Squad

A Squad is a small Infantry or Mechanized Infantry unit, typically comprised of 14 men. The Squad is commanded by a Squad Leader, is outfitted with a Squad Medic, and normally contains at least two Fireteams which operate as integral components of the Squad. A Squad generally moves as a single team, rarely spreading out over long distances.

A full-sized squad is the smallest unit capable of operating autonomously, tackling a diverse range of threats and fulfilling its own strategic objectives. Most of the time, however, Squads are subordinated to a Platoon, which typically contains three squads operating together.

Communications within the Squad operate on 343 radio and Voice. The Squad coordinates with Platoon command and with other Squads using long-range 148/152 radio.

A Mechanized Infantry Squad sometimes has armed vehicles directly under its command, and can use them to tackle larger threats (particularly enemy vehicles). At other times, those vehicles will be under the command of the Platoon, providing support fire and transport but not taking orders from any Squad Leader directly.

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 / Mechanized Squad
 * class="invistable" style="width:100%; font-size:150%; text-align:center;" | Infantry / Mechanized Squad


 * }


 * }

The Squad callsigns used above (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie) are examples only. Different callsigns may be featured in different videos. See also Squad Callsigns.

Reinforced Squad

 * A Reinforced Squad is a Squad comprised of three Fireteams instead of the normal two. These configurations are rare, and usually occur when player turnout is slightly larger than expected. Fireteam Three may or may not be a full-strength Fireteam (i.e. fewer than 6 men).


 * A Reinforced Squad configuration may also occur when one Squad is disbanded, with the remnants joining another Squad as its third Fireteam. Such situations are exceedingly rare.

Mechanized Infantry

 * When playing a Mechanized Infantry Platoon (or Company), in some cases the APCs and IFVs will be assigned to individual Infantry Squads, under direct command of individual Squad Leaders.


 * In this sort of setup, an attached vehicle crew is pretty much an integral part of the Squad, as though it is just an additional Fireteam with special capabilities. This allows vehicle(s) to work very closely with the infantry, protecting and transporting them effectively and quickly.


 * This setup is more common during Platoon-scale operations, and two vehicles per Squad is pretty much the upper limit. On Company-scale or larger missions, vehicles are typically subordinate to a Vehicle Platoon instead.


 * The most common vehicles filling this close support role are APCs of various kinds, and particularly lighter ones (M113, BRDM, etc.). IFVs are much more rarely found subordinated to individual squads, but it can and does happen too.

Roles
A Squad is typically made up of three different parts: Two Fireteams and one Squad Lead Element. These units perform very different functions within the Squad, with the Fireteams doing the majority of work, while the Squad Lead Element is a non-combat unit set up for purely functional purposes.

If the Squad includes combat vehicles, these are considered separate units that behave to some extent like Fireteams, but with drastically different capabilities and tactical behavior.

In total, a full-sized Infantry Squad contains 14 soldiers, including the Squad Leader, Squad Medic, 2 Fireteam Leaders, 4 Automatic Riflemen, and 6 Riflemen of various types.

Fireteam
A Fireteam is a 6-man Infantry element. It is the smallest combat-worthy infantry unit. A Squad almost always contains two Fireteams, though rarely it may contain three (this is called a "reinforced Squad").

Fireteams perform the bulk of the work towards accomplishing the Squad's objectives. The Squad's two Fireteams generally move in unison, cover one another, protect each other's flanks, and tend to maintain close proximity with one another and with the Squad Lead Element.

Each Fireteam can operate autonomously to some extent, but they are far more effective when supporting each other. In situations where the Squad is tasked with protecting a large area from multiple directions, or assaulting a large enemy position, the two Fireteams may split up - but will always try to maintain awareness of each other's locations and maintain contact with the Squad Leader. A Fireteam acts on direct orders from the Squad Leader (as long as he is capable of giving them). Nevertheless, a Fireteam Leader has some leeway in interpreting the finer, low-level details of movement and engagement, in situations that require initiative and improvisation.

Squad Lead Element
The Squad Lead Element is a functional group containing only the Squad Leader and Squad Medic. Grouping these two men together in their own element makes the Squad more flexible and has several advantages, such as allowing for an additional map marker that follows the Squad Leader's position separately, and allowing the Squad Leader to adjust his position without confusing everybody, among other things.

