Ms-1 Module 2021
Ms-1 Module 2021
Ms-1 Module 2021
July 2021
HEADQUARTERS
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG VALENZUELA ROTC UNIT
1301ST (CAMANAVA) CDC, NCR RCG, ARESCOM
Tongco St., Brgy. Maysan, Valenzuela City, Metro Manila
FOREWORD
CLINTON N YU
ML-R14-002943
PLV-ROTC OIC
MODULE CONTENTS
TOPICS PAGE
In your own words and insights, what is ROTC to you? What do you EXPECT?
UNIT ONE
MILITARY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1
ROTC Legal Basis and Course Orientation
Essential Question:
1. How does one understand the importance of ROTC in defense preparedness of the state in the event of an
emergency?
1. Demonstrate the rationale behind of IRR on implementation of Philippine Reservist Act and the NSTP Law.
2. Distinguish the vital role of the youth especially the PLV students as Philippine Army Reservists.
PLV Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Unit Logo and the meaning of its parts.
I. Read the question carefully. Write (T) if the statement is correct. If not, write the correct answer. (10 Items)
_____1. The first ROTC unit was established in UST in 1934.
_____2. Pres. Manuel L. Quezon is the father of ROTC Program.
_____3. The establishment of an ROTC Unit is dependent on the number of cadets enroll which is 350 or higher.
_____4. Republic Act 7077 also known as the Philippine Reservist Act was enacted into law on July 27, 1991.
_____5. In January 23, 2001, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law RA 9163 otherwise known as the
“National Service Training (NSTP)”.
_____6. Graduate of non- ROTC components of the NSTP shall belong to the National Service Reserve Course
(NSRC).
_____7. Graduates of ROTC Component will be part of the Citizen Armed Force.
_____8. ROTC stands for Reserve Officers’ Training Course.
_____9. DND stands for Department of National Division.
_____10. NSRC stands for National Service Reserve Corps.
II. Read the questions below. Write T if the statement is true, and if not write F and give the correct word. (10 Items)
__________1. Have faith in Divine Providence that guides the destinies of men and women.
__________2. Love your country for it is the home of your men, the seat of your affections, and the source of your
happiness and well-being. Its defense is your primary duty. Be ready at all times to sacrifice and die for
it if necessary.
__________3. Respect the Constitution which is the expression of your sovereign will. The government is your
government. It has been established for your safety and welfare. Obey the constitution and see that they
are observed by all and that public officials comply with their duties.
__________4. Pay your taxes willingly and promptly. Leadership implies not only rights but also obligations.
__________5. Safeguard the purity of suffrage and abide by the decisions of the majority.
__________6. Love and respect your troops. It is your duty to serve them gratefully and well.
__________7. Value your duty as you value your life. Poverty with honor is preferable to wealth with dishonor.
__________8. Be truthful and be honest in thought and in action. Be just and charitable, courteous but dignified in your
dealings with your fellow men.
__________9. Do your work cheerfully, thoroughly, and well? Work badly done is worse than work undone. Do not
leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
__________10. Contribute to the welfare of your community and promote social justice. You do not live for yourselves
and your families alone. You are a part of society to which you owe definite responsibilities.
3. Discipline (5 Points)
4. Professionalism (5 Points)
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is the primary source of reservist officers and enlisted reservists of the
reserve force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and also one of the sources of corps of officers in the AFP which
accounts sixty-four percent (64%) while the remaining thirty-six percent (36%) comes from the other sources.
Commonwealth Act Number 1 otherwise known as the National Defense Policy provides that the
preservation of the state is an obligation of every citizen and to supervise the conduct of Pre-Military Training. Section
35 of the said law mandates the establishment of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). The first ROTC unit was
established in University of the Philippines in 1934 through the request of the United States Army Officer. Thereafter,
other ROTC units were established pursuant to Executive Order Number 57 issued by then President Manuel L.
Quezon on October 14, 1936 – making President Quezon as the father of ROTC Program.
After the World War II and up to school year 2001-2002, the establishment and maintenance of ROTC units,
be it Army, Navy or the Air Force is thru the issuance of orders of the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.
The establishment of an ROTC unit is dependent on the number of criteria such as cadet/midshipmen enrollment which
is three-hundred fifty (350) or higher and availability of facilities such as armory, parade grounds, classrooms, etc.,
which must be provided by the school.
Presidential Decree Number 1706 otherwise known as the National Service Law provides for the
compulsory national service for Filipino citizens. It took effect on September 08, 1980, however, its implementation
through an Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was suspended and what was followed is the old ROTC concept
where basic ROTC is a requirement for graduation in Baccalaureate degree that consist of four (4) semesters namely,
Military Science 11 and Military Science 12 for the first year students and Military Science 21 and Military Science 22
for the second year students.
Republic Act 7077 otherwise known as the Philippine Reservist Act was enacted into law on June 27,
1991. The pertinent provisions of this law are:
Section 38 – Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) – Military training for students enrolled in colleges,
universities and similar institutions of learning is mandatory pursuant to the provisions of the National Defense Act and
the 1987 Constitution.
Section 39 – Establishment of ROTC Units in Schools states that, "At such colleges, universities and similar
institutions of learning that request for the conduct of military training in their institutions, there shall be established and
maintained Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, as the Secretary of National Defense may approve, they may
conduct military training for the students of such institutions for the purpose of producing enlisted and officer reservists.
The program of instruction shall be prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense and may include instruction to
prepare female students for military service. Provided, that such course of instruction shall not exceed two (2) academic
years in the case of enlisted reservists, and four (4) academic years in case of officer reservists which shall include as
necessary summer or probationary training of not more than sixty (60) consecutive days. The first two (2) years of
ROTC training, which is mandatory, shall hereafter be referred to as Basic ROTC while the second two (2) years said
Basic ROTC, which is voluntary, shall hereafter be referred to as Advance ROTC. The allocation of ROTC units to the
various major service of the AFP shall conform to the projected manpower needs of their respective reserve
components."
In 1995, the concept of the Expanded ROTC Program (E-ROTC) was adopted by DND/DECS making the
ROTC program as a purely voluntary endeavor. The same “voluntary concept for ROTC” was adopted also in the
promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations for RA 7077. Under the IRR (RA 7077), all baccalaureate
students are required to attend first the two (2) semesters of the Military Service Program. Thereafter, they are given
a choice either to continue MTS or CWS or LES for another two (2) semesters to complete the four (4) semesters
requirement of the Expanded ROTC Program to qualify for graduation in their respective baccalaureate endeavors.
In January 23, 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law Republic Act 9163 otherwise known
as the “National Service Training Program (NSTP)”. The law took effect March 23, 2002, fifteen (15) days after its
publication in two (2) newspapers of national publication which was March 08, 2002. It’s Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR) was adopted and issued last April 10, 2002.
1. “National Service Training Program” (NSTP) – refers to the program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness
and defense preparedness in the youth, by developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training in
any of the three (3) program components, specifically designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to the general
welfare;
1.1 “Reserve Officers’ Training Corps” (ROTC) – refers to the program component, institutionalized under
Sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act 7077, designed to provide military training to tertiary level students in
order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for national defense preparedness;
1.2 “Literacy Training Service” (LTS) – refers to the program component designed to train the students to
teach literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out of school youths and other segments of society
in need of their services.
1.3 “Civic Welfare Training Service” (CWTS) – refers to the component or activities contributory to the
general welfare and the betterment of life for the members of the community or the enhancement of its
facilities, especially those devoted to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety,
recreation and morale of the citizens and other social services.
2. Coverage – All incoming freshmen students, male and female, starting School Year 2002- 2003, enrolled in any
baccalaureate and in at least two (2) year technical-vocational or associate courses are required to complete one (1)
NSTP component of their choice, as a graduation requirement.
3. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit – Each of the aforementioned NSTP components shall be undertaken for
an academic period of two (2) semesters. It shall be credited for three (3) units per semester, for fifty-four (54) to ninety
(90) training hours per semester.
4.1. Graduates of the non-ROTC components of the NSTP shall belong to the National Service Reserve
Corps (NSRC) and could be tapped by the State for literacy and civic welfare activities, through the joint
efforts of DND, CHED and TESDA in coordination with DILG, DSWD and other concerned
agencies/associations.
4.2. Graduates of the ROTC component shall form part of the Citizen Armed Force pursuant to RA 7077,
subject to the requirements of DND.
4.3. Amendatory Clause – Section 35 of CA Nr 1, EO Nr 207 of 1939, Sections 2 & 3 of PD Nr 1706 and
Sections 38 & 39 of RA Nr 7077, as well as all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other
issuances inconsistent with the provisions of RA 9163 are hereby deemed amended and modified
accordingly.
5.1. Every training day, the cadet shall sign his attendance/class card.
5.2. A Cadet shall be given a final grade for every semester, such grade to be computed based on the
following weights:
Attendance 30%
Aptitude 30%
Subject Proficiency 40%
Total 100%
5.5. Examination:
A Cadet who failed in the mid-term and final examination shall be given a failing grade. Schedule of
mid-term and final examination will be on the 5th and 10th training day respectively. For just and valid
grounds, a cadet who was not able to take the mid-term and final exam on the scheduled dates maybe
given special exam within two (2) days immediately after the regular exam.
5.6. Uniform:
White uniform shall be worn during the duration of the scheduled training/activities or as prescribed
by the Commandant and Training Staff. With complete paraphernalia, black garrison belt, shined buckle
(brass) and black low cut shoes.
5.7. Hair Cut: 3x4 White Side Wall (Zero); 1-inch top hair
5.8. Training schedule:
The course is scheduled for fifteen (15) training days (every Sunday from 0630H – 1230H). Additional
training day is scheduled for make-up training.
5.10. Publication:
Schedule of training shall be announced through publication at designated ROTC Bulletin Board
located on the following places:
2. Love your country for it is the home of your people, the seat of your affections, and the source of your
happiness and well-being. Its defense is your primary duty. Be ready at all times to sacrifice and die for it
if necessary.
3. Respect the Constitution which is the expression of your sovereign will. The government is your
government. It has been established for your safety and welfare. Obey the laws and see that they are
observed by all and that public officials comply with their duties.
4. Pay your taxes willingly and promptly. Citizenship implies not only rights but also obligations.
5. Safeguard the purity of suffrage and abide by the decisions of the majority.
6. Love and respect your parents. It is your duty to serve them gratefully and well.
7. Value your honor as you value your life. Poverty with honor is preferable to wealth with dishonor.
8. Be truthful and be honest in thought and in action. Be just and charitable, courteous but dignified in your
dealings with your fellow men.
9. Lead a clean and frugal life. Do not indulge in frivolity or pretense. Be simple in your dress and modest in
your behavior.
10. Live up to the noble traditions of our people. Venerate the memory of our heroes. Their lives point the way
to duty and honor.
11. Be industrious. Be not afraid or ashamed to do manual labor. Productive toil is conducive to economic
security and adds to the wealth of the nation.
12. Rely on your own efforts for your progress and happiness. Be not easily discouraged. Persevere in the
pursuit of your legitimate ambitions.
13. Do your work cheerfully, thoroughly, and well. Work badly done is worse than work undone. Do not leave
for tomorrow what you can do today.
14. Contribute to the welfare of your community and promote social justice. You do not live for yourselves and
your families alone. You are a part of society to which you owe definite responsibilities.
15. Cultivate the habit of using goods made in the Philippines. Patronize the products and trades of your
countrymen.
16. Use and develop our natural resources and conserve them for posterity. They are the inalienable heritage
of our people. Do not traffic with your citizenship.
and society. In his army career, he is one with a bigger organization that is protecting the country. His service is far
more than a job or an ordinary vocation; it is a noble calling, committing his life to a path of untold dimensions, asking
more of him than of any other citizen of his country.
The Philippine Army soldier is no mercenary. A strong sense of nationalist pride pervades his every thought
even if not easily seen by the ordinary citizen. For such service also exacts utmost humility, because of the potential
strength that can be unleashed as required by the commitment to serve the country. While such nationalism is initially
nurtured in school, it is further enhanced when one enters the service because, unlike any ordinary Filipino, the soldier
develops his own steadfast and selfless commitment to the defense of the motherland that is continually reinforced
and validated as the soldier faces the unique challenges in his career. With belief in his country and being true to his
calling, each soldier becomes an effective combat force in the face of new or continuing threats to both national and
international security and stability. Thus, in the face of any challenge, the Philippine Army and its soldiers act as one.
Each Filipino soldier serves an ideal larger than himself, where even his own life is at stake. His commitment to serve
is his life's top priority, and his selfless service becomes the minimum standard of his performance of duty. The
professional soldier is part of the entire Philippine society; yet it is more, for he holds a sacred covenant to protect that
society.
The Philippine Army is part of the established authority, and the soldier, a part of the national identity.
Administrations may pass, governments and societies may change but the Philippine Army endures to preserve and
protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country. While the soldier is part of society and is bound to others by strong
ties of blood and friendship, and conditioned by Philippine culture, norms and tendencies, the soldier rises above the
rest. He honors his nationalistic heritage as he takes the lead in believing in his country, defending ideals in the arena
of hearts and minds, taking up arms when necessary, risking his life and that of his own fellow soldiers, and even
sacrificing his own to attain his mission.
The Philippine Army is totally dedicated to service to the country and carries a Code of Values that constantly
reinforces and assures that, for as long as this exists in the soldier, the country will remain sovereign in its own right.
Clearly, honoring the Philippine Army's core values and meeting its exacting standards of conduct are the essence of
the fulfillment of the soldier's noble path of duty for love of his country. Each citizen in the service of the Army, in
whatever capacity, intuitively undertakes to follow value-based rules as the necessary backbone of the overall
effectiveness of the Philippine Army.
Pursuit of Excellence
A soldier powered by the pursuit of excellence is not readily seen, for the soldier operates in silence though
he carries the organization with him.
Within each soldier, there lies the competence necessary to attain outstanding performance in any place. He
has full knowledge of his job; he has proficiency in training, in combat requirements, in peacekeeping, and in the
implementation of national policies for development. He has the unparalleled wealth of combat experience within the
context of a dynamic security environment. Hence, pursuit of excellence is seen in the utmost efficiency and maximum
use of the soldier's abilities with the prudent use of resources available to him. It is a continuing goal that, when achieved
in any endeavor, reaps the full confidence, morale, esprit-de-corps, and pride that the soldier carries as the symbol of
the military spirit. Historically, even when reduced to the barest of fighting paraphernalia, the pursuit of excellence
remained constant such as when the guerillas were recognized for their best weapons: "silence, invisibility, and speed".
In more recent times, the elite unit of the then Scout Rangers was organized to perform dual roles in tactical intelligence
and combat, recognizing that it was within the individual soldier's capability to be supreme in his field:
"(General) Ileto geared this concept on the fact that the best weapon in the unit is the individual himself, thus
aiming to develop that individual to be the most potent weapon. Besides the actual encounters, Lleto considers this a
major accomplishment: the creation in the enemy's mind that there exists a unit that can penetrate the jungle, the
enemy territory."
And as one continually strives to perfect his craft and achieve his mission, the soldier becomes more confident
in his mission and his uniform assumes a whole new significance.
Pride in Uniform
In any legitimate army of any sovereign country, the military uniform reflects one's pride in being the guardian
of his country. Each soldier carries the Army on his shoulders, projecting an image of strength and more suggestively,
the core values for which the Army stands. He also projects humility in such strength and invites reliance by his fellow
countrymen on the Army symbolized by his uniform. The manner of wearing the uniform is therefore a manifestation of
the state of the Army. It reflects not only the personality and character of the individual soldier but also that of the whole
organization. It is the responsibility of the soldier to take extra care and use of his uniform and all insignias he carries
on them, for it is in this simple ritual that the soldier is set apart from the rest. Embedded in the uniform is the
extraordinary patriotism and dedication that begets respect and admiration from the people he serves.
The uniform is proudly worn with the seal of the Philippine Army that has captured the essence of the Filipino
soldier forged through the crucible of history:
"The present Army insigne contains the historical events descriptive of the Philippine Army. It is symbolic of
the glory and aspirations that remain aglow in the Filipino soldier's heart to preserve liberty, freedom and democracy
in his country. Present Army patch is basically that of a modified pentagonal shield which signifies defense, the Army's
primary and ultimate mission. As an instrument of defense, it also strives to destroy internal threats and subversion. It
also depicts the determination of the Filipino people in seeking his identity as a Nation. Within the shield is a red
equilateral triangle with three stars at its vertices, representing the three major island groupings Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. At the center of the triangle is an eight-rayed sun, which represents the first eight provinces that revolted
against Spain. This triangular emblem, with a white border signifying the Army's foremost preoccupation with peace, is
the historic coat-of-arms of an ancient Filipino script representing the letter "K", which stands for the Katipunan Army
raised by Andres Bonifacio in the initial struggles for Philippine Independence. It rests on a shield of green, symbolic
of the verdant land over which it exerts its influence. The shield and the coat-of-arms in turn, lie on a white field symbolic
of the purity and loftiness of the Filipino ideals." (The First 100 Years, Philippine Army, 1997)
The uniform is also the symbol of integrity and discipline in the service; thus, any damage deliberately done
thereto or any soldier appearing in civilian clothing without authority, or appearing in unclean uniform, or not in the
prescribed uniform, or in uniform but worn otherwise than in the prescribed manner constitute serious misconduct
warranting punishment of equal severity, if only to reinforce the importance of the profession and the steadfast
commitment required of it. This commitment is also an unconditional acceptance of the discipline that accompanies
the immense responsibility for one bearing arms.
Discipline
A soldier is a model of self-discipline. As he follows the disciplined path, he generates the same quality of
discipline from those he walks with. In this manner, disciplined governance from the Chain of Command is
correspondingly achieved especially since a Philippine Army soldier performs excellently under the tutelage of an
excellent commander. The soldier and ultimately the Philippine Army's energy come from this unity of disciplined
purpose. Thus, the Philippine Army operates in a uniform and collective manner, requiring a continuous regimen of
training, practice, self-responsible conduct, and complete obedience to authority. Good discipline conquers fear and
the best discipline, which is self-discipline, conquers all. This means continuing the fight even when alone and to the
last man; staying alert when all others are asleep; and keeping to the objective when all else seems lost. This is more
than being fierce in battle; it is being true to the noble warrior spirit in all of us.
Discipline is equally vital to preservation of life as much as to the success of military operations, and demands
unconditional compliance as its foremost aspect. It requires that each person in authority must be able to enforce it
when necessary and the follower must, in turn, be confident in following the orders for battle. Discipline may be rigorous
but history has shown that fairness and equality in its application has and will continue to work in war as well as in
peace. And, it is rigorous training enforced with discipline that kicks in when theory is tested in actual combat:
"This is the only firefight I've ever been, none of us had experienced it before but when the battle started, the
training just took over." (Corporal Sierra Leone, September 2000)
Each disciplined soldier generates pride from the people he is protecting. Many challenges have been
resolved with the mere presence of a disciplined array of soldiers with characteristic military bearing, ready at a
moment's notice to respond to a command from one of equal bearing. It is discipline that is the bedrock of the military
profession just as professionalism enhances and projects the discipline required to carry out the soldier's mission.
Professionalism
Professionalism in the military career stands for commitment, knowledge, and skills and is better expressed
in one's attention to duty with the required discipline and competence. Each soldier is guided by standards of military
professionalism that embody the core values of the Philippine Army and more particularly spelled out in issuances of
the AFP, and the various branches of government. Professionalism comes from the soldier's pursuit of excellence; his
disciplined performance as to When, Where and How; the recognition of individual merit; humility where respect is
earned and not coveted; and most of all, humor in being human and in keeping one's feet on the ground. This
prescription comes from a battle-hardened general who rose through the ranks and consistently believes that military
professionalism can only pave the way for peace rather than insurgency, and stability rather than conflict in the country.
Professionalism in the soldier gives rise to impartiality, objectivity, and non-partisanship that is necessary to
support common goals for the welfare of the population. It stresses reliance on competence and ability rather than
personality. Professionalism and uniformity in the military does not breed anonymity that allows the soldier to get lost
in the crowd, but instead fosters the correct perception of the uniqueness of the soldier's mission. The professional
soldier is recognized as fully equipped to handle threats to the country's security and stability and to be relied upon for
nation building, whether in war or in peace. It is this recognition that spells the difference between civilian support and
rejection of any military initiative.
Adherence to Law
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is an organization that operates pursuant to the policy direction of the
National Command Authority. As a field of service of the AFP, the Philippine Army and each soldier is committed to
follow orders that are pursuant to such national policy. Each soldier therefore does not individually determine how
policies of the government will be carried out, for it is the military leadership in the chain of command that takes
responsibility for this. Moreover, members of the Philippine Army are both citizens and military personnel; hence all
soldiers are subject to the same law and shall uphold the same as part of their duty of service to the Country. The
Constitution, the Articles of War, the various coded laws, the law on Ethical Standard and Public Accountability, and
all other general special laws are to be followed as the minimum standard of conduct expected of a military man. In
case of conflict, the higher military standard of conduct, required under the same set of circumstances in either system,
is always paramount.
Likewise, in the absence of an order or lack of knowledge on how a member of the military shall act in
unfamiliar situations, or in non-traditional roles, or even in the absence of an order, the value system and the standard
of conduct contained herein is to be consistently followed.
The supremacy of civilian authority places the burden of responsibility for such policy on the civil government,
implemented only by the military upon being appropriately handed down through the chain of command. The dilemma
facing the Philippine army soldier will occur only if the directive handed down through the chain of command is patently
irreconcilable with the convictions of the soldier tasked with carrying out the order, such as when military personnel
refused to fire on friendly and unarmed civilians who surrounded them at EDSA in 1986. In this situation, the propriety
of following orders was no longer the issue in the face of the preservation of civilian life for a rightful cause that had
become paramount. Military doctrine recognizes this reality in its basic doctrine:
"While the military fights wars, it is done so only as an instrument of public policy which the government
initiates. While war is primarily an instrument of violence, it is subject to limitations as to means, objective, and conduct.
(AFP Basic Doctrine)”
Deference to Authority
Authority refers to those with the right and responsibility to carry out functions that affect an entire group.
Within the military, authority is evident in the chain of command, starting with the non-commissioned officers (NCO) in
the most vital role as implementer, and the succession of Commanding Officers (CO) before him through which
commands are progressively issued and implemented at each level of the hierarchy. Persons in position of authority
within the military are entrusted with carrying out the military operational imperative and discipline ensures this is
followed. This should not be confused with civil authority, which provides the policies to be implemented by the Army
as a whole organization. Military authority is inherent in its position as well as earned. It is recognition of a soldier's
right to command within his level of the military organization. It is also a factor of solidarity for when one leads with
distinction; his success carries all of his men. Military ceremonies, traditions, customs and practices honor the chain of
command and show the best side of discipline exhibited by the soldier.
Deference to civil authority is likewise required of the soldier as a function of his responsibility, for it is his
response that can either influence the outcome of a critical situation or even determine the stability of the authority in
power. In this respect a soldier, despite being confined by the bounds of his mission, can rely on civilian authority to
the extent that life is preserved and the goal is achieved. While instances may arise wherein such deference may result
in unwarranted results, a professional soldier acting in accordance with the Philippine Army's core philosophy can and
will be able to carry the responsibility for decision made in the course of duty and as required by circumstances. It is
his professionalism that will be his protection and his guide for action. By being true to himself and to the people he
serves, the soldier can thus face the conflict of ideas and actions that normally characterize daily life, for his mission is
lofty yet simple, profound and yet workable in the daily crucible of life.
END
NOTES
Directions: Choose the correct answer from the words listed inside the box. Write your answer before each
number. (1 point each)
1. It is the primary source of reservist officers and enlisted reservists of the reserve force of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.
2. It is also known as the National Defense Policy provides that the preservation of the state is an
obligation of every citizen and to supervise the conduct of Pre-Military Training
3. It is also known as the National Service Law provides for the compulsory national service for Filipino
citizens.
4. It is also known as the Philippine Reservist Act was enacted into law on June 27, 1991.
5. It is also known as the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law.
6. It refers to the program component designed to provide military training to tertiary level students in
order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for national defense preparedness.
7. It refers to the program component designed to train the students to teach literacy and numeracy skills
to school children, out of school youths and other segments of society in need of their services.
8. It refers to the component or activities contributory to the general welfare and the betterment of life for
the members of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those devoted to
improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morale of the
citizens and other social services.
9. It is the organization where the graduates of the non-ROTC components of the NSTP shall belong to,
and could be tapped by the State for literacy and civic welfare activities, through the joint efforts of
DND, CHED and TESDA in coordination with DILG, DSWD and other concerned
agencies/associations.
10. It is the organization where the graduates of the ROTC component shall form part of, pursuant to RA
7077, subject to the requirements of DND.
PROHIBITED DEMERITS
Improper Haircut
No name cloth/ name plate
No ROTC patch
Untidy boots/ shoes
Sleeping in classroom
No ball cap
Spouting mustache
Sloppy wearing of uniform
Spitting while in rank
Missing button or unbuttoned button
Standing in one leg
Leaning or sitting on his rifle
No white handkerchief
No green ballpoint pen
No green tickler
Malingering/ Sick Call
Falling out from rank without permission
Filthy Face
Walking in uniform without ball cap
Reporting with chewing gum or cigarette
Wearing uniform other than prescribed
Sitting while in rank or formation
Dirty nails
Disrespect to officers/ authority
Improper Salute
Wearing non-prescribed accessories
Having dyed hair
Having any prohibited make-up on face.
Spouting beard/ goatee
Untidy uniform
UNIT TWO
MILITARY KNOWLEDGE
CHAPTER 2
AFP Mandate, Mission, Function and Organization
CHAPTER 3
Philippine Military History and Threats to National Security
CHAPTER 4
Military Customs, traditions, Discipline, Courtesies and Core Values
CHAPTER 5
Rule of Law
CHAPTER 2
AFP Mandate, Mission, Function and Organization
Essential Questions:
1. Explain the importance of every unit under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
2. Identify the responsibilities and functions of every unit and persona under the AFP.
_____1-3. What are the three (3) major branches of the AFP?
_____10. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for personnel (J-1)?
A. Plans, directs, coordinates, control and supervises all intelligence and counterintelligence activities in
the AFP and manages effectively AFP intelligence resources.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the attainment of AFP personnel objectives pertaining to commands and staff
direction, coordination, control and supervision of all personnel activities of the AFP.
C. Advises the CSAFP on logistics concerns of the AFP and coordinates, supervises and evaluates the
implementation of approved logistics plans and procedures.
D. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
_____11. What is the mission of office the deputy chief of staff for intelligence?
A. Advises the CSAFP on logistics concerns of the AFP and coordinates, supervises and evaluates the
implementation of approved logistics plans and procedures.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the attainment of AFP personnel objectives pertaining to commands and staff
direction, coordination, control and supervision of all personnel activities of the AFP.
C. Plans, directs, coordinates, control and supervises all intelligence and counterintelligence activities in
the AFP and manages effectively AFP intelligence resources.
D. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
_____12. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for operation?
A. Formulate policies, plans, directorates, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization
and operation of the AFP.
B. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
C. Plans and administers the development of the self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) program of the AFP.
D. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retiree’s affairs and assistance to veterans.
_____13. What is the mission of office the deputy chief of staff for logistics?
A. Advises the CSAFP on logistics concerns of the AFP and coordinates, supervises and evaluates the
implementation of approved logistics plans and procedures.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of plans and policies and in the direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters operating to education and training of AFP personnel.
C. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in
the AFP.
D. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
_____14. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for plans?
A. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
B. Studies and prepares plans outside of the field immediate operational planning to meet all possible war
contingencies, and advises the CSAFP in the latter’s discharge of responsibilities pertaining to mutual
defense board and United Nations matters.
C. Assist the CSAFP on all matters pertaining to the political, social, economic and psychological dimension
of military operation.
D. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retiree’s affairs and assistance to veterans.
_____15. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff CMO?
A. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retiree’s affairs and assistance to veterans.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of plans and policies and in the direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters operating to education and training of AFP personnel.
C. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retirement affairs and assistance to veterans.
D. Assist the CSAFP on all matters pertaining to the political, social, economic and psychological dimension
of military operation.
_____16. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for education and training?
A. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of plans and policies and in the direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters operating to education and training of AFP personnel.
B. Assist THE CSAFP in the attainment of AFP personnel objectives pertaining to commands and staff
direction, coordination, control and supervision of all personnel activities of the AFP.
C. Formulate policies, plans, directs, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization and
operation of the AFP.
D. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in
the AFP.
_____17. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for material development?
A. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in
the AFP.
B. Plans and administers the development of the self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) program of the AFP.
C. Formulate policies, plans, directorates, coordinates and supervises all matters pertaining to organization
and operation of the AFP.
D. Directs, coordinates and supervises matters pertaining to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, and
internal auditing and management improvement of the AFP.
_____18. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for reservist affairs?
A. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retiree’s affairs and assistance to veterans.
B. Plans and administers the development of the self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) program of the AFP.
C. Directs, coordinates and supervises matters pertaining to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, and
internal auditing and management improvement of the AFP.
D. Assist the CSAFP on all matters pertaining to the political, social, economic and psychological dimension
of military operation.
_____19. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for comptrollership?
A. Plans and administers the development of the self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) program of the AFP.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in
the AFP.
C. Assist and advises the CSAFP in the exercise of command and management of all reserve forces, and
in the conduct of AFP activities related to retiree’s affairs and assistance to veterans.
D. Directs, coordinates and supervises matters pertaining to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, and
internal auditing and management improvement of the AFP.
_____20. What is the mission of office of the deputy chief of staff for communication, electronics and information
system?
A. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in
the AFP.
B. Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of plans and policies and in the direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters operating to education and training of AFP personnel.
C. Assist the CSAFP on all matters pertaining to the political, social, economic and psychological dimension
of military operation.
D. Assist the CSAFP in the attainment of AFP personnel objectives pertaining to commands and staff
direction, coordination, control and supervision of all personnel activities of the AFP.
(3) The Citizen Armed Force shall be composed of all reservists, and officers and enlisted men on inactive status. All
able-bodied citizens shall undergo military training, after which they shall become reservists with appropriate ranks.
All reservists in a particular locality shall be organized into reserve geographical units subject to call and mobilization
as the need arises, individually or as a unit. The Secretary of National Defense shall prescribe and implement a
continuing program of recruitment and training for the Citizen Armed Force to enable it to respond to all types of
threats to national security.
(3) All members of the Citizen Armed Force on training or service shall be subject to military law and the Articles of
War.
General Headquarters
Section 40. Functions
The General Headquarters, AFP, shall:
(1) Serve as military advisor and staff to the Secretary of National Defense;
(2) Prepare strategic plans and provide for the strategic direction of the AFP, including the direction of operations of
unified or specified commands;
(3) Prepare integrated logistic responsibilities in accordance with those plans;
(4) Prepare integrated plans for military mobilization;
(5) Provide adequate, timely and reliable joint intelligence for use within the Department;
(6) Review major personnel, material and logistic requirements of the AFP in relation to strategic and logistic plans;
(7) Review plans and programs of the Major Services and separate units to determine their adequacy, feasibility and
suitability for the performance of their respective detailed plans;
(8) Participate in the preparation of combined plans or military action in conjunction with the armed forces of other
nations;
(9) Recommend to the Secretary of National Defense the establishment and force structure of unified or specified
commands;
(10) Determine the headquarters support, such as facilities, personnel and communications required by unified or
specified commands, and assign the responsibility of providing that support to appropriate Major Services;
(11) Prepare and submit to the Secretary of National Defense for his consideration in the preparation of budgets and
statements of military requirements based upon strategic war plans, tasks, priority of tasks, force requirements,
and general strategic guidance for the development of military force;
(12) Advise and assist the Secretary of National Defense on research and engineering matters by submitting periodic
reports on board strategic guidance, overall military requirements, and relative military importance of development
activities to meet the needs of the AFP;
(13) Prepare and submit to the Secretary of National Defense recommendations to appropriate agencies concerning
general strategic guidance for the development of industrial mobilization programs;
(14) Formulate policies and guidelines on the organization of the Major Services and other elements of the military
establishment, the training of military forces, the employment of forces in the prosecution of tasks required by law,
and the employment of forces to assist government agencies in the implementation of laws and regulations when
so directed by higher authorities; and
(15) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by higher authorities.
Major Services
Section 46. Organization
The Major Services shall be organized by the Chief of Staff in accordance with the policies laid down by the
Secretary of National Defense. The commanders of the Major Services shall hold such grade as provided by law, and
shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Secretary of National Defense.
(2) In times of war or national emergency, the Philippine Constabulary or any of its subordinate units may be employed
jointly with, or in support of the operations of, the other Major Services, as the President may direct.
President- As the Commander-In-Chief of the AFP exercise strategic direction of the AFP through the Secretary of
National Defense (SND). He likewise exercises command of the AFP through Chief of Staff, AFP.
Secretary of National Defense (SND) – serves as Civilian Adviser of the President on matters concerning defense and
security of the state. He is tasked with the duty of supervising the National Defense Program of the country and has
executive supervision over the AFP.
Chief Of Staff, AFP – commands the AFP, principal military adviser of the President, and executes the President’s
Command functions. Through him, the President issues orders to all AFP Commanders.
3. Area Commands
Command Organization:
The Commander in Chief exercises Command and Control over AFP through the Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP).
Directly under the CSAFP are five (5) area Commands. The three (3) Major Service commands are likewise under the
CSAFP, to provide administrative and logistical support to and supervision of their respective elements under
operational control of the Area Commands.
Present Organization:
The current structure of the AFP at GHQ includes the AFP Command Group, Personal Staff, Coordinating
Staff, Special and Technical Staff, the Composite Operation Commands under AFP and AFPWSSU. In these set up,
GHQ discharge both policy making and operating function. Command support activities such as HQs, Security
Training, Medical, Dental, Legal, Computer, Communication and enter Service are provided by the AFPWSSUs
Command Group
The J – Staff
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Education and Training (J-8)
Mission: Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of plans and policies and in the direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters operating to education and training of AFP personnel.
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communication, Electronics and Information System (J-11)
Mission: Assist the CSAFP in the formulation of policies and in the planning, direction, coordination and
supervision of all matters pertaining to communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) in the
AFP.
Mission: To provide opportunities for the religious explanations and morale growth of AFP personnel and their
families in order to assist effectively in the accomplishment of the overall mission of the AFP.
Directions: Create an organizational chart for the present AFP Staffs with pictures, names, and position. (10 Points)
Please pass it to your respective platoon leader social media account.
1. List down the provided support services of AFPWSSUs for AFP (2 POINTS EACH)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1. OTPMG
2. OTCDS
3. AFP
4. GHQ
5. PAF
6. PN
7. PA
8. AFPWSSUs
9. OTCE
10. ORWSS
CHAPTER 3
Philippine Military History and Threats to National Security
Essential Questions:
1. What is the capsulated history of the AFP during pre-Spanish period and its participation in the conflicts from
World War II?
2. Why do we need measurements to strengthen National Security?
1. Explain the importance of every unit under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
2. Identify the responsibilities and functions of every unit and persona under the AFP.
Directions: Observe the pictures below. Put (T) if you think that the picture is considered as a Threat to National
Security and (NT) if not. (10 Items)
Filipinos have never been known as militaristic people unlike the Japanese, Germans, Mexicans or Pakistanis,
although many historians noted the fact that the early Filipinos were described as warlike. But being warlike is different
from being militaristic. In any event, Filipinos, by nature, are non-conformist individuals who are likely to resist
regimentation. If forced to do so, we resort to ridiculing the authorities that try to enforce such compliance. This is both
a boon and bane to the Filipino character. By being individualistic, we place a higher value on the individual human life
and his rights. On the other hand, such an attitude erodes discipline, which is a vital pre-requisite for the evolution of
nationhood.
