteam will be assigned as a driver, and will trail the rest of the team very closely until combat erupts, at which point he will stop the vehicle in a safe(-ish) spot and dismount to assist his teammates.

A light vehicle can carry roughly one Fireteam, so a Motorized Squad will usually receive two or three of these (one extra, to carry the Squad Lead Element, if necessary). Trucks have much more space, and can often carry two Fireteams at once, in which case they will both ride in it together, with the Squad Lead Element either riding with them or taking an additional Light Vehicle of some sort.

If the vehicle itself is armed, but still not assigned a permanent crew, then the Squad Leader (SL) will usually give orders on when to utilize the vehicle's weapon and when to fight on foot. Again, the Squad and its Fireteams will generally prefer to fight on foot as a group, but a vehicle-mounted weapon can still come in handy in specific situations.