The Squad Lead Element is not a combat unit; its two members will likely do their best conceal their position, by not engaging the enemy at all (unless the situation is either very favorable or very dire). The two men will typically stay together most of the time, with the Squad Medic only moving away when he needs to provide Medical Attention to other members of the Squad.

In emergencies, the Squad Lead Element may absorb the remnants from one of the Fireteams or even from other Squads. This may potentially cause it to become a de-facto Fireteam, capable of combat action. Such situations are somewhat rare, but they definitely do happen from time to time.

Vehicles
In some Mechanized Infantry set-ups, armored vehicles such as Armored Cars, APCs or even IFVs may be attached directly to an Infantry Squad, taking orders directly from its Squad Leader. Such vehicles move in coordination with the rest of the Squad, and concentrate on providing the Squad with both fire support and transportation.

When a vehicle is assigned to a Squad in this way, its role is very similar to that of a Fireteam: It takes orders from the Squad Leader and works with the Infantry Fireteams to fulfill the Squad's given objectives. Such a vehicle has somewhat less autonomy than one assigned to a Vehicle Platoon, but its mobility and unique tactical considerations still require it to have more autonomy than a Fireteam.

Vehicles typically hang further back, occupy high-ground firing positions when available, and back away when enemy infantry get too close to the Squad.

Equipment
The Squad is the smallest Infantry unit considered to be self-sufficient and capable of tackling a wide variety of threats and objectives. This is due to the large diversity of weapons and equipment at its disposal, with a total of 14 small-arms and several anti-tank weapons.

The Squad also carries all of the peripheral equipment necessary to fulfill its tasks, including various Radios, plenty of medical equipment, a variety of Grenades and/or other explosives, and more.

Finally, in some scenarios the Squad may have attached Vehicles at its disposal. Motorized Infantry may have light transportation (possibly armed), while Mechanized Infantry may have one or more armored vehicles for direct fire support.

Primary Weapons
With 14 Infantrymen making up the squad, it has no shortage of small-arms weaponry - a total of 14 such pieces by default, capable of pouring a significant amount of fire on enemy infantry and light vehicles.

Most members of the Squad (called Riflemen) carry Assault Rifles, which are useful at medium range and close combat. At least one member of each Fireteam (but usually two in each Fireteam) is an Automatic Rifleman, carrying an automatic weapon of light or medium caliber, capable of suppressive fire and lethality at medium or even long range. In low-tech scenarios, Assault Rifles may be replaced with other types of rifles, ranging from Bolt-Action Rifles to Battle Rifles, depending on the era and factions being played.

Unless the scenario specifically limits it, ammunition for these weapons should be plentiful at mission start, but can rapidly become depleted during successive engagements with the enemy. Bodies of fallen friendlies will typically be looted for any surplus ammunition. The Squad Leader needs to keep track of its ammunition supply and report this to the Platoon Leader, allowing him to determine whether Resupply is required and whether a Squad can be tasked with an objective that could require prolonged engagement (especially setting up a Base of Fire).

Anti-Tank Weapons
At mission-start, a Squad will typically be carrying between two and four Light Anti-Tank Launchers, distributed evenly between the Fireteams. These weapons are invaluable when engaging enemy armored vehicles, and can potentially disable (if not destroy) even a Tank with some luck and skill.

LAT launchers are often single-use items, discarded after launch. Some forces carry re-usable launchers with additional rockets. As a mission progresses, it is very common to see infantrymen scrounge up launchers from fallen friendly and enemy corpses, especially if the Squad is running low on rockets. If the rockets run out, the Squad becomes extremely vulnerable to enemy armored vehicles - a dangerous situation that could easily get them all killed, should such a vehicle show up.

Additional Weapons
Depending on many variables, any Squad member may be carrying Grenades of various kinds. Typically these are Frag Grenades, useful against clusters of enemy infantry, as well as infantry in cover and/or inside buildings. The Squad Medic (and often the Squad Leader as well) carries hand-thrown Smoke Grenades, used to conceal the squad's movement or signal to other friendly elements.

Three members of the Squad - the Squad Leader and both Fireteam Leaders - carry Grenade Launchers and a variety of GPs (typically HE, HEDP, and/or Smoke Grenades). In most scenarios, these weapons are mounted under the barrel of their Assault Rifles, but in some scenarios they will be completely separate weapons that need to be pulled out when required.