When the Spaniards first came to the Philippines on March 16, 1521, they tried to establish dominion over our
ancestors. Some of the tribes and chieftains submitted after they were given an impressive demonstration of Spanish
firepower. When the Mactan Chieftain Lapu-Lapu refused to pay homage, the Portuguese leader of the Spanish
expedition Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan on April 26, Lapu-Lapu and his warriors numbering 1,500 strong
defeated the over confident Magellan with his 60 Spanish fusiliers supported by mortar fire, shipborne cannon fire and
the presence of 1,500 warriors from Rajah Humabon, although it should be pointed out that Rajah Humabon’s warrior
did not participate in the battle in accordance with Magellan’s order. The latter was killed along with 8 of his men and
4 Christian native auxiliaries while Lapu-Lapu lost at least 15 men. This was the first recorded-armed encounter
involving Filipinos.
The Spaniards were forced to leave the island, even their friends abandoned them but they came in February
1570 in an expedition under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, Andres de Urdaneta and Martin de Goiti, who were joined later
by Legazpi’s grandson, Juan de Salcedo, led by the Spanish forces in subduing one tribe kingdom after another. In
1570 and 1571, De Goiti attacked and destroyed the huge settlements of Maynila (Manila) under Rajah Sulaiman and
Rajah Lakandula, eventually making Manila the capital of the New Spanish Colony of the Philippine Island. In
conquering the islands, the Spaniards employed the proven policy of divide and conquer rule recruiting warriors from
the tribes, they used this to subdue other tribes, repeating the process in other parts of the archipelago. Ironically, the
enlistment of native Filipinos for Spanish service was the first formal military service rendered by Filipinos. An informal
military aspect also emerged simultaneously with numerous uprising against Spain.
The Home Ground Informal Military Aspects of the uprising against Spain.
The various uprising against Spain demanded the formation of military units although there is limited
information about them. But it is most likely that these units were formed on geographical or clan basis. Thus, villages
involved in these uprising formed units of their own were commanded by the village leaders or other appointed or
elected leaders. These units have sub-units formed according to clans or blood relations. For the most part, they have
little training, poorly armed and poorly lacking in tactical leadership, organization and logistical support. The only thing
they have was abundant of courage. Because of this shortcomings, these uprisings were failed, it is due to the superior
arms of the Spaniards and the inability of the different tribes to unite. One of the few exceptions is the Dagohoy rebellion
in Bohol, which lasted for 85 years from 1744 to 1829.
Dagohoy rose up against Spaniards when Spanish Jesuit priest refused church burial to his brother who died
in the service of the Church. Rallying 3,000 Boholanos, he defeated every expedition that the Spanish authorities in
Manila sent against him. Bohol at that time existed as a virtually independent state. Even long after he died, the
Boholanos continued the successful resistance against Spain. Looking at these events in hindsight, we can deduce
that Dagohoy is more than a charismatic and effective leader. He is also an able organizer, or at least, can motivate
others to work in organizing his forces in that way, these were institutionalized such that unto continued to fight
effectively long after he died. In this event, we can surmise that we have one of the first institution-oriented military
organizations in our history.
After 323 years of Spanish rule, the pent-up feelings against the oppressive foreigners exploded in the
Philippine revolution of 1896. The Filipino army of this revolution was drawn from the ranks of the secret society founded
by Andres Bonifacio. The KATAAS-TAASAN KAGALANG-GALANGAN KATIPUNAN NG MGA ANAK NG BAYAN
(KKK). This army is not much different from the earlier uprising against Spain in terms of organization, weapons, training
and battlefield tactical leadership. However, the main difference is that this army is truly national in character and not
of the native class, tribe, geography or blood relation but on love of the native land. Its members were drawn from the
entire spectrum of the Filipino people composed of native Indo-Malays, Chinese immigrants and Spanish creoles and
other half-breeds. This sense of national unity gave this army the strength but of proportion to its members for actual
combat power. As the revolution progressed, the need for a more formally military organization came to the force and
the first units were formed according to provinces with the educated members of those areas as the leaders. The
revolution is acknowledged to have 2 phases:
1. The peasant-initiated revolution spearheaded by the Katipunan up to the time of the Biak-na-Bato Pack.
2. The return of Aguinaldo to the proclamation of Philippine Independence of June 12, 1898.
Admittedly, the military organization of the second phase is much more formal and much better than those of
the first phase.
In between these phases, there was a power struggle between the Magdiwang faction of Bonifacio and the
Magdalo faction of Aguinaldo. This was resolved with the execution of Bonifacio on trumped up of charges filed by
some misguided supporters of Aguinaldo, hence forth, there was to be only one chain of command in the revolutionary
army.
In the Tejeros Convention of 1897, the Revolutionary Government was organized. Among the agreed
appointments is the designation on March 22, 1897 of General Artemio Ricarte as the first Captain (Commanding
General) of the revolution (Philippines) army with General Antonio Luna as Minister of War and Director of Operations.
Provision were made for the formalization of various arms of the army such as the Artillery, Cavalry, Ordinance,
Commissary, Quartermaster, Signal, Medical and Dental Services as well as the Local Sandatahan (Militia).
The infant Philippine Army had its baptism of fire as the army of an Independent Republic during the war
against America on February 4, 1899. The army about 30,000 men whom 16,000 were fully armed except 26,000
poorly armed militias. The Americans at first had about 26,000 men in two divisions. Better armed, trained, organized
and supplied. The Americans pushed back the Filipinos switched to guerilla warfare when the regular army
disintegrated. The Americans, in spite of several battlefield victories and greatly strengthen force (70,000), could not
win the war and resorted to extreme brutality and savagery that exceeded the cruelties displayed by their Spanish
predecessors especially in areas where Filipino guerilla units were most effective. Eventually, the Americans grouped
down the revolutionary forces, which were hastened by the capture of President Aguinaldo in 1901. The Americans
considered the surrender of General Miguel Malvar of Batangas as the end of Philippine campaign.
Nevertheless, Filipino resistance continued even up to 1910, General Ricarte was captured and forced to exile
when he refused to swear allegiance to the American flag. He died in 1945 still a defiant patriot. Others who continued
to resist were Macario Sakay who proclaimed himself as the President of the Tagalog Republic and General Bicol.
Sakay was convinced to surrender by the educated members of the area where he was in operation. After accepting
an American offer for amnesty, he became down from the hills as a hero, only to be seized by the Americans, tied as
a bandit and hanged. Other leaders emerged, usually from the local origins, which marked the 1901 to 1910 as
COLORUM movements.
There were nationalist movements who sought to continue the revolution in a religious fashion. The term
COLORUM is a corruption of the part of a prayer “DEO SECULA SECULURUM” attracting thousands of followers who
never accepted the Americans as their new masters. They waged was with fanatical fervor and Americans had to resort
to even greater cruelties to suppress these people. After 1910, serious armed resistance surely declined. The Philippine
Army had ceased to exist as coherent fighting force even before that time.
On July 26, 1941, U.S President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called into the services of the U.S Army the 2
Regular and 10 Reserve Divisions of the Philippine Army to become part of the US Army Forces in the Far East
(USAFFE). The following day, the different Regiments of these Reserve Divisions were called to active status and
training began at earliest time.
World War II
World War II broke-out in the Philippines on December 8, 1941 when the Japanese bombed various targets
in the country. Following the destruction of American Naval fleet in Hawaii and the U.S. Army Air Corps in the
Philippines. The country was left open to invasion and the Japanese 14th Army under General Homma landed in
Lingayen, Pangasinan almost unopposed on December 10. Filipino-American forces tried to halt almost their advance
but were unsuccessful. McArthur decided to implement and old Naval Defense Plan Orange–3, which call for the
concentration of main defense forces to Bataan with Corregidor blocking the entry or use of Manila Bay. As a
consequence, Manila was declared an Open City and the Japanese occupied the city on January 2, 1942.
The Japanese Commander Lt.Gen. Masahuro Homma failed to appreciate the Filipino-American withdrawal
to Bataan and was forced to fight the Battle of Bataan from January 9 to April 19, 1942. Initially suffering a series of
defeats on the Peninsula from January to early February, the Japanese launched their final assault on the Fil-Am forces
and forced the American commander Maj.Gen. Edward P King to surrender on April 9, A follow-up aerial and artillery
bombardment of Corregidor Island culminating in an amphibious landing forced the American commander Lt.Gen.
Jonathan Wainwright to surrender the Corregidor Garrison on May 6 1942, About 70,000 Filipino and 15,000 American
troops were taken prisoner in Bataan and made to undergo the now infamous death march while another 16,000
Americans and 2,000 Filipinos were captured in Corregidor. In surrendering the Corregidor Garrison, Wainwright also
directed the surrender of the Fil-Am Forces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
called the National Defense Forces. On May 6, 1948, 4 military areas were activated replacing the 10th Military Districts
of the Pre-War years. On the same date, the military training command, the off-shore patrol and the air corps were
elevated to major commands designated respectively as the Philippine Ground Force, The Philippine Naval Patrol and
the Philippine Air Force.
In 1950, 7 Army Commands and 26 Battalion Combat Team (BCTS) were organized. Five (5) of these BCTS
took turns in serving with the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to KOREA (PEFTOK) from 1950-1953. On December 30
of that same year, President Quirino issued executive order Nr 359 which provides for the creation of the four major
services in the AFP, namely: PHILIPPINE ARMY, PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY, PHILIPPINE NAVY and
PHILIPPINE AIRFORCE. With the AFP facing the menace of the growing HUK communist rebellion, a new type of
fighting method and a new unit was called HUKBALAHAP (HUKBONG BAYAN LABAN SA HAPON), they renamed
their Army Hukbong Magpapalaya sa Bayan (People’s Liberation Army or HMB) and they posed a serious threat to the
newly reconstituted Republic. It was then that the Scout Rangers were organized by then Captain Rafael Lleto. Using
the training he received as a US Army Ranger and as an Alamo Scout as basis, he and a select group of young Army
Officers and Enlisted Personnel experienced on tactics, organization and techniques until they came up with the Scout
Ranger method warfare. Using such small, hard hitting and highly mobile units, the army decimated the ranks of the
HUKs leading to its neutralization. When the need for the Scout Rangers no longer existed and because of disciplinary
problems brought about by lack of combat action, the First Scout Ranger Regiment was deactivated in 1959.
On July 1, 1957, HPA was organized with BGen Leoncio Tan as Commanding General. In the late 1960‟s the
Army was also utilized as a National Defense Force and as nation-builder. Subsequently, the Army Corps of Engineers
with the 51st Engineer Brigade as nucleus was organized by the early 1970’s, the Army have one Regular Division (1st
“TABAK” Division), and three (3) independent brigades (2nd, 4th and 5th) as well as supporting Anti-Tank, Artillery and
independent Armor company size units.
Perhaps, the ugliest episode involving the military during this period was the infamous Jabidah Massacre of
1968. The Army Special Forces recruited scores of Muslims for special training in Corregidor. Unknown to these
recruits, they were being projected for clandestine operations in Sabah, Malaysia in order to undermine Malaysian
control and to buttress the country’s claim to that area. When the recruits learned about this, they refused to be involved
in any project involving any fighting with fellow Muslims. No one can specifically pinpoint who gave the order but the
fact is their Special Forces cadres mercilessly massacred these recruits. Only one escaped and he lived to tell the
table to congress and to the world.
in north particularly in Isabela. With the capture and neutralization of their prominent leaders like NPA Chief Bernabe
Buscayno a.k.a. Dante and Jose Maria Sison, Communists Party of the Philippines (CPP) Chairman, the communist
insurgency declined for few years. With the threat to the North reduced, the AFP redirected its main effort to the South,
and despite suffering 6,000 fatalities, inflected several defeats on the MNLF forcing it to negotiate with the Tripoli
Agreements of 1976 as the result.
The period of stability and progress was short lived-lived, however. The mismanagement of the economy by
the Marcos government and the excesses committed by the members of his family and officials led to growing unrest
and the government found it expedient to use more repressive measures. Unfortunately for the military and especially
for the constabulary, these institutions became the primary instruments for such actions. Moreover, the military lost
much of its professionalism when it fell to the control of political General whose primary qualification was loyalty to the
administration.
Everything took a nose-dive when the Chief oppositionist to Marcos former Senator Benigno Aquino was
assassinated on the Tarmac of the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983 when he came home from voluntary
exile to the U. S. ostensibly to seek a meeting with Marcos to draft a National Reconciliation Program. The damage to
image of the military during this period took long time to heal and even now, the AFP is still haunted by Human Rights
issues. The NPA more than regained its lost strength and grew by leaps and bounds reaching its zenith in 1986 with
25,000 guerillas from only 3,000 in 1979. It was at this time that professional, technical and ethical standards of the
Army fell drastically with casualties excising 1,000 a year for several years while killing only half as many communist
guerillas. This is primarily because several commanders were promoted and designated to their positions on the basis
of their loyalty and not their qualifications. Resentment within the military grew and such environment, the reform the
AFP movement (RAM) had its beginning, headed by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, security Chief Colonel
Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, it actively sought the discontinuation of corrupt practices in the AFP although most part,
these reform adherent are themselves accountable for some questionable of their own.
After 7 years as legitimate President, 9 years as dictator and over 4 years as authoritarian President, Marcos
bowed to international and public pressure and called for “SNAP” election for Feb 7, 1986 if only to consolidate this
rule. The opposition rallied behind Senator Aquino’s widow Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino. The election was a chaotic and
bloody as any in Philippine History and up to now the result is an open question. In any case, whether the actual results
may have been being overtaken by event when Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile tried to mount a Coup d” Etat
against Marcos using the 49th IB under then Major Brillantes. The plan failed when counterintelligence units then AFP
Chief of staff General Favian C Ver uncovered the plot and these 2 officers and a few others were arrested on Feb 22,
1986. Unformed by sympathizers that an arrest order has been issued against him, Enrile barricaded himself in the
Defense Ministry Building in Camp Aguinaldo and sought the support of then AFP Vice Chief of Staff and PC/INP Chief
LtGen Fidel V Ramos. Dissatisfied with state affairs in the AFP, LtGen Ramos joined Enrile also barricaded himself
inside Camp Crame across EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo. The two leaders announced their withdrawal of support from
Marcos and proclaimed Corazon C. Aquino as the rightful President. These two only had less than 700 men between
them.
Oppositionist Agapito Aquino, brother of the slain Senator and Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin joined
the fray when they publicly urged the people to surround the Camps in order to protect the Enrile and Ramos forces
from Marcos troops using their bodies. Thus, what later came to be known as the EDSA PEOPLE POWER
REVOLUTION. The commander of what later came to be called as Marcos loyalist forces was BGen Artemio Tadiar of
the Philippine Marines. As his marines advanced, they were blocked by masses of civilian and Gen. Tadiar found it
impossible either to advance or fire over the heads of the people. Other forces moving into positions were similarly
blocked. Meanwhile, small groups of officers and soldiers were making their way to Camp Crame in order to defect to
the Enrile-Ramos forces (by this time, the Enrile-Ramos troops consolidated at the PC/INP Headquarters). A planeload
of PC/INP personnel flew to the Manila Domestic Airport to join Gen. Ramos was surrounded and disarmed. The tide
turned on February 24, 1986 when a fight of several Sikorsky Gunships who are ordered to strafe Camp Crame landed
on the said camp and defected instead. Military support for Marcos eroded swiftly and accepted the U.S. offer to fly
him out of Malacanang Palace. He was eventually forced into exile in Hawaii where he died in 1989. It was the most
bloodless “REVOLUTION” in history.
Attempted Coups
Manila Hotel incident (July 7, 1986) – Active and former military personnel led by BGen Jose Maria Carlos
Zumel and Marcos running mate Arturo Tolentino, supported by Pro-Marcos civilians occupied Manila Hotel
and tried to stage a people power revolution of their own but failed only after a few days. A controversial
outcome of this incident is the way that AFP Chief of Staff General Ramos “Punished”. The Military participants
in this action by merely making personnel who were involved in this serious offense set bad precedent and
only encouraged others to get themselves involved in similar undertakings.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN incident (November 1986) – Defense Minister Enrile is grossly dissatisfied with the
way President Aquino is managing the country particularly her reported “Coddling” of communist
sympathizers. His security Chief Colonel Honasan hatched a plan to take over the Government and reduce
President Aquino to mere figure with Minister Enrile as the real power. AFP Chief of Staff Fidel V Ramos
prevented this and the attempt was never made.
Channel 4 incident (January 1987) – Colonel Canlas of the PAF tried to mount a coup and occupied the
Government Channel 4 Station. Thousands of pro-Ramos Civilians including some movie stars like Miss
Elizabeth Oropesa rallied Col. Canlas in the hope that AFP will defect to them but after 2 days of stalemate,
the actions fizzled out and the participants surrendered to the government forces.
August 28, 1987 Coup – This daylong rebellion was planned and carried out by Colonel Honasan and
supported by RAM troops and elements of the Army Scout Rangers and other AFP Units. The rebel’s soldiers
occupied the GHQ Building and parts of Camp Aguinaldo. Government Forces attacked and recaptured the
Camp but GHQ building was destroyed by F-5 jets and Trojan (Tora-Tora) attack aircraft. About 90 people
were killed and twice as many wounded in this attempted coup. By the late afternoon, it was all over. Perhaps
the most surprising development of this incident is the realization that discontent in the AFP is widespread
judging by the number of the AFP units that began unauthorized movements towards Manila, ostensibly to
reinforce the government forces by suspected by the intelligence community as actually secretly sympathizers
to the rebels.
December 1- 9, 1989 COUP – This is the bloodiest and most serious challenge ever faced by the government
from discontented military elements. Participation by AFP personnel and units was widespread and action
broke-out simultaneously in different locations all over the country with more serious ones in Metro Manila
and Mactan Air Base in Cebu. Involved were several Scout Ranger, Infantry and Armor Units, Marines,
Airforce Pilots and Planes and Navy Units. Several active Generals and Flag Officers were also involved.
Malacanang Palace itself was bombed 11:00 a.m. RAM-SFP (Reform the Armed Forces Movement later
renamed Rebulosyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan-Soldiers of the Filipino People) air assets controlled the
air over Metro Manila and Y. O. U. (Young Officers Union) Officer leading the coup sent an ultimatum to
President Aquino to surrender but the President refused. At 2:00 p.m., U. S. Air Force F4 Phantom Jets made
several "Persuasion Flights" thereby discouraging RAMSFP planes from flying missions over the capital. The
PAF F-5 pilots loyal to the government who were unable to take action against their former comrades now
tool the air and destroyed the RAM-SFP planes on the ground at Sangley Point while these were being
refueled and re-armed. Control of the air reverted back to the government forces.
Nevertheless, the fighting continued as government and rebel forces battled across Metro Manila. Whole units
became involved, defected, split, mis-encountered or simply disintegrated in the confusion that followed. Defeated in
their attempts to take Camp Aguinaldo and Malacanang, 700 rebel soldiers under LTC Canlas fell back to the Makati
financial district after over 300 rebel Marines surrendered earlier. Negotiations initiated by then PMA Superintendent
BGen. Arturo Enrile led to the Scout Rangers "March Back" to barracks with their arms on December 7, Two days later,
the leader of the coup in Cebu BGen. Edgardo Abenina surreptitiously left the rebel positions in Mactan and went into
hiding. The remaining rebel forces surrendered. Over 600 persons died and more than a thousand wounded in this
misadventure.
involvement in the December coup. Supported by active and former military personnel, native tribesmen and CAFGU
militiamen loyal to him, he surrounded the hotel occupied by the AFP J-7 BGen Oscar Florendo and his party who
came to Tuguegarao to mediate with him. BGen Florendo was negotiating with Aguinaldo's representative at the ground
floor of the hotel when a firefight broke out between the rebel elements and the members of Florendo's party under
Col. Emiliano Templo who were occupying the second floor. Florendo's was killed and the government launched a
massive mopping up operation in Cagayan using the marines brought over from Manila. The rebel forces disintegrated
with minimal bloodshed and rebellion ended.
3. Noble Uprising (Oct 1990) - The last of the military destabilizing adventures, then Col. Alexander Noble escaped
from detention, made his way to Mindanao and won over several elements of the 402nd Inf Bde including elements of
the 23IB 2LABn, and others. The rebel forces occupied part of Camp Evangelista in Cagayan De Oro City. BGen Enrile
again mediated and the crisis was resolved with Noble volunteering to be placed in the custody of the SND. Many of
the rebel soldiers, however, went AWOL and it was several months before they can be convinced to return to military
control. After the Noble uprising, the AFP entered a period of relative stability. The strange thing is, while all these were
happening, the Army found a way to finally stop and turn back the communist insurgency. Major Alex B Cogmon
collated the different successful approaches by the different Army units against the CPP/NPA and made it into a
doctrine called Special Operation Team (SOT) concept. In this concept, Cogmon proposed to reverse the military
approach to the insurgency problem by destroying the political structure first to be followed by destroying the military
capability of the insurgents instead of the other way around. First implemented in 4ID by an initially skeptical BGen
Mariano Adalem, it was a resounding success. When Adalem became CG, PA he institutionalized the SOT Concept
and implemented the doctrine throughout the Army. It was the beginning of the end for the NPA as its combat strength
sharply declined from 25,000 in 1987 to 6,000 in 1995 and the number of barangays influenced by them fell drastically.
4. The Establishment of the PNP - The 1987 constitution mandated further changes in the structure of the Armed
Forces. The existing militia, the civilian Home Defense force, was ordered disbanded and was replaced beginning in
1988 with new auxiliary force under the direct control of military regulars. More significantly, the 1987 constitution calls
for the government "to establish and maintain one police force, which shall be national in scope and civilian in
character." Pursuant to that mandate, Aquino signed a law directing that the Philippine Constabulary, one of the four
military services, be combined with the civilian Integrated National Police to form the Philippine National Police. The
process of integrating the two organizations under a newly created Department of Interior and Local Government began
on January 1 1991.
At present, the Army is facing a potentially renewed threat of secessionism in the south. It is brought about
by greater belligerence being displayed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a breakaway group from the Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF), the fundamentalist ABU SAYYAF group and the subsequent counter-actions by
Christian vigilante groups out to protect themselves from any outbreak of fighting. At the same time, the entire AFP is
undertaking a modernization program that will upgrade the country's external defense capability. The signing of Peace
agreement between Nur Misuari of the MNLF and the Government of President Ramos is a positive development
although it faces considerable opposition especially from the Christian Communities in Mindanao.
Ten years after the EDSA revolution, the AFP has regained prestige and credibility in the eyes of the people
and government. The rebellions and the Human Rights issues were slowly being resolved. The communist challenge
has been beaten back and the greater discipline and professionalism repeatedly displayed by the members of the
military establishment has earned admiration from critical observers both here and abroad. Of course the AFP is still
faced with serious problems such as organization, equipment, pay and allowances, facilities, training and more effective
leadership especially at the tactical level. But with greater awareness and a higher sense of duty among the military,
we are confident that we are on the right path towards the achievement of modern, effective, professional and truly
popular Armed Forces of the people.
Executive Summary
The Philippine government is unable to control and develop large parts of the country because of the
longstanding communist insurgency. The conflict has lasted more than 40 years and killed tens of thousands of
combatants and civilians. Planning their attacks and securing weapons and funds locally, the insurgents have strong
roots in the different regions where they operate and have proved hard to defeat. The government’s counter-insurgency
strategy has diminished their numbers but has not been able to destroy the organization. Neither side will win militarily.
As peace negotiations resume under the Benigno Aquino administration, the parties to the talks should immediately
commit to making existing human rights monitoring mechanisms work, while they try to reach the more difficult long-
term goal of a durable political settlement.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its New People’s Army (NPA) launched their armed
struggle against the Philippine government in 1968. The organization was strongest in the 1980s, as the repressive
government of Ferdinand Marcos fell and was replaced by the Cory Aquino administration. The insurgency had become
a social movement, with an array of above-ground groups intertwined with an underground guerrilla army. Counter-
insurgency operations coupled with an internal split crippled the organization and cost it many of its supporters in the
early 1990s. By 2000, the CPP-NPA had regained strength and has since proved remarkably resilient. It remains active
in mountainous and neglected areas countrywide. Without altering its communist ideology, the organization set up
political parties that successfully stood for congress and re-engaged in peace negotiations with Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo’s government. Talks fell apart in 2004, and the Philippine military intensified operations against the guerrillas
but failed to wipe them out by June 2010, when President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino was sworn into office.
The NPA has fewer than 5,000 fighters, but it still has supporters and is recruiting new members, securing
weapons and launching ambushes across the archipelago. It justifies its actions, including extrajudicial killings of
“enemies of the people”, in ideological terms. The NPA remains a serious threat to soldiers, police and anyone it
considers a military informant or collaborator, even though recruitment of highly educated cadres is difficult and crucial
mid-level commanders are hard to replace. Hundreds die in the conflict every year, including more than 350 NPA
regulars and government security forces in 2010.
The Philippine military has failed to defeat the NPA. Senior commanders feel they do not have sufficient
resources and so rely on tribal militias and paramilitary forces. These groups are often poorly supervised and commit
abuses. The counter-insurgency strategies used by successive governments have combined military operations and
intimidation of communities with development work, yielding few results and often proving counter-productive.
The insurgency has effects far beyond the remote villages where guerrillas and soldiers snipe at each other.
The CPP’s use of “front organizations” that organize for and channel funds to their comrades underground has made
leftist activists targets of military and paramilitary retaliation, resulting in a spate of extrajudicial killings over the past
ten years. The conflict has fragmented the left in a country sorely in need of a unified challenge to the stranglehold
powerful families have on political office at all levels. “Revolutionary taxes” on businesses discourage investment and
permit the rebels to skim profits from resource-rich but impoverished areas.
Resolving the CPP-NPA conflict has often taken a back seat to efforts to reach a political settlement with the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and is frequently neglected by the international community. But for many Filipinos,
the communist insurgency is more immediate, as most have relatives or friends who were once involved or were
sympathizers themselves in the 1970s or 1980s. Meanwhile, the Philippine government and donors have tried to
address problems in Muslim Mindanao, even though the CPP-NPA is responsible for a considerable amount of the
violence plaguing the island. The “Mindanao problem” will not be solved by focusing on Muslim areas alone.
The Aquino administration’s decision in October 2010 to revive negotiations with the CPP-NPA was welcome,
but it is unclear where talks will lead. Informal discussions in December 2010 yielded the longest holiday ceasefire in
ten years, and formal negotiations are scheduled to begin in February 2011. Historically, talks have been a tactic for
the CPP-NPA, which remains committed to overthrowing the Philippine government. Most of the organization’s senior
leaders are now in their 60s and 70s, some reportedly in poor health. Many have devoted their entire lives to the cause,
and a few may be eager to see a settlement within their lifetimes. But there are reports of tensions at the top that could
have the potential either to derail peace talks or to deepen internal rifts. The Aquino administration’s pursuit of a political
settlement also entails a dramatic change for the army, which has had the green light to pursue the NPA militarily for
many years. The government needs to ensure that it has full support not only from all ranks of the army, but also from
police and paramilitary forces for its new internal security plan.
- Jakarta/Brussels, 14 February 2011
well-being are protected and/or advanced.” The NSC continues to use this definition, though it is being contested by
scholars in the academe and non-government sector.
The DND provides a more coherent analysis of Philippine national security concept. The DND recognizes the
complex linkages of internal and external security concerns. It regards Philippine national security as a fusion of
internal security and external security. Though internal security is the priority of the Philippine government, external
security is also part and parcel of Philippine national security because external security also affects the pursuance of
internal security. To advance external security concerns of the Philippines, the DND promotes defense diplomacy with
the outside world. The DND asserts:
The country’s national security, as a responsibility of the Philippine government, it is no longer preserved and
enhanced within its borders, but well beyond them through its first line of defense—diplomacy. The Philippine
government stands ready to work with its friends and neighbors with the nation’s interests as its underlying beacon.
Thus, Philippine foreign policy must be timely, responsive and driven by a desire to bring about change that
makes foreign policy work directly for the benefit of generations of Filipinos. The Philippine military regards internal
security threats as the most pressing concern of the government as the country “faces no immediate threat of
aggression from other countries.” This is based on the policy perspective of the Philippine defense
establishment asserting that “The Philippines is unlikely to be confronted with invasion or direct-armed aggression in
the near to the medium-term.” According to the DND, internal security threats will continue to shape Philippine security
policy, strategy and plans. Thus, the cornerstone of Philippine national security policy is Internal Security Operation
(ISO), which is embodied in the implementation of the expanded National Internal Security Plan (NISP).
Yet, the DND is mindful that external developments also affect the pursuance of Philippine National security
interests. Thus, it adopts the Defense International and Security Policy (DISP) to provide “strategic direction to bilateral
and multilateral defense engagements with strategic security partners including regional and international organizations
with a view to furthering the security aims of the state.” Based on this policy, the DND formulates the International
Defense and Security Engagement Plan (IDSEP) to set the direction for the country’s international security engagement
activities.
From various defense and security policy directives, the AFP identifies the following threats to Philippine
national security:
Internal Security Threats
Fundamental Elements
There are seven fundamental elements that lie at the core of, and therefore further amplify our definition of
national security. At the same time, they constitute the most important challenges we face as a nation and people.
1. Socio-Political Stability
2. Territorial Integrity
3. Economic Solidarity and Strength
4. Ecological Balance
5. Cultural Cohesiveness
6. Moral-Spiritual Consensus
7. External Peace
Internal Threat
Our national security environment is infused with two important dimensions. Internal threats to our national
security make up the first dimension.
a. The main internal threat arises from the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National
Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) which continues to pose a serious threat to our national security, although
presently weakened in comparison with their peak strength in the 1985-87 period. However, despite the
successes of the AFP’s in most part of the country, these terrorists have shown resiliency over the years and
continues to launch inhumane acts in Bicol and southern Mindanao regions where they have established
advanced and developed fronts.
The communist rebellion in the country is spearheaded by the Communist Party Of The Philippines
or CPP, which functions as the “brains” that provides direction to and leadership of the movement; the New
People’s Army or NPA provides the military force to protect the party and defeat the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, which functions as the “sword”; while the National Democratic Front or NDF acts as the “shield”
to parry the blows from the government and protect the armed struggle thru legal and or parliamentary
struggles.
b. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is presently the largest Muslim secessionist group in southern
Philippines. It is the breakaway faction of the original Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF which aims to
establish a politically independent Islamic state in its so-called Bangsamoro homeland in southern Philippines,
which has been fighting for more than three decades now. While the government has engaged the MILF in
constructive peace negotiations, the armed activities of the group continue to be a source of serious concern,
particularly the build-up of its defensive and offensive capabilities and the atrocious actions of its rogue base
commanders which comprise the lawless MILF groups (LMGS).
c. The Abu Sayyaf Group or ASG previously espoused as its objective the establishment of an independent
theocratic Islamic state in Mindanao. From this ideological orientation, the ASG degenerated into a
terrorist/criminal syndicate group that engages in extortion and kidnap-for-ransom activities. Hand in hand
with this small band of highly mobile terrorists is the suspected links to international terrorist networks like the
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Al-Qaeda.
The Jemaah Islamiyah or JI is a sophisticated network of loose Islamic militants which aims to
depose secular governments and establish a Pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia. The JI and other foreign
terrorists in the country are utilizing Mindanao as training ground for recruits. They impart their terror skills in
exchange for sanctuary. These foreign terrorists are also supporting some rogue MILF elements for extortion
and other criminal activities through bombing operations. Currently, the establishment of a Jemaah Islamiyah
base in the Philippines together with other foreign terrorist groups has been effectively contained.
d. Organized crime is a national security concern. The challenge of illegal drugs, in particular, has grown into a
major threat to the national community. Of the 42,979 barangays nationwide, about 12 percent are affected
in varying degrees. The anti-drug campaign is a major cornerstone of the government’s law and order drive,
involving the police, the Local Government Units and the private sector, and focusing on a tripartite strategy
of reducing drug supply and demand as well domestic and international cooperation. Drug use among the
youth has risen alarmingly over the past three years. The national crime rate is also exacerbated by the drug
trade, which involves a number of crime syndicates.
e. Grave incidence of poverty is also a serious threat to national security, especially to the extent that it breeds
and abets rebellion, crime and dissidence. Poverty incidence affects about one-third of Filipino families
nationwide. Consequently, the distribution of wealth has been skewed in favor of a wealthy minority.
f. Economic sabotage undermines the market economy, the financial system and the nation’s resources. Under
this category are underground activities such as counterfeiting, money laundering, large-scale smuggling,
inter-oceanic poaching and commercial dumping. This is being met through vigilant economic intelligence and
the strict enforcement of maritime and trade laws.
f. Graft and corruption has become another threat to our national security by virtue of the huge scale by which
it saps public resources, undermines the morale of the civil service and affects the delivery of quality basic
services. It has also become a disincentive to investment.
g. Severe calamities cause serious food shortages, abet hoarding and profiteering and cause hunger, disease
and deprivation. Over the past ten years, the disaster toll stands at more than 13,000 lives lost and P179
Billion worth of property destroyed. The National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) ensures the focused,
coordinated and systematic application of government and private manpower and resources to the tasks of
disaster mitigation, and community rehabilitation and reconstruction.
h. Persistent environment degradation poses a long-term security threat. The attrition of forests and watersheds,
air-land-water pollution and the proliferation of toxic substances are a cause of sickness, death and the
diminution of national productivity and wellbeing. Environmental protection has assumed a high priority in
defense and law enforcement concerns and is an institutional area of emphasis in the educational system.
External Threat
The growing uncertainties that lie in the regional and global milieu make up the second dimension of our
national security environment, even as threat of external aggression against our country remains in the remote horizon.
While confronting these internal threats, the armed forces also need to address our external security challenges such
as the territorial disputes over the Spratlys and Sabah, as well as transnational security issues.
a. The multilateral dispute over the Spratly Islands and Sabah Issues is a source of intermittent tensions, owing
to the buildup of structures, believed to be military-oriented, by some claimant countries in the area. This is a
clear encroachment into the Philippine EEZ which is being met through a comprehensive package of
diplomatic measures.
The overall situation in the Spratlys’ Islands remains relatively stable with the adoption of the ASEAN-
China “Declaration on the conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.” No major conflict has occurred so far
and tension has been minimized. The claimant-states have stepped up confidence-building measures, such
as the conduct of joint oil pre-exploration surveys and marine research. These include, among others, the 14
March 2005 “Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU),” among the oil companies of the Philippines, China
and Vietnam and the RP-Vietnam-China Joint Oceanographic and Marine Scientific Research Expeditions in
the South China Sea (JOMSRE-SCS). However, activities by some of the claimants threaten to disrupt anew
the prevailing stable condition in the Spratlys and undermine relations between and among the claimants.
Moreover, the Spratlys continue to be the site of foreign intrusions, poaching and illegal fishing. These remain
continuing concerns that must be immediately addressed.
The Sabah issue has always been a crucial factor in RP-Malaysia relations. Sabah, or North Borneo,
was originally a part of the Sultanate of Sulu until it was leased to a British trader in 1878 and later became a
British protectorate. Malaysia pays the heirs of the sultanate 6,300 ringgit (approximately US$1,500) as annual
rent for Sabah. Former President Diosdado Macapagal officially laid claim to Sabah in 1962 after the Sultan
of Sulu gave the government the authority to pursue the claim. RP wanted the international Court of Justice
to settle the dispute while Malaysia said it should be up to the people of Sabah to determine their future. Under
President Marcos, relations with Malaysia deteriorated when he created a military force comprised of Muslim
youths to forcibly take the island. The invasion did not go through after the Muslims were killed by their own
commanders after the young men discovered the true objective of their training. This became known as the
“Jabidah Massacre”.
In the successive regimes, the Philippine claim took a back seat and the Sabah issue remains
unresolved. It is significant to note that based on Memorandum Circular Nr 162, the following are the
“guidelines on matters pertaining to North Borneo (Sabah):
No government office shall refer to North Borneo (Sabah) as another country’s territory;
Any activity or statement relating to Sabah should be cleared first with the DFA;
Official documents should not reflect Sabah as part of a larger national/federal territory. These
documents include, but are not limited to, Philippine passports, agreements, agreed minutes, joint
communiqués, record of discussions and similar documents; and,
The DFA should be furnished with a report on the travel to Sabah of Philippine government officials.
b. The smuggling of firearms and contraband, illegal migration and the occasional movement of foreign terrorists
through the porous borders of our southwestern frontier have elicited transnational concern. Philippine law
enforcement agencies work closely with international police organizations, bilaterally and multilaterally, to
check these activities.