Automatic Riflemen also typically carry Sidearms (pistols or revolvers), to use when ammunition for their primary weapon runs out. Leaders may or may not also be carrying a Sidearm.

Medical Gear
The Squad Medic carries a large amount of medical equipment, as part of his Medical Kit. This kit allows the Medic to provide near-limitless (or actually limitless) Medical Attention to other members of the Squad. Depending on the exact version of the game, the Medical Kit may or may not be transferable to another soldier on the event of the Medic's death.

Additionally, each squad member also carries a small amount of basic medical gear, allowing them to perform rudimentary treatment on themselves and/or others. This allows any soldier in the Squad to heal minor injuries or to somewhat mitigate major ones (and sometimes even to save themselves or others from death). However there are always limits to the full extent (or quantity) of medical care that this rudimentary equipment can provide, meaning that the Squad Medic and/or his Medical Kit are always crucial assets.

Radios and Maps
Under normal circumstances, every single member of the Squad carries a 343 short-range radio and a map of the combat zone. The radio is set to a channel unique to the Squad, and allows squad members to converse when they are not within ear-shot of one another. It is most often used for the Squad Leader to distribute orders to the Fireteam Leaders and receive reports from them, but can be used by any squad member given sufficient cause.

Additionally, the Squad Leader himself carries a 148/152 long-range radio, which he uses to communicate with the Platoon Leader and/or with other Squads. Since the squad only has one such radio, its recovery is of paramount importance should the Squad Leader be killed.

In low-tech or similar unconventional scenarios, all of the above might change. There may be no 343 radios, no maps, and sometimes even no 148/152 radio. These conditions make navigation and communication more challenging, requiring players to improvise and push their skills to the maximum.

Other Gear
During nighttime missions, Squad members may be outfitted with a variety of visual aids. Weapon-mounted Flashlights are the most common gear in such scenarios. More high tech forces may carry Night-Vision Goggles, and their weapons may be outfitted with Infrared Lasers which can only be seen while wearing those goggles. When such items are available, they are typically distributed to every member of the Squad.

Fireteam Leaders and the Squad Leader may be outfitted with additional gear for low-light scenarios, the simplest of which are Flares, particularly launched by Grenade Launchers, which can light up a large area over the squad or over enemy positions. Leaders also sometimes carry hand-thrown flares, which are primarily useful for signaling the Squad's position to other units, or marking a Landing Zone for helicopters.

Another type of mission-specific that appears more rarely in ShackTac videos is the Demolition Charge, which can be used for a variety of objectives - primarily destroying buildings. Demo Charges are typically carried by the squad members with the least overall weight of equipment - commonly Fireteam Leaders or even Riflemen. The Squad Leader himself may carry extra explosives, just in case the other charges are misplaced or fail to destroy the objective.

Vehicles
Most ShackTac videos feature exclusive Infantry operations, backed with some Helicopter support. Nonetheless, it is not rare to see Infantry outfitted with unarmored (and unarmed) transportation vehicles. In heavier combat scenarios, an Infantry Squad may even have several armed vehicles directly under its command.

Motorized Infantry

 * Quite a few scenarios provide Squads with their own means of transportation into and out of the combat zone. These are typically Trucks and other unarmored vehicles such as HMMWVs or Technicals. When a Squad is outfitted with such vehicles, it is a Motorized Infantry squad (though this term is not heard in ShackTac videos).


 * The vehicles come without their own dedicated crews - members of the Squad need to crew them whenever the vehicles need to move. They will typically dismount whenever the vehicle is stopped and resume fighting alongside their friends. If such a vehicle is armed, such as a .50 CAL HMMWV, it is more likely that its impromptu crew-members will remain with the vehicle as long as it is mobile and operable.


 * If Trucks are used for this purpose, the Squad will typically have only one such vehicle which can carry the entire Squad in the back. The Squad Leader will often ride in the front, or even drive the vehicle until reaching the Squad's designated dismount point.


 * If smaller vehicle are used, the Squad will typically have three such vehicles, one for each Fireteam and an additional one for the Squad Lead Element. The Fireteam vehicles may be armed with a .50 Cal HMG or similar weapon, while the SL Element's vehicle will be unarmed.