RP continues to be a convenient and ideal destination for illegal migrants. It is also identified as a
source, transit point and destination for trafficked persons. Illicit arms trade proliferates along the southern
backdoor, which is also vulnerable to the seaborne trafficking of explosives. The country’s porous and
unguarded borders are also conducive to the seaborne smuggling and trafficking of illegal drugs.
c. The lingering effects of the currency crisis affecting the countries within the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) are a cause of regional anxieties, which tend to aggravate political instabilities and socio-
economic dislocations involving the poorest peoples.
d. The serious economic disparity between rich and poor nations keeps the world in a state of instability and
virtually on the brink of war in many places. Local or regional shortages of fresh water, arable land, food,
fisheries, and energy are already causing tensions.
e. Ethnic, religious and cultural conflict pervades many regions and nations, including our own. It is constantly
exacerbated by mass poverty, limited access to resources, denial of human rights, lack of national integration
and international issues.
f. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a threat to global security. Nuclear materials and
technologies are more accessible now than at any other time in history. The relative ease of production of
both chemical and biological weapons has made these attractive to terrorists.
g. Transnational organized crime has proliferated in the era of globalization. The International Monetary Fund
estimates that global drug trafficking now accounts for two percent of the world economy, excluding illicit
capital flight and money-laundering activity. There are links among drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling of
illegal aliens, massive financial and bank fraud, arms smuggling and political corruption.
Meanwhile, transnational security issues of significant concern are the following;
The transnational terror threat emanates from the Jemaah Islamiyah and other foreign terrorists, who are
known to be using the following routes in the Sulu and Celebes seas as transit areas.
The terrorists also use the same route in returning to their home countries. Relatedly, potential maritime
attacks by terror groups are major security concerns as vital maritime infrastructures and offshore
installations and pipelines, like the Malampaya Natural Gas-To-Power Project, are plausible targets.
h. Natural disasters and environmental issues will continue to pervade the global security agenda. Mankind’s
global activities – particularly population growth, resource consumption, pollution, urbanization,
industrialization, desertification and deforestation – will increasingly impact on climate and weather patterns,
strain fragile ecosystems, and put more pressure on health and social support systems.
On climate change/global warming, the earth’s climate has been generally projected to change
substantially due to a number of human activities that alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
Increasingly sophisticated climate models suggest that the planet will warm over the next century at a more
rapid rate than ever recorded. Notably, there is now growing recognition that global warming and climate
change is a serious long-term challenge that threatens the security of states and their citizens.
Climate change has the potential to generate more humanitarian crises as it could induce a greater
frequency and intensity of natural disasters. This could lead to refugee migration that may destabilize the
affected area and the surrounding countries. It could also cause a negative impact on agricultural production
and the supply of fresh water and arable land, provoking competition for resources. Moreover, there is a
growing connection between climate change and the emergence and spread of diseases.
i. Cybernetic crime is a growing global threat, as experienced with computer viruses such as Melissa and
Chernobyl, which have attacked isolated or networked information systems through the internet or through
software carriers and devices. Many vital decision-making processes of our Government are now
electronically-based and therefore vulnerable to this threat.
END
NOTES
Directions: Write a brief summary and a reflection about the Philippine Military History. (20 Points)
Directions: Choose one of the internal threats and another one for external threats that you think is needed to be
addressed immediately by the Government, then, explain why. (25 Points)
CHAPTER 4
Military Customs, Traditions, Discipline, Courtesies and Core
Values
Essential Questions:
1. What are the different services, courtesies and rank insignias in the AFP?
2. What are the basic code of ethics and core values of the AFP?
1. Identify different courtesies, rank insignias and soldiers’ behavior and discipline.
2. Explain the importance of the core values of the AFP.
Identify the following pictures. Write (CV) If It’s An AFP Core Value And (N) If Not. (10 Items)
_______________7.
MILITARY PROFESSIONALISM
Men who adopt the __________of arms submit of their own free will to a law of perpetual constraint. Of their
own accord, they _________ their right to ________ where they choose, to say what they ________, to dress as
they like. From the moment they _________ soldiers, it needs but an order to _________them in this place, to move
them to that, to __________ from their family and dislocate their normal ________. In the word of command, they
must rise, march, run, endure bad weather, go without sleep or food, be isolated in some distant post, and work until
they drop. They have ceased to be the __________of their fate. If they drop in their tracks, if their ashes are
scattered to the four winds, that is all __________ and parcel of their job.
PART II.
LOYALTY PLEDGE
If you work for a ___________, in heavens name, __________ for him, speak well of him, and stand by the
institution that he ___________. Remember, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of __________. If you must
__________, __________, and eternally find fault, why resign your __________? But when you are on the outside,
Damn to your heart’s content. But as long as you are a __________ of the __________, do not condemn it. For if you
do, the first high wind that comes along will blow you away and probably you will __________ know why.
General Statement – the importance of customs and traditions to the AFP cannot over-emphasized.
Definition of Terms
Traditions – are inherited principles, standards and practices that serve as guide for individuals or groups.
Customs – are accepted practices realized through continued usage that the take the force and effect of a common
law.
Military Customs – The following are some of the significant customs in the AFP.
Military Seniority
Officers by virtue of their being commissioned are seniors to enlisted personnel. In the same manner, high-
ranking non-commissioned officers to low-ranking NCOs. Hence, officers and NCOs have accorded forms of respect
befitting their ranks and positions in the military organization.
Salute – Men of arm have used some form of military salute as an exchange of greeting since the earliest
times.
Rank has its privileges – Whenever a choice is to made, such as selection of billets of quarters or electing
means of transportation the option of selection follows rank with senior given the privilege to select first. By
military traditions, officers and senior NCOs enjoy some RHIPs
Place of Honor – the place of honor is on the right. Accordingly, when a junior walk, rides, or sit with a senior
he takes position abreast and to the left of the senior.
Use of the word “SIR” – the word “SIR” is issued in military conversation by the junior officer in addressing a
senior, and by all soldier in addressing officers.
Commander’s wish – when a commander says “I desire. . . .” or “I wish”, this expression should be taken
and carried out with all authority and force of direct order.
Non-Commission Officers (NCOs) Ranks and Positions – NCOs attain their ranks and position by virtue of
their competence and qualifications. Thus, to be promoted and be designated as head NCOs or Chief of a unit is
always considered as an achievement.
Points to remember when addressing and dealing with a senior NCO:
In the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force, Technical Sergeants are addressed as “Tech”, Chief, Senior
or Master Sergeant as “Master”. If uncertain with the rank, politely address them as “Sarge”.
Private First Class and Privates may normally be addressed as “Private”; to some, it is more flattering to be
called “Warrior”, “Trooper” for members of the Special Forces, “Ranger” for Scout Rangers, “Noy” or “Iho”
may be addressed by an officer to junior enlisted personnel.
First names may be addressed to juniors or contemporaries only and never to seniors.
Generally accepted way of making up informal military nicknames is to use the first two syllables of the
soldier’s name such as “Tintoy” or “Toinks” for Tolentino.
The Three Volleys over Graves- This is a sign of respect and gesture tendered to a departed comrade-in-
arms.
The White Flag of Truce- A worldwide custom used to signal the temporary cessation of hostilities between
warring parties.
The Wearing of Decorations- Military personnel who honorably earned decorations in the performance of
duty, displays them as part of the uniform during appropriate occasions.
The Raising of the Right Hand in Taking Oath- The taking of oath for truth of statement of testimony has
always been solemn and serious matter accompanied by ceremony. In essence, the taker of the oath calls
upon his God to bear witness that the truth would be told.
Courtesy of the Post- An officer of any of the armed services visiting at a military post or one who resides in
its vicinity is often extended the "Courtesy of the Post" by the commanding officer after the prescribed official
call has been made. This may include the privilege of accommodation-at the Officer's Club and Officer's Mess
if the visit is of short duration and the privilege of membership, if the stay in the vicinity is extended.
Presentation of Recruits to Colors - In all recruiting units, it is a ceremony in which recruits are presented to
the colors for the purpose of signifying acceptance and welcome into the organization.
Welcome/Farewell Tendered to a Newly Assigned/Departing Officer - A newly assigned officer is tendered a
welcome party while prior to the departure of an officer from his station on a change of assignment, a farewell
party is tendered. Other suitable unit function is usually given by the unit's officers and ladies in honor of the
newly assigned/departing officer and his family. When pressure of work prohibits this nicety, a "Happy Hour"
or a simple get together takes its place. The same is extended to selected senior key NCO and Petty Officers.
Ceremony Tendered to a Retiree- This is tendered to a military retiree in recognition of his long, faithful and
honorable service to the AFP.
Pipe Calls, Trumpet or Bugle Calls- Pipe, trumpet or bugle calls add more distinction and excitement to the
regimented life of military personnel. As the day to day activities unfold, the sound of these calls rejuvenate e
very system of his body to continue performing the things as signaled by each call.
Individuals who retire from the armed forces and not active on duty are authorized to use their titles socially,
and in connection with commercial enterprises, subject to prescribed limitations.
By instilling a sense of confidence and responsibility among his subordinates, a leader succeeds in creating
a climate of discipline in his unit.
A confident and responsible soldier realized that he has an obligation not only to himself but also to the other
soldier in the unit.
He knows that violation of the rule of discipline will not reflect in him as individual but will also discredit, if not
cause irreparable damage to his unit. Makes one realize his obligations.
How Discipline is measured?
Military Courtesy
When to use the Hand Salute and the Salute with Arms?
An enlisted man in ranks and not in attention comes to attention when addressed by an officer.
Individuals at work do not salute.
When actively involved in games.
In churches, theaters or public assemblies.
When on the march in combat and other combat conditions.
Sentinel armed with pistol does not salute after challenging.
Driver of a vehicle in motion is not required to salute.
When indoors, except when reporting to an officer.
When meeting or serving as military prisoner.
Standing next to horse or leading a horse.
All commissioned officers and superior officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), both male and
female.
Commissioned officers of allied nations, both male and female.
President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Secretary of National Defense
High civilian officials or foreign dignitaries during military honors.
Colors and standards not cased.
[Salute shall be rendered about 6 paces from the person or at a recognizable distance which is about 30 paces.]
When reporting to a superior officer, the junior (unless under arms) removes his head dress, knocks and
enters when told to do so. Upon entering, he marches up to within about 2 paces of the officer’s desk, halts,
salutes and reports. When an officer enters a room, a junior stand at attention until the officer directs otherwise
or leaves the room. If more than one individual as present, the first on who sees the officer shall shout attention
loud enough to be heard by others and all stay in attention until the officer directs otherwise. When
accompanying a senior, a junior stay at the senior’s left except during inspection where a junior stay at the
right of his senior.
Courtesies exchanged when an Officer addresses a Soldier.
During conversations, salutes are exchanged, conversation is completed, and salutes are again exchanged.
Procedure when an Officer enters a squadron of tent.
In a squadron of tent, uncover and stand at attention when an officer enters.
Entering automobiles and small boats
The senior enters a boat of automobile first and leaves last. In entering a vehicle or a boat, the order of
persons entering the vehicle is from highest to lowest of rank. In going out of the vehicle the highest of
ranked officers goes out first.
IV. Courtesies to the National Flag and to the National Anthem or Colors.
Flag Raising Ceremony
The Filipino soldier honors the flag by raising it before the start of the official day's work to pledge that all his
efforts for the day is dedicated to God, country and people.
The Retreat Ceremony
The sounds of the evening gun during a combined ceremonial parade and retreat ceremony constitutes one
of the inspiring customs of the service. Military personnel in camps or garrisons pause for a moment either to salute
the Nation's' Flag or sing the National Anthem.
The Philippine flag and the national anthem symbolize all democratic ideals that our country stand for and
serve to remind us of the sacrifices of our heroes in gaining our independence from foreign rule.
National Flag
We should always respect the National Flag by saluting it whenever it passes during parades and other
ceremonies where it is raised or lowered
When aboard a vehicle and a flag ceremony begins, halt, dismount and face the Philippine flag and salute. It
is impractical to dismount or when ceremony is almost over, you may just halt and sit erect.
When the Philippine Flag is tattered or worn down, do not display it anymore. Replace them immediately.
Note: The best way to dispose a tattered flag is to bury it.
National Anthem
The same measure of respect and reverence is shown to the National Anthem. Whenever or wherever even
the National Anthem is played or the color is displayed, military personnel, not in formation must observe the following:
a. When with a group, not in formation, you may salute individually during the play of the National Anthem.
b. Outdoors:
Facing the flag, render the prescribed salute from the first note of the music until the last note of the
music.
Vehicles in motion will be brought to halt.
Mentioned respect to the National Colors is rendered to the National Anthem or colors of friendly nations.
c. Indoors:
When the National Anthem is played, officers and men will stand at attention face the music of the flag, if
any but do not salute.
Inside a car, the place of honor is at the right front, for the back seat, it is the right side.
Walking in a group of three, the most senior occupies the middle position. Walking at the right side of the
senior is the next ranking individual, while the most junior walks on the left side of the most senior.
When walking in a group composed of more than three, shall observe the above-cited procedure. The rest
walk behind the first line of walkers, but according to seniority in rank.
Taboos
To develop, organize, train and equip Army forces in the conduct of prompt and sustained combat operations
on land;
To prepare such units as maybe necessary for the effective implementation of National Defense Plans and
Programs and Armed Forces missions including support to National Development and disaster response.
To develop tactics, techniques, and equipment of interest to the Army on field operations and to increase
inter-operability with other major services and international allies.
To train, organize and equip all Army reserve units for the possible expansion of the peacetime Army
component to meet any emergency; and
To perform such functions as the higher authorities may direct.
The AFP Core Values – the profession of arms, as noble calling, demands
from its members not only specialized knowledge and skill but also a
distinct lifestyle governed by commonly held belief-system containing non-
negotiable enduring core values of honor, loyalty, valor duty and solidarity.
We therefore express the following creed:
We believe in honor as our crowning value as it is more precious than life itself. It hallmark of our
military conduct which implies our clear consciousness of personnel dignity and worth. To us honor
means truthfulness, sincerity, honesty, uprightness, credibility and avoidance of deception, so that
out written word may be accepted without question.
We believe in inflicting loyalty our oath of office requires us to be loyal to our nation and to obey the
mandate to support and defend the constitution, we shall be obedient to the duly constituted political
order. We shall support the Chain of Command and obey lawful orders of those legally appointed
over us.
We believe in valor as the power of strength, courage and ability to overcome fear to carry out our
mission and to accomplish what seemingly impossible. To us, valor goes beyond the physical
dimension of boldness and endurance to pain and hardships.
We believe in duty as the value of obedience and disciplined performance despite difficulty and
danger. To us duty is personal act of responsibility by accomplishing all assigned task to the fullest
one’s capabilities, meeting all our willingness to sacrifice event it means giving up lives in defense of
our country.
We believe in solidarity for it is consolidating and integrating value to which all of us bind ourselves
with the rest comrades-in-arms. With it, we reject divisive fraternal organizations with the AFP.
The AFP organization – shall be so designed, structured, staffed and manned as to be able to carry
out its missions and functions effectively though the optimum use of resources. It shall allow
development and equipage of both active and reserve forces and greater involvement of the citizenry
not the defense of the state but also in civil assistance activities during disaster, calamities, and
national emergencies.
Supremacy of Civilian Authority – The AFP shall uphold the supremacy of the civilian authority over
the military. The President as Commander-in-Chief of all the armed forces shall exercise command
and control over the armed forces. The AFP shall respect laws enacted by Congress, enforce writs
issued by the judiciary, carry out directives of the COMELEC under circumstances provided by law
and subscribe to regulations enacted by the Commission on Audit concerning the management of
funds.
Chain of Command – The AFP shall follow the chain of command. Every officer and soldier shall
obey the lawful orders of his immediate officers. Anyone who shall refuse or fail to carry out a lawful
order from the military chain of command shall be subjected to military discipline.
Military Leadership – The military leadership shall have ability to influence members of the
organization in the fulfillment of is roles, obligations and functions, it shall a sincere concern towards
the morale and welfare of the members. It shall also be credible and able to promote opportunities for
genuine reconciliation and solidarity for the sake of peace.
People’s support – The AFP firmly acknowledges people’s support as vital to achieving peace and
order. Thus, it shall respect living conditions, beliefs, and way of life and totality of the environment of
all sectors to ensure their acceptance of the AFP as their own.
National Development – The AFP shall be the people’s partner in development and progress.
Spiritual Life – AFP shall encourage the practice of one’s religious faith for the good of the service.
The constitutional of the separation of church and the state shall not only allow.
Social Justice – AFP shall subscribe to the promotion of social justice. It shall understand that the
humanizations of laws, adoption of legal measures towards equalization of social economic forces
are means to maintain equilibrium of relationship in the community.
Human Rights – The AFP shall respect the inherent dignity of human being and his inalienable rights
as contained in the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and other declarations to which our
country is a signatory. As such the AFP shall pledge itself to protect and promote these rights.
Enemies of the State – The AFP shall consider as enemies of the state those who shall violate the
sovereignty of the Philippines as an independent and democratic state; those who shall subscribe the
violence as means to achieve their ends and those who do not or adhere to the internationally
accepted principles of peace, equality, justice, freedom and friendship those who shall accept the
supremacy of civilian authority over the military, those who shall dismember the country or any part
thereof, those who shall foment chaos and disorder and obstruct the achievement of the common
good; those who shall engage in organized crimes that threaten the security of the state; and those
who shall organize the populace for the purpose of alienating their allegiants from the state.
Partisan Politics – The AFP recognizes the sanctity of its insulation from partisan politics.
Mass Media – The mass media is an effective vehicle of change and progress. The AFP shall
maintain an “open-media policy”.
Family Life – The AFP shall recognize that its members are human beings with the same family
obligations as other people.
Democracy – The AFP adheres to the principle of democracy that the government is of the people,
by the people and for the people. The real power and authority in the government is of the people, by
the people and for the people. The real power and authority in the governance of the nation emanates
from its citizens.
National Interest – Foremost in the mind of the AFP shall be realization that national interest serves
the common good of the citizenry.
Peace – Peace is priceless gift to mankind which connotes freedom from any hostilities such as
political, social and economic ills. It is the tranquility. Orderliness and harmony among people base
on justice.
War – War is defined as the use of organized military force by a state to achieve its ends against the
physical opposition of a hostile state or states.
Use of Armed Force – The AFP shall exercise the utmost restraint and precaution in the use of armed
force to implement policies. Honesty, uprightness, credibility and avoidance of deception, so that out
written word may be accepted without question.
Principled Critiques/Cause-Oriented Groups – The AFP shall not stifle dissent or label the
principled critiques and/or cause-oriented groups as threats to national security and/or enemies of the
state as dissent and opposition are important features to ensure a healthy and dynamic democracy.
Research and Technology – The AFP shall be the prime mover of research and technology in the
manufacture of armaments and electronic hardware, in aircraft and shipbuilding and full utilization of
indigenous defense material based on our belief, a care and attitude in the preservation, development
protection of our natural resources.
General Statement – The AFP members make the most important asset of all the organizations’ resources. Efforts
shall, therefore, be exerted to attract only the best qualified and most deserving in order to
maintain high standards set forth in this code.
The AFP membership is composed of the Commissioned Officers and the Enlisted Personnel.
Procurement System – The AFP shall adopt an efficient system of procurement that shall ensure uniform and strict
implementation of established policies and procedures in order to upgrade the quality of its
members.
Membership Qualifications the following shall be the minimum criteria in the selection of applications.
Commissioned Officer – Grant by the President of the Philippines of commission and rank appropriate to his/her line
and expertise after meeting all the following requirements.
Must be a natural born citizen of good moral character, physically and mentally fit and within the age
brackets by AFP regulations.
Must at least be a Baccalaureate Degree holder.
Must have gone through at least the basic commissioned officer’s training in any of the service
schools here and abroad.
Must have attained an above-average IQ rating in the general military classification test prepared
and administered in accordance with AFP regulations.
Enlisted Personnel
Must be natural born citizen of good moral character, physically and mentally fit, single and within
the age bracket of from 18 – 26 years of age.
Must be at least a high school graduate
Must be attained an average IQ rating in the general military classifications test prepared and
administered in accordance with AFP regulations.
Must be of minimum height as set forth in AFP regulations.
X. Military Professionalism
General Statement – The members of the AFP are public servants who are oath-bound to fulfill the lofty mandate of
the constitution. The peculiarity of military service, which requires the right to bear arms, calls
for a corresponding assurance of professionalism from every military man.
Professionalism – The expert application of specialized skills based on a organized body of knowledge and in
accordance with laws and Code of Ethics with the highest degree of excellence in the
accomplishment of mission.
Standard of Military Professionalism – every member of the AFP shall observe the following as guidelines of the
discharge of their official duties.
Standard of Loyalty – All military personnel shall be loyal and true to the Republic of the Philippines
Constitution, the AFP and to the people at all times. They shall obey the authorities and abide by laws,
legal orders good morals, good costumes and promote order and public safety.
Standard of Competence – All military personnel must possess the knowledge, skill, physical attributes
and character traits necessary for the adequate performance of duty and accomplishment of mission.
Standard of Ethics – The military community is a part of a larger society – the Filipino society. Hence,
every soldier must observe and conformed to the accepted principles of right conduct being observed
in the society of which is a part. Among these principles if right behavior expected in the Philippine
society and other civilized societies are honesty, justice, truthfulness and concern to others.
Standard of Morals – Man is rational being. Man is also a moral being who is given the capacity to
determine what is right and do it and what is wrong and avoid it.
Unprofessional Acts – Behavior that fall short of the professional standard set forth in this code are considered
unprofessional acts, especially the following constitute offences felling under this category.
Act of Disloyalty – acts or omissions betraying one’s faith, duty and commitment to God, country, people constitutional
government, AFP chain of command, unit and office of its mission, the following are examples:
Any form of cowardice, desertion, or abandonment of post, duty assignment without leave, and
with the intent not to return for any reason or advising or aiding to commit such acts.
Contempt or desertion by words or deeds towards the Commander in Chief and appropriate civilian
authorities, one’s superior or non-commissioned officer, neglects customary salute, displays other
rudeness in the presence of a superior officer, draws or lifts any weapon against superior, willfully
disobeys the lawful order of an NCO, uses threatening or insulting language.
Any attempt to create, or participate in any violent action against the duly constituted government, or
its subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, or engaging in any mutiny or sedition of any company,
party, post, camp, detachment.
Giving or attempting to give aid, protection, comport, information or any form of support to the enemy
or his allies or fronts, such as when one relieves the enemy with arms, ammunitions, supplies, money
or other things.
Refusal execute duty or take appropriate action during time of crisis such as siege uprising, mutiny.
Acts of Incompetence – Refer to the lack of the required knowledge skills, special attributes, and character traits
necessary for the adequate performance of the duty and accomplishment of mission. The
following are the examples:
Failure to attain the minimum passing grade in any AFP training and education program.
Inability to meet the physical, mental, medical, and moral fitness test requirements of the service.
Apathy, indifference or half-heartedness towards duty and to the imprudent or negligent execution
thereof.
United Acts – Refer to all acts of omissions which deviate from established and accepted ethical and moral standards
of behavior and performance as sort forth in this code.
Ex: Arrogance words, allowing any wrong doing or irregularity in the military service, fornication-adultery,
concubinage, homosexuality, engaging in vices including but not limited executed gambling excessive
drinking of liquor, use of prohibited drugs.
Corrupt Act – All acts or omissions described and characterized as crimes against public interest, public moral,
property, chastity, civil status of persons, and honor under the pertinent provision of the Revised Penal
Code and those specifically mentioned in Republic Acts Nos. 3019 and 6713 and other special penal
laws, including the Article of War.
Penalties and Administrative Sanctions – The penalties for the foregoing disloyal, incompetent, unethical and
corrupt acts mentioned in this Code shall be those which are provided
in the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War.
Directions: Choose the correct answer from the words listed inside the box. Write your answer before each number.
(1 point each)
1. The expert application of specialized skills base on an organized body of knowledge and in accordance
with laws and Code of Ethics with the highest degree of excellence in the accomplishment of mission.
2. All members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the implementation of this code shall morally
bound by the Divine Laws, Oath of Office, AFP Customs and Traditions, AFP Code of Conduct.
3. The military community is a part of a larger society – the Filipino society. Hence, every soldier must
observe and conformed to the accepted principles of right conduct being observed in the society of
which he is part.
4. All acts or omissions described and characterized as crimes against public interest, public moral,
property, chastity, civil status of persons, and honor under the pertinent provision of the Revised Penal
Code and those specifically mentioned in Republic Acts Nos. 3019 and 6713 and other special penal
laws, including the Article of War.
5. It is a priceless gift to mankind which connotes freedom from any hostilities such as political, social and
economic ills. It is the tranquility. Orderliness and harmony among people base on justice.
6. The profession of arms, noble calling, demands from its members not only specialized knowledge and
skill but also a distinct lifestyle governed by commonly held belief-system containing non-negotiable
enduring core values of honor, loyalty, valor, duty and solidarity.
7. Acts or omissions betraying one’s faith, duty and commitment to God, country, people constitutional
government, AFP chain of command, unit and office of its mission.
8. The AFP recognizes the Constitution of the Republic as the legitimate expression of the people’s will.
9. The AFP shall uphold the supremacy of the civilian authority over the military. The President as
Commander-in-Chief of all the armed forces shall exercise command and control over the armed
forces.
10. These are accepted practices realized through continued usage that the take the force and effect of a
common law.
11. Behavior that fall short of the professional standard set forth in this code are considered unprofessional
acts.
12. The strongest, most enduring and powerful military tradition that bound the soldiers in oneness to the
people they serve.
13. Refer to all acts of omissions which deviate from established and accepted ethical and moral standards
of behavior and performance as sort forth in this code.
14. It is defined as the use of organized military force by a state to achieve its ends against the physical
opposition of a hostile state or states.
15. The introduction that state the reason and intent of the code.
Directions: Write a free verse poem about the application of AFP core values in the life of a cadet. (20 Points)
Please pass it thru your assigned platoon leader.
Directions: Explain the significance of military courtesy and discipline to these days. (20 Points)
CHAPTER 5
Rule of Law
Essential Questions:
1. Explain the 1987 Philippine Constitution Bill of Rights and different human rights local and international.
2. Identify the laws of armed conflict.
_____1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be
denied the equal protection of the laws.
A. Section 9 B. Section 2 C. Section 1 D. Section 3
_____3. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.
A. Section 12 B. Section 4 C. Section 10 D. Section 6
_____6. No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.
A. Section 7 B. Section 13 C. Section 14 D. Section 16
_____7. The right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to form unions,
associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.
A. Section 13 B. Section 10 C. Section 8 D. Section 7
_____8. No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.
A. Section 6 B. Section 18 C. Section 12 D. Section 3
_____9. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.
A. Section 9 B. Section 10 C. Section 18 D. Section 6
_____10. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion
when the public safety requires it.
A. Section 15 B. Section 11 C. Section 16 D. Section 12
_____11. All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or
administrative bodies.
_____12. Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall
the death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress
hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion Perpetua.
A. Section 22 B. Section 21 C. Section 19 D. Section 16
_____13. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The
free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall
forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
A. Section 3 B. Section 4 C. Section 5 D. Section 10
_____14. The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court,
or when public safety or order requires otherwise, as prescribed by law.
A. Section 3 B. Section 9 C. Section 4 D. Section 6
_____15. Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any
person by reason of poverty.
A. Section 10 B. Section 11 C. Section 6 D. Section 9
_____16. To develop and use our human qualities, intelligence, talents and conscience, and to satisfy our spiritual
and other needs.
A. 1986 Phil. Constitution B. Human Rights C. Miranda Rights D. Rights to Speak
_____17. It includes the right to freely determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and
cultural development.
A. Right of Self-determination B. Rights C. Rights to Speak D. Right to life
_____18. Any person arrested by police or military authorities should be informed, at the time of arrest, of the
reasons of his arrest.
A. Rights of the Arrested or Detained Person B. Right to life C. Warrant arrest D. Arrest Warrant
_____19. Is a security filed by an accused for his temporary release (Rule 114, Rules, of Court)?
A. Right to bail B. Bail C. Right to Privacy D. Bailing
_____20. Everyone has the right to nationality and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality (Art. 15,
Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
A. Bail B. Rights C. Right of Nationality D. Bill of Rights
_____1. This term allows us to develop and use our human qualities, intelligence, talents and conscience, and to
satisfy our spiritual and other needs.
A. Rights B. Rights of Self C. Human Rights D. Right to Life
_____2. To prevent foreign influence, a provision in the 1986 Philippine Constitution now reads: “The state shall
pursue an independent foreign policy. It is included on what particular right?
A. Rights B. Rights of Self-determination C. Human Rights D. Political Rights
_____3. It states that no person, not even the state authority, has the right to take the life of a person except in the
cases of heinous crimes.
A. Miranda Doctrine B. Human Rights C. Death Penalty D. Penalty of Death
_____4. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as
are established by law.
A. Arbitrary Arrest and Detention B. Miranda Doctrine C. Human Rights D. Abortion
_____5. A person may not be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt.
A. Right of Self-determination B. Self-Incrimination C. Abortion D. Rights
_____6. An accused is entitled to bail except when he is charged of a crime punishable by life or death sentence and
the evidence is strong.
A. Boil B. Right to Bail C. Rights to Bail D. Bailing
_____7. No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has already been finally
convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country.
A. Right to Bail B. Death Penalty C. Double Jeopardy D. Abortion
_____8. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or
correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation.
A. Double Jeopardy B. Right to Privacy C. Right to Bail D. Privacy
_____9. If the Flag is displayed on a flagpole, the blue field must be on top during?
A. Neutral Times B. Times of Peace C. Peace D. War
_____10. If the Flag is displayed on a flagpole, the red field must be on top during?
A Peace time B. Times of War C. War D. Peace
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free will shall be
used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention
are prohibited.
(3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be inadmissible in
evidence against him.
(4) The law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions for violations of this section as well as compensation
to and rehabilitation of victims of torture or similar practices, and their families.
Section 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidence of guilt
is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as
may be provided by law. The right to bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege of the writ of habeas
corpus is suspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.
Section 14. (1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.
(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, and
shall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the
accusation against him, to have a speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face,
and to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence in
his behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding the absence of the accused
provided that he has been duly notified and his failure to appear is unjustifiable.
Section 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion
when the public safety requires it.
Section 16. All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or
administrative bodies.
Section 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
Section 18. (1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party
shall have been duly convicted.
Section 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither
shall the death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress
hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua.
(2) The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment against any prisoner or detainee
or the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by
law.
Section 20. No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a poll tax.
Section 21. No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense. If an act is punished by a law
and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for the
same act.
Section 22. No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.
Human rights are generally defined as those rights, which are inherent in our nature, and without which, we
cannot live as human beings.
Human rights and fundamental freedoms allow us to develop and use our human qualities, intelligence, talents
and conscience, and to satisfy our spiritual and other needs. The dignity of man and human life is inviolable.
The denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms not only is an individual and personal tragedy, but also creates
social and political unrest, sowing the seeds of violence and conflict within a between societies and nations. As the first
sentence of the universal declaration of human rights states, “Respect for human rights and human dignity is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.
According to Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR), human rights are supreme, inherent and
inalienable rights to life, dignity and self-development.
Man’s Responsibility in Human Society
While freedom gives man the right to make moral decisions, he is responsible for doing so and has to answer to his
own conscience.
Basic Characteristics of Human Rights
Human rights are generally characterized as inherent, fundamental, inalienable, imprescriptibly, indivisible, universal
and interdependent.
Civil and Political Rights as Applied in the Philippines
The ideal of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can only be
achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy civil and political rights as well as his economic, social
and cultural rights.
1.1 Right of Self-determination
It includes the right to freely determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and
cultural development (Art. I, Sec.1).
To prevent foreign influence, a provision in the 1986 Philippine Constitution now reads: “The state shall
pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be
national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination.” (Art. II, sec. 7)
1.2. Right to Life, Liberty and Security
The most basic human rights from which other rights flow is the right to life. (Art. 3) of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights states “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of persons”.
1.2.1. Death Penalty. No person, not even the state authority, has the right to take the life of a person except in
the cases of heinous crimes.
1.2.2. Admonition on Death Penalty. In his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life,), issued on 25 March
1995, Pope John Paul II admonished that modern society now has all the means of effectively suppressing
all crimes by rendering criminals harmless without definitely denying them the chance to reform.
1.2.3. Euthanasia—Mercy Killing. Another form of the deprivation of life is the practice of euthanasia.
―Euthanasia‖ mean the decision of a person who is terminally ill with little hope of recovering may give his
consent to a physician to terminal his life or to withdraw all life support or medicine.
1.2.4. Abortion. Whether intentional or unintentional expulsion of the fetus from the woman’s womb before the
term of its viability is another violation of the right to life.
1.2.5. Prohibition of Slavery and Involuntary Servitude. Slavery has been a legalized institution since the ancient
Roman law period.
Article 8 of the covenant states: “No one shall be held in slavery and slave trade in all forms shall be
prohibited.” (Involuntary servitude - forced labor)
The Philippine constitution states, “No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a punishment
for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” (Art. I, Sec. 18 [2])
1.2.6. Exception on Forced Labor. Forced or compulsory labor is not absolutely prohibited. Under Article, 8 Section
3(b) of the
convention on civil and political rights, forced or hard labor is legally allowed in countries where
imprisonment for hard labor may be imposed as a punishment for crime; for work as ordered by a competent
court or work required of a detained prisoner upon lawful order of court or as a condition to his release; or
service in a military character or national service exacted in cases of emergencies or calamities or as part
of normal civil obligation.
1.2.7. Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment. “No one shall be subjected to torture or
to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his
free consent to medical or scientific experimentation” (Art 7, Political Covenant).
1.2.8. Equality before the Law. “All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to
the equal protection of the law” (Art. 26, Political Covenant).
1.2.9. Arbitrary Arrest and Detention. “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be
subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds
and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law” (Art. 9 Covenant).
1.2.10. Warrantless Arrest. There are instances when any state police officer or private person, without judicial
warrant, may arrest a person who, (1) has committed or is actually committing, or attempting to commit an
offense in his presence (2) when an offense was committed and he has personal knowledge that the person
to be arrested has committed the offense, (3) a prisoner who has escaped. (Rule 113, Sec. 5, Rules of
Court.)
1.2.11. Military or Police Checkpoint. The practice of the police or the military of maintaining checkpoints are some
street corners and searching a person passing or stopping a vehicle to conduct searches has been
constituted as violation human rights.
1.3.1. Miranda Doctrine. Promulgated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1960),
ruling that during the investigation of a detained person, he has the right to be informed of the charges
against him and to be assisted by an independent and competent counsel of his own choice when making
a statement.
1.5.1. Self-Incrimination. Article 14, Section 3 (G) of the Philippine constitution reads: “A person may not be
compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt”.
1.5.2. Presumption of Innocence. One of the important rights of the accused is his right to be presumed innocent
(Art. 2, Sec. 14, Political Covenant). Article III, Section 14(2) of the Philippine Constitution likewise provides
for presumption of innocence of the accused until the contrary is proved.
“Everyone convicted of a crime shall have the right to his conviction and sentence being reviewed by a higher
tribunal according to law”. (Art. 14, Sec. 5, Political Covenant.).
The right of appeal is not expressly provided for in the Philippine constitution but it is considered as a
necessary requirement of due process if it is granted by the statute as a means of correcting possible substantial
error committed by the trial court.
1.7.1. Double Jeopardy. “No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has
already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country”.
(Art 14, Sec. 7, Political Covenant.)
provision is made by law for the imposition of the lighter penalty, the offender shall benefit thereby”. (Art 15,
Sec. 1, Political Covenant)
1.8.3. Ex post facto law means a statute which renders a previously innocent act a criminal offense, aggravates
or increases the punishment for a crime or alters the rules of evidence, or deprives an accused of some
protection or defense previously available.
“No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence,
nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation”. (Art. 17, Sec. 1, Covenant).
1.9.1. Freedom of Movement and Choice of Domicile. Everyone lawfully within the territory of the state, shall, within
the territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
1.9.2. Asylum. Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum due to political persecution by
his/her country. Asylum means the granting of sanctuary by state to persons politically persecuted in his
own country.
1.10. Right of Nationality
Everyone has the right to nationality and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality (Art. 15, Universal
Declaration of Human Rights). Nationality has a broader meaning than citizenship in political law.
To be more precise, IHL has been drawn up to protect, in time of armed conflict, persons who do not take
part or who have ceased to take part in hostilities, like civilian, medical and para-medical personnel, or religious
personnel, combatants who have stopped fighting because they are either wounded or sick, or have been captured, or
have surrendered or are otherwise defenseless.
International Law forbids the use or threat of force in international relations except for:
Limitation
Proportionality
Humanity
Military Necessity
Geneva-type Law
It compromises the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 which provide for the protection of victims of
war, that is, the First Geneva Convention: the protection of wounded and sick on land; the Second Geneva
Convention: protection of wounded, sick and shipwrecked at sea; the Third Geneva Convention: treatment of
prisoner of war; and the Fourth Geneva Convention: protection of civilians in times of war.
Hague-type Law
It provides rules pertaining to the conduct of hostilities, specifically, the means and methods of
combat. In particular, it covers:
Conduct of combat;
The concept of occupation; and
The concept of neutrality.
Mixed-type Law
A mixed-type of Law consisting of both Hague-type and Geneva-type provisions comprises the following:
The Hague Convention of 1995 for the protection of cultural property;
The two Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, namely Protocol I relating to
international armed conflicts, and Protocol II concerning non-international armed conflicts.
Protocol I - Applicable in international armed conflict, including wars of national liberation, ensures the
protection of civilians against the effects of hostilities
Protocol II - Supplements Article 3 common to all Geneva Conventions with more detailed rules applicable in
situations which are not covered by Protocol I that is internal armed conflicts of a certain magnitude. It deals
with the guarantees of protection for all persons who do not or have ceased to take part in hostilities.
Protocol I prohibits the use of any weapon the primary effect of which is to produce fragments which cannot
be located in the human body by x-rays. This refers mainly to the despicable invention of fragmentation bombs
filled with fragments made of plastics.
Protocol II condemns the use of mine, booby traps and other devices against civilian population or in such an
indiscriminate manner as to cause the civilians’ incidental injury which is excessive with respect to the
concrete and direct military advantage sought. This refers in particular to mines placed outside military zones.
Protocol III- prohibits the use of incendiary weapons.
Convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, the Hague, 1954. Article 19 of the
convention provides that even in the event of a non-international armed conflict each party to the conflict shall be bound
to apply, as a minimum, the provisions of the present convention which relate to respect for cultural property.
habeas corpus also developed as the king's role to demand account for his subject who is restrained of his liberty by
other authorities.
Deeply rooted in the Anglo-American jurisprudence, the law of habeas corpus was adopted in the U.S. as
well, by the early Founding Fathers. James Madison, in 1789, argued for the adoption of the Bill of Rights, including
Habeas Corpus. The first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Chief Justice Marshall, emphasized the importance
of habeas corpus, writing in his decision in 1830, that the "great object" of the writ of habeas corpus "is the liberation
of those who may be imprisoned without sufficient cause." The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that the "writ of
habeas corpus is the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state
action" and must be "administered with the initiative and flexibility essential to ensure that miscarriages of justice within
its reach are surfaced and corrected.
A state of martial law does not suspend the operation of the Constitution, nor supplant the functioning of the
civil courts or legislative assemblies, nor authorize the conferment of jurisdiction on military courts and agencies over
civilians where civil courts are able to function, nor automatically suspend the privilege of the writ.
The suspension of the privilege of the writ shall apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or
offenses inherent in or directly connected with the invasion.
During the suspension of the privilege of the writ, any person thus arrested or detained shall be judicially
charged within three days, otherwise he shall be released.
END
NOTES
UNIT THREE
MILITARY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 6
Values and Development and Followership
Essential Questions:
1. How does one perceived his/ her self-development and social identity?
2. How does one become a good follower?
Direction: Write at least ten (10) Filipino Values and why is it essential in our everyday lives?
Direction: Who is more important, the leader or the follower? Why? Please expound your answer.
I. Values Education
Self-Development
The Perceived Self
Is composed of a set of self-cognitions regarding one’s traits, competencies and values.
It is reinforced through feedback. The type of feedback, which an individual receives, determines the standard to
measure the ideal self. The three categories of self-perception are traits, competencies and values.
The Ideal Self
Represents the set of traits, competencies and values an individual would like to possess. Internalized competencies
and values have been suggested as the basis of the ideal self and as an internal standard for behavior. (Bandura,
1986)
Social Identities
Are those aspects of the individual’s self-concept that are derived from the social categories to which he or she
perceives him/herself as belonging to. Social identities link individuals to reference groups, which establish a set of role
expectations and norms that guide the individual’s behavior within each of the social identities. For example: the identity
of a Principal may be associated with leadership and order (traits), analytical ability and competence (competencies),
service and commitment (values). These aspired traits, competencies and values associated, serve as the basis for
the ideal self once established the attributes then reinforced the identity.
Self-Esteem
Is the evaluative component of the self-concept (Rosenberg 1998). It is the function of the distance between the ideal
self-perceived self. When the perceived self matches the ideal self, self-esteem is relatively high. Low self-esteem
occurs when the perceived self is significantly lower than the ideal self.
So how does one achieve Self-Esteem?
You must be competent to live: which means, be rational. You must deserve to live: which means, be virtuous. Which
denies from rationality? Thus, the key to self-esteem is a life of unbreached rationality. Then you can trust your mind,
because your use of reason is uncompromised. Then you are virtuous, because all of the virtues are expressions of
rationality.
Becoming More Self-Aware:
1. Understanding one’s attitude and emotions.
2. Explaining and disclosing your feelings
3. Request for feedback from others.
Values
Values are the beliefs, which we hold to be true - those noble ideals we struggle to attain and implement in our daily
lives.
Derived from the natural and moral laws and not from an individual’s opinions and feelings
They are based on objective, eternal and universal truths (e.g., freedom, justice, peace, love family
solidarity…)
Also rooted in a personal view of what works and does not work; they may be accepted practices and ways
of acting of a given people during a given period of time.
Are an integral part of human existence; as such they relate to every aspect of life?
Values can be viewed as priorities that relate to a person’s behavior. Specifically, they are the priorities one
is motivated to act upon.
Values Education
1. Academic formation – human intellect (to know the truth)
2. Personal formation - human will (to act, to choose good)
3. As part of the school curriculum – is the process values are formed in the learner under the guidance of the teacher.
4. As a subject – values education has direct and immediate relevance to the personal life of the learner
5. It is holistic because it involves all faculties of the learner.
B. Filipinos’ Occidentalism
a. Spanish influence
Spanish influence is manifested in our religious, political, economic, educational life, language, dress and diet. Most of
the population was converted to Hispanic Catholicism, and the visible aspects of culture (e.g., personal names,
vocabulary, urban architecture, fine arts, dress, cuisine, and customs) were profoundly influenced or modified. (Harper
and Fullerton, 1994)
Centuries of Spanish rule also imposed a severe colonial mentality and left Filipinos with “a legacy of attitudes that are
firmly embedded in society such as, equating light skin with beauty and high status, the identification of anything foreign
with superiority and indigenous with inferiority, and a conception of officialdom as a system serving its own ends, not
those of the people” (Gochenour, 1990, p. 6)
b. Americanization of Filipinos
American influences manifested in our political and social outlook. With the introduction of a democratic system of
government we became aware of our rights and privileges. The popularization of education gave us the opportunity for
–social mobility. Americans in the presumed spirit of white paternalism and benevolence saw themselves as best
owners of education, religion, public health, development , and democracy to their “little brown brothers” (Gochenour,
1990). In fact, the American educational system was adopted, and English (which children were required to speak in
school) was made the official language (Kang, 1996).
c. Japanese Occupation
Japanese influences manifested our love of work. Dignity of labor and working hard were one of the values that Filipinos
were widely known. This is evident because many Filipinos nowadays are working abroad. Almost everywhere Filipinos
are at hand working hard to earn more to support their family. Many countries choose Filipinos to work in their country
because they know of Filipinos’ perseverance and hard work.
Assimilation is the process in which people understand an experience in terms of their current state of
cognitive development and way of thinking.
In contrast, accommodation refers to changes in existing ways of thinking in response to encounters with new
stimuli or events.
5. Socio-cultural theory (Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky) proposes that a full understanding of development is
impossible without taking into account the culture in which children develop. Socio-cultural theory proposes that
children’s understanding of the world is acquired through their problem-solving interactions with adults and other
children. As children play and cooperate with others, they learn what is important in their society, and at the same
time, advance cognitively in their understanding of the world.
6. Ecological Theory. The Ecological model, the major proponent of which is Urie Bronfenbrenner, seeks to explain
individual knowledge, development, and competencies in terms of the guidance, support, and structure provided by
society and to explain social change over time in terms of the cumulative effect of individual choices (Berger, 2000).
According to Urie Bronfenbrenner, each person is significantly affected by interactions among a number of
overlapping ecosystems. At the center of the model is the individual. Microsystems are the systems that intimately and
immediately shape human development.
The primary microsystems for children include the family, peer group, classroom, neighborhood, and
sometimes a church, temple, or mosque as well. Interactions among the microsystems, as when parents and teachers
coordinate their efforts to educate the child, take place through the mesosystem.
Surrounding the microsystems is the ecosystem, which includes all the external networks, such as community
structures and local educational, medical, employment, and communications systems that influence the microsystems.
And influencing all other systems is the macro system, which includes cultural values, political philosophies, economic
patterns, and social conditions. Together, these systems are termed the social context of human development.
7. Humanism Theory. The humanistic perspective contends that people have a natural tendency to make decisions
about their lives and control behavior. The humanistic perspective emphasizes free will, the ability of humans to
make choices and come to decisions about their lives.
Carl Rogers suggested that all people have a need for positive regard that results from an underlying wish to
be loved and respected. Because it is other people who provide this positive regard, we become dependent on them.
Consequently, our view of our self-worth and ourselves is a reflection of how we think others view us.
8. Evolutionary Theory. The Evolutionary Theory stresses that behavior is strongly influenced by biology, is tied to
evolution, and is characterized by critical or sensitive periods (Santrock, 1999). Evolutionary approaches grow out
of the groundbreaking work of Charles Darwin. The evolutionary perspective is also referred to as Ethological or
Biological.
Konrad Lorenz discovered that newborn geese are genetically preprogrammed to become attached to the
first moving object they see after birth. His work, which demonstrated the importance of biological determinants in
influencing behavior patterns, ultimately led mentalists to consider the ways in which human behavior might reflect
inborn genetic patterns.
The evolutionary perspective encompasses one of the fastest growing areas within the field of lifespan
development, behavioral genetics. Behavioral genetics studies the effects of heredity and genetics on behavior. As
technology improves, and researchers continue to map the human genome, there is an increasing understanding of
the role and function of the genetic codes and their influence on development.
9. Moral Development (Lawrence Kohlberg)
There exist structural bases that determine the process of perceiving value. This series of progression
depends on the person’s interaction with the environment. Moral reasoning is related to moral behavior.
2. Normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons
for governing the behavior of all moral agents. Morality as a public system. Public system refers to guide to conduct
such that (1) all persons to whom it applies all those whose behavior is to be guided and judged by that system, know
what behavior the system prohibits, requires, discourages, encourages, and allows; and (2) it is not irrational for any
of these persons to accept being guided and judged by that system.
Refers to a code of conduct put forward by a society or some other group, such as religion, or accepted by an
individual for his/her own behavior .
Also refers to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions would be put forward by all rational persons.
Refers to a doctrine or system of conduct relative to principles of right and wrong. It encompasses the ideas
of moral judgment, moral obligation, and a moral agent.
c. Nature of morality
1. Moral talk is normative – meant to guide action, it is often manifested by words like should, ought, permitted, right
and wrong when the action is prescribe and proscribe, exhort and discourage, judge, praise and condemn actions.
2. Moral talk is evaluative – it refers to moral value of things, what matters morally and why. It is manifested by words
like good, valuable, important, fundamental, precious, sacred and meaningful.
Level of Morality
True Freedom
The way forward involves liberation from both false freedom and moralism. Moral action is possible only for a being
that is free. Freedom let the will to choose gives space for creativity, and implies release from determining factor.
Nevertheless true freedom implies not only the power of self-chosen action but also the proper orientation power. The
power to do whatever he/she wants to do is not a true freedom because true freedom is oriented to goodness. Freedom
includes the power to choose evil, but freedom is fulfilled and enhanced and sustained only by choosing the good
abusing liberty leads to losing it.
Moral Intuition
The more carefully you think through your great decision, the more spontaneous you will be in the host of situations
covered by those decisions. Though few have an appetite for studying and discussing difficult moral cases, the
intellectual dimension to morality is nonetheless essential. When actions are not governed by our best thinking we are
usually in the current of emotions whose guidance is less reliable.
Human Acts – are actions performed by an agent with conscious knowledge and are subject to the control of
the will.
Acts of Man – are actions that are instinctive and involuntary and are not within the control of the will.
Moral actions – are those actions that are in conformity with the norm of morality. They are good actions and
are permissible.
Immoral Actions – are those actions that are not in conformity with the norm of morality. They are bad or evil
actions and are not permissible.
Amoral Actions – are actions, which stand neutral in relation to the norms of morality. They are either good or
bad in themselves. But certain amoral actions may become good or bad because of the circumstances
intended to them.
Normal of Morality – are the standards that indicate the rightfulness or wrongfulness, the goodness or evilness,
the value or disvalue of a thing (R. Agapay , 1991)
Kinds of Law
Natural Law – is a moral obligation that arises from human nature, compelling an individual to be true to his
nature as tao (R. Agapay , 1991)
Eternal Law – reveals the will of God. It contains the divine blueprints which bring order into the universe
because they direct all of creation and creatures to their respective end-goals (St. Augustine)
Moral Law – contains universal truths and ethical principles that ought to guide the individual conduct of man
in matters of right and wrong (E. Esteban).
1. We share on Universal Ethics and Morality but with a distinct Filipino flavor.
Idea of moderation such as in Greek; “meden agan”, and in Roman “in medio stat virtus” with Filipino
equivalent; “Hindi labis, hindi kulang, katamtaman lamang.”
The golden rule of Confucious is categorically imperative with Emilio Jacinto’s, “Ang di mo ibig na gawin sa
asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huwag mong gagawin sa asawa, anak at kapatid ng iba”.
Another, is the eastern concept of “Harmony in Opposites” e.g. “Ang buhay ng tao’y gulong ang kahambing:sa
ibabaw ngayon, bukas sa ilalim” or “malapit ma’t di lakarin,ay hindi mo mararating”.
2. When we speak of Filipino values – it does not mean it cannot be found to other cultures and people. It is with a rank
or priority depending on the culture.
a) China and Japan- great value in propriety and beauty
b) America – in promptness and efficiency
c) Filipinos- pakikisama and pagkatao
3. Due to different contexts, Filipino values like Family centeredness, authoritarianism, smooth interpersonal relations,
hiya, kinship system, utang na loob, awa, and with five principles on:
i. Pagsasarili
ii. Pagkakaisa
iii. Pakikisama
iv. Pakikipagkapwa-tao
v. Pagkabayani
4. Historical consciousness- on which moral values has evolved among our people e.g. moral value of justice is
universal and fundamental.
IN PRAISE OF FOLLOWERS
Robert E. Kelley
We are convinced that corporations succeed or fail, compete or crumble, on the basis of how well they are
led. So we study great leaders of the past and present and spend vast quantities of time and money looking for leaders
to hire and trying to cultivate leadership in the employees we already have.
I have no argument with this enthusiasm. Leaders matter greatly. But in searching so zealously for better
leaders we tend to lose sight of the people these leaders will lead. Without his armies, after all, Napoleon was just a
man with grandiose ambitions. Organizations stand or fall partly on the basis of how well their leaders lead, but partly
also on the basis of how well their followers follow.
In 1987, declining profitability and intensified competition for corporate clients forced a large commercial bank
on the east coast to reorganize its operations and cut its work force. Its most seasoned managers had to spend most
of their time in the field working with corporate customers. Time and energies were stretched so thin that one
department head decided he had no choice but to delegate the responsibility for reorganization to his staff people, who
had recently had training in self-management.
They pulled it off. The bank's officers were delighted and frankly amazed that rank-and-file employees could
assume much responsibility so successfully. In fact, the department’s capacity to control and direct itself virtually
without leadership saved the organization months of turmoil, and as the bank struggled to remain a major player in its
region, valuable management time was freed up to put out other fires.
What was it these singular employees did? Given a goal and parameters, they went where most departments
could only have gone under the hands-on guidance of an effective leader. But these employees accepted the
delegation of authority and went there alone. They thought for themselves, sharpened their skills, and focused their
efforts, put on a fine display of grit and spunk and self-control. They followed effectively.
To encourage this kind of effective following in other organizations, we need to understand the nature of the
follower's role. To cultivate good followers, we need to understand the human qualities that allow effective followership
to occur.
What distinguishes an effective from an ineffective follower is enthusiastic, intelligent, and self-reliant
participation without star billing in the pursuit of an organizational goal. Effective followers differ in their motivations for
following and in their perceptions of the role. Some choose followership as their primary role at work and serve as team
players who take satisfaction in helping to further a cause, an idea, a product, a service, or more rarely, a person.
Others are leaders in some situations but choose the follower role in a particular context. Both these groups view the
role of follower as legitimate, inherently valuable, and even virtuous.
Some potentially effective followers derive motivation from ambition. By proving themselves in the follower’s
role, they hope to win the confidence of peers and superiors and move up the corporate ladder. These people do not
see followership as attractive in itself. All the same, they can become good followers if they accept the value of learning
the role, studying leaders form a subordinate’s perspective, and polishing the followership skills that will always stand
them in good stead.
Understanding motivations and perceptions is not enough, however, since followers with different motivations
can perform equally well. I examined the behavior that leads to effective and less effective following among people
committed to the organization and came up with two underlying behavioral dimensions that help to explain the
difference.
One dimension measures to what degree followers exercise independent, critical thinking. The other ranks
them on a passive/active scale. The resulting diagram identifies five followership patterns. (SeeFigure 2.1.)
Sheep are passive and uncritical, lacking in initiative and sense of responsibility. They perform the tasks given
them and stop. YES people are a livelier but equally a non-enterprising group. Dependent on a leader for inspiration,
they can be aggressively deferential, even servile. Bosses weak in judgment and self-confidence tend to like them and
to form alliances with them that can stultify the organization.
Alienated followers are critical and independent in their thinking but passive in carrying out their role.
Somehow, sometime, something turned them off. Often cynical, they tend to sink gradually into disgruntled
acquiescence, seldom openly opposing a leader's efforts. In the very center of the diagram we have Survivors, who
perpetually sample the wind and live by the slogan "better safe than sorry." They are adept at surviving change.
In the upper right-hand corner, finally, we have Effective Followers, who think for themselves and carry out
their duties and assignments with energy and assertiveness. Because they are risk takers, self-starters, and
independent problem solvers, they get consistently high ratings from peers and many superior. Followership of this
kind can be a positive and acceptable choice for parts or all of our lives a source of pride and fulfillment.
Effective followers are well-balanced and responsible adults who can succeed without strong leadership.
Many followers believe they offer as much value to the organization as leaders do, especially in project or task-force
situations. In an organization of effective followers, a leader tends to be more an overseer of change and progress than
a hero. As organizational structures flatten, the quality of those who follow will become more and more important. As
Chester I. Barnard wrote 50 years ago in The Functions of the Executive, "The decision as to whether an order has
authority or not lies with the person to whom it is addressed, and does not reside in 'persons of authority' or those who
issue orders.”
self-management that is, to stay attractive in the marketplace. The qualities that make a good follower are too much
in demand to go begging for long.
3. Commitment. Effective followers are committed to something a cause, a product, an organization, an idea in addition
to the care of their own lives and careers. Some leaders misinterpret this commitment. Seeing their authority
acknowledged, they mistake loyalty to a goal for loyalty to themselves. But the fact is that many effective followers
see leaders merely as co-adventurers on a worthy crusade, and if they suspect their leader of flagging commitment
or conflicting motives they may just withdraw their support, either by changing jobs or by contriving to change leaders.
The opportunities and the dangers posed by this kind of commitment are not hard to see. On the one hand,
commitment is contagious. Most people like working with colleagues whose hearts are in their work. Morale stays
high. Workers who begin to wander from their purpose are jostled back into line. Projects stay on track and on time.
In addition, an appreciation of commitment and the way it works can give managers an extra tool with which to
understand and channel the energies and loyalties of their subordinates.
On the other hand, followers who are strongly committed to goals not consistent with the goals of their
companies can produce destructive results. Leaders having such followers can even lose control of their
organizations.
A scientist at a computer company cared deeply about making computer technology available to the
masses, and her work was outstanding. Since her goal was in line with the company's goals, she had few problems
with top management. Yet she saw her department leaders essentially as facilitators of her dream, and when
managers worked at cross-purposes to that vision, she exercised all of her considerable political skills to their
detriment. Her immediate supervisors saw her as a thorn in the side, but she was quite effective in furthering her
cause because she saw eye to eye with company leaders. But what if her vision and the company's vision had
differed?
Effective followers temper their loyalties to satisfy organizational needs or they find new organizations.
Effective leaders know how to channel the energies of strong commitment in ways that will satisfy corporate goals
as well as a follower's personal needs.
4. Competence and Focus. On the grounds that committed incompetence is still incompetence, effective followers
master skills that will be useful to their organizations. They generally hold higher performance standards than the
work environment requires, and continuing education is second nature to them, a staple in their professional
development.
Less effective followers expect training and development to come to them. The only education they acquire
is force-fed. If not sent to a seminar, they don't go. Their competence deteriorates unless some leader gives them
parental care and attention.
Good followers take on extra work gladly, but first they do a superb job, on their core responsibilities. They
are good judges of their own strengths and weaknesses, and they contribute well to teams. Asked to perform in
areas where they are poorly qualified, they speak up. Like athletes stretching their capacities, they don't mind
chancing failure if they know they can succeed, but they are careful to spare the company wasted energy, lost time,
and poor performance by accepting challenges that co-workers are better prepared to meet. Good followers see co-
workers as colleagues rather than competitors.
At the same time, effective followers often search for overlooked problems. A woman on a new product
development team discovered that no one was responsible for coordinating engineering, marketing, and
manufacturing. She worked out an interdepartmental review schedule that identified the people who should be
involved at each, stage of development. Instead of burdening her boss with yet another problem, this woman took
the initiative to present the issue along with a solution. Another woman I interviewed described her, efforts to fill a
dangerous void in the company she cared about. Young managerial talent in this manufacturing corporation had
traditionally made careers in production. Convinced that foreign competition would alter the shape of the industry,
she realized that marketing was a neglected area. She took classes, attended seminars, and read widely. More
important, she visited customers to get feedback about her company's and competitors' products, and she soon
knew more about the products, customer appeal and market position than any of her peers. The extra competence
did wonders for her own career, but it also helped her company weather a storm it had not seen coming.
5. Courage. Effective followers are credible, honest, and courageous. They establish themselves as independent,
critical thinkers whose knowledge and judgment can be trusted. They give credit where credit is due, admitting
mistakes and sharing successes. They form their own views and ethical standards and stand up for what they believe
in.
Insightful, candid, and fearless, they can keep leaders and colleagues honest and informed. The other side
of the coin of course is that they can also cause great trouble for a leader with questionable ethics.
Jerome LiCari, the former R&D director at Beech-Nut, suspected for several years that the apple concentrate
Beech-Nut was buying from a new supplier at 20% below market price was adulterated. His department, suggested
switching suppliers, but top management at the financially strapped company put the burden of proof on, R&D.
By 1981, LiCari had accumulated strong evidence of adulteration and issued a memo recommending a
change of supplier. When he got no response, he went to see his boss, the head of operations. According to LiCari,
he was threatened with dismissal for lack of team spirit. LiCari then went to the president of Beech-Nut and when
that, too, produced no results, he gave up his three-year good-soldier effort, followed his conscience, and resigned.
His last performance evaluation praised his expertise and loyalty, but said his judgment was colored, by naiveté and
impractical ideals.
In 1986, Beech-Nut and LiCari's two bosses were indicted on several hundred counts of conspiracy to commit
fraud by distributing adulterated apple juice. In November 1987, the company pleaded guilty and agreed to a fine of
$2 million. In February of 1988, the two executives were found guilty on a majority of the charges. The episode cost
Beech-Nut an estimated $2.5 million and a 20% loss of market share. He was asked during the trial if he had been
naive, LiCari said, "I guess I was. I thought apple juice should be made from apples.”
Is LiCari a good follower? Well, no, not to his dishonest bosses. But yes, he is almost certainly the kind of
employee most companies want to have loyal, honest, candid with his superiors, and thoroughly credible. In an
ethical company involved unintentionally in questionable practices this kind of follower can head off embarrassment,
expense, and litigation.
article, effective followers and effective leaders are often the same people playing different parts at different hours of
the day.
In many companies, the leadership track is the only road to career success. In almost all companies,
leadership is taught and encouraged while followership is not. Yet effective, Followership is a prerequisite for
organizational success. Your organization can take four steps to cultivate effective followers in your workforce.
a. Redefining Followership and Leadership. Our stereotyped but unarticulated definitions of leadership and followership
shape our expectations when we occupy either position. If a leader is defined as responsible for motivating followers,
he or she will likely act toward followers, as if they needed motivation. If we agree that a leader's job is to transform
followers, then it must be a follower’s job to provide the day. If followers fail to heed transformation, the leader looks
ineffective. The way we define the roles clearly influences the outcome of the interaction.
Instead of seeing the leadership role as superior to and more active than the role of the follower, we can think
of them as equal but different activities. The operative definitions are roughly these: people who are effective in the
leader role have the vision to set corporate goals and strategies, the interpersonal skills to achieve consensus, the
verbal capacity to communicate enthusiasm to large and diverse groups of individuals, the organizational talent to
coordinate disparate efforts, and, above all, the desire to lead.
People who are effective in the follower role have the vision to see both the forest and the trees, the social
capacity to work well with others, the strength of character to flourish without heroic status, the moral and
psychological balance to pursue personal and corporate goals at no cost to either, and, above all, the desire to
participate in a team effort for the accomplishment of some greater common purpose.
This view of leadership and followership can be conveyed to employees directly and indirectly in training and
by example. The qualities that make good followers and the value the company places on effective followership can
be articulated explicitly in follower training. Perhaps the best way to convey this message, however, is by example.
Since each of us plays a follower's part at least from time to time, it is essential that we play it well, that we contribute
our competence to the achievement of team goals, that we support the team leader with candor and self-control, that
we do our best to appreciate and enjoy the role of quiet contribution to a larger, common cause.
b. Honing Followership Skills. Most organizations assume that leadership has to be taught but that everyone knows
how to follow. This assumption is based on three faulty premises (1) that leaders are more important than followers,
(2) that following is simply doing what you are told to do, and (3) that followers inevitably draw their energy and aims,
even their talent, from the leader. A program of follower training can correct this misapprehension by focusing on
topics like:
1. Improving independent, critical thinking.
2. Self-management.
3. Disagreeing agreeably.
4. Building credibility.
5. Aligning personal and organizational goals and commitments.
6. Acting responsibly toward the organization, the leader, coworkers, and oneself.
7. Similarities and differences between leadership and followership roles.
8. Moving between the two roles with ease
c. Performance Evaluation and Feedback. Most performance evaluations include a section on leadership skills.
Followership evaluation would include items like the ones I have discussed. Instead of rating employees on
leadership qualities such as self-management, independent thinking, originality, courage, competence, and
credibility, we can rate them, on these same qualities in both the leadership and followership roles and then evaluate
each individual's ability to shift easily from the one role to the other. A variety of performance perspectives will help
most people understand better how well they play their various organizational roles.
Moreover, evaluations can come from peers, subordinates, and self as well as from supervisors. The process
is simple enough: peers and subordinates who come into regular or significant contact with another employee fill in
brief, periodic questionnaires where they rate the individual on followership qualities. Findings are then summarized
and given to the employee being rated.
d. Organizational Structures That Encourage Followership. Unless the value of good following is somehow built into
the fabric of the organization, it is likely to remain a pleasant conceit to which everyone pays occasional lip service
but no dues. Here are four good ways to incorporate the concept into your corporate culture:
1) In leaderless groups, all members assume equal responsibility for achieving goals. These are usually small task
forces of people who can work together under their own supervision. However hard it is to imagine a group with
more than one leader; as a group with none at all can be highly productive if their members have the qualities of
effective followers.
2) Groups with temporary and rotating leadership are another possibility. Again, such groups are probably, best kept
small and the rotation fairly frequent, although the notion might certainly be extended to include the administration
of a small department for, say, six-month terms. Some of these temporary leaders will be less effective than
others, of course, and some may be weak indeed, which is why critics maintain that this structure is inefficient.
Why not let the best leader lead? Why suffer through the tenure of less effective leaders? There are two reasons.
First, experience of the leadership role is essential to the education of effective followers. Second, followers learn
that they must compensate for ineffective leadership by exercising their skill as good followers. Rotating leader
or not, they are bound to be faced with ineffective leadership more than once in their careers.
3) Delegation to the lowest level is a third technique for cultivating good followers. Nordstrom's, the Seattle-based
department store chain, gives each sales clerk responsibility for servicing and satisfying the customer, including
the authority to make refunds without supervisory approval. This kind of delegation makes even people at the
lowest levels responsible for their own decisions and for thinking independently about their work.
4) Finally, companies can use rewards to underline the importance of good followership. This is not as easy as it
sounds. Managers dependent on yes people and sheep for ego gratification will not leap at the idea of extra
rewards for the people who make them most uncomfortable. In my research, I have found that effective followers
get mixed treatment. About half the time, their contributions lead to substantial rewards. The other half of the time
they are punished by their superiors for exercising judgment, taking risks, and failing to conform. Many managers
insist that they want independent subordinates who can think for themselves. In practice, followers who challenge
their bosses run the risk of getting fired.
In today's flatter leader organization, companies will not succeed without the kind of people who take pride
and satisfaction in the role of supporting player, doing the less glorious work without fanfare. Organizations that want
the benefits of effective followers must find ways of rewarding them, ways of bringing them into full partnership in the
enterprise. Think of the thousands of companies that achieve adequate performance and lackluster profits with
employees they treat like second-class citizens. Then imagine for a moment the power of an organization blessed
with fully engaged, fully energized, fully appreciated followers.
END
UNIT FOUR
MILITARY COLLECTIVE SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 7
Introduction and Fundamentals to Infantry Operations
Essential Questions:
Assume that you are the current Commanding General of the Philippine Army, and there is another country who
wants to seize our nation, what would be the strategic plan you would do to protect our country form invaders?
I. Infantry Battalion
Characteristics
The Infantry Battalion (Light) is the light infantry division's close combat maneuver force. It is composed of
foot mobile fighters, who are organized, equipped and trained to conduct effective combat actions against light enemy
forces, however, it also has the capability of defeating heavy forces in close terrain especially when augmented with
additional anti-armor weapons. The Battalion is designed for employment at all intensity levels of conflict, in all types
of local weather and terrain and in any visibility condition.
The battalion is rapidly deployable. It is light enough to enable it to respond quickly to situations anywhere in
the country. The personnel and equipment of one (1) company can be airlifted by one (1) C-130 aircraft.
The Infantry Battalion (Light) has limited tactical mobility due to its limited organic vehicles. The battalion has
light vehicles only and relies on the Brigade and Division Headquarters for medium and heavy lift transportation. It has
no logistical base for extended self-sustenance.
The battalion has a high foxhole strength. It also has a high leader to led ratio that greatly increases small unit
combat effectiveness. The battalion will still function effectively even if 20% of its personnel strength are ineffective.
The Infantry Battalion (Light) has a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) and three rifle
companies The HHC contains the command and control, combat service support and combat support elements.
Mission
To close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver to destroy or capture him or repel his assault by fire,
close combat, and counterattack, to conduct stability operations in an internal defense and internal development
environment.
Capabilities
1. The Infantry Battalion (Light) can:
2. Provide a base of fire and maneuver elements.
3. Seize and hold terrain
4. Conduct independent operations,
5. Provide limited heavy anti-tank fire support.
6. Provide mortar fire support for organic and attached units.
7. Conduct long range patrols,
8. Operate in conjunction with heavy forces.
9. Participate in air assault operation.
10. Participate in amphibious operations
11. Maneuver in all types of terrain and weather condition.
12. Participate in counterinsurgency operations
13. Provide unit level health service support for battalion and attached unit.
14. Provide unit level maintenance of organic equipment
Concept of Employment
The Infantry Battalion (Light) is designed for rapid deployment missions. It can be deployed to any part of the
country in response to any contingency.
The Battalion may be employed with minimal external support in a variety of scenarios. However, it will usually
be deployed as part of Brigade with the attendant of combat support and combat service support from Brigade/Division
support units.
The Infantry Battalion (Light) is normally employed against light forces. However, it can also be used to
confront heavy forces in certain situations. The Battalion is extremely effective when operating in areas that would be
unfavorable to heavy forces where the advantages of enemy armor and vehicular mobility are diminished. The
Battalion's strength is in fighting in rough, restrictive terrain such as forests, jungles and urban areas.
When deployed in a hostile environment, the Infantry Battalion (Light) may require additional artillery, and air
defense support. The Battalion relies only on small arms air defense and passive protective measure to protect itself
from hostile aircraft. Normally, it would require that local air superiority be established. It is also vulnerable to attack by
heavy forces and to indirect fires.
Strength
• Trench fighting
• Close quarter combat
• Infiltration
• Fight with 20% casualty
Combat Support
The combat support elements include the mortar platoon, anti-armor platoon, scout platoon. Communication
platoon and intelligence platoon.
The battalion mortar platoon has four 81mm mortars. They provide close and immediate fire support to the
maneuver units. They may be employed as a platoon, by section or by squad. The platoon may be placed under
battalion control. However, the platoon or any of its sub-elements may also be attached to a supported unit. Four of
the battalion's cargo/troop carriers were dedicated for the use of the mortar platoon.
The anti-armor platoon has four heavy anti-tank weapons. They provide long-range anti-armor fire support to
the battalion. The weapons may be mounted on four armament carriers dedicated for that purpose. The platoon is
designed to operate as two sections. It can be placed under battalion control but the platoon or its sub-element can
also be to a supported unit.
The scout platoon is the reconnaissance and security element the battalion. The platoon is extremely light
and primarily foot mobile. It has no crew-serve weapons. Its personnel are scout ranger qualified. The platoon normally
operates under Bn control.
The intelligence platoon provides both human and signal intelligence to the battalion. It has a Sig Int Team for
Communications Intercept, an Interrogation Team for Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) interrogation and document
exploitation, and a CI Team for Human Intelligence as well as liaison and OPSEC activities.
The communication platoon provides the communication requirement of the battalion. It consists of a platoon
headquarters, radio section and a wire section. The platoon headquarters operates the battalion message center. The
battalion communication/signal officer is the concurrent communications platoon leader.
Mission
To provide command, control and supervision, combat support and combat service support to the infantry battalion
(light) and attached units.
Capabilities
The HHC can:
• Provide command, control and supervision of the operations of organic and attached elements of the infantry
battalion (light).
• Provide mortar fire support to the battalion and attached units.
• Provide heavy anti-armor for support to the battalion and attached units.
• Provide reconnaissance and security support to the battalion.
• Provide /communication support to include centralized unit level maintenance of communications equipment.
• Provide intelligence support to the battalion.
• Provide limited battalion supply/re-supply support.