 * The vehicles may be abandoned completely as soon as the Squad reaches its first dismount point, having fulfilled their purpose of getting the infantry into the combat zone. However they will often be used multiple times to move from one objective to the next, and possibly even to leave the combat zone at the end of the mission (assuming the vehicles have survived that long).

Mechanized Infantry

 * One of the possible set-ups of a Mechanized Infantry Platoon may call for combat vehicles - particularly APCs - to be assigned directly to individual Squads. These vehicles are considered an integral part of the Squad, and are under direct command of the Squad Leader.


 * Typical vehicles filling this role are various APCs, including the M113, LAV or BTR. Lighter armed vehicles such as .50 Cal HMMWVs or even Technicals may be used in this capacity. More rarely, a heavier IFV such as a Bradley, BMP or BMD may be used.


 * In all cases, these vehicles have their own crews, consisting of a Driver, Vehicle Commander, and (for heavier vehicles) a separate Gunner for the main gun. They interact with the Squad in the same way as a Fireteam, but fulfill a different combat role. They are typically used for fire-support, but may be required to ferry the squad around as well.


 * Mechanized Infantry vehicles are typically armed with a Heavy Machine Gun, but larger support vehicles may carry much larger weapons up to and including an Autocannon or even a Main Gun. HMGs are typically useful against enemy infantry as well as enemy light vehicles or even APCs. Heavier guns are more useful against enemy Armor, up to and including Tanks (though this normally requires surprising the tank from a side or rear angle).


 * A typical APC can carry about a Fireteam when called to do so. Smaller vehicles may be able to carry only a handful of passengers, and are less suitable for transporting the Squad around. In all cases, however, Shackers are generally loathe to board their vehicles, as that makes it easier for the entire unit to get annihilated with a single lucky enemy shot. Infantry generally prefer to fight on foot, if they can, with the vehicles only providing fire support.


 * Squad-attached armored vehicles rarely number more than one or two. Any larger number of vehicles meant to operate together are likely to be grouped into a Vehicle Platoon, and be subordinated to a Platoon Leader or Company Commander, not to a Squad Leader.

Map Markers
A Squad does not have a single unified map marker to indicate its position. Instead, the position of its primary elements (see the chapter on Roles, above) is tracked separately. These elements typically move together with relatively little space between them, and their combined positions could be seen as the position of the Squad.

The map marker for each element in the squad has the first letter of the squad's name on the left side of its NATO icon. On the right side is a combination of letters and/or numbers indicating the specific element's callsign. The NATO icon itself indicates what type of element it is - Fireteam, SL Element, or attached Vehicle. Note that attached vehicle markers are slightly different, with all letters and numbers on the right side of the NATO icon.

All map markers belonging to a single Squad share the same color. That color is based on the Squad's sequential position within its Platoon. The map markers for the first squad in the platoon are red, the second blue, and the third green. If a platoon contains more than three squads, the sequence repeats: The fourth squad will be red, the fifth blue, and so on. It is rare to see more than three squads per platoon, however.

Below are several examples of Squad-element markers:

Communications
A Squad is the smallest Infantry element that has access to (and is required to use) all three types of communication: Voice, 343 short-range radio, and 148/152 long-range radio. Each method is used for different purposes.

Voice is generally used within each element of the Squad, rather than between elements. Members of each element will converse with each other and make each other aware of certain things by simply shouting to one another. Each element in a Squad is very small and its members stick very close together, allowing such communications to be used instead of any radio for immediate element concerns. The Squad Leader may also use Voice communications to speak with his subordinates when he happens to be in close proximity to them, and calls for the Squad Medic may use Voice as well, when he is nearby.

The 343 radio is the most commonly used method of communication for tactical needs. Under normal circumstances, every member of the Squad carries such a radio, set to a dedicated channel that is unique to the squad itself. Each squad member is authorized to use this radio to report anything that the entire squad should be made aware of - particularly enemy forces that threaten the squad directly. The Squad Leader will mostly use this radio to convey orders and receive reports from the Fireteam Leaders. If anyone wishes to contact a specific squad but cannot reach them on long-range radio, they will switch over to the squad's dedicated channel.

Finally, the Squad Leader himself carries a 148/152 radio set to the Platoon Net channel. He uses this to receive orders from the Platoon Leader, report his Squad's condition to the leader, and contact other Squads or assets when the situation calls for it. With only one such radio in the Squad, it is imperative that the 148/152 be retrieved as soon as possible in case the Squad Leader is killed.