• Provide unit level medical support.
• Provide unit level administrative support to assigned and attached units.
Characteristics
The Infantry rifle Company (Light) is a soldier-powered organization that can be deployed rapidly. It has no
organic vehicle and is foot mobile. It has austere combat support and relies more on professionally trained and
discipline soldiers under superb leadership. All fighters are trained in day and night combat operations. The entire
company can be transported in a single C-130 aircraft. All its weapons are man, portable. The company requires
minimal support.
Organization
The Infantry Company (Lights) has a Headquarters platoon and three rifle platoons organized as follows:
Rifle Platoons
The rifle platoons each has a platoon headquarters and three rifle squads. With the platoon headquarters are
the platoon ldr, pltn Sgt, radio/telephone operator (RTO) and machine gun crew. It has two general purpose
machineguns (GPMG) each operated by a crew of two. These GPMGs provide sustained fire at longer ranges and with
better penetration that any of the platoons weapons.
Rifle Squad
The three rifle squads have nine man each. The nine composition of the squad is ideal and affords flexibility
and effectiveness. It can operate even 20% of its strength is ineffective.
The rifle squad is broken down into two fire teams. Each team has four men composed of the team leader,
grenadier, automatic rifleman and the rifleman. The two fire team leaders double as anti-armor gunners. The two
riflemen also serve as medical aid man.
Each squad has two 40mm grenade launcher (GL), which are attached to the assault trifle, and two squad
automatic weapons (SAW). The SAW provides sustained automatic rifle for the quad. It is light enough to be operated
by one man moving with the rest of the squad in assault. Its range, penetration and sustained rate of fire are lesser
than that of the platoon GPMG. The rest of the squad is armed with individual assault rifle. The two fire team leaders
are also armed with light anti-tank weapons (LAW). The LAW provides short range anti-armor capability to rifle
platoons.
Mission
To close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver to destroy or capture him or repel his assault by fire,
close combat and counterattack.
Capabilities
The Infantry Company (Light) can:
Concept of Employment
The Infantry Company (Light) can be employed in a variety of scenarios. It is suited for economy of force and
contingency operations. It is also ideally suited doe air assault operations and it’s strategically mobile. The company
is usually deployed as part of the Battalion from whom it depends on combat support and service support.
The company is extremely effective when operating in area that would be unfavorable to heavy forces. Its
strength includes the ability to move in restricted terrain; infiltrate through or around the enemy unobserved; employ
accurate, intense, small arms fire for short duration; use the environment to protect the force from enemy fire and
maneuver; and withstand the extremes of weather and terrain.
There are inherent weaknesses of Light Infantry Rifle Company. It is not as mobile as mounted forces in
terrain favorable to vehicular movement. Against a heavy enemy, it may not have sufficient density of artillery or anti-
armor weapons to sustain a high volume of fire for a prolonged period. It is vulnerable to all classes of fire, including
CAS, one observed by the enemy.
Understanding Doctrine
0101. Doctrine is defined in military usage as the “fundamental principles by which military forces guide their actions
in support of objectives”. It is what we in the armed services believe as the most effective way to function and
conduct military affairs. It is authoritative, although it does not exceed the authority of policy. It is employed as
a default approach to any given situation, but it must not constrain anyone from exercising initiative, creative
thinking, and judgment in its application. Doctrine is used as a guide. Thus, it is descriptive and theoretical when
referring to concepts and approaches at the operational and strategic levels of conflict, although it appears to
be prescriptive and procedural at the tactical level.
0102. The development of Philippine Army (PA) doctrine is attributed to a variety of sources. A strong influence comes
from the aspiration of the Filipino people as expressed in the Philippine Constitution, government policies, and
the characteristic of the nation. It is also developed as a requirement to support strategy, defining the context in
which army forces operate whether as a single service or interoperable with naval or air forces. The adoption of
doctrine is sometimes dictated by the availability of resources and the capability of army units available. New or
improved technology that affords the army a significant increase in lethality, offers an improvement in force
protection, or exploits the weakness of potential adversaries likewise sets the conditions for the development of
doctrine.
0103. Army doctrine principles are also inferred from concepts that were shaped by our experiences and those of our
predecessors in the organization. Doctrine requires a historical context of the character of conflict if it is to make
any sense of the present and future. The embodiment of army doctrine principles is the result of an examination
and interpretation of experiences on repeated successes and failures in meeting the range of threats to which
the army is exposed. From these experiences do we codify best practices, lessons identified, and lessons
learned for inclusion in developing doctrine. From these experiences are derived the best way to go about
conducting our administration, organization, training, procurement, employment of forces, and operations that
we hope to be relevant to the present and even the future.
0104. Army doctrine sets out the fundamental principles, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) that are needed to
guide the army in planning and conducting operations in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous
environment today. It must reflect current or existing and emerging army capabilities. It must be clearly
enunciated so it can be taught. It is written to establish a shared professional culture, provide a guide for action,
and achieve coherence in war fighting. It must contain valuable information and thoughts that are regarded as
useful and usable to encourage army troopers to read and reread it from time to time. It must use common army
lexicon so that if our soldiers are able to read and understand the manual, they could easily apply the doctrine
and become effective in doing their tasks.
0105. Having an army doctrine is vital for national security. It secures the realization of political goals through military
means. It evaluates the experiences of the past, studies the present, and makes projections in the future. It is
not a prescription for a sure victory, but doctrine guides the deployment of army forces and defines the best
organization of these forces with victory in mind.
The Principles of War may be defined as "guides which should be considered by military commanders in the
formulation of sound plans and in the conduct of successful operations." Unusually, these principles are condensed
into the form of a simple list of single words or short phrases which might be tabbed "labels". In order to add greater
substance and meaning to these so-called symbols or labels there has been prepared and distributed to each of you
a mimeograph of the Principles of War setting forth for each principle a brief statement of "What is it?" and "What does
it contribute to success in war?"
enemy; and, in exploiting the offensive, to insure maximum gain. The selection by the commander of the right time
and place for offensive action is the decisive factor in attaining the objective.
The principle of concentration, in general, serves: to achieve decisive combat superiority and desired results
at the points or in the areas where the enemy is inherently weak and cannot re- inforce in time; to employ the proper
economy of force at or in the less decisive points; and to enable maximum total effective force to be exerted in
achieving the objective. The correct and skillful application of all the other, principles of war should lead to one
single end: concentration of the required superior combat power at a selected time and place, projected in the
proper direction, striking an overwhelming blow at the decisive point(s) in order to achieve the objective.
Elements of Combat Power. The doctrine that guides infantry forces is based on the four elements of combat power:
maneuver, firepower, protection, and leadership.
a. Maneuver. Maneuver, is the movement of forces supported by fire to achieve a position of advantage from which to
destroy or threaten the destruction of the enemy. Combat forces move to gain a position of advantage over the
enemy and to hold these advantages. Maneuver, properly supported by fires, allows the infantry to close with the
enemy and gain a decision in combat.
b. Firepower. Firepower is the capacity of a unit to deliver effective fires on the target. Firepower kills or suppresses
the enemy in his positions and supports maneuver. Without effective supporting fires the infantry cannot maneuver.
Before attempting to maneuver, units must establish a base-of-fire. A base-of-fire is placed to bear upon an enemy
in order to reduce or eliminate the enemy’s ability to interfere with friendly maneuver elements. Leaders must know
how to control, mass, and combine fire with maneuver. They must identify the most critical targets quickly, direct
fires unto them, and ensure that the volume of fire is sufficient to keep the enemy from returning fire effectively, and
the unit from expending ammunition needlessly.
c. Protection. Protection is the conservation of the fighting potential of a force so that it can be applied at the decisive
time and place. Leaders must never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage. Active and passive
measures must be established to protect forces from surprise, observation, detection, interference, espionage,
sabotage, or annoyance.
d. Leadership. Military leadership is a process by which a soldier influences others to accomplish the mission. The
Leaders are responsible for the integration of the other three elements of combat power. Their competent and
confident leadership results in effective unit action. The right leadership gives purpose, direction, and motivation in
combat. Leaders must know their profession, their soldiers, and the tools for combat.
Combat power is the total means of destructive, constructive, and information capabilities that a military unit
or formation can apply at a given time. Operations executed through simultaneous offensive, defensive, stability, or
DSCA operations require the continuous generation and application of combat power.
To an Army commander, Army forces generate combat power by converting potential into effective action.
Combat power includes all capabilities provided by unified action partners that are integrated and synchronized with
the commander’s objectives to achieve unity of effort in sustained operations.
To execute combined arms operations, commanders conceptualize capabilities in terms of combat power.
Combat power has eight elements: leadership, information, command and control, movement and maneuver,
intelligence, fires, sustainment, and protection. The elements facilitate Army forces accessing joint and multinational
fires and assets. The Army collectively describes the last six elements as warfighting functions. Commanders apply
combat power through the warfighting functions using leadership and information.
Generating and maintaining combat power throughout an operation is essential. Factors that contribute to
generating and maintaining combat power include reserves, force rotation, network viability, access to cyberspace and
space enablers, and joint support. Commanders balance the ability to mass lethal and nonlethal effects with the need
to deploy and sustain the units that produce those effects. They balance the ability to accomplish the mission with the
ability to project and sustain the force.
Commanders apply leadership through mission command. Leadership is a multiplying and unifying element
of combat power. The Army defines leadership as the activity of influencing people by providing purpose, direction,
and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization. An Army commander, by virtue of assumed
role or assigned responsibility, inspires and influences people to accomplish organizational goals.
Information enables commanders at all levels to make informed decisions about the application of combat
power and achieve definitive results. Knowledge management enables commanders to make informed, timely
decisions under ambiguous and time-constrained conditions. Information management helps determine what among
the vast amounts of information available is important. Information management uses procedures and information
systems to facilitate collecting, processing, storing, displaying, disseminating, and protecting knowledge and
information.
Commanders and their units must coordinate what they do, say, and portray. Fundamental to this coordination
is the development of information themes and messages. An information theme is a unifying or dominant idea or image
that expresses the purpose for military action. A message is a narrowly focused communication directed at a specific
audience to support a specific theme. Themes and messages are tied to objectives, lines of effort, and end state
conditions. Information themes are overarching and apply to capabilities of public affairs, military information support
operations, and audience engagements. Commanders employ themes and messages as part of planned activities
designed to influence foreign audiences in support current or planned operations.
Every operation involves cyberspace electromagnetic activities. Cyberspace electromagnetic activities is the
process of planning, integrating, and synchronizing cyberspace and electronic warfare operations in support of unified
land operations. (This is also known as CEMA.) Cyberspace operations is the employment of cyberspace capabilities
where the primary purpose is to achieve objectives in or through cyberspace. Electronic warfare is military action
involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the
enemy.
Army cyberspace and electronic warfare operations are conducted to seize, retain, and exploit advantages in
cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum. These operations support decisive action through the accomplishment
of six core missions: offensive cyberspace operations, defensive cyberspace operations, DOD information network
operations, electronic attack, electronic protection, and electronic warfare support. Commanders and staffs perform
cyberspace electromagnetic activities to project power in cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum; secure and
defend friendly force networks; and protect personnel, facilities, and equipment. Spectrum management operations are
a critical enabler of integrated cyberspace operations and electronic warfare.
1. Mission. The mission of the infantry platoon is to confront the enemy in order to defeat, capture, repel his assault
and weaken his fighting capability.
The success in battle hinges on the platoons’ and squads’ reactions during engagements; their ability to close
with the enemy and to appropriately act upon contact, the proper employment of suppressive fires and the ability to
maneuver to vulnerable flanks determines the overall outcome of battle.
The capacity of the elements of the platoon to gain the support of the people and the community from which
the enemy derives its financial, material, logistical and operational support could tip the balance of tactical power
that could enhance the security of the platoon over its conduct of operations in a designated area of operations.
These successful actions heavily rely on the ability of the platoon leader and the quality of Soldiers in the
platoon and squads.
2. Capabilities. The infantry platoon is capable of operating independently, or together with other forces, to perform
the following:
a. Maneuver in all types of local weather and terrain.
b. Seize and hold any terrain.
c. Secure a designated area of operation for short and relatively long periods, especially in counterinsurgency
operations.
Organization
6. Characteristics. The operational character of “SWIFT and LETHALITY” of the infantry platoon could be translated
into the following fundamental organizational characteristics:
a. Soldier-powered organization.
b. All weapons are man-portable.
c. It is foot mobile; but it is transportable by land, water and air assets.
d. Trained in day and night combat operations.
e. Requires minimal support over relatively long periods, and has austere combat support.
7. Infantry Platoon Organization. The rifle platoon has a platoon headquarters and three rifle squads (Figure 1.1).
With the platoon headquarters are the platoon leader (PL LDR), platoon sergeant (PL SGT), radio-telephone operator
(RTO), assistant RTO, PSYOPS/special operations sergeant (PSO SGT), medical aid man (AIDMAN), machine
gunner (MGR), and ammo bearer. The MGR is skilled in the employment of a general purpose machine gun (7.62
mm GPMG).For additional weapon systems (like RPG), the PSO SGT will be the weapon handler with the assistant
RTO as the ammo bearer.
8. Infantry Squad Organization. The rifle squad has nine (9) members (Figure 1.2). It is broken down into two (2) fire
teams. Each fire team has four (4) members composed of a team leader (TL), grenadier (GRN), automatic rifleman
(AR) and a rifleman (R). The GRNs are equipped with grenade launchers; while the ARs are equipped with Squad
Automatic Weapon (or SAW), and the rest of the squad members are equipped with assault rifles. The riflemen serve
as medical aid man for each team.
Other weapons may be provided to the squad, depending on the operational requirements, but a fire team
shall not be added with more than one weapon.
NOTE: In all types of operation, or in any of its independent movement, the squad shall always be part of a platoon or
a larger unit operation.
CAUTION
The squad’s capability is very much degraded when more than two of its members are ineffective.
Infantry Squad
10. Duties and Responsibilities. Within the platoon, many different tactical, administrative, and logistical tasks must
be done continuously and in some cases simultaneously. In order to do this, the tasks of key personnel must be
defined in detail, coordinated, and understood by each soldier.
a. Platoon Leader. The PL LDR is responsible for what the entire platoon does or fails to do. He must know his men
and their competencies and skills. He is responsible for the employment, training, administration and logistics of
the platoon. He is knowledgeable of all the weapon systems of the platoon, including those that may be attached
to the platoon, and is competent of their employment. The platoon leader must:
1) Set the examples and the standards to his men.
2) Lead the platoon in all operations that support company or battalion missions.
3) Inform his commander when operating without orders.
4) Develop and formulate plans with the help of the platoon sergeant, squad leaders, and other key personnel
(including attached leaders like the FO). Ensure the receipt of on-hand status reports from the platoon
sergeant, squad leaders and other key NCOs. Then review platoon requirements based on the tactical plan.
5) He reviews platoon requirements based on the tactical plan.
6) Request needed support for his platoon from higher units, as may be required.
7) He stays abreast of the situation and goes where he is needed to supervise, issue FRAGOs, and accomplish
the mission.
8) Directs and assists the platoon sergeant in planning and coordinating the platoon's CSS effort.
9) Develop a casualty evacuation plan.
10) Check the work of the platoon sergeant and squad leaders during execution.
11) Ensure that the soldier's load is reasonable.
b. Platoon Sergeant. The PL SGT is the senior NCO in the platoon and second in the succession of command. He
provides advise to the platoon leader and leads the platoon during his absence. He supervises the administration,
logistics, and maintenance requirements of the platoon; thus, in OPORD preparation, he prepares paragraph 4.
Like the platoon leader he knows all the elements of the platoon and their individual skills and competencies;
thus he is responsible for individual training to ensure that each element can perform their individual tasks. As
the platoon’s personnel adviser, he advises the platoon leader on appointments, promotions and reductions,
assignments, and disciplinary actions upon NCOs and enlisted soldiers in the platoon. The PL SGT –
1) Organizes and controls the platoon command post IAW the unit SOP and platoon leader’s guidance.
2) Task-organizes elements in the platoon during tactical operations to serves as quartering parties, route
security, blocking forces, perimeter patrols, reconnaissance, etc.
3) He supervises the logistics, administration, and maintenance activities of the platoon.
4) He coordinates and supervises company-directed platoon resupply operations.
5) Trains and employs the platoon's machine-guns crews IAW the platoon leader's order, doctrine and unit SOP.
6) Receives and facilitates for the request of resupply by squad leaders on operational requirements such as
rations, ammunition, etc. in direct coordination with the company first sergeant or battalion EX-O. This
includes the routing of supplies and mail to ensure that supplies are distributed IAW the platoon leader’s
guidance and direction.
7) Ensures the even distribution of ammunition, supplies, and loads, especially during consolidation and
reorganization.
8) Executes the moving of casualties by directing the platoon AIDMAN and the composition of litter teams.
Ensures proper execution of the casualty evacuation plan.
9) Maintains platoon strength record, facilitates platoon's casualty reports, and receives and orients new
personnel as replacements.
10) Monitors the morale, discipline, and health of platoon members.
c. PSYOPS/ Special Operation Sergeant. The PSO SGT is primarily responsible for the execution and support to
higher unit’s PSYOPS and civil military operations and the conduct of limited PSYOPS and civil military operations
for the platoon. The PSO SGT –
1) Facilitates the gathering of data and information that is required by higher level units.
2) Advises the platoon leader on matters related to psychological operations and civil military operations.
3) Collects and develops a database for basic and vital information of the operational area on matters related to
social, political, economic, cultural matters. This will include key personalities, leaders, groups and
organizations, and installations which will aid in the conduct of population influence and resource control
operations, PSYOPS, CMO, and other civic related activities that the platoon may perform in support to the
platoon’s or higher unit’s requirements.
4) Acts as the platoon spokesperson IAW the platoon leader’s guidance, unit SOPs, doctrine and established
procedures.
5) Assists the PL SGT on personnel and administrative matters.
d. Radio Telephone Operator. The platoon RTO is competent in the use and care of the radio and other signal
equipment. He is responsible for executing the CEOI and for the adoption of the unit’s password and call signs for
added communication security. He is capable of erecting and installing wire and field expedient communication
gadgets to enhance communication and security. He is capable of basic signal equipment maintenance.
e. Assistant Radio Telephone Operator. He assists the platoon RTO on all signal communication matters of the
platoon. The platoon RTO also acts as the cook for the platoon headquarters. He coordinates with the PL SGT for
the messing requirements of the members of the platoon headquarters and follows the messing procedures IAW
unit SOP, platoon leader’s guidance and doctrine.
f. Machine Gunner. The MGR is capable of proper operation, maintenance, and employment of the machine gun.
He should be proficient in target acquisition, identification and destruction, neutralization or suppression of enemy
personnel and equipment. Ensures that the weapon is usable and ammunition are sufficient for the operation. He
must be an expert in the use of range card.
g. Assistant Machine Gunner. The assistant MGR is part of the machine gun crew; he assists the machine gunner.
He is knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance and employment of the weapon and he is capable of handling
the weapon when the machine gunner is incapacitated. He is responsible for carrying additional ammunition and
required weapon spares. Assists the machine gunner in target acquisition and determination.
h. Platoon Medical Aid man. The platoon AIDMAN is capable of administering basic medical procedures for platoon
casualties for reference on first aid). He supports the PL SGT in the evacuation of casualties. He monitors the
health and hygiene of the elements of the platoon. The platoon AIDMAN –
1) Executes casualty evacuation under the control and supervision of the PL SGT.
2) Advises and aids the PL LDR and PL SGT in field hygiene matters.
3) Ensures that stock of Class VIII (medical) supplies are sufficient.
i. Squad Leader. The SL is responsible for all that the infantry squad does or fails to do. He is a tactical leader and
he leads by example. He ensures that required skills and fitness of the squad is maintained. The squad leader –
1) Trains his squad on the individual and collective tasks required to sustain combat effectiveness.
2) He exercises his command through the fire team leaders.
3) He controls the maneuver of his squad and its rate and distribution of fire.
4) Manages the logistical and administrative needs of his squad. He requests and issues ammunition, water,
rations, and special equipment. Ensures that material, supplies and equipment are distributed to the soldiers
in the squad and are internally cross-leveled.
5) He supervises the maintenance of squad’s weapons and equipment. He conducts inspection of his soldiers,
their weapons and their equipment.
6) Maintains accountability of his soldiers and equipment.
7) He keeps the platoon sergeant and platoon leader informed on his squads supply status and equipment
readiness.
8) He completes casualty reports and reviews the casualty reports completed by squad members.
9) Submits requests for awards and decorations.
10) Directs the maintenance of the squad’s weapons and equipment and inspects the condition of soldiers'
weapons, clothing, and equipment.
11) Keeps the PL LDR and PL SGT informed of the squad’s supply status and requirements.
j. Fire Team Leader. The TL is a fighting leader who leads by personal example and helps the squad leader as
required. He controls the movement of his team and the rate and placement of fires. He ensures that squad
elements maintain the unit standard. Secures the front area of the squad during movements and halts. He is the
scout or the "eyes and ears” of the team.
k. Automatic Rifleman. The AR is equipped with a Squad Automatic Weapon. He must be proficient in the operation,
maintenance and utilization of this weapon. The AR is responsible for providing sustained automatic fire for the
squad. He secures the flank area of the squad during movements and halts.
l. Grenadier. The GRN provides grenade capability to the squad and the platoon for maximum firepower. Secures
the flank area of squad during movements and halts.
m. Rifleman. The rifleman is responsible for the food supply and medical requirements of the team. He monitors the
health and hygiene of the team and administers first aid and combat lifesavers for the team. He provides rear
security to the team and erases the tracks left by the team during operations.
11. Other Support Elements of the Platoon. The company may be attached with a fire support team (FIST) which
comes from the FA battalion. The FIST may provide the platoon with a two-soldier FO party – a forward observer
(FO) and a signal operator.
a. Forward Observer. The FO acts as the eyes of the FA and mortars. He works for the platoon leader. He is
responsible for locating targets and to call for and adjust indirect fire support. He is competent in the use of
indirect fire weapons during combat operations. As a supporter to platoon operations, he must be familiar with
the terrain of the platoon’s area of operations, the operational concept, and the scheme of maneuver and priority
of fires. The FO must –
1) Inform the FIST headquarters of platoon activities and the fire support situation.
2) Prepare and use situation maps, overlays, and terrain sketches.
3) Call for and adjust fire support.
4) Select targets to support the platoon's mission, platoon leader's guidance and analysis of the METT-TC
factors.
5) Select OPs and movement routes to and from these areas.
6) Maintain communications as prescribed by the FSO.
7) Maintain the six-digit grid coordinates of his location.
b. FO Signal Operator. The FO signal operator is responsible for maintenance, operation and usability of the signal
equipment. At times, he will perform the duties of the FO for the platoon.
12. Platoon Organizational Development. The development of an effective infantry platoon must place emphasis
on the following considerations –
a. Leader Development. Infantry platoon and squad leaders must be tacticians. They use initiative in accomplishing
the mission by means of mission analysis to quickly make decisions rapidly in light of the commander’s intent.
They can take independent action, if necessary, and are willing to take responsibility for the exercise calculated
risks. They possess extensive knowledge of combat tactics, the estimate process, and platoon and squad
tactics, techniques and procedures. Physical toughness, technical knowledge, mental agility, and a firm grasp
of how to motivate soldiers to fight on in the face of adversity is a must.
b. Soldiers Skills and Competency Development. Our Soldiers must be proficient in marksmanship, close combat,
and field craft. They must be experts in the use of their primary weapons. They must be totally confident in their
ability to fight with these weapons. They should be proficient with other weapons in the unit as well. They must
be proficient in infantry skills (land navigation, camouflage, individual movement techniques, survival techniques
and combative techniques. They must maintain a high state of physical fitness. Finally, they must know and
practice their roles as members of fire teams, squads, and platoons.
c. Training. Infantry units must train properly for combat. Training must conform to Army doctrine. It must require
unit leaders to use their initiative and make decisions quickly. The training environment must be realistic and
stressful in order to challenge Soldiers to master all infantry tasks, individual and collective. The training must
constantly remind them of the mission, their heritage, core values and the physical and mental toughness that
are required of them. Platoon training must also promote the cohesion of the unit to promote unit integrity, so
that, when all else fails, units continue to fight.
VII. MOVEMENT
Movement is the shifting of forces while conducting operations in the battlefield. This activity involves the
selection of the type of formation and movement technique that will be employed by Leaders which is entirely
dependent on the analysis of the METT-TC factors. The fire team, squad and platoon have their respective peculiar
formations. Leaders base their selection of a particular movement technique on the likelihood of enemy contact and
the requirement for speed.
Like formations, movement techniques provide varying degrees of control, security, and flexibility. However,
movement techniques differ from formations in two ways:
a. Formations are relatively fixed; movement techniques are not. The distance between moving units, in using
a movement technique, varies based on factors of METT-TC.
b. Formations allow the platoon to weight its maximum firepower in a desired direction; while movement
techniques allow units to make contact with the enemy with the smallest element possible. This allows
leaders to establish a base-of-fire, initiate suppressive fires, and attempt to maneuver without first having
to disengage or be reinforced.
2. File. When the terrain restrains the use of the wedge, fire teams use the file formation (Figure 2.2). In the countryside
where ground is restricted by dense vegetation or the visibility is limited, the file formation is preferred over the
wedge. Rifles are pointed alternately to the flanks for security.
Squad Formation
The squad leader is responsible for choosing the most appropriate formation for the squad. He will weigh his
decision based on the requirements of the mission and security. Squad formations describe the relationships between
fire teams in the squad. There are three types of squad formations – column, line and file. A comparison of these
formations is shown in Table 2.2.
3. Squad Column. The squad column is the squad's most common formation particularly in open terrain. It provides
good dispersion laterally and in depth without sacrificing control, and it facilitates maneuver. The lead fire team is
the base fire team. When the squad moves independently or as the rear element of the platoon, the rifleman in the
trail fire team provides rear security (Figure 2.3).
4. Squad Line. The squad line provides maximum firepower to the front (Figure 2.4). When a squad is acting as the
base squad of the platoon, the fire team on the right is the base fire team.
5. Squad File. When not traveling in a column or line, squad travels in file. The squad file has the same characteristics
as the fire team file. The squad leader may position himself at the front (second in position) if he desires to increase
his control over the formation, exert greater leadership presence or be immediately available to make key decisions.
To provide additional control over the rear of the formation, a team leader can be positioned at the second to the last
position of the squad formation. (Figure 2.5)
Platoon Formation
In platoon formations the leader should weigh carefully to select the best formation based on his mission.
There are six platoon formations – column, line (with squads-on-line), line (with squads-on-column), vee, wedge and
file. A comparison of the formations is shown in Table 2.3.
6. Column. This formation is the platoon's primary movement formation (Figure 2.6). It provides good dispersion both
laterally and in depth, and simplifies control. The lead squad is the base squad.
7. Line (with Squads-on-Line). This formation allows the delivery of maximum firepower to the front but little fire to the
flanks (Figure 2.7). This formation is hard to control and does not facilitate rapid movement. For control purposes,
the platoon leader must designate a base squad when conducting operations independently. However, if the platoon
is designated by the company commander as the base platoon, the platoon's center squad is its base squad. When
the platoon is not acting as the base platoon, its base squad is its flank squad nearest to the designated company
base platoon. The machine guns can move with the platoon, or they can support by fire from a support position.
This formation is the platoon’s basic assault formation.
NOTE: The analysis of the factors of METT-TC will determine where crew-served weapons move in the formation. But
normally this equipment move with the platoon leader to establish base of fire quickly.
8. Line (with Squads-in-Column). The platoon leader can use this formation when he does not want to deploy all
personnel on line, and when he wants the squads to react to unexpected contact (Figure 2.8). This formation is
easier to control, and it is better for rapid movement than the line (with squads-on-line). However, it is hard to control
and does not facilitate rapid movement compared to a column formation. When operating side-by-side with other
platoons, the company commander may designate a base platoon, where the base platoon's center squad is the
base squad. When the platoon is not the base platoon, its base squad is its flank squad nearest the base platoon.
9. Platoon Vee. This formation has two squads up front to provide a heavy volume of fire on contact (Figure 2.9). It
also has one squad in the rear that can either over watch or trail the other squads. This formation is hard to control;
movement is slow. The platoon leader designates one of the front squads to be the platoon's base squad.
10. Platoon Wedge. This formation has two squads in the rear that can over watch or trail the lead squad (Figure 2.10).
It provides a large volume of fire to the front or flanks. It allows the platoon leader to make contact with a squad still
have one or two squads to maneuver. The lead squad is the base squad.
11. Platoon File. This formation may be set up in several methods. One method is to have three-squad files follow one
another using one of the movement techniques. Another method is to have a single platoon file with a front security
element (point) and flank security elements. This formation is used when visibility is poor due to terrain, vegetation,
or light conditions. (Figure 2.11) The distance between soldiers is less than normal to allow communication by
passing messages up and down the file. The platoon file has the same characteristic as the fire team and squad
files.
Movement Techniques
A movement technique is the manner by which a platoon uses to traverse over a terrain. There are three
movement techniques – traveling, traveling overwatch, and bounding overwatch. The selection of a movement
technique is based on the likelihood of enemy contact and the need for speed. Factors to consider for each technique
are control, dispersion, speed, and security (see Table 2.4).
Movement techniques are not fixed formations. They refer to distances between soldiers, teams, and squads
that vary based on mission, enemy, terrain, visibility, and any other factors that affect control. In all situations, Soldiers
must be able to see their fire team leader. The squad leader must be able to see his fire team leaders. The platoon
leader should be able to see his lead squad leader. Leaders control movement with arm-and-hand signals. They use
radios only when needed. Any of the three movement techniques (traveling, traveling over watch, bounding over watch)
can be used with any formation.
12. Squad Movement Techniques. The platoon leader determines and directs which movement technique the squad
will use. Decisions are governed by the following –
a. Traveling. This technique is used when contact with the enemy is not likely and speed is needed (Figure 2.12).
b. Traveling over watch. This is used when contact is possible (Figure 2.13). Attached weapons are placed near
the squad leader and under his control so he can employ them quickly.
c. Bounding over watch. Bounding over watch is used when contact is expected, when the squad leader feels the
enemy is near (thru movement, noise, reflection, trash, fresh tracks, or even hunch), or when a large open
danger area must be crossed.
1) The lead fire team over watches first. Soldiers scan for enemy positions.
2) The trail fire team bounds; then signals the squad leader when his team completes its bound and is prepared
to over watch the moving team.
3) Both team leaders must know if successive or alternate bounds will be used and which team the squad
leader will be with. Successive bounds are easier to control; while alternate bounds can be faster. (Figure
2.14)
4) The over watching team leader
must know the route and
destination of the bounding
team. The bounding team
leader must know his team's
destination and route, possible
enemy locations, and actions to
take when he arrives there. He
must also know where the over
watching team will be, and how
he will receive his instructions.
The available cover and
concealment along the
bounding team's route dictates
how its soldiers move.
13. Platoon Movement Techniques. The platoon leader determines and directs which movement technique the platoon
will use.
a. Traveling. Is used when enemy contact is not likely and speed is needed (Figure 2.15).
b. Traveling over watch. Traveling over watch is used when contact is possible but speed is needed (Figure 2.16). The
platoon leader moves where he can best control the platoon. The platoon sergeant travels with the trailing squad,
though he is free to move throughout the formation to enforce security, noise and light discipline, and distance
between squads. The lead squad uses traveling over watch, and the trailing squads use traveling.
c. Bounding over watch. Bounding over watch is used when contact is expected (Figure 2.17). Platoons conduct
bounding over watch using successive or alternate bounds. This technique is done with the following elements:
1) One Squad Bounding. One squad bounds forward to a chosen position, and then it becomes the over watching
element unless contact is made enroute. The bounding squad can use traveling over watch, bounding over watch,
or individual movement techniques (low and high crawl, and short rushes by fire team or pairs).
2) One Squad over watching. One squad over watches the bounding squad from covered positions from where it
can see and suppress likely enemy positions. Soldiers use scanning techniques to view their assigned sector.
The platoon leader remains with the over watching squad.
Normally, the platoon's machine gun is located with the overwatching squad.
3) One Squad Awaiting Orders. One squad is uncommitted and ready for employment as directed by the platoon
leader. The platoon sergeant and the leader of the squad awaiting orders position themselves close to the platoon
leader.
When deciding where to have his bounding squad go, a platoon leader considers –
1) The requirements of the mission.
2) Where the enemy is likely to be.
3) The routes to the next overwatch position.
4) The ability of an overwatching element’s weapons to cover the bound.
5) The responsiveness of the rest of the platoon.
6) The fields of fire at the next overwatch position.
Before a bound, the platoon leader gives an order to his squad leaders from the overwatch position (Figure 2.18).
He tells and shows them the following –
1) The direction or location of the enemy (if known).
2) The positions of the overwatching squad.
3) The next overwatch position.
4) The route of the bounding squad.
5) What to do after the bounding squad reaches the next position.
6) What signal the bounding squad will use to announce it is prepared to overwatch.
7) How the squad will receive their next orders.
NOTE: The machine gun is normally employed with the overwatch squad and thereafter will move to position with
the bounding squad. This technique requires the gun to move between squads as they leave the
overwatch to join the bounding squad.
Types of Danger Areas. The following are some examples of danger areas and crossing procedures.
a. Open Areas. Conceal the platoon on the near side and observe the area. Post security to give early warning.
Send an element across to clear the far side. When cleared, let the remainder of the platoon cross at the shortest
exposed distance as quickly as possible.
b. Roads and Trails. Cross roads or trails at or near a bend, narrow spot, or on low ground.
c. Villages. Pass villages on the downwind side and well away from them. Avoid animals, especially dogs, which
might reveal the presence of troops.
d. Enemy Positions. Pass on the downwind side (the enemy might have dogs). Be alert for trip wires and warning
devices.
e. Fields of IEDs. Bypass fields of IEDs as much as possible, even if it requires changing the route by a great
distance. Clear a path through fields only if necessary.
f. Streams. Select a narrow spot in the stream that offers concealment on both banks. Observe the far side carefully.
Emplace near and far side security for early warning. Clear the far side, and then cross rapidly but quietly.
g. Wire obstacles. Avoid wire obstacles (the enemy may cover obstacles with observation and fire).
Crossing of Danger Areas. When the platoon crosses a danger area independently or as the lead element of a larger
force, it must –
a. Designate near and far side rally points.
b. Secure the near side (right, left flanks, and rear security).
c. Reconnoiter and secure the far side.
d. Execute crossing the danger area by – .
1) The platoon or squad leader decides how the unit will cross based on available time, the size of the unit, the
size of the danger area, the fields of fire into the area, and the amount of security he can deploy. A small unit
may cross all at once, by buddy, or one soldier at a time. A large unit normally crosses its elements one at a
time. As each element crosses, it moves to an overwatch position or to the far side rally point until told to
continue movement.
2) To maintain momentum, trailing platoons normally cross the danger area without conducting their own
reconnaissance or establishing far side security. The lead platoon conducts reconnaissance and maintains
far side security for the whole force.
NOTE: The secured area must be large enough to allow the full deployment of the remainder of the unit
Crossing of Linear Danger Areas (as Platoon). The platoon crosses the danger area in the formation and location
specified by the platoon leader.
On the far side of the danger area, platoon continues the mission. (Figure 2.19)
a. When the lead team signals "danger area" (relayed throughout the platoon), the platoon halts.
b. The platoon leader moves forward, confirms the danger area, and determines what techniques the platoon will
use to cross. The platoon sergeant also moves forward to the platoon leader.
c. The platoon leader informs all squad leaders of the situation and then designate the near side and far side rally
points.
d. The platoon sergeant directs positioning of the near side security (usually conducted by the trail squad). These
two security teams may follow him forward when the platoon halts and a danger area signal is passed back.
e. The platoon leader reconnoiters the danger area and selects the crossing point that provides the best cover and
concealment.
f. Near-side security observes the flanks and overwatches the crossing of troops.
g. When the near side security is in place, the platoon leader directs the far side security team to cross the danger
area.
NOTE: The same principles stated above are used when a smaller unit crossed a danger area.
Crossing of Large Open Areas. This is an area so large that the platoon cannot bypass due to lack of time to accomplish
the mission (Figure 2.20). A combination of traveling overwatch and bounding technique is used to save time. At any
point in the open area where contact may be expected or once the squad or platoon comes within range of small-arms
fire of the far side (about 250 meters), the squad or platoon moves using the bounding overwatch technique. Once
beyond the open area, the squad or platoon reforms and continues the mission.
Crossing of Small Open Areas. This is an open area small enough so that it may be bypassed in the time allowed for
the mission. Two techniques can be used:
a. Detour Bypass Method. By the use of 90-degree turns to the right or left, the squad or platoon moves around
the open area until the far side is reached, then continues the mission. The distance of the offset and return
legs shall be the same to maintain the right the movement direction (Figure 2.21, Right).
b. Contouring Around the Open Area. The leader designates a rally point on the far side with the movement
azimuth, decides which side of the open area to contour around (after considering the distance, terrain, cover
and concealment), and moves around the open area. He uses the wood line and vegetation for cover and
concealment. When the squads or platoon arrives at the rally point on the far side, the leader resumes the
azimuth to the objective area and continues the mission (Figure 2.21, Left).
Enemy Contact at Danger Areas. If the platoon makes enemy contact in or around the danger area — for contact on
far side (see Figure 2.22), for contact on a road or trail (see Figure 2.23), or for contact on near side (see Figure 2.24).
NOTE: The squads react to contact in the same manner as the platoons.
Security during Movement. Platoons and squads enhance security during movement by –
a. Using the proper movement formation and technique.
b. Moving as fast the situation will allow. This may degrade the enemy’s ability to detect the platoon or squad and
the effectiveness of his fires once detected.
c. Moving along terrain that offers cover and concealment.
d. Enforcing noise and light discipline.
e. Using proper camouflage techniques.
Movement during Limited Visibility
At night or when visibility is poor, a platoon must be able to perform its function the same as during day. It
must be able to control, navigate, and maintain security, move, and stalk at night or during limited visibility.
Control. When visibility is poor, the following methods aid in control:
a. To use and provide NVDs to selected personnel.
b. Leaders must move closer to the front.
c. Reduces the speed of movement.
d. To use luminous tape or strips at the rear of headgears/helmets.
e. Reduce the interval between Soldiers and units.
f. To conduct regular headcounts.
Navigation. To assist in navigation during limited visibility, leaders use –
a. Terrain Association. Terrain considers the general direction of travel coupled with the recognition of prominent
map and ground features.
b. Dead Reckoning. Dead Reckoning uses compass direction and specific distances or legs; that at the end of
each leg, leaders should verify their location.
c. Parallel Route. To move using routes that parallel identifiable terrain features.
d. Guides. Use of guides or marking or routes.
e. Locator Devices. To use position-locator devices such as GPS.
Security. For stealth and security in night moves, squads and platoons must –
a. Designate a point man to maintain alertness and a lead team leader to navigate.
b. Allow no smoking, no lights, and no noise.
c. Use radio-listening silence.
d. Camouflage soldiers and equipment.
e. Use terrain to avoid detection by enemy surveillance or NVDs.
f. Make frequent listening halts.
g. Mask the sounds of movement with artillery fires.
Other Movement Situations. The platoon can use other formations for movement.
a. Movement by Water. The platoon avoids crossing water obstacles when possible. Leaders should identify weak
or non-swimmers and pair them with good swimmers in their squad. When platoons or squads must move into,
through, or out of rivers, lakes, streams, or other bodies of water, they treat the water obstacle as danger area.
While on the water, the platoon is exposed and vulnerable. To offset these disadvantages, the platoon –
1) Moves during limited visibility. (See Chapter 6, Section 6-12for operations conducted during limited visibility
conditions for more details.)
2) Disperses.
3) Camouflages thoroughly.
4) Moves near the shore to reduce the chances of detection.
5) When moving in more than one boat, the platoon –
(a) Maintains tactical integrity and self-sufficiency.
(b) Cross-load key soldiers and equipment.
(c) Makes sure that the radio is with the leader.
6) If boats are not available, several other techniques can be use such as –
(a) Swimming.
(b) Poncho rafts.
(c) Waterproof bags.
(d) Use of a one-rope bridge or safety line.
(e) Water wings (made from a set of trousers).
b. Tactical Marches. Platoons conduct two types of tactical marches with the company, they are – .
Movement SOP
This section provides the tactical standing operating procedures for infantry platoons and squads during
movement. These procedures apply unless a leader makes decision to device from them based on the factors METT-
TC. In such a case, the execution applies only to the particular situation for which the leader made the decision.
Formation. Leaders choose the following based on their analysis of METT-TC and likelihood of enemy contact.
a. Fire Team Formations. All soldiers in the team must be able to see their leader.
1) Wedge. This is the basic fire team formation; it will be used unless modified because of terrain, dense
vegetation, terrain of mission.
2) File. Used in close terrain, dense vegetation, or limited visibility.
b. Squad Formations. Squad formations describe the relationships between fire teams in the squad.
1) Column. Primary squad formation used unless METT-TC dictates otherwise.
2) Line. Used when maximum fire power is needed to the front.
3) File. Used in close terrain, dense vegetation, or limited visibility.
c. Platoon Formation. METT-TC will determine where crew-served weapons move in the formation. They normally
move with the platoon leaders so he can quickly establish a base of fire.
1) Column. Primary platoon formation used; unless METTTC dictates otherwise
2) Platoon Line (with Squads-on-Line). Used when the platoon leader wants all soldiers on line for maximum
firepower forward. Used when enemy situation is known.
3) Platoon Line (with Squads-in-Column). Used when the platoon leader does not want everyone forward, but
wants to be prepared for contact such as near the objective.
4) Platoon Vee. Used when enemy situation is vague, but contact is expected to the front.
5) Platoon Wedge. Used when enemy situation is vague, but contact is not expected.
Movement Techniques. Leaders choose a movement technique based on their mission analysis of METT-TC and
likelihood of enemy contact.
a. Traveling. Used when contact is not likely and speed in important
b. Traveling Overwatch. Used when contact is possible but speed is important.
c. Bounding Overwatch. Used when contact is likely or imminent and speed is not important.
Foot Marches. When moving along a road in a relatively secure area, the platoon will move with one file on each side
of the road. Fire teams are not split up. There will be 3 to 5 meters between soldiers and 25 to 50 meters between
platoons.
a. Rate of March. The normal rate of march for an 8-hour march is 4 kph. The interval and rate of march depends
on the length of the march time allowed, likelihood of enemy contact (ground, air, and artillery), terrain and
weather, condition of the soldiers, and the weight of the soldiers’ load.
b. Rest. A 15-minute rest will be conducted at the end of the first 45 minutes of a road march. During this halt, the
aid man and squad leaders will check the soldiers’ feet and report the physical condition of the soldiers to the
platoon leader and platoon sergeant. Thereafter, a 10-minute rest is conducted every 50 minutes.
Actions at Halts. During halts, security is posted and all approaches into the platoon’s area are covered by key
weapons. The platoon sergeant moves forward through the platoon, checking security as he goes, and meets the
platoon leader to determine the reason for the halt.
a. During halts of 30 seconds or less, the soldiers drop to one knee and cover their assigned sector.
b. During halts longer than 30 seconds, a “cigar-shaped” perimeter is formed, and the soldiers assume the prone
position.
Actions on Contact. On contact, the platoon executes the appropriate battle drill.
a. React to Contact
b. Break Contact
c. React to Ambush
END
If you were given a chance to add another principle of war, what is it and why?
UNIT FIVE
WEAPONS PROFICIENCY
CHAPTER 8
Basic Weapons Training 1
Essential Questions:
1. List down at least three (3) weapons you know and write what are their characteristics like range of fire, what kind
of ammunition they have and others.
2. Why weapons were created?
Read the questions carefully. Choose the letter of the best answer.
_____1. It is a basic combat skill which all soldiers must master. Success of combat operations depends on the
ability of a soldier to hit target accurately.
A. Marksmanship
B. Basic Marksmanship Training
C. Rifle Marksmanship Training
D. Marksmanship Training
_____2. Before a soldier can hit targets, he must learn to hold the weapon in what position?
A. Standing
B. Kneeling position
C. Prone position
D. Steady position
_____3. It is impossible to maintain a steady position, keeping the tip of the front sight post at the precise aiming
point, while breathing in and out.
A. Breath Control
B. Relaxation
C. Proper Breath Control
D. Proper Breathing
_____4. It is the independent action of the forefinger on trigger with a uniformly increasing pressure straight to the
rear as long as the desired perfect sight picture is maintaining.
A. Trigger Control
B. Grip of the Firing Hand
C. Trigger Squeeze
D. Proper Trigger Squeeze
_____5. Emphasis here is to avoid holding the butt of the weapon very tightly into the pocket of the shoulder,
promoting a more relaxed position.
A. Grip of the Non-Firing Hand
B. Grip of the firing hand
C. Rifle Butt in the Pocket of the Shoulder
D. Firing Elbow
_____6. It is the continued mechanical and mental application of fundamentals after each round has been fired, this
simply means the firer maintain his stable position, aiming, breath control, and continue to press the trigger
to the rear even though the rifle has fired already.
A. Follow Through
B. Aiming
C. Breath Control
D. Marksmanship
_____7. It is used to determine if the soldier understands the aiming process and how to aim at target center of
mass.
A. Aiming
B. Aiming Card
C. Proper Aiming
D. Aiming Position
_____9. All soldiers should be confident that they can correctly adjust sights for windage and elevation before they
get to the live fire range.
A. Sight Adjustment
B. Firing Range
C. Elevation
D. Wind Adjustment
_____10. When a rifle is zeroed, the sights are adjusted so that bullet strike will be the same at point of aim at a
given range.
A. Concepts of Zeroing
B. Zeroing
C. Aiming Point
D. Sight Adjustment
Weapons Training
a. The M16A1 rifle. (Figure 2.1) can be fired in either the semiautomatic or automatic fire mode by rotating the
selector lever to the desired mode (SAFE, SEMI, and AUTO).
1) Mechanically Zeroing the M16A1. Mechanically zeroing the M16A1 (Figure 2.2) is only necessary when the
weapon zero is questionable, the weapon is newly assigned to the unit, or the weapon sights have been
serviced. If necessary, the soldier should mechanically zero the weapon as follows:
(a) Adjust the front sight post (1) up or down until the base of the front sight post is flush with the front sight
post housing (2). Then adjust the front sight post 11 clicks in the direction of UP.
(b) Adjust the rear sight windage drum (3) all the way left until it stops. Then turn the windage drum back
(right) 17 clicks so the rear sight is approximately centered.
2) Battle sight zeroing the M16A1. If necessary, the soldier should use the aperture marked “L” to battle sight
zero the weapon (Figure 2.3). Tables 2.3 and 2.4 show how much one click of elevation or windage will move
the strike of the round from a 25-meter zero all the way out to 500 meters.
b. The M16A2/A3 rifle. (Figure 2.4) features several improvements over the M16A1. It is designed to fire either
semiautomatic or a three-round burst through the use of a selector lever (SAFE, SEMI, and BURST). The M16A3
has the same characteristics as the M16A2 with the exception of the selector lever (SAFE, SEMI and AUTO)
this weapon fires full automatic
c. The M16A4 rifle (Figure 2.7) features additional product improvements that are illustrated in this chapter and in
the operator’s manual. It is designed to fire either semiautomatic or a three-round burst through the use of a
selector lever (SAFE, SEMI, and BURST). The only changes from the M16A1/A2/A3 are the addition of the M5
rail adapter system and the detachable carrying handle.
d. The M4-series carbine. (Figure 2.10) features several modifications that make it an ideal weapon for close combat
operations. The M4 is a 5.56-mm, magazine-fed, gas-operated, shoulder-fired weapon. It is designed to fire either
semiautomatic or a three-round burst through the use of a selector lever (SAFE, SEMI, and BURST). The M4A1
is fully automatic. The M4- series carbine buttstock has four positions: closed, 1/2 open, 3/4 open, and full open.
The M4 carbine becomes the M4 MWS when the M4 rail adapter system is installed on it (Figure 2.11).
a. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Ball, M193. The M193 cartridge is a centerfire cartridge with a 55-grain, gilded metal-jacketed,
lead alloy core bullet. The M193 round is the standard cartridge for field use with the M16A1 rifle and has no
identifying marks (1, Figure 2.42).
b. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Tracer, M196. (Used in the M16A1 rifle) The M196 cartridge has a red or orange painted tip
(2, Figure 2.42). Its main uses are for observation of fire, incendiary effect, and signaling. Soldiers should avoid
long-term use of 100 percent tracer rounds, which could cause deposits of incendiary material, or chemical
compounds that could damage the barrel. Therefore, when tracer rounds are fired, they are mixed with ball
ammunition in a ratio of no greater than one-to-one with a preferred ratio of three or four ball rounds to one tracer
round.
c. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Dummy, M199. (Used in all rifles.) The M199 dummy cartridge is used during dry firing and
other training (3, Figure 2.42). This cartridge can be identified by the six grooves along the sides of the case
beginning about 1/2 inch from its tip. It contains no propellant or primer. The primer well is open to prevent damage
to the firing pin.
d. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Blank, M200. (Used in all rifles.) The M200 blank cartridge has no projectile. The case mouth
is closed with a seven-petal rosette crimp and shows a violet tip (4, Figure 2.42).
e. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Ball, M855. (Used in the M16A2/3/4 and M4-series weapons.) The M855 cartridge has a 62-
grain, gilded metal jacketed, lead alloy core bullet with a steel penetrator. The primer and case are waterproof.
This round is also linked and used in the M249. It has a green tip (5, Figure 2.42). This ammunition should not be
used in the M16A1 except under emergency conditions, and only at targets less than 90 meters in distance. (The
twist of the M16A1 rifling is not sufficient to stabilize the heavier projectile of the round).
f. Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Tracer, M856.(Used in the M16A2/3/4 and M4-series weapons.) The M856 tracer cartridge
has characteristics similar to the M196 tracer with a slightly longer tracer burnout distance. This cartridge has a
63.7-grain bullet. The M856 does not have a steel penetrator. It has a red tip (orange when linked 4 to 1 for the
M249) (6, Figure 2.42). This ammunition should not be used in the M16A1 except under emergency conditions,
and only at targets less than 90 meters in distance. (The twist of the M16A1 rifling is not sufficient to stabilize the
projectile of the heavier ammunition).
g. Cartridge, 5.56-mm Short-Range Training Ammunition (SRTA), M862. (Used in all rifles.) The M862 SRTA (7,
Figure 2.42) is designed exclusively for training. It can be used in lieu of service ammunition on indoor ranges and
by units that have a limited range fan that does not allow the firing of service ammunition. SRTA ammunition must
be used with the M2 training bolt.
1) Although SRTA closely replicates the trajectory and characteristics of service ammunition out to 25 meters, it
should not be used to set battle sight zero of weapons to fire service ammunition. The settings that are placed
on the sights for SRTA could be different for service ammunition.
2) If adequate range facilities are not available for sustainment training, SRTA can be used for any firing exercise
of 25 meters or less. This includes the 25-meter scaled silhouette, 25-meter alternate qualification course, and
quick-fire training. SRTA can also be used for Urban Operations training.
h. Storage. When storing ammunition in the open is necessary, it must be raised on dunnage at least 6 inches from
the ground and protected with a cover, leaving enough space for air circulation. Since moisture and high
temperatures adversely affect ammunition and explosives, the following must be adhered to:
1) Do not open ammunition boxes until ready to use.
2) Protect ammunition from high temperatures and the direct rays of the sun.
3) Do not attempt to disassemble ammunition or any of its components.
4) Never use lubricants or grease on ammunition.
Commanders and unit armorers are responsible for the organizational and direct support maintenance of weapons and
for the destruction of weapons when necessary. Soldiers are responsible for always keeping their weapons clean and
operational in training and in combat and, therefore, should be issued an operator’s technical manual and cleaning
equipment for their assigned weapons.
1. Stoppages. A stoppage is a failure of an automatic or semiautomatic firearm to complete the cycle of operation.
The firer can apply immediate or remedial action to clear the stoppage. Some stoppages cannot be cleared by
immediate or remedial action and may require weapon repair to correct the problem. A complete understanding of
how the weapon functions is an integral part of applying immediate action procedures.
a. Immediate Action. Immediate action involves quickly applying a possible correction to reduce a stoppage without
performing troubleshooting procedures to determine the actual cause. The key word SPORTS will help the firer
remember the steps in order during a live-fire exercise. To apply immediate action, the soldier:
1) Slaps gently upward on the magazine to ensure it is fully seated, and the magazine follower is not jammed (see
note).
2) Pulls the charging handle fully to the rear.
3) Observes for the ejection of a live round or expended cartridge. (If the weapon fails to eject a cartridge, perform
remedial action.).
4) Releases the charging handle (do not ride it forward).
5) Taps the forward assist assembly to ensure bolt closure.
6) Squeezes the trigger and tries to fire the rifle.
Only apply immediate action once for a stoppage. If the rifle fails to fire a second time for the same malfunction
inspect the weapon to determine the cause of the stoppage or malfunction and take the appropriate remedial action
outlined below
NOTE: When slapping up on the magazine, be careful not to knock a round out of the magazine into the line of the
bolt carrier, causing more problems. Slap only hard enough to ensure the magazine is fully seated. Ensure
that the magazine is locked into place by quickly pulling down on the magazine.
b. Remedial Action. Remedial action is the continuing effort to determine the cause for a stoppage or malfunction
and to try to clear the stoppage once it has been identified. To apply the corrective steps for remedial action, first
try to place the weapon on SAFE, then remove the magazine, lock the bolt to the rear, and place the weapon on
safe (if not already done).
NOTE: A bolt override may not allow the weapon to be placed on SAFE.
2. Malfunctions. Malfunctions are caused by procedural or mechanical failures of the rifle, magazine, or ammunition.
Pre-firing checks and serviceability inspections identify potential problems before they become malfunctions. This
paragraph describes the primary categories of malfunctions.
a. Failure to Feed, Chamber, or Lock. A malfunction can occur when loading the rifle or during the cycle of operation.
Once the magazine has been loaded into the rifle, the forward movement of the bolt carrier group could lack
enough force (generated by the expansion of the action spring) to feed, chamber, or lock the bolt (Figure 3.1).
1) Probable Causes. The cause could be the result of one or more of the following:
(a) Excess accumulation of dirt or fouling in and around the bolt and bolt carrier.
(b) Defective magazine (dented, bulged, or a weak magazine spring).
(c) Improperly loaded magazine.
(d) Defective round (projectile forced back into the cartridge case, which could result in a stubbed round or the
base of the previous cartridge could be separated, leaving the remainder in the chamber).
(e) Damaged or broken action spring.
(f) Exterior accumulation of dirt in the lower receiver extension.
(g) Fouled gas tube resulting in short recoil.
(h) A magazine resting on the ground or pushed forward could cause an improper lock.
2) Corrective Action. Applying immediate action usually corrects the malfunction. To avoid the risk of further
jamming, the firer should watch for ejection of a cartridge and ensure that the upper receiver is free of any loose
rounds. If immediate action fails to clear the malfunction, remedial action must be taken. The carrier should not
be forced. If resistance is encountered, which can occur with an unserviceable round, the bolt should be locked
to the rear, the magazine removed, and the malfunction cleared. For example, a bolt override is when a cartridge
has wedged itself between the bolt and charging handle. The best way to correct this problem is by.
(a) Ensuring the charging handle is pushed forward and locked in place.
(b) Securing the rifle and pulling the bolt to the rear until the bolt seats completely into the buffer well.
(c) Turning the rifle upright and allowing the overridden cartridge to fall out.
b. Failure to Fire Cartridge. This is a failure of a cartridge to fire despite the fact that a round has been chambered,
the trigger pulled, and the sear released the hammer. This occurs when the firing pin fails to strike the primer
with enough force or when the ammunition is defective.
1) Probable Causes. Excessive carbon buildup on the firing pin (Figure 3.2.A) is often the cause, because the
full forward travel of the firing pin is restricted. A defective or worn firing pin can give the same results.
Inspection of the ammunition could reveal a shallow indentation or no mark on the primer, indicating a firing
pin malfunction (Figure 3.2, B). Cartridges that show a normal indentation on the primer, but did not fire
indicate faulty ammunition.
2) Corrective Action. If the malfunction continues, the firing pin, bolt, carrier, and locking lug recesses of the
barrel extension should be inspected and any accumulation of excessive carbon or fouling should be removed.
The firing pin should also be inspected for damage. Cartridges that show a normal indentation on the primer,
but failed to fire could indicate a bad ammunition lot. Those that show a complete penetration of the primer
by the firing pin could also indicate failure of the cartridge to fully seat in the chamber.
WARNING: If an audible “POP” or reduced recoil occurs during firing, immediately cease fire. This POP or
reduced recoil could be the result of a round being fired without enough force to send the projectile
out of the barrel. Don’t apply immediate action. Remove the magazine, lock the bolt to the rear, and
place the selector lever in the safe position. Visually inspect the bore to ensure a projectile is not
lodged in the barrel. If a projectile is lodged in the barrel, do not try to remove it. Turn the rifle to the
armorer.
NOTE: If the round is suspected to be faulty, it is reported and returned to the agency responsible for issuing
ammunition.
c. Failure to Extract. A failure to extract results when the cartridge case remains in the chamber of the rifle. While
the bolt and bolt carrier could move rearward only a short distance, more commonly the bolt and bolt carrier
recoil fully to the rear, leaving the cartridge case in the chamber. A live round is then forced into the base of the
cartridge case as the bolt returns in the next feed cycle. This malfunction is one of the hardest to clear.
WARNING: A failure to extract is considered an extremely serious malfunction requiring the use of tools to clear.
A live round could be left in the chamber and accidentally discharged. If a second live round is fed
into the primer of the chambered live round, the rifle could explode and cause personal injury. This
malfunction must be properly identified and reported.
1) Probable Cause. Short recoil cycles and fouled or corroded rifle chambers are the most common causes of
failures to extract. A damaged extractor or a weak or broken extractor spring can also cause this malfunction.
2) Corrective Action. The severity of a failure to extract determines the corrective action procedures. If the bolt
has moved rearward far enough to strip a live round from the magazine in its forward motion, the bolt and
carrier must be locked to the rear. The magazine and all loose rounds must be removed before clearing the
stoppage. Usually, tapping the butt of the rifle on a hard surface causes the cartridge to fall out of the chamber.
However, if the cartridge case is ruptured, it can be seized. When this occurs, a cleaning rod can be inserted
into the bore from the muzzle end.
The cartridge case can be forced from the chamber by tapping the cleaning rod against the inside
base of the fired cartridge. If cleaning and inspecting the mechanism and chamber reveals no defects but
failures to extract persist, the extractor and extractor spring should be replaced. If the chamber surface is
damaged, the entire barrel must be replaced.
d. Failure to Eject. Ejection of a cartridge is an element in the cycle of functioning of the rifle, regardless of the
mode of fire. A malfunction occurs when the cartridge is not ejected through the ejection port and either remains
partly in the chamber or becomes jammed in the upper receiver as the bolt closes. When the firer initially clears
the rifle, the cartridge could strike an inside surface of the receiver and bounce back into the path of the bolt.
1) Probable Cause. The cartridge must extract before it can eject. Failures to eject can also be caused by a
buildup of carbon or fouling on the ejector spring or extractor, or from short recoil. Short recoil is usually due
to a buildup of fouling in the carrier mechanism or gas tube, which could result in many failures to include a
failure to eject. Resistance caused by a carbon coated or corroded chamber can impede the extraction, and
then the ejection of a cartridge.
2) Corrective Action. While retraction of the charging handle usually frees the cartridge and permits removal,
the charging handle must not be released until the position of the next live round is determined. If another live
round has been sufficiently stripped from the magazine or remains in the chamber, then the magazine and all
live rounds could also require removal before the charging handle can be released. If several malfunctions
occur and are not corrected by cleaning and lubricating, the ejector spring, extractor spring, and extractor
should be replaced.
e. Other Malfunctions. The following paragraphs describe some other malfunctions that can occur.
1) The bolt fails to remain in a rearward position after the last round in the magazine is fired. Check for a bad
magazine or short recoil.
2) The bolt fails to lock in the rearward position when the bolt catch has been engaged. Check bolt catch; turn
in to unit armorer.
3) The weapon fires two or more rounds when the trigger is pulled and the selection lever is in the SEMI position.
This indicates a worn sear, cam, or disconnector. Turn in to armorer to repair and replace trigger group parts
as required.
4) The trigger fails to pull or return after release with the selector set in a firing position. This indicates that the
trigger pin (A, Figure 3-3) has backed out of the receiver or the hammer spring is broken. Turn in to armorer
to replace or repair.
5) The magazine fails to lock into the magazine well (B, Figure 3.3). Check the magazine and magazine catch
for damage. Turn in to armorer to adjust the catch; replace as required.
6) Any part of the bolt carrier group fails to function (C, Figure 3.3). Check for incorrect assembly of components.
Correctly clean and assemble the bolt carrier group, or replace damage place.
7) The ammunition fails to feed from the magazine (D, Figure 3.3). Check for damaged magazine. A damaged
magazine could cause repeated feeding failures and should be turned in to the armorer or exchanged.
NOTE: Additional technical information on troubleshooting malfunctions and replacing components is contained
in the organizational and direct support maintenance publications and manuals.
3. Destruction Procedures. Only on the authority of the unit commander, IAW orders or policies established by the
Army, may rifles subject to capture or abandonment in the combat zone be destroyed. The destruction of equipment
is reported through regular command channels.
a. Means of Destruction. Certain procedures outlined require the use of explosives and incendiary grenades. Issue
of these and related principles and specific conditions under which destruction is effected, are command decisions.
Of the several means of destruction, the following apply:
1) Mechanical. Requires axe, pick mattock, sledgehammer, crowbar, or other heavy implement.
2) Burning. Requires gasoline, oil, incendiary grenades, and other flammable materials, or welding or cutting torch.
3) Demolition. Requires suitable explosives or ammunition. Under some circumstances, hand grenades can be
used.
4) Disposal. Requires burying in the ground, dumping in streams or marshes, or scattering so widely as to preclude
recovery of essential parts.
NOTE: The same parts should be destroyed on all like materiel, including spare parts, so that the enemy cannot
rebuild one complete unit from several damaged units. If destruction is directed, appropriate safety
precautions must be observed.
b. Field-Expedient Methods. If destruction of the individual rifle must be performed to prevent enemy use, the rifle
must be damaged so it cannot be restored to a usable condition. Expedient destruction requires that key
operational parts be separated from the rifle or damaged beyond repair. Priority is given in the following order:
1) FIRST. Bolt carrier group: removed and discarded or hidden.
2) SECOND. Upper receiver group: separated and discarded or hidden.
3) THIRD. Lower receiver group: separated and discarded or hidden.
An infantryman’s basic battlefield tool is his weapon. To effectively employ this weapon, marksmanship must
be mastered from the basics of rifle marksmanship to the advanced stages of target engagement. This will greatly
enhance the infantryman’s capability to close with and destroy the enemy.
Understanding the operation and functions of any machine is vital to becoming an expert with that machine.
The same theory applies to rifle marksmanship. Commanders must keep this in mind when setting up a training
program. This chapter covers the mechanical training of the M16-/M4-series weapons. With this knowledge, a soldier
is able to assess and correct any malfunction to keep the weapon always operating properly.
1. Clearing. This paragraph explains the techniques and procedures for clearing the M16-/M4-series weapon (Figure
4.2).
WARNING: To be considered SAFE before disassembly, cleaning, inspecting, transporting, or storing, the weapon
must be cleared.
a. Point in a SAFE DIRECTION! Place selector lever on SAFE. If weapon is not cocked, lever cannot be pointed
toward SAFE.
b. Remove the magazine by depressing the magazine catch button and pulling the magazine down.
c. To lock bolt open, pull charging handle rearward. Press bottom of bolt catch and allow bolt to move forward until
it engages bolt catch. Return charging handle to full forward position. If you haven’t before, place selector lever on
SAFE.
d. Check receiver and chamber to ensure these areas contain no ammo.
e. With selector lever pointing toward SAFE, allow bolt to go forward by pressing upper portion of bolt catch.
NOTE: If the rifle will not be fired immediately close the ejection port cover.
2. Cycles of Functioning. The soldier must understand the rifle components and the mechanical sequence of events
during the firing cycle. The eight cycles of functioning (feeding, chambering, locking, firing, unlocking, extracting,
ejecting, and cocking) begin after the loaded magazine has been inserted in the weapon.
a. Feeding. (Figure 4.3). As the bolt carrier group moves rearward, it engages the buffer assembly and compresses
the action spring into the lower receiver extension. When the bolt carrier group clears the top of the magazine, the
expansion of the magazine spring forces the follower and a new round up into the path of the forward movement
of the bolt. The expansion of the action spring sends the buffer assembly and bolt carrier group forward with
enough force to strip a new round from the magazine.
b. Chambering. (Figure 4.4). As the bolt carrier group continues to move forward, the face of the bolt thrusts the new
round into the chamber. At the same time, the extractor claw grips the rim of the cartridge, and the ejector is
compressed.
c. Locking (Figure 4.5). As the bolt carrier group moves forward, the bolt is kept in its most forward position by the
bolt cam pin riding in the guide channel in the upper receiver. Just before the bolt locking lugs make contact with
the barrel extension, the bolt cam pin emerges from the guide channel. The pressure exerted by the contact of the
bolt locking lugs and barrel extension causes the bolt cam pin to move along the cam track (located in the bolt
carrier) in a counterclockwise direction, rotating the bolt locking lugs in line behind the barrel extension locking
lugs. The rifle is ready to fire.
d. Firing. (Figure 4.6). With a round in the chamber, the hammer cocked, and the selector on SEMI, the firer
squeezes the trigger. The trigger rotates on the trigger pin, depressing the nose of the trigger, and disengaging
the notch on the bottom of the hammer. The hammer spring drives the hammer forward. The hammer strikes the
head of the firing pin, driving the firing pin through the bolt into the primer of the round. When the primer is struck
by the firing pin, it ignites and causes the powder in the cartridge to ignite. The gas generated by the rapid burning
of the powder forces the projectile from the cartridge and propels it through the barrel. After the projectile has
passed the gas port (located on the upper surface of the barrel under the front sight, Figure 4.5) and before it
leaves the barrel, some gas enters the gas port and moves into the gas tube. The gas tube directs the gas into
the bolt carrier. It passes through the key downward into a space between the rear of the carrier’s bolt cavity and
the rear of the bolt itself. The gas then expands. The bolt is locked into the barrel extension and unable to move
forward, and the carrier is thus forced to the rear by the expanding gas.
e. Unlocking (Figure 4.7). As the bolt carrier moves to the rear, the bolt cam pin follows the path of the cam track
(located in the bolt carrier). This action causes the cam pin and bolt assembly to rotate simultaneously until the
locking lugs of the bolt are no longer in line behind the locking lugs of the barrel extension.
f. Extracting (Figure 4.8). The bolt carrier group continues to move to the rear. The extractor (which is attached to
the bolt) grips the rim of the cartridge case, holds it firmly against the face of the bolt, and withdraws the cartridge
case from the chamber.
g. Ejecting (Figure 4.9). With the base of a cartridge case firmly against the face of the bolt, the ejector and ejector
spring are compressed into the bolt body. As the rearward movement of the bolt carrier group allows the nose of
the cartridge case to clear the front of the ejection port, the cartridge is pushed out by the action of the ejector and
spring.
h. Cocking (Figure 4.10). The rearward movement of the bolt carrier overrides the hammer, forcing it down into the
receiver and compressing the hammer spring, cocking the hammer in the firing position. The action of the rifle is
much faster than human reaction; therefore, the firer cannot release the trigger fast enough to prevent multiple
firing.
3. Modes of Fire. The M16A3 and M4A1 rifles function in either the semiautomatic or automatic mode. The M16A2,
M16A4, and M4 carbine function in either the semiautomatic or three-round burst mode.
a. Semiautomatic Fire Mode (M16-/M4-series). The disconnector is a mechanism installed so the firer can fire single
rounds. It is attached to the trigger and rotated forward by action of the disconnector spring. When the recoil of the
bolt carrier cocks the hammer, the disconnector engages the lower hook of the hammer and holds it until the
trigger is released. Then the disconnector rotates to the rear and down, disengaging the hammer and allowing it
to rotate forward until caught by the nose of the trigger. This prevents the hammer from following the bolt carrier
forward and causing multiple firing. The trigger must be squeezed again before the next round will fire.
b. Automatic Fire Mode (M16A3 Rifle, M4A1 Carbine Only). When the selector lever (Figure 4.11) is set on the AUTO
position, the rifle continues to fire as long as the trigger is held back and ammunition is in the magazine.
The functioning of certain parts of the rifle changes when firing automatically.
1) Once the trigger is squeezed and the round is fired, the bolt carrier group moves to the rear and the hammer
is cocked. The center cam of the selector depresses the rear of the disconnector and prevents the nose of the
disconnector from engaging the lower hammer hook. The bottom part of the automatic sear catches the upper
hammer hook and holds it until the bolt carrier group moves forward. The bottom part strikes the top of the sear
and releases the hammer, causing the rifle to fire automatically.
2) If the trigger is released, the hammer moves forward and is caught by the nose of the trigger. This ends the
automatic cycle of fire until the trigger is squeezed again.
c. Burst Fire Mode (M16A2/A4 Rifle, M4 Carbine). When the selector lever is set on the BURST position (Figure
4.12), the rifle fires a three-round burst if the trigger is held to the rear during the complete cycle. The weapon
continues to fire three-round bursts with each separate trigger pull as long as ammunition is in the magazine.
Releasing the trigger or exhausting ammunition at any point in the three-round cycle interrupts fire, producing one
or two shots. Reapplying the trigger only completes the interrupted cycle; it does not begin a new one. This is not
a malfunction.
The M16A2/4 and M4 disconnectors have a three-cam mechanism that continuously rotates with each firing
cycle. Based on the position of the disconnector cam, the first trigger pull (after initial selection of the BURST
position) can produce one, two, or three firing cycles before the trigger must be pulled again. The burst cam rotates
until it reaches the stop notch.
4. Peer Coaching. Peer coaching is using two soldiers of equal firing proficiency and experience to assist (coach) each
other during marksmanship training. Some problems exist with peer coaching. If the new soldier does not have
adequate guidance, a “blind-leading-the-blind” situation results, which can lead to negative training and safety
violations. However, when adequate instruction is provided, peer coaching can be helpful even in the IET
environment. Since all soldiers in units have completed BRM, peer coaching should yield better results.
a. Benefits. The pairing of soldiers can enhance learning for both of them. The coach learns what to look for and
what to check as he provides guidance to the firer. Communication between peers is different than communication
between a soldier and drill sergeant or senior NCO. Peers have the chance to ask simple questions and to discuss
areas that are not understood. Pairing soldiers who have demonstrated good firing proficiency with those who
have firing problems can improve the performance of problem firers.
b. Duties. The peer coach assists the firer in obtaining a good position and in adjusting sandbags. He watches the
firer not the target to see that the firer maintains a proper, relaxed, steady position; that he holds his breath before
the final trigger squeeze; that he applies initial pressure to the trigger; and that no noticeable trigger jerk, flinch,
eye blink, or other reaction can be observed in anticipation of the rifle firing. The peer coach can use a variety of
training aids to assist in coaching the soldier. At other times, he could be required to observe the target area. For
example, when field-fire targets are being engaged and the firer cannot see where he is missing targets. The peer
coach can add to range safety procedures by helping safety personnel with preliminary rifle checks.
c. Checklist for the Coach. The procedures to determine and eliminate rifle and firer deficiencies follow.
1) The coach checks to see that the
(a) Rifle is cleared and defective parts have been replaced.
(b) Ammunition is clean, and the magazine is properly placed in the pouch.
(c) Sights are blackened and set correctly for long or short range.