In low-tech scenarios, members of the Squad may have no 343 radios whatsoever, and the Squad Leader may not have a 148/152 radio either. This makes communication much more difficult and challenging, and may require the use of Runners to send messages to other units in the platoon.

Voice
The different parts of a Squad rarely stray away from one another to such an extent that Voice communication becomes impossible. Nonetheless, the majority of Voice communication occurs within the Fireteams themselves, rather than at the squad-level. For purposes of clarity, any mission-relevant communications between the Squad Leader and Fireteam Leaders, or between Fireteam Leaders themselves, will be done by Radio (see next section). When radios are not available however, there's no alternative but to use Voice.

A Squad Leader may use Voice to speak with a Fireteam leader when he wants to micromanage the actions of his specific Fireteam. He will often need to get close to that Fireteam leader before speaking, as shouting orders is normally not the best idea. Fireteam Leaders then typically pass the orders on to their subordinates by voice, rather than radio, if their entire Fireteam is near enough to their position to hear it.

Calls for the Squad Medic also typically occur on radio; but once the Medic is nearby to the injured player, Voice is the preferred option - the Medic can follow the voice to find the patient, whereas radio is non-directional.

When Fireteam Leaders need to converse with one another for any reason, they will rarely use voice. This is not only because Fireteam Leaders are rarely close enough to converse at a reasonable voice volume level, but also because the Squad Leader needs to be made aware of whatever the Fireteam Leaders are discussing.

Squad Leaders will sometimes call both Fireteam Leaders to their position in order to give a quick briefing by Voice on what the Squad is going to attempt next, and what each Fireteam Leader should do. It is better to do this by Voice so as not to clog up the Squad radio channel, and makes it easier to have a an actual conversation.

Naturally, since Voice does not carry well into vehicles, Voice communication between the Squad Leader and the commanders of any attached vehicles will not normally occur using Voice.

In low-tech scenarios, Voice may be the only available option for communications with a Squad. Runners are not generally used for intra-squad communication, since the Squad Leader himself can run the short distance if needed. Occasionally, however, a Squad Leader may ask soldiers nearby to call out to their Fireteam Leader and get him to come to the Squad Leader's position.

343
Every single member of the Squad carries a 343 short-range radio. These radios are set to the same channel, called the Squad Channel, which is unique to the squad. This is typically Channel 1 for Alpha squad, Channel 2 for Bravo squad, and so on.

The radio is reserved primarily for orders flowing down from the Squad Leader to the Fireteam Leaders, and situation reports flowing the other way. Since every member of the squad is on the same net, they can hear these exchanges and remain aware of the SL's intent and the current situation of the entire squad. These messages have priority over anything else said on the radio.

Nonetheless, non-leader members of the squad do have permission to use the 343 radio as well, when the situation requires. This prerogative is used almost exclusively to report incoming contacts that present a threat or potential threat to the entire squad. Contacts too small to be a threat (particularly those that can be handled by the caller himself, or his Fireteam) are not reported on radio.

On the Squad radio, the term "Lead" refers to the Squad Leader. The terms "One" and "Two" refer to the fireteams themselves, or sometimes specifically to the Fireteam Leaders (depending on context). A Fireteam Leader can also use colors (Red, Green, etc.) to refer to his Color Teams, though he will only use the radio to do so when the color team is out of earshot, to reduce radio chatter.

When contact with a Squad has been lost (through the loss of the 148/152 radio, or by some other circumstance), friendly forces in the vicinity can switch to that squad's 343 channel to try and re-establish contact. This can only be done when close to the suspected location of the squad or its remnants, otherwise only static noise will be heard when speaking. Rescue Helicopters will often use this method when attempting to locate survivors on the ground, or when trying to determine whether someone has been left behind after an extraction.

When combat vehicles are attached to a Mechanized Squad, their crews will typically set their 343 radios to the Squad Channel as well. Conversations within the vehicle use the vehicle's intercom system automatically, but the 343 radio allows the vehicle to receive orders and report back to the Squad Leader, just like a fireteam would. The full callsign for an attached vehicle follows the format " Victor " (e.g. "Alpha Victor 1"), but over the 343 radio they'll just be called "Vic ".

Both vehicles and other units that are temporarily working together or in close proximity to a Squad may also decide to switch over to that Squad's channel, to ease coordination with that squad - even if they don't take any orders from the Squad Leader. This can be done by any small unit, including ground vehicles of all sorts as well as Weapon Teams or even remnants of other Squads. On rare occasions, two Squads may share the same channel for the same reason, particularly when one of those squads is significantly weaker than the other.

148 / 152
Unless the scenario calls for a complete lack of radios (e.g. World-War 2 era combat, guerilla combat, etc.), each Squad is equipped with a 148/152 long-range radio. This radio has a range of at least a kilometer (sometimes much more, depending on terrain), and allows the Squad to keep communications with other units - particularly its parent Platoon.

The 148/152 radio is carried by the Squad Leader, and he is typically the only member of the Squad carrying such a device at all. The radio is set to the Platoon Net of the platoon he is subordinated to. The Platoon Leader and all Squad Leaders will be able to speak with one another on this net. Helicopter pilots will often be listening in on this channel as well, just to stay informed about the evolving situation on the ground.

The 148/152 radio is primarily used for orders given by the Platoon Leader to specific Squad Leaders. Reciprocally, the Squad Leaders will use the radio to ask for clarifications, report their squad's current situation and condition, and even for coordination between two squads working in close proximity to one another. Threats or potential threats will be reported on Platoon Net as well, but only when one Squad spots a threat to another element in the platoon, or if it spots a threat to itself that it may not be able to handle alone.

Since the 148/152 is the only reliable means to communicate between different parts of the Platoon, it is extremely important to ensure that it isn't lost. If a Squad Leader goes down during combat, his squad-mates' will put a high priority on retrieving this radio from his body before leaving the area. A Squad without a long-range radio is forced to rely on 343 short-range radio, which may or may not have the needed range to contact anyone without severe static interference.

In scenarios where 148/152 radio is not distributed to the squads, each Squad becomes essentially an independent element unless it can operate Runners to convey information back and forth (since 343 radios are often missing as well, in such scenarios). Smoke and Flares can then be used to mark a Squad's position for other elements, if such equipment is available.

Callsigns and Terminology
Squad-level communications are some of the most complex in ShackTac, given that each squad can normally use all three communication methods (Voice, 343 and 148/152 radios), and will use them almost constantly. Depending on the communications medium used, and the element being contacted, different terms can apply and can even mean different things.

Squad Callsign

 * The squad's callsign is a letter in the NATO Alphabet. It is determined based on the Squad's position in its Platoon, as well as on the number of that Platoon within the Company. Squad callsigns typically (but not always) follow this format:


 * (Squad names beyond "Fox" have rarely been seen in ShackTac videos. They can potentially go all the way up the NATO alphabet - although they rarely go above "Lima" (because "Mike" is a reserved callsign for combat vehicle platoons). Color sequences are not necessarily maintained, however.)


 * The full name of a squad is " Squad" (e.g. "Alpha Squad"), but this is used less frequently than just the letter.


 * When addressing other elements on Platoon Net, the Squad Leader will precede any message with the name of the intended recipient, followed by the words "this is " or simply "". For example, when calling the Platoon Leader, he may say "Command, this is Alpha" or simply "Command, Alpha" for brevity. The short form is significantly more common, since the extra words are often superfluous.


 * Conversely, when the Squad is addressed by another element, they will speak the Squad's name first, then identify themselves. For example, the Platoon Leader may say "Alpha, Command" when he wants to say something to Alpha Squad. Note again that the word "Squad" is often omitted, as it isn't really needed.

Squad Element Callsigns

 * The full callsign of each element in the Squad starts with the name of the Squad, followed by the element's specific identifiers. For example, the first Fireteam in Alpha Squad is called "Alpha Fireteam One".


 * However, the full callsign is rarely if ever used, as it may needlessly make the callsign too long. Therefore, the following short callsigns are used for different elements of the Squad, depending on the type of radio ("Alpha" used here as an example):


 * * There are several different ways to call a vehicle, particularly to avoid confusing it with infantry elements. This is only the most common.

Other Squad-Specific Terminology

 * The following terms are used in Squad-level communications.

Chain of Command
The Squad serves as the mid-level command unit for Infantry. The Squad receives its objectives from the Platoon Leader, and must then do its best to fulfill those objectives. The general movement scheme also comes down from the Platoon, and Squads need to try to match those movement orders. Nonetheless, the Squad Leader does maintain a fair degree of autonomy because he has a much better understanding of the specifics of the terrain his Squad is moving through, as well as the threats they encounter throughout the mission. Thus, Squad Leaders have plenty of room for initiative, and are often quite welcome to suggest changes to the battle plan as the situation evolves.

Squad Leaders themselves are in line to inherit command of the entire Platoon, if both the Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant are killed. Command is first inherited by the leader of the first Squad in the platoon, then by the second, then by the third. Juggling both roles at the same time - Platoon Leader and Squad Leader - is a very difficult task, which is why Squad Leaders must be highly-skilled and experienced players.

Should anything happen to a Squad Leader, one of their subordinate Fireteam Leaders will take command of the Squad - typically the leader of Fireteam One (1FTL), if he is still alive. Fireteam Leaders are experienced players and should be ready for this eventuality at all times. It is not uncommon for lower-ranked soldiers in the Fireteam to receive command of the Squad, should both Fireteam Leaders be killed (see Fireteam Leader). The first priority when inheriting command of a Squad is to acquire the 148/152 radio, which is crucial for maintaining contact with Platoon Command.

Upwards Inheritance
When a Platoon Leader is killed in action, inheritance of the Platoon will fall to the first player on the list below who is still alive:


 * 1) The Platoon Sergeant
 * 2) The original Squad Leader of the first Squad in the platoon (e.g. Alpha Squad in 1st Platoon)
 * 3) The original Squad Leader of the second Squad in the platoon (e.g. Bravo)
 * 4) The original Squad Leader of the third Squad in the platoon (e.g. Charlie)

Should all of the above be killed, the Platoon may or may not be an effective fighting force at all, anymore. However command is still passed down, usually to whomever agrees to take it - typically the most experienced player still in the game. Alternatively, the Game Master may decide to REJIP one or more commanding officers, who will re-enter the combat zone and take command of an Extraction effort.

Transition of platoon command must occur as quickly as possible after the death of the Platoon leadership. Because the Squad Leaders are rarely within visual contact with the Platoon HQ element, they will sometimes use Platoon Net to ask the Platoon Leader if he is still alive (especially if he has not been heard from recently on the radio). Upon discovery of the Leader's death, the appropriate inheritor will announce that he is taking over the platoon, and his first priority will be to try to determine whether the previous Platoon Leader's battle plan is still viable, or whether it needs to be changed.

After inheriting command in this fashion, a Squad Leader needs to continue performing his original duties as SL while also managing the entire Platoon. It can be very difficult to do both jobs at the same time, which is why Squad Leaders (and particularly the first in line to inherit, e.g. Alpha Squad Leader) need to have sufficient experience and skill to cope with this eventuality. Nonetheless, whoever takes command now has the responsibility for completing the mission and/or getting everyone out alive, and will do their best regardless of whether they have the necessary skills. Forfeiting command of the platoon to the next inheritor in line is exceptionally rare.

Downwards Inheritance
Upon death of a Squad Leader, command of the squad will immediately fall down to the leader of Fireteam One in that squad. Should the original leader of 1FT already be dead, command of the Squad can potentially fall to any other player in the Squad, often to the most experienced player. This will often be the leader of Fireteam Two, but may also be whoever inherited leadership of Fireteam One, if they are more experienced. It is up to the Squad members themselves to determine who amongst them is best suited to take command of the Squad when such situations occur. Soldiers are expected to volunteer for the role, but are also given some prerogative to pass it on if there is a more senior ShackTac member present in the same squad.

The first task of the new Squad Leader is to recover the 148/152 radio from the body of the previous Squad Leader, and report the change of command to the Platoon Leader. They may also ask the Platoon Leader to repeat his last order to the Squad, if they are not fully acquainted with those orders. If the 148/152 radio cannot be retrieved for whatever reason, the new Squad Leader may switch to a different 343 radio channel to ask one of the other Squads to report this situation to Platoon command.

Also note that on the death of the original Squad Leader, the Squad Lead Element essentially becomes a meaningless concept. If the Squad Medic is still alive, he will likely disband the element by joining on one of the Fireteams. The SL Element's map marker will remain at the dead Squad Leader's position until the end of the mission.