2) The coach observes the firer to see if he
(a) Uses the correct position and properly applies the steady-position elements.
(b) Properly loads the rifle.
(c) Obtains the correct sight alignment (with the aid of an M16 sighting device).
(d) Holds his breath correctly (by watching his back at times).
(e) Applies proper trigger squeeze; determines whether he flinches or jerks by watching his head, shoulders,
trigger finger, and firing hand and arm.
(f) Is tense and nervous. If the firer is nervous, the coach has the firer breathe deeply several times to relax.
3) Supervisory personnel and peer coaches correct errors as they are detected. If many common errors are
observed, it is appropriate to call the group together for more discussion and demonstration of proper
procedures and to provide feedback.
d. Position of the Coach. The coach constantly checks and assists the firer in applying marksmanship fundamentals
during firing. He observes the firer’s position and his application of the steady position elements. The coach is
valuable in checking factors the firer is unable to observe for himself and in preventing the firer from repeating
errors.
1) During an exercise, the coach should be positioned where he can best observe the firer when he assumes
position. He then moves to various points around the firer (sides and rear) to check the correctness of the firer’s
position. The coach requires the firer to make adjustments until the firer obtains a correct position.
2) When the coach is satisfied with the firing position, he assumes a coaching position alongside the firer. The
coach usually assumes a position near the firer (Figure 4.13 and Fig 4.14), which is on the firing side of the
firer. During firing, the coach will observe the eyes for indication of shot anticipation, and flinching. He observes
the cheek weld if it is maintained every shot. Meanwhile, he watches the trigger finger for indication of jerking
and quick release of the trigger after the shot.
Marksmanship Fundamentals I
This training program (Figure 4.15) reinforces BRM and trains the four fundamentals through dry-firing to
standard during circuit training. It teaches range and safety procedures.
Notes:
rearward pressure is exerted by the remaining three fingers to ensure that the butt of the stock remains in the
pocket of the shoulder, minimizing the effect of recoil.
4) Firing Elbow Placement. The firing elbow is important in providing balance. Its exact location depends on the
firing/fighting position used. Placement should allow shoulders to remain level.
5) Non firing Elbow. The non-firing elbow is positioned firmly under the rifle to allow a comfortable and stable position.
When the soldier engages a wide sector of fire, moving targets, and targets at various elevations, his non-firing
elbow should remain free from support.
6) Cheek-to-Stock Weld. The stock weld should provide a natural line of sight through the center of the rear sight
aperture to the front sight post and on to the target. The firer’s neck should be relaxed, allowing his cheek to fall
naturally onto the stock. Through dry-fire training, the soldier practices this position until he assumes the same
cheek-to-stock weld each time he assumes a given position, which provides consistency in aiming. Proper eye
relief is obtained when a soldier establishes a good cheek-to-stock weld. A small change in eye relief normally
occurs each time that the firer assumes a different firing position. The soldier should begin by trying to touch the
charging handle with his nose when assuming a firing position. This will aid the soldier in maintaining the same
cheek-to-stock weld hold each time the weapon is aimed. The soldier should be mindful of how the nose touches
the charging handle and should be consistent when doing so. This should be critiqued and reinforced during dry-
fire training.
7) Support. When artificial support (sandbags, logs, stumps) is available, it should be used to steady the position
and support the rifle. If it is not available, then the bones, not the muscles, in the firer’s upper body must support
the rifle.
8) Muscle Relaxation. If support is used properly, the soldier should be able to relax most of his muscles. Using
artificial support or bones in the upper body as support allows him to relax and settle into position. Using muscles
to support the rifle can cause it to move due to muscle fatigue.
9) Natural Point of Aim. When the soldier first assumes his firing position, he orients his rifle in the general direction
of his target. Then he adjusts his body to bring the rifle and sights exactly in line with the desired aiming point.
When using proper support and consistent cheek to stock weld the soldier should have his rifle and sights aligned
naturally on the target.
When correct body-rifle-target alignment is achieved, the front sight post must be held on target, using
muscular support and effort. As the rifle fires, muscles tend to relax, causing the front sight to move away from the
target toward the natural point of aim. Adjusting this point to the desired point of aim eliminates this movement.
When multiple target exposures are expected (or a sector of fire must be covered), the soldier adjusts his natural
point of aim to the center of the expected target exposure area (or center of sector).
b. Aiming. Having mastered the task of holding the rifle steady, the soldier must align the rifle with the target in exactly
the same way for each firing. The firer is the final judge as to where his eye is focused. The instructor or trainer
emphasizes this point by having the firer focus on the target and then focus back on the front sight post. He checks
the position of the firing eye to ensure it is in line with the rear sight aperture.
1) Rifle Sight Alignment. Alignment of the rifle with the target is critical. It involves placing the tip of the front sight
post in the center of the rear sight aperture (Figure 4.16). Any alignment error between the front and rear sights
repeats itself for every 1/2 meter the bullet travels. For example, at the 25-meter line, any error in rifle alignment
is multiplied 50 times. If the bullet is misaligned by 1/10 inch, it causes a target at 300 meters to be missed by 5
feet.
2) Focus of the Eye. A proper firing position places the eye directly in line with the center of the rear sight aperture.
When the eye is focused on the front sight post, the natural ability of the eye to center objects in a circle and to
seek the point of greatest light (center of the aperture) aid in providing correct sight alignment. For the average
soldier firing at combat-type targets, the natural ability of the eye can accurately align the sights. Therefore, the
firer can place the tip of the front sight post on the aiming point, but the eye must be focused on the tip of the front
sight post. This causes the target to appear blurry, while the front sight post is seen clearly. Two reasons for
focusing on the front sight post are:
(a) Only a minor aiming error should occur since the error reflects only as much as the soldier fails to determine
the target center. A greater aiming error can result if the front sight post is blurry due to focusing on the target
or other objects.
(b) Focusing on the tip of the front sight post aids the firer in maintaining proper sight alignment (Figure 4.18).
3) Sight Picture. Once the soldier can correctly align his sights, he can obtain a sight picture. A correct sight picture
has the target, front sight post, and rear sight aligned. The sight picture includes two basic elements: sight
alignment and placement of the aiming point.
(a) Placement of the aiming point varies,
depending on the engagement range.
For example, Figure 4.17 shows a
silhouette at 300 meters where the
aiming point is the center of mass,
and the sights are aligned for a
correct sight picture.
(b) A technique to obtain a good sight
picture is the side aiming technique
(Figure 4-19). It involves positioning
the front sight post to the side of the
target in line with the vertical center of
mass, keeping the sights aligned. The
front sight post is moved horizontally
until the target is directly centered on
the front sight post.
4) Front Sight. The front sight post is vital to proper firing and should be replaced when damaged. The post should
be blackened anytime it is shiny since precise focusing on the tip of the front sight post cannot be done otherwise.
5) Aiming Practice. Aiming practice is conducted before firing live rounds. During day firing, the soldier should
practice sight alignment and placement of the aiming point. Using training aids such as the M15A1 aiming card
can do this.
c. Breath Control. As the firer’s skills improve and as timed or multiple targets are presented, he must learn to control
his breath at any part of the breathing cycle. Two types of breath control techniques are practiced during dry fire.
The coach/trainer ensures that the firer uses two breathing techniques and understands them by instructing him to
exaggerate his breathing. The firer must be aware of the rifle’s movement (while sighted on a target) as a result of
breathing.
1) The first technique is used during zeroing (and when time is available to fire a shot) (Figure 4.20). There is a
moment of natural respiratory pause while breathing when most of the air has been exhaled from the lungs and
before inhaling. Breathing should stop after most of the air has been exhaled during the normal breathing cycle.
The shot must be fired before the soldier feels any discomfort.
2) The second breath control technique is employed during rapid fire (short exposure targets) (Figure 4.21). Using
this technique, the soldier stops his breath when he is about to squeeze the trigger.
d. Trigger Squeeze. A novice firer can learn to place the rifle in a steady position and to correctly aim at the target if
he follows the basic principles. If the trigger is not properly squeezed, the rifle will be misaligned with the target at
the moment of firing.
1) Rifle Movement. Trigger squeeze is important for two reasons: First, any sudden movement of the finger on the
trigger can disturb the lay of the rifle and cause the shot to miss the target. Second, the precise instant of firing
should be a surprise to the soldier. The soldier’s natural reflex to compensate for the noise and slight punch in
the shoulder can cause him to miss the target if he knows the exact instant the rifle will fire. The soldier usually
tenses his shoulders when expecting the rifle to fire. It is difficult to detect since he does not realize he is flinching.
When the hammer drops on a dummy round and does not fire, the soldier’s natural reflexes demonstrate that he
is improperly squeezing the trigger.
2) Trigger Finger. The trigger finger (index finger on the firing hand) is placed on the trigger between the first joint
and the tip of the finger (not the extreme end) and adjusted depending on hand size, grip, and so on. The trigger
finger must squeeze the trigger to the rear so the hammer falls without disturbing the lay of the rifle. When a live
round is fired, it is difficult to see what effect trigger pull had on the lay of the rifle. It is important to experiment
with many finger positions during dry-fire training to ensure the hammer is falling with little disturbance to the
aiming process.
(a) As the firer’s skills increase with practice, he needs less time spent on trigger squeeze. Novice firers can take
five seconds to perform an adequate trigger squeeze, but, as skills improve, he can squeeze the trigger in a
second or less. The proper trigger squeeze should start with slight pressure on the trigger during the initial
aiming process. The firer applies more pressure after the front sight post is steady on the target and he is
holding his breath.
(b) The coach/trainer observes the trigger squeeze, emphasizes the correct procedure, and checks the firer’s
applied pressure. He places his finger on the trigger and has the firer squeeze the trigger by applying pressure
to the coach/trainer’s finger. The coach/trainer ensures that the firer squeezes straight to the rear on the
trigger avoiding a left or right twisting movement. The coach/trainer observes that the firer follows through and
holds the trigger to the rear for approximately one second after the round has been fired. A steady position
reduces disturbance of the rifle during trigger squeeze.
(c) Wobble area is the movement of the front sight around the aiming point when the rifle is in the steadiest
position. From an unsupported position, the firer experiences a greater wobble area than from a supported
position. If the front sight strays from the target during the firing process, pressure on the trigger should be
held constant and resumed as soon as sighting is corrected. The position must provide for the smallest
possible wobble area. From a supported position, there should be minimal wobble area and little reason to
detect movement. If movement of the rifle causes the front sight to leave the target, more practice is needed.
The firer should never try to quickly squeeze the trigger while the sight is on the target. The best firing
performance results when the trigger is squeezed continuously, and the rifle is fired without disturbing its lay.
Firing Positions
During preliminary marksmanship instruction only the basic firing positions are taught. The other positions are
added later in training to support tactical conditions. The two firing positions used during initial training are the individual
foxhole supported firing position and the basic prone unsupported firing position. Both offer a stable platform for firing
the rifle. They are also the positions used during basic record fire.
a. Individual Foxhole Supported Firing Position. This position provides the most stable platform for engaging
targets (Figure 4.22). Upon entering the position, the soldier adds or removes dirt, sandbags, or other supports to
adjust for his height. He then faces the target, executes a half face to his firing side, and leans forward until his chest
is against the firing hand corner of the position. He places the rifle hand guard in a V formed by the thumb and fingers
of his non-firing hand, and rests the non-firing hand on the material (sandbags or berm) to the front of the position.
The soldier places the butt of the weapon in the pocket of his firing shoulder and rests his firing elbow on the ground
outside the position. (When prepared positions are not available, the prone supported position can be substituted.)
Once the individual supported fighting position has been mastered, the firer should practice various unsupported
positions to obtain the smallest possible wobble area during final aiming and hammer fall. The coach-trainer can
check the steadiness of the position by observing movement at the forward part of the rifle, by looking through the
Ml6 sighting device, or by checking to see support is being used.
NOTE: The objective is to establish a steady position under various conditions. The ultimate performance of this task
is combat. Although the firer must be positioned high enough to observe all targets, he must remain as low as
possible to provide added protection from enemy fire.
b. Basic Prone Unsupported Firing Position. This firing position (Figure 4.23) offers another stable firing platform
for engaging targets. To assume this position, the soldier faces his target, spreads his feet a comfortable distance
apart, and drops to his knees. Using the butt of the rifle as a pivot, the firer rolls onto his non-firing side, placing the
non-firing elbow close to the side of the magazine. He places the rifle butt in the pocket formed by the firing shoulder,
grasps the pistol grip with his firing hand, and lowers the firing elbow to the ground. The rifle rests in the V formed
by the thumb and fingers of the non-firing hand. The soldier adjusts the position of his firing elbow until his shoulders
are about level, and pulls back firmly on the rifle with both hands. To complete the position, he obtains a stock weld
and relaxes, keeping his heels close to the ground.
e. Coin on the barrel Exercise. This exercise incorporates the soldier’s position; breathing and trigger squeeze at a
target 25 meters away, simulating a live fire 25-meter engagement. The soldier must successfully dry practice his
weapon ten consecutive times without the coin falling to the ground. This exercise specifically focuses on all four of
the soldier’s fundamentals. (See Fig 4.25)
Marksmanship Fundamentals II
This training program (Figure 4.26)
reinforces BRM and the four fundamentals while
demonstrating the integrated act of shooting on
the Weaponeer.
Zeroing Procedures
This paragraph provides guidelines for the instructor-trainer to zero M16-/M4-series weapons at 25 meters
and at actual range (Figure 5.17). It includes concept, organization, mechanical zero, zero recording, 25-meter sight
settings, field-fire sight settings, and troubleshooting of the fundamentals.
a. The purpose of battle sight zeroing is to align the sights with the weapon’s barrel given standard issue ammunition.
When this is accomplished correctly, the point of aim and point of impact are the same at a given range such as
250 meters for the M16A1 and 300 meters for the M16A2/A3/A4 and M4-series weapons. This sight setting provides
the highest hit probability for most combat targets with minimum adjustment to the aiming point.
1) When standard zeroing procedures are followed, a properly zeroed rifle for one soldier is close to the zero for
another soldier. When a straight line is drawn from target center to the tip of the front sight post and through the
center of the rear aperture, it makes little difference whose eye is looking along this line. There are many subtle
factors that result in differences among individual zeros. The similarity of individual zeros should be emphasized
instead of the differences.
2) Most firers can fire with the same zeroed rifle if they are properly applying marksmanship fundamentals. This
information can be useful in three ways. If a soldier is having difficulty zeroing and the problem cannot be
diagnosed, having a good firer zero the rifle could find the problem and eliminates the weapon as part of the
problem. When a soldier must fire another soldier’s rifle without opportunity to verify the zero by firing, for
example, picking up another man’s rifle on the battlefield, the rifle will be closer to actual zero if the rifle sights
are left unchanged. This information is useful in deciding initial sight settings and recording of zeros. All rifles in
the arms room, even those not assigned, should have been previously zeroed by the last soldier it was assigned
to. Zeroing this newly assigned weapon should start with the sights left where they are.
3) There is no relationship between the specific sight settings a soldier uses on his rifle to the sight settings he
would zero another rifle to. For example, a soldier could zero his assigned rifle 10 clicks left of center, and then
zero another rifle and his adjustments could be 10 clicks right of center. This is due to the manufacturing
difference from one rifle to another, which makes it essential that each soldier zeros the rifle that he is assigned.
Therefore, all newly assigned personnel should be required to fire their rifle for zero as soon as possible after
assignment to the unit. The same rule must apply anytime a soldier is assigned a rifle that is returned from direct
support (DS) or general support (GS) maintenance, or the zero is in question.
b. All soldiers should successfully group prior to zeroing. If the unit is proficient at grouping, then two shot groups
should be fired to confirm proficiency prior to making any sight adjustments during zeroing procedures.
1) The unit is divided into firing orders. The first order fires while the second order coaches. Firing points are
reserved to conduct corrective instruction. When using smaller ranges, the unit should be divided into three or
more orders.
2) Sandbags should be provided at each firing point to accommodate supported firing positions.
3) Each shot is fired using the same aiming point (center of mass of the target) from a supported firing position.
4) Each soldier ensures his sights are set for 25-meter zeroing.
5) The soldier fires a three-round shot group at the 25-meter zero target. The firing line is cleared, and he moves
downrange to examine the shot group. The soldier examines the shot group for fundamental errors, triangulates
the shot group and puts the number 1 in the center of the shot group.
6) Initially the soldier should fire two individual shot groups before a sight change is considered. If the initial shot
group is not on paper the weapon should be mechanically zeroed before the soldier fires this weapon again.
7) The soldier returns to the firing line and fires a second three-round shot group.
8) The firing line is cleared, and he moves downrange to examine the second shot group, triangulate and mark the
center of the shot group with the number 2. The soldier groups the two shot groups and marks the center of the
two shot groups with an X. If the two shot groups fall within a 4-centimeter circle the firer determines what sight
adjustments need to be made, identifies the closest horizontal and vertical lines to the X, and then reads the 25-
meter zero target to determine the proper sight adjustments to make. If the two shot groups did not fall within a
4- centimeter circle the soldier continues grouping.
9) The soldier then annotates any sight adjustments that need to be made to the weapon on the 25-meter zero
target and ensures his name is also on the target. If five out of six rounds fell within the 3-centimeter circle the
soldier is zeroed and can be removed from the firing line. (The majority of the round must be inside the circle to
be counted).
10) The underfed soldier returns to the firing line and makes sight adjustments.
11) Steps 1 through 8 are repeated until the soldier places five out of six consecutive rounds inside the 4-centimeter
circle. If the soldier is not zeroed in 18 rounds he should be removed from the firing line and given remedial
training before attempting to zero again.
12) Once firing proficiency has been demonstrated from the supported firing position, zeroing exercises can be
conducted from the unsupported firing position. For example, 18 rounds are allocated for the zeroing exercise;
if the soldier zeroes in 9 rounds, the soldier can fire the remaining 9 rounds from the unsupported firing position.
c. While applying the fundamentals, the soldier consistently aims center mass of the target as shown in (A) of Figure
5.18. The soldier fires two separate three-round shot groups, as shown in (B) of Figure 5.18, and groups them.
Based on the location of these two groups the soldier makes the appropriate sight adjustments. After making the
correct sight changes, the soldier fires two more separate three-round shot groups to confirm the adjustments have
aligned the sights with the center of the target, and the bullets are in the 4-centimeter circle (Figure 5.19.).
END
REVISED EDITION 2021 CNY; KLS; RPR 224
PLVMS-1-2021-01
On your opinion, do you think that learning the proper handling of fire arms are important? Why? Why not? Explain
briefly.
UNIT SIX
MILITARY INDIVIDUAL SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 9
Survival Techniques 1
CHAPTER 10
Hygiene, Sanitation and Basic Life Support
CHAPTER 9
Survival Techniques 1
Essential Questions:
Set a plan wherein you were stranded on an island and you need to survive. Explain why you chose those actions.
Write each actions in bullet form. Be precise.
I. Survival Techniques
This subject is based entirely on the keyword SURVIVAL. The letters in this word can help guide you in your
actions in any survival situation. Whenever faced with a survival situation, remember the word SURVIVAL.
1. Survival Actions. The following paragraphs expand on the meaning of each letter of the word survival. Study and
remember what each letter signifies because you may someday have to make it work for you.
S- Size Up the Situation. If you are in a combat situation, find a place where you can conceal yourself from the enemy.
Remember, security takes priority. Use your senses of hearing, smell, and sight to get a feel for the battlefield. What
is the enemy doing? Advancing? Holding in place? Retreating? You will have to consider what is developing on the
battlefield when you make your survival plan.
Size Up Your Surroundings. Determine the pattern of the area. Get a feel for what is going on around you. Every
environment, whether forest, jungle, or desert, has a rhythm or pattern. This rhythm or pattern includes animal and
bird noises and movements and insect sounds. It may also include enemy traffic and civilian movements.
Size Up Your Physical Condition. The pressure of the battle you were in or the trauma of being in a survival situation
may have caused you to overlook wounds you received. Check your wounds and give yourself first aid. Take care
to prevent further bodily harm. For instance, in any climate, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
Size Up Your Equipment. Perhaps in the heat of battle, you lost or damaged some of your equipment. Check to see
what equipment you have and what condition it is in.
Now that you have sized up your situation, surroundings, physical condition, and equipment, you are ready to
make your survival plan. In doing so, keep in mind your basic physical needs—water, food, and shelter.
U- Use All Your Senses, Undue Haste Makes Waste. You may make a wrong move when you react quickly without
thinking or planning. That move may result in your capture or death. Don’t move just for the sake of taking action.
Consider all aspects of your situation (size up your situation) before you make a decision and a move. If you act in
haste, you may forget or lose some of your equipment. In your haste you may also become disoriented so that you
don’t know which way to go. Plan your moves. Be ready to move out quickly without endangering yourself if the
enemy is near you. Use all your senses to evaluate the situation. Note sounds and smells. Be sensitive to
temperature changes. Be observant.
R- Remember Where You Are. Spot your location on your map and relate it to the surrounding terrain. This is a basic
principle that you must always follow. If there are other persons with you, make sure they also know their location.
Always know who in your group, vehicle, or aircraft has a map and compass. If that person is killed, you will have
to get the map and compass from him. Pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not
rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself. Always try to determine, as a
minimum, how your location relates to:
1) The location of enemy units and controlled areas.
2) The location of friendly units and controlled areas.
3) The location of local water sources.
4) Areas that will provide good cover and concealment.
This information will allow you to make intelligent decisions when you are in a survival and evasion situation.
V- Vanquish Fear and Panic. The greatest enemies in a combat survival and evasion situation are fear and panic. If
uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make unintelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your
feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative
emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.
I - Improvise. In the Philippines, we have items available for all our needs. Many of these items are cheap to replace
when damaged. Our easy come, easy go, easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary for us to improvise. This
inexperience in improvisation can be an enemy in a survival situation. Learn to improvise. Take a tool designed for
a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use natural objects around you for
different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you,
it will run out or wear out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out.
V- Value Living. All of us were born kicking and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have
become creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What happens when we are faced with
a survival situation with its stresses, inconveniences, and discomforts? This is when the will to live–placing a high
value on living-is vital. The experience and knowledge you have gained through life and your Army training will have
a bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give
you the mental and physical strength to endure.
A- Act Like the Natives. The natives and animals of a region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the
area, watch how the people go about their daily routine. When and what do they eat? When, where, and how do
they get their food? When and where do they go for water? What time do they usually go to bed and get up? These
actions are important to you when you are trying to avoid capture. Animal life in the area can also give you clues
on how to survive. Animals also require food, water, and shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water
and food.
WARNING
Animals cannot serve as an absolute guide to what you can eat and drink.
Many animals eat plants that are toxic to humans.
Keep in mind that the reaction of animals can reveal your presence to the enemy. If in a friendly area, one
way you can gain rapport with the natives is to show interest in their tools and how they get food and water. By studying
the people, you learn to respect them, you often make valuable friends, and, most important, you learn how to adapt
to their environment and increase your chances of survival.
L - Live by Your Wits, But for Now, Learn Basic Skills. Without training in basic skills for surviving and evading on
the battlefield, your chances of living through a combat survival and evasion situation are slight. Learn these basic
skills now –not when you are headed for or are in the battle. How you decide to equip yourself before deployment
will impact on whether or not you survive. You need to know about the environment to which you are going, and
you must practice basic skills geared to that environment. For instance, if you are going to a desert, you need to
know how to get water in the desert. Practice basic survival skills during all training programs and exercises. Survival
training reduces fear of the unknown and gives you self -confidence. It teaches you to live by your wits.
Develop a survival pattern that lets you beat the enemies of survival. This survival pattern must include food,
water, shelter, fire, first aid, and signals placed in order of importance. For example, in a cold environment, you would
need a fire to get warm; a shelter to protect you from the cold, wind, and rain or snow; traps or snares to get food; a
means to signal friendly aircraft; and first aid to maintain health. If injured, first aid has top priority no matter what
climate you are in. Change your survival pattern to meet your immediate physical needs as the environment changes.
As you read the rest of this manual, keep in mind the keyword SURVIVAL and the need for a survival pattern.
1. A Look at Stress. Before we can understand our psychological reactions in a survival setting, it is helpful to first
know a little bit about stress. Stress is not a disease that you cure and eliminate. Instead, it is a condition we all
experience. Stress can be described as our reaction to pressure. It is the name given to the experience we have
as we physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually respond to life’s tensions.
a. Need for Stress. We need stress because it has many positive benefits. Stress provides us with challenges; it
gives us chances to learn about our values and strengths. Stress can show our ability to handle pressure without
breaking; it tests our adaptability and flexibility; it can stimulate us to do our best. Because we usually do not
consider unimportant events stressful, stress can also be an excellent indicator of the significance we attach to
an event—in other words, it highlights what is important to us.
We need to have some stress in our lives, but too much of anything can be bad. The goal is to have
stress, but not an excess of it. Too much stress can take its toll on people and organizations. Too much stress
leads to distress. Distress causes an uncomfortable tension that we try to escape and, preferably, avoid. Listed
below are a few of the common signs of distress you may find in your fellow soldiers or yourself when faced with
too much stress:
1) Difficulty making decisions.
2) Angry outbursts.
3) Forgetfulness.
4) Low energy level.
5) Constant worrying.
6) Propensity for mistakes.
7) Thoughts about death or suicide.
8) Trouble getting along with others.
9) Withdrawing from others.
10) Hiding from responsibilities.
11) Carelessness.
As you can see, stress can be constructive or destructive. It can encourage or discourage, move us
along or stop us dead in our tracks, and make life meaningful or seemingly meaningless. Stress can inspire you
to operate successfully and perform at your maximum efficiency in a survival situation. It can also cause you to
panic and forget all your training. Key to your survival is your ability to manage the inevitable stresses you will
encounter. The survivor is the soldier who works with his stresses instead of letting his stresses work on him.
b. Survival Stressors. Any event can lead to stress and, as everyone has experienced, events don’t always come
one at a time. Often, stressful events occur simultaneously. These events are not stress, but they produce it and
are called” stressors.” Stressors are the obvious cause while stress is the response. Once the body recognizes
the presence of a stressor, it then begins to act to protect itself. In response to a stressor, the body prepares
either to “fight or flee.” This preparation involves an internal SOS sent throughout the body. As the body responds
to this SOS, several actions take place. The body releases stored fuels (sugar and fats) to provide quick energy;
breathing rate increases to supply more oxygen to the blood; muscle tension increases to prepare for action;
blood clotting mechanisms are activated to reduce bleeding from cuts; senses become more acute (hearing
becomes more sensitive, eyes become big, smell becomes sharper) so that you are more aware of your
surrounding and heart rate and blood pressure rise to provide more blood to the muscles. This protective posture
lets a person cope with potential dangers; however, a person cannot maintain such level of alertness indefinitely.
Stressors are not courteous; one stressor does not leave because another one arrives. Stressors
add up. The cumulative effect of minor stressors can be a major distress if they all happen too close together. As
the body’s resistance to stress wears down and the sources of stress continue (or increase), eventually a state
of exhaustion arrives. At this point, the ability to resist stress or use it in a positive way gives out and signs of
distress appear. Anticipating stressors and developing strategies to cope with them are two ingredients in the
effective management of stress. It is therefore essential that the soldier in a survival setting be aware of the types
of stressors he will encounter. Let’s take a look at a few of these.
1) Injury, Illness, or Death. Injury, illness, and death are real possibilities a survivor has to face. Perhaps nothing
is more stressful than being alone in an unfamiliar environment where you could die from hostile action, an
accident, or from eating something lethal. Illness and injury can also add to stress by limiting your ability to
maneuver, get food and drink, find shelter, and defend yourself. Even if illness and injury don’t lead to death,
they add to stress through the pain and discomfort they generate. It is only by controlling the stress associated
with the vulnerability to injury, illness, and death that a soldier can have the courage to take the risks
associated with survival tasks.
2) Uncertainly and Lack of Control. Some people have trouble operating in settings where everything is not clear-
cut. The only guarantee in a survival situation is that nothing is guaranteed. It can be extremely stressful
operating on limited information in a setting where you have limited control of your surroundings. This
uncertainty and lack of control also add to the stress of being ill, injured, or killed.
3) Environment. Even under the most ideal circumstances, nature is quite formidable. In survival, a soldier will
have to contend with the stressors of weather, terrain, and the variety of creatures inhabiting an area. Heat,
cold, rain, winds, mountains, swamps, deserts, insects, dangerous reptiles, and other animals are just a few
of the challenges awaiting the soldier working to survive. Depending on how a soldier handles the stress of
his environment, his surroundings can be either a source of food and protection or can because of extreme
discomfort leading to injury, illness, or death.
4) Hunger and Thirst. Without food and water a person will weaken and eventually die. Thus, getting and
preserving food and water takes on increasing importance as the length of time in a survival setting increases.
For a soldier used to having his provisions issued, foraging can be a big source of stress.
5) Fatigue. Forcing yourself to continue surviving is not easy as you grow more tired. It is possible to become
so fatigued that the act of just staying awake is stressful in itself.
6) Isolation. There are some advantages to facing adversity with others. As soldiers we learn individual skills,
but we train to function as part of a team. Although we, as soldiers, complain about higher headquarters, we
become used to the information and guidance it provides, especially during times of confusion. Being in
contact with others also provides a greater sense of security and a feeling someone is available to help if
problems occur.
A significant stressor in survival situations is that often a person or team has to rely solely on its own
resources. The survival stressors mentioned in this section are by no means the only ones you may face.
Remember, what is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. Your experiences, training,
personal outlook online, physical and mental conditioning, and level of self-confidence contribute to what you
will find stressful in a survival environment. The object is not to avoid stress, but rather to manage the stressors
of survival and make them work for you. We now have a general knowledge of stress and the stressors
common to survival; the next step is to examine our reactions to the stressors we may face.
2. Natural Reactions. Man has been able to survive many shifts in his environment throughout the centuries. His
ability to adapt physically and mentally to a changing world kept him alive while other species around him gradually
died off. The same survival mechanisms that kept our forefathers alive can help keep us alive as well! However,
these survival mechanisms that can help us can also work against us if we don’t understand and anticipate their
presence. It is not surprising that the average person will have some psychological reactions in a survival situation.
We will now examine some of the major internal reactions you and anyone with you might experience with the survival
stressors addressed in the earlier paragraphs. Let’s begin.
a. Fear. Fear is our emotional response to dangerous circumstances that we believe have the potential to cause
death, injury, or illness. This harm is not just limited to physical damage; the threat to one’s emotional and mental
well-being can generate fear as well. For the soldier trying to survive, fear can have a positive function if it
encourages him to be cautious in situations where recklessness could result in injury. Unfortunately, fear can also
immobilize a person. It can cause him to become so frightened that he fails to perform activities essential for
survival. Most soldiers will have some degree of fear when placed in unfamiliar surroundings under adverse
conditions. There is no shame in this! Each soldier must train himself not to be overcome by his fears. Ideally,
through realistic training, we can acquire the knowledge and skills needed to increase our confidence and thereby
manage our fears.
b. Anxiety Associated with fear is anxiety. Because it is natural for us to be afraid, it is also natural for us to experience
anxiety. Anxiety can be an uneasy, apprehensive feeling we get when faced with dangerous situations (physical,
mental, and emotional). When used in a healthy way, anxiety urges us to act to end, or at least master, the dangers
that threaten our existence. If we were never anxious, there would be little motivation to make changes in our lives.
The soldier in a survival setting reduces his anxiety by performing those tasks that will ensure his coming through
the ordeal alive. As he reduces his anxiety, the soldier is also bringing under control the source of that anxiety--
his fears. In this form, anxiety is good; however, anxiety can also have a devastating impact. Anxiety can
overwhelm soldier to the point where he becomes easily confused and has difficulty thinking. Once this happens,
it becomes more and more difficult for him to make good judgments and sound decisions. To survive, the soldier
must learn techniques to calm his anxieties and keep them in the range where they help, not hurt.
c. Anger and Frustration. Frustration arises when a person is continually thwarted in his attempts to reach a goal.
The goal of survival is to stay alive until you can reach help or until help can reach you. To achieve this goal, the
soldier must complete some tasks with minimal resources. It is inevitable, in trying to do these tasks, that
something will go wrong; that something will happen beyond the soldier’s control; and that with one’s life at stake,
every mistake is magnified in terms of its importance. Thus, sooner or later, soldiers will have to cope with
frustration when a few of their plans run into trouble. One outgrowth of this frustration is anger. There are many
events in a survival situation that can frustrate or anger a soldier. Getting lost, damaged or forgotten equipment,
the weather, inhospitable terrain, enemy patrols, and physical limitations are just a few sources of frustration and
anger. Frustration and anger encourage impulsive reactions, irrational behavior, poorly thought-out decisions, and,
in some instances, an “I quit” attitude (people sometimes avoid doing something they can’t master). If the soldier
can harness and properly channel the emotional intensity associated with anger and frustration, he can
productively act as he answers the challenges of survival. If the soldier does not properly focus his angry feelings,
he can waste much energy in activities that do little to further either his chances of survival or the chances of those
around him.
d. Depression. It would be a rare person indeed who would not get sad, at least momentarily, when faced with the
privations of survival. As this sadness deepens, we label the feeling “depression.” Depression is closely linked with
frustration and anger. The frustrated person becomes angrier as he fails to reach his goals. If the anger does not
help the person to succeed, then the frustration level goes even higher. A destructive cycle between anger and
frustration continues until the person becomes worn down-physically, emotionally, and mentally. When a person
reaches this point, he starts to give up, and his focus shifts from “What can I do” to “There is nothing I can do.”
Depression is an expression of this hopeless, helpless feeling. There is nothing wrong with being sad as you
temporarily think about your loved ones and remember what life is like back in “civilization” or “the world.” Such
thoughts, in fact, can give you the desire to try harder and live one more day. On the other hand, if you allow
yourself to sink into a depressed state, then it can sap all your energy and, more important, your will to survive. It
is imperative that each soldier resist succumbing to depression.
e. Loneliness and Boredom. Man is a social animal. This means we, as human beings, enjoy the company of others.
Very few people want to be alone all the time! As you are aware, there is a distinct chance of isolation in a survival
setting. This is not bad. Loneliness and boredom can bring to the surface qualities youth ought only others had.
The extent of your imagination and creativity may surprise you. When required to do so, you may discover some
hidden talents and abilities. Most of all, you may tap into a reservoir of inner strength and fortitude you never knew
you had. Conversely, loneliness and boredom can be another source of depression. As a soldier surviving alone,
or with others, you must find ways to keep your mind productively occupied. Additionally, you must develop a
degree of self-sufficiency. You must have faith in your capability to “go it alone.”
f. Guilt. The circumstances leading to your being in a survival setting are sometimes dramatic and tragic. It may be
the result of an accident or military mission where there was a loss of life. Perhaps you were the only, or one of a
few, survivors. While naturally relieved to be alive, you simultaneously may be mourning the deaths of others who
were less fortunate. It is not uncommon for survivors to feel guilty about being spared from death while others
were not. This feeling, when used in a positive way, has encouraged people to try harder to survive with the belief
they were allowed to live for some greater purpose in life. Sometimes, survivors tried to stay alive so that they
could carry on the work of those killed. Whatever reason you give yourself, do not let guilt feelings prevent you
from living. The living who abandon their chance to survive accomplish nothing. Such an act would be the greatest
tragedy.
3. Preparing Yourself. Your mission as a soldier in a survival situation is to stay alive. As you can see, you are going
to experience an assortment of thoughts and emotions. These can work for you, or they can work to your downfall.
Fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, guilt, depression, and loneliness are all possible reactions to the many stresses
common to survival. These reactions, when controlled in a healthy way, help to increase a soldier’s likelihood of
surviving. They prompt the soldier to pay more attention in training, to fight back when scared, to take actions that
ensure sustenance and security, to keep faith with his fellow soldiers, and to strive against large odds. When the
survivor cannot control these reactions in a healthy way, they can bring him to a standstill. Instead of rallying his
internal resources, the soldier listens to his internal fears. This soldier experiences psychological defeat long before
he physically succumbs. Remember, survival is natural to everyone; being unexpectedly thrust into the life and death
struggle of survival is not. Don’t be afraid of your “natural reactions to this unnatural situation.” Prepare yourself to
rule over these reactions so they serve your ultimate interest—staying alive with the honor and dignity associated
with being an American soldier. It involves preparation to ensure that your reactions in a survival setting are
productive, not destructive. The challenge of survival has produced countless examples of heroism, courage, and
self-sacrifice. These are the qualities it can bring out in you if you have prepared yourself. Below are a few tips to
help prepare yourself psychologically for survival. Through studying this manual and attending survival training you
can develop the survival attitude.
a. Know Yourself. Through training, family, and friends take the time to discover who you are on the inside.
Strengthen your stronger qualities and develop the areas that you know are necessary to survive.
b. Anticipate Fears. Don’t pretend that you will have no fears. Begin thinking about what would frighten you the most
if forced to survive alone. Train in those areas of concern to you. The goal is not to eliminate the fear, but to build
confidence in your ability to function despite your fears.
c. Be Realistic. Don’t be afraid to make an honest appraisal of situations. See circumstances as they are, not as you
want them to be. Keep your hopes and expectations within the estimate of the situation. When you go into a
survival setting with unrealistic expectations, you may be laying the groundwork for bitter disappointment. Follow
the adage, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” It is much easier to adjust to pleasant surprises about one’s
unexpected good fortunes than to be upset by one’s unexpected harsh circumstances.
d. Adopt a Positive Attitude. Learn to see the potential good in everything. Looking for the good not only boosts
morale, it also is excellent for exercising your imagination and creativity.
e. Remind Yourself What Is at Stake. Remember, failure to prepare yourself psychologically to cope with survival
leads to reactions such as depression, carelessness, inattention, loss of confidence, poor decision making, and
giving up before the body gives in. At stake is your life and the lives of others who are depending on you to do
your share.
f. Train. Through military training and life experiences, begin today to prepare yourself to cope with the rigors of
survival. Demonstrating your skills in training will give you the confidence to call upon them should the need arise.
Remember, the more realistic the training, the less overwhelming an actual survival setting will be.
g. Learn Stress Management Techniques. People under stress have a potential to panic if they are not well-trained
and not prepared psychologically to face whatever the circumstances maybe. While we often cannot control the
survival circumstances in which we find ourselves, it is within our ability to control our response to those
circumstances. Learning stress management techniques can enhance significantly your capability to remain calm
and focused as you work to keep yourself and others alive. A few good techniques to develop include relaxation
skills, time management skills, assertiveness skills, and cognitive restructuring skills (the ability to control how you
view a situation).
Remember, “The will to survive” can also be considered to be “the refusal to give up.”
Include a weapon only if the situation so dictates. Read about and practice the survival techniques in this
manual. Consider your unit’s mission and the environment in which your unit will operate. Then prepare your survival
kit.
IV. Shelters
A shelter can protect you from the sun, insects, wind, rain, hot or cold temperatures, and enemy observation.
It can give you a feeling of well-being. It can help you maintain your will to survive. In some areas, your need for shelter
may take precedence over your need for food and possibly even your need for water. For example, prolonged exposure
to cold can cause excessive fatigue and weakness (exhaustion). An exhausted person may develop a "passive”
outlook, thereby losing the will to survive the most common error in making a shelter is to make it too large. A shelter
must be large enough to protect you. It must also be small enough to contain your body heat, especially in cold climates.
1. Shelter Site Selection. When you are in a survival situation and realize that shelter is a high priority, start looking
for shelter as soon as possible. As you do so, remember what you will need at the site. Two requisites are:
You must also remember the problems that could arise in your environment. For instance.
a. Avoid flash flood areas in foothills.
b. Avoid avalanche or rockslide areas in mountainous terrain.
c. Avoid sites near bodies of water that are below the high watermark.
In some areas, the season of the year has a strong bearing on the site you select. Ideal sites for a shelter
differ in winter and summer. During cold winter months you will want a site that will protect you from the cold and
wind, but will have a source of fuel and water. During summer months in the same area you will want a source of
water, but you will want the site to be almost insect free. When considering shelter sites election, use the word
BLISS as a guide.
B - Blend in with the surroundings.
L - Low silhouette.
I - Irregular shape.
S - Small.
S - Secluded location.
2. Types of Shelters. When looking for a shelter site, keep in mind the type of shelter (protection) you need. However,
you must also consider
a. How much time and effort you need to build the shelter,
b. If the shelter will adequately protect you from the elements (sun, wind, and rain)
c. If you have the tools to build it. If not, can you make improvised tools?
d. If you have the type and amount of materials needed to build it.
To answer these questions, you need to know how to make various types of shelters and what materials you
need to make them.
a. Poncho Lean-To. It takes only a short time and minimal equipment to build this lean-to (Figure 5.1). You need a
poncho, 2 to 3 meters of rope or parachute suspension line; three stakes about 30 centimeters long, and two
trees or two poles 2 to 3 meters apart. Before selecting the trees you will use or the location of your poles, check
the wind direction. Ensure that the back of your lean-to will be into the wind. To make the lean-to:
1) Tie off the hood of the poncho. Pull the drawstring tight, roll the hood long ways, fold it into thirds, and tie it off
with the drawstring.
2) Cut the rope in half.
3) On one long side of the poncho, tie half of the rope to the corner grommet. Tie the other half to the other
corner grommet.
4) Attach a drip stick (about a 10-centimeter stick) to each rope about2.5 centimeters from the grommet. These
drip sticks will keep rainwater from running down the ropes into the lean-to.
5) Tying strings (about 10 centimeters long) to each grommet along the poncho’s top edge will allow the water
to run to and down the line without dripping into the shelter.
6) Tie the ropes about waist high on the trees (uprights). Use a round turn and two half hitches with a quick-
release knot.
7) Spread the poncho and anchor it to the ground, putting sharpened sticks through the grommets and into the
ground.
If you plan to use the lean-to for more than one night, or you expect rain, make a center support for
the lean-to. Make this support with a line. Attach one end of the line to the poncho hood and the other end to an
overhanging branch. Make sure there is no slack in the line. Another method is to place a stick upright under the
center of the lean-to. This method, however, will restrict your space and movements in the shelter. For additional
protection from wind and rain, place some brush, your rucksack, or other equipment at the sides of the lean-to.
To reduce heat loss to the ground, place some type of insulating material, such as leaves or pine needles, inside
your lean-to.
Note: When at rest, you lose as much as 80 percent of your body heat to the ground.
To increase your security from enemy observation, lower the lean-to’ silhouette by making two
changes. First, secure the support lines to the trees at knee height (not at waist height) using two knee-high sticks
in the two center grommets (sides of lean-to).Second, angle the poncho to the ground, securing it with sharpened
sticks, as above.
b. Poncho Tent. This tent (Figure 5-2) provides a low silhouette. It also protects you from the elements on two sides.
It has, however, less usable space and observation area than a lean-to, decreasing your reaction time to enemy
detection. To make this tent, you need a poncho, two 1.5- to 2.5-meterropes, six sharpened sticks about 30
centimeters long, and two trees2to 3 meters apart. To make the tent:
1) Tie off the poncho hood in the same way as the poncho lean-to.
2) Tie a 1.5- to 2.5-meter rope to the center grommet on each side of the poncho.
3) Tie the other ends of these ropes at about knee height to two trees 2 to 3 meters apart and stretch the poncho
tight.
4) Draw one side of the poncho tight and secure it to the ground pushing sharpened sticks through the grommets.
5) Follow the same procedure on the other side.
6) If you need a center support, use the same methods as for the poncho lean-to. Another center support is an
A-frame set outside but over the center of the tent (Figure 5-3).
7) Use two 90- to 120-centimeter-longsticks, one with a forked end, to form the A-frame.
8) Tie the hood’s drawstring to the A-frame to support the center of the tent.
c. Three-Pole Parachute Tepee. If you have a parachute and three poles and the tactical situation allows, make a
parachute tepee. It is easy and takes very little time to make this tepee. It provides protection from the elements
and can act as a signaling device by enhancing a small amount of light from a fire or candle. It is large enough to
hold several people and their equipment and to allow sleeping, cooking, and storing firewood. You can make this
tepee using parts of or a whole personnel main or reserve parachute canopy. If using a standard personnel
parachute, you need three poles 3.5 to 4.5 meters long and about 5 centimeters in diameter. To make this tepee
(Figure 5.3)
1) Lay the poles on the ground and lash them together at one end.
d. One-Pole Parachute Tepee. You need a 14-gore section (normally) of canopy, stakes, a stout center pole, and
inner core and needle to construct this tepee. You cut the suspension lines except for 40- to 45-centimeter lengths
at the canopy ‘slower lateral band. To make this tepee (Figure 5.4).
1) Select a shelter site and scribe a circle about 4 meters in diameter on the ground.
2) Stake the parachute material to the ground using the lines remaining at the lower lateral band.
3) After deciding where to place the shelter door, emplace a stake and tie the first line (from the lower lateral
band) securely to it. Stretch the parachute material taut to the next line, emplace a stake on the scribed line,
and tie the line to it.
4) Continue the staking process until you have tied all the lines.
5) Loosely attach the top of the parachute material to the center pole with a suspension line you previously cut
and, through trial and error, determine the point at which the parachute material will be pulled tight once the
center pole is upright.
e. No-Pole Parachute Tepee. You use the same materials, except for the center pole, as for the one-pole parachute
tepee. To make this tepee (Figure 5.5).
1) Tie a line to the top of parachute material with a previously cut suspension line.
2) Throw the line over a tree limb, and tie it to the tree trunk.
3) Starting at the opposite side from the door, emplace a stake on the scribed 3.5- to 4.3-meter circle.
4) Tie the first line on the lower lateral band. Continue emplacing the stakes and tying the lines to them. After
staking down the material, unfasten the line tied to the tree trunk, tighten the tepee material by pulling on this
line, and tie it securely to the tree trunk.
f. One-Man Shelter. A one-man shelter you can easily make using a parachute requires a tree and three poles. One
pole should be about 4.5 meters long and the other two about 3 meters long. Secure the 4.5-meter pole to the
tree at about waist height.
1) Lay the two 3-meter poles on the ground on either side of and in the same direction as the 4.5-meter pole.
2) Lay the folded canopy over the 4.5-meter pole so that about the same amount of material hangs on both sides.
3) Tuck the excess material under the 3-meter poles, and spread it on the ground inside to serve as a floor.
4) Stake down or put a spreader between the two 3-meter poles at the shelter’s entrance so they will not slide
inward.
5) Use any excess material to cover the entrance. The parachute cloth makes this shelter wind resistant, and
the shelter is small enough that it is easily warmed. A candle, used carefully, can keep the inside temperature
comfortable.
g. Field-Expedient Lean-To. If you are in a wooded area and have enough natural materials, you can make a field-
expedient lean-to (Figure 5-7) without the aid of tools or with only a knife. It takes longer to make this type of
shelter than it does to make other types, but it will protect you from the elements. You will need two trees (or
upright poles) about 2 meters apart; one pole about 2 meters long and 2.5 centimeters in diameter; five to eight
poles about 3 meters long and 2.5 centimeters in diameter for beams; cord or vines for securing the horizontal
support to the trees; and other poles, saplings, or vines to crisscross the beams. To make this lean-to:
1) Tie the 2-meter pole to the two trees at waist to chest height. This is the horizontal support. If a standing tree
is not available, construct a biped using Y-shaped sticks or two tripods.
2) Place one end of the beams (3-meter poles) on one side of the horizontal support. As with all lean-to type
shelters, be sure to place the lean-to’s backside into the wind.
h. Parachute Hammock. You can make a hammock using 6 to 8 gores of parachute canopy and two trees about
4.5 meters apart. (Figure 5.8)
i. Swamp Bed. In a marsh or swamp, or any area with standing water or continually wet ground, the swamp bed
(Figure 5.9) keeps you out of the water. When selecting such a site, consider the weather, wind, tides, and
available materials. To make a swamp bed:
1) Look for four trees clustered in a rectangle, or cut four poles (bamboo is ideal) and drive them firmly into the
ground so they form a rectangle. They should be far enough apart and strong enough to support your height
and weight, to include equipment.
2) Cut two poles that span the width of the rectangle. They, too, must be strong enough to support your weight.
Secure these two poles to the trees (or poles). Be sure they are high enough above the ground or water to
allow for tides and high water.
3) Cut additional poles that span the rectangle’s length. Lay them across the two side poles, and secure them.
4) Cover the top of the bed frame with broad leaves or grass to form a soft sleeping surface.
5) Build a fire pad by laying clay, silt, or mud on one comer of the swamp bed and allow it to dry. Another shelter
designed to get you above and out of the water or wet ground uses the same rectangular configuration as the
swamp bed. You very simply lay sticks and branches lengthwise on the inside of the trees (or poles) until
there is enough material to raise the sleeping surface above the water level.
j. Natural Shelters. Do not overlook natural formations that provide shelter. Examples are caves, rocky crevices,
clumps of bushes, small depressions, large rocks on leeward sides of hills, large trees with low hanging limbs, and
fallen trees with thick branches. However, when selecting a natural formation:
1) Stay away from low ground such as ravines, narrow valleys, or creek beds. Low areas collect the heavy cold
air at night and are therefore colder than the surrounding high ground. Thick, brushy, low ground also harbors
more insects.
2) Check for poisonous snakes, ticks, mites, scorpions, and stinging ants.
3) Look for loose rocks, dead limbs, coconuts, or other natural growth than could fall on your shelter. k. Debris
Hut. For warmth and ease of construction, this shelter is one of the best. When shelter is essential to survival,
build this shelter.
a) Build it by making a tripod with two short stakes and a long ridgepole or by placing one end of a long
ridgepole on top of a sturdy base.
b) Secure the ridgepole (pole running the length of the shelter) using the tripod method or by anchoring it to
a tree at about waist height.
c) Prop large sticks along both sides of the ridgepole to create a wedge-shaped ribbing effect. Ensure the
ribbing is wide enough to accommodate your body and steep enough to shed moisture.
d) Place finer sticks and brush crosswise on the ribbing. These form a latticework that will keep the insulating
material (grass, pine needles, and leaves) from falling through the ribbing into the sleeping area.
e) Add light, dry, if possible, soft debris over the ribbing until the insulating material is at least 1 meter thick
the thicker the better. Place a 30-centimeter layer of insulating material inside the shelter.
f) At the entrance, pile insulating material that you can drag to you once inside the shelter to close the
entrance or build a door.
g) As a final step in constructing this shelter, add shingling material or branches on top of the debris layer
to prevent the insulating material from blowing away in a storm.
V. Fire craft
In many survival situations, the ability to start a fire can make the difference between living and dying. Fire
can fulfill many needs. It can provide warmth and comfort. It not only cooks and preserves food, it also provides warmth
in the form of heated food that saves calories our body normally uses to produce body heat. You can use fire to purify
water, sterilize bandages, signal for rescue, and provide protection from animals. It can be a psychological boost by
providing peace of mind and companionship. You can also use fire to produce tools and weapons. Fire can cause
problems, as well. The enemy can detect the smoke and light it produces. It can cause forest fires or destroy essential
equipment. Fire can also cause burns and carbon monoxide poisoning when used in shelters. Remember weigh your
need for fire against your need to avoid enemy detection.
1. Basic Fire Principles. To build a fire, it helps to understand the basic principles of a fire. Fuel (in a nongaseous state)
does not burn directly. When you apply heat to a fuel, it produces a gas. This gas, combined with oxygen in the air,
burns. Understanding the concept of the fire triangle is very important incorrectly constructing and maintaining a
fire. The three sides of the triangle represent air, heat, and fuel. If you remove any of these, the fire will go out. The
correct ratio of these components is very important for a fire to burn at its greatest capability. The only way to learn
this ratio is to practice.
2. Site Selection and Preparation. You will have to decide what site and arrangement to use. Before building a fire
consider:
a. The area (terrain and climate) in which you are operating.
b. The materials and tools available.
c. Time: how much time you have?
In some situations, you may find that an underground fireplace will best meet your needs. It conceals the fire
and serves well for cooking food. To make an underground fireplace or Dakota fire hole (Figure 7-2) – Dig a hole in
the ground. On the upwind side of this hole, poke or dig a large connecting hole for ventilation. Build your fire in the
hole as illustrated.
3. Fire Material Selection. You need three types of materials (Table 7.1) to build a fire tinder, kindling, and fuel. Tinder
is dry material that ignites with little heat a spark starts a fire. The tinder must be absolutely dry to be sure just a
spark will ignite it. If you only have a device that generates sparks, charred cloth will be almost essential. It holds a
spark for long periods, allowing you to put tinder on the hot area to generate a small flame. You can make charred
cloth by heating cotton cloth until it turns black, but does not burn. Once it is black, you must keep it in an airtight
container to keep it dry. Prepare this cloth well in advance of any survival situation .Add it to your individual survival
kit. Kindling is readily combustible material that you add to the burning tinder. Again, this material should be
absolutely dry to ensure rapid burning. Kindling increases the fire’s temperature so that it will ignite less combustible
material. Fuel is less combustible material that burns slowly and steadily once ignited.
4. How to Build a Fire. There are several methods for laying a fire, each of which has advantages. The situation you
find yourself in will determine which fire to use.
a. Tepee. To make this fire (Figure 7.3), arrange the tinder and a few sticks of kindling in the shape of a tepee or
cone. Light the center. As the tepee burns, the outside logs will fall inward, feeding the fire. This type of fire burns
well even with wet wood.
b. Lean-To. To lay this fire (Figure 7.3), push a green stick into the ground at a30-degree angle. Point the end of
the stick in the direction of the wind. Place some tinder deep under this lean-to stick. Lean pieces of kindling
against the lean-to stick. Light the tinder. As the kindling catches fire from the tinder, add more kindling.
c. Cross-Ditch. To use this method (Figure 7.3), scratch a cross about 30 centimeters in size in the ground. Dig the
cross 7.5 centimeters deep. Put a large wad of tinder in the middle of the cross. Build a kindling pyramid above
the tinder. The shallow ditch allows air to sweep under the tinder to provide a draft.
d. Pyramid. To lay this fire (Figure 7.3), place two small logs or branches parallel on the ground. Place a solid layer
of small logs across the parallel logs. Add three or four more layers of logs or branches, each layer smaller than
and at a right angle to the layer below it. Make a starter fire on top of the pyramid. As the starter fire burns, it will
ignite the logs below it. This gives you a fire that burns downward, requiring no attention during the night.
There are several other ways to lay a fire that are quite effective. Your situation and the material available in
the area may make another method more suitable.
5. How to Light a Fire. Always light your fire from the upwind side. Make sure to lay your tinder, kindling, and fuel so
that your fire will burn as long as you need it. Igniters provide the initial heat required to start the tinder burning.
They fall into two categories: modem methods and primitive methods.
a. Modern Methods. Modem igniters use modem devices—items we normally think of to start a fire.
1) Matches. Make sure these matches are waterproof. Also, store them in a waterproof container along with a
dependable striker pad.
2) Convex Lens. Use this method (Figure 7.4) only on bright, sunny days. The lens can come from binoculars,
camera, telescopic sights, or magnifying glasses. Angle the lens to concentrate the sun’s rays on the tinder.
Hold the lens over the same spot until the tinder begins to smolder. Gently blow or fan the tinder into flame,
and apply it to the fire lay.
3) Metal Match. Place a flat, dry leaf under your tinder with a portion exposed. Place the tip of the metal match
on the dry leaf, holding the metal match in one hand and a knife in the other. Scrape your knife against the
metal match to produce sparks. The sparks will hit the tinder. When the tinder starts to smolder, proceed as
above.
4) Battery. Use a battery to generate a spark. Use of this method depends on the type of battery available.
Attach a wire to each terminal. Touch the ends of the bare wires together next to the tinder so the sparks will
ignite it.
5) Gunpowder. Often, you will have ammunition with your equipment. If so, carefully extract the bullet from the
shell casing, and use the gun powder as tinder. A spark will ignite the powder. Be extremely careful when
extracting the bullet from the case.
b. Primitive Methods. Primitive igniters are those attributed to our early ancestors:
1) Flint and Steel. The direct spark method is the easiest of the primitive methods to use. The flint and steel
method is the most reliable of the direct spark methods. Strike a flint or other hard, sharp-edged rock edge
with a piece of carbon steel (stainless steel will not produce a good spark). This method requires a loose-
jointed wrist and practice. When a spark has caught in the tinder, blow on it. The spark will spread and burst
into flames.
2) Fire-Plow. The fire-plow (Figure 7.5) is a friction method of ignition. You rub a hardwood shaft against a softer
wood base. To use this method, cut a straight groove in the base and plow the blunt tip of the shaft up and
down the groove. The plowing action of the shaft pushes out small particles of wood fibers. Then, as you
apply more pressure on each stroke, the friction ignites the wood particles.
3) Bow and Drill. The technique of starting a fire with a bow and drill (Figure7.6) is simple, but you must exert
much effort and be persistent to produce a fire. You need the following items to use this method:
(a) Socket. The socket is an easily grasped stone or piece of hardwood or bone with a slight depression in
one side. Use it to hold the drill in place and to apply downward pressure.
(b) Drill. The drill should be a straight, seasoned hardwood stick about2 centimeters in diameter and
25centimeters long. The top end is round and the low end blunt (to produce more friction).
(c) Fire board. Its size is up to you. A seasoned softwood board about2.5 centimeters thick and 10 centimeters
wide is preferable. Cut a depression about 2 centimeters from the edge on one side of the board. On the
underside, make a V-shaped cut from the edge of the board to the depression.
To use the bow and drill, first prepare the fire lay. Then place a bundle of tinder under the V-shaped
cut in the fire board. Place one foot on the fire board. Loop the bowstring over the drill and place the drill in
the precut depression on the fire board. Place the socket, held in one hand, on the top of the drill to hold it in
position. Press down on the drill and saw the bow back and forth to twirl the drill (Figure 7-6). Once you have
established smooth motion, apply more downward pressure and work the bow faster. This action will grind
hot black powder into the tinder, causing a spark to catch. Blow on the tinder until it ignites.
Note: Primitive fire-building methods are exhaustive and require practice to ensure success.
END
NOTES
CHAPTER 10
Hygiene, Sanitation and Basic Life Support
Essential Questions:
1. What are the techniques of sustaining life support and conduct of CPR?
2. What is the importance of having good personal hygiene?
Directions: Identify the pictures below. Write (PHS) if you think that the image is considered as Good Hygiene and
Sanitation and (N) if NOT. (10 Points)
Read the questions carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
_____1. Which of the following is not part of the roles and responsibilities of a First Aider?
A. A first aider should not perform the task of the physician nor compete
B. The task of the first aider ends when the physician is present
C. Must gain access to the victim
D. Must not promote harm
_____2. Which of the following is one of the objectives of being a First Aider?
A. To extend life
B. Should not cause the victim to panic
C. Applying first aid dressing
D. Should exhibit professionalism
_____3. Which of the following is a not a good characteristic of being a First Aider?
A. Gentle
B. Tactful
C. Respectable
D. Disreputable
A. Open Phase
B. Closed Phase
C. Narrow Cravat
D. Broad Cravat
_____10. What elastic bandaging technique is used when the victim is suffering from sprain?
A. Recurrent on Hand
B. Figure of Eight
C. Arm Sling
D. Underarm Sling
Personal Hygiene and Sanitation is every soldier’s responsibility. A command is the mirror-image of its
Commander, the state of the health of men and the condition they work in, reflect the leadership, discipline and
supervision in the unit. If one or several members of an operating unit become sick due to bad sanitation, the
effective strength of the unit is reduced thus diminishing its fighting capability and efficiency.
Therefore, it is important to practice hygiene and sanitation not only to serve as an example, but also to
impart to others the need for clean and healthful living to support our primary objective that is the accomplishment of
the mission.
Rules of hygiene and sanitation are simple and easy to follow but some carelessly disregard them. It is for
this reason that everybody should sometimes go out of their way to remind and see to it that aid rules of good
hygiene and sanitation are followed.
Hygiene is the science that deals with health and maintenance of being clean always. It deals with those
measures taken by individual to preserve his own health, while, health is the state of individual who enjoys physical,
mental and social well-being.
Note:
One of the importance of exercise is to condition one’s body and to wear out those unnecessary fats
and calories.
Healthy minds react maturely facing the reality.
2. Sanitation - The science of using measures that prevent diseases and to promote individual health.
Field Sanitation - The prevention of disease by culminating or controlling factors which may form links in
disease transmission.
Water - The prime necessity and one of our basic needs for existence of life - no man can last more than 4 -
5 days without drinking water - it is utilized as bathing, cooking, washing and etc.
Impurities water can be treated by:
Use of Chlorine - powerful dirty and contaminated.
8 - 10 drops of iodine/one (1) gallon of water.
Boiling of at least 30 minutes.
Sources of Water
Surface Water - Almost dirty and contaminated except those running in streams and spring in which
there are no residents.
Underground Water – wells and springs.
Rain Water - Government supply or Private Corporation.
Following are basic health guidelines that everyone must follow to stay as a combat effective soldier:
1. Always keep your body clean. Take a bath once every day. As minimum, bathe your feet, hands and
private parts. If possible, change your underwear and socks after bathing. When water is scarce, you may
bathe at least twice a week. If water availability is worst, scrub your body regularly with clean wet cloth.
2. Change your underclothing daily if possible, If not, at least twice a week. Inspect them for lice, fleas or
other bug that may keep you itchy.
3. Change clothing, shoes or socks immediately after they are get wet to avoid getting colds, athletes foot and
other illnesses.
4. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, preferably after waking up and before going to bed. Brush your teeth
on the inside and outside, away from the gums and towards the cutting surface of the teeth.
5. Always wash your hands with soap and water after doing fatigue duty, after engaging in strenuous exercise,
before eating and after coming out of the comfort room.
6. Use only your own eating and drinking utensils if possible. You may contact disease from infected mess
gear or personal articles of others. For the same reason, avoid borrowing and lending your own pipes, towels,
shoes, etc.
7. When mosquito’s and other flying insects are present in your area, be sure to use your mosquito net. Tuck
it well around your bedding and ensure that there are no holes before sleeping. Take your anti-malaria tablets
regularly, many soldiers became fatal casualties due to their indifference to this tiny but effective anti-malaria
tablets.
8. Never drink water from any untreated source until has been declared safe for drinking by your medical
officer. When purification tablets (such as halazone) are available, use them to treat your drinking water. If
there are none, you may consider boiling your water at least fifteen minutes to kill the harmful bacteria’s
germs that may be present.
9. Relieve yourself on an area which is designated as the head area for your unit.
10. Exercise your muscles and joints regularly. Inactivity may do equal damage to your health as extreme
exertion or fatigue.
11. Avoid venereal diseases. Do not associate with infected woman who may be carries of these diseases. If
you think you have caught any of these sexually transmitted diseases report to your medical officer at once.
Any venereal disease can be cured much easier and quickly on its early stage. Untreated VD may result to
death or permanent damage to your body.
12. As a leader, you must set an example of personal cleanliness and sanitary. Discipline to your men. If
possible, bathe, shave and wear clean clothes daily. Observe all the precaution mentioned above and require
that everybody do likewise.
One of the inherent dangers of being a combat soldier is that one enemy bullet that pierces through the body
of the individual soldiers. Each bullet is like a ―to whom it may concern‖ letter which is for the consumption of anyone
who receives it. The bullet that pierces into the body of a soldier is not the end of his charmed life. He has his prayers
and teammates, that can stop the bleeding, can calm him down, and perform the techniques of first aid before he gets
professional help from our friendly doctors and lovely nurses.
The worst thing that can happen to a soldier is to needlessly die because his teammates did not know how to
help him or they did the wrong thing when they administering first aid. There is simply no excuse. You cannot lose a
teammate because you no not know what to do. Its therefore imperative for you to heed the lesson on first aid.
First Aid – immediate treatment administered to a victim of injury or illness before the services of a doctor or
corpsman can be obtained.
Four Life Saving Steps
1. Stop the bleeding – by elevating, direct pressure and by applying tourniquet.
2. Protect the Wound – by applying first aid dressing.
3. Prevent or Treat Shock – keep the victim lying down with his/her hear lower than the body. Loosen any tilt
clothing. Keep the casualty’s convertible warm by wrapping with blanket. If she/he is unconscious, place him
at his/her sides, prevent checking on vomits and other fluid. Give him fluid by mouth with warm stimulants
such as coffee, tea or cocoa, remember Alcohol is not stimulants fluid.
4. Restore Breathing – if a casualty stops breathing you must give artificial respiration immediately. The
sooner you begin artificial respiration, the more likely you are to succeed in restoring breathing.
V. First Aid
It is an urgent care given to an injured or unexpectedly ill person that includes home care and self-care if there
is no medical assistance available or delayed. Bystander or even a victim (with minimal or no medical equipment)
can perform Assessments and Interventions.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a First Aider?
1. A first aider should not perform the task of the physician nor compete.
2. The task of the first aider ends when the physician is present.
3. Must guarantee the safety if the bystanders and him/herself.
4. Must gain access to the victim.
5. Must identify any threats to the victim’s life.
6. Call for medical assistance as needed.
7. Supply needed care
8. Provide assistance for advance personnel.
9. Record the situation: care given, finding etc.
Note: Safety Percentage for First Aider is (80%) and for the Victim is (20%)
What is an Emergency?
It is a sudden onset of medical or surgical severity that, in the absence of immediate medical attention, could
reasonably be expected to result in serious danger to health or impairment of bodily functions.
When to do call first and care first?
Call first - is seeking advance medical attention by calling to the nearest hospital or advance medical
provider like ambulance operator.
Care first - is providing first aid before seeking advance medical attention.
Call first if the injured person is and adult and,
Care first if the injured is a child or infant.
Alertness – give simple instruction to the injured person and checked if he/she can follow. (ex.
raising his hand)
Verbal response – ask simple question to the injured person. (ex. What is his/her name)
Pain stimuli – induce mild pain (through trapezius squeeze, sternal rub) to the patient so that
you can identify if he/she is still conscious. (Do not do sternal rub if the person has history or
suffering a heart problem).
Unresponsiveness –tap the shoulder of the injured person three times and ask if the person is
ok?
Ex. “Hey, hey, hey are you ok?” Simultaneously tapping the shoulder.
b. If you were the by-stander that is requested to call on the advance medical assistance, take
note of the following:
What happened – identify the cause of accident like if it is a car coalition, fire etc. so that the
advance personnel can prepare the proper equipment needed.
Location – give the exact location or land mark of the incident.
Number of persons injured – to identify how many ambulance/transport vehicles is needed.
Extend of injury and first aid given – to prepare the kit needed for specific injury and also
to avoid double handling on the injured person.
Telephone number from where are you calling – so that if there is any further inquiry about
the incident the advance personnel know to whom they will return call.
The person who activate medical assistance must identify him/herself and drop the phone last
– this is to conclude that there are no other queries about the incident.
3. Secondary Assessment
Commonly does if the person is regaining his/her consciousness.
a. Interview the person
1. Name
2. What happened
3. Use SAMPLE approach:
i. Signs and symptoms
ii. Allergies
iii. Medication taken
iv. Past/present medical illness
v. Last oral intake
A. Walking Assist
NOTE: Sense of hearing fades last among the rest of the five senses.
3. Kneel down. One of your knees should be aligned with the patient’s shoulder and the other on his pelvis.
4. Cross the hands of the patient above his chest.
5. Arrange the legs close to each other and lift the knee.
a. There are things to consider in lifting the knee of the patient:
i. If the patient is wearing jeans or shorts just lift the knee using his pants or shorts.
ii. If the patient is wearing skirt, put your elbows on the ground then slide it under her knees and lift her
knees.
b. Put your elbows on the ground then slide it in his nape. Twist your palm, lift the victim and put your leg on his
back. Your legs should be on 90 degrees.
2. If the obstruction is a liquid, use a clean cloth then gently and lightly touch the obstruction until the cloth
absorbs the liquid.
7. Go to his back, feet on the ground in squat position. The patient’s back should lean in your thighs.
8. Insert your hands in the patient’s underarm then grab the patient’s opposite hands with your hands.
A. There are things to consider in inserting your hands:
a) If the patient is a male and the responder is also a male, you can insert your hands below his underarm
and grab the patient’s opposite hand (this is also applicable if the patient is a female and the responder
is female).
b) If the patient is female and the responder is a male:
You can grab her elbow then lift the patient
10. Release one of the patient’s hand and immediately grab his belt or the waist of his pants and go in his
underarm.
NOTE: The patient’s shoulders should be relaxed which means you need to adjust on the patient’s height.
11. Tell the patient what foot he will step first so that you can assist him while walking. If the patient is
unconscious, you can push his foot for him to be able to walk.
12. Bring the patient in nearest safe place.
13. If you’re already in the safe place, return to his back then grab his hands and cross it again.
14. Move backward. When the patient is already sitting on the floor, release the hands of the patient and
immediately move to one side at the same time hold his shoulder that will support the patient’s head. Slowly
put the patient’s head on the floor.
TWO-MAN ASSIST/CARRIES:
A. Walking Assist
3. Kneel down. One of your knees should be aligned with the patient’s shoulder and the other on his side.
4. Ask the patient or the by-standers what happened.
7. Put your elbows on the ground then slide it in his nape. Twist your palm, lift the victim and put your leg on his
back. Your legs should be on 90 degrees.
NOTE: Always use your palm when sliding.
9. Go to his back, feet’s in the ground and squat position. The patient’s back should lean in your thighs.
10. Insert your hands in the patient’s underarm then grab the patient’s opposite hands with your hands.
A. There are things to consider in inserting your hands:
1. If the patient is a male and the responder is also a male, you can insert your hands below his underarm
and grab the patient’s opposite hand (this is also applicable if the patient is a female and the responder
is female).
2. If the patient is female and the responder is a male:
a. You can grab her elbow then lift the patient
b. You can also let the patient hold one of her elbows. Lift the patient by grabbing her elbow and her
hand that holds her another elbow.
11. Before lifting the patient call for help by shouting “Buddy I need help” or anything that will notify your buddy that
you need their help.
A. He/she will help you lift the patient by holding to the patient’s belt loop and if they don’t have one the aider
can hold the sides their upper clothing or their waistband.
1. From Assist to Walk Position Sit the patient by having both rescuers
sit down on either side of the victim, where their outer legs will be
used as a support, knee on the ground, while their inner legs will be
used as the patient’s seat.
2. Tell the patient to grab the rescuer’s shoulders
3. Reach and hold the patient’s shoulders and under their knees and
then hold the other rescuer’s wrists.
NOTE: There is a proper way of holding wrists. You should grab it
firmly to prevent injuries for both parties.
4. Lift the patient
NOTE: Using a proper lifting technique is required, you should use
the force from your legs and not from your back.
5. Start walking and bring the patient in the nearest safe place.
NOTE: Synchronization is needed while walking, Team Leaders
should command other rescuers before stepping with your inner foot
or outer foot. In any case always walking using your inner foot.
6. If you’re already in the safe place, the Team leader will return to the
patient’s back and then he/she will grab the patient’s hands and will
cross it again.
7. The Team leader will move backwards and will do a squat position
as gently as possible while he/she is holding the patient. The second
rescuer will then support the Team Leader by holding to the patient’s
belt loop, waistband, or the sides of their upper clothing just like what
he/she did when lifting the patient. When the patient is already sitting
on the floor, release the hands of the patient and immediately move
to one side at the same time hold his shoulder that will support the
patient’s head.
8. Slowly put the patient’s head on the floor.
1. From Assist to Walk Position Sit the patient by having both rescuers
sit down on either side of the victim, where their outer legs will be
used as a support, knee on the ground, while their inner legs will be
used as the patient’s seat.
2. Tell the patient to grab the rescuer’s shoulders
3. Reach and hold the co-responder both wrist under their knees
NOTE: There is a proper way of holding wrists. You should grab it
firmly to prevent injuries for both parties.
4. Lift the patient
NOTE: Using a proper lifting technique is required, you should use
the force from your legs and not from your back.
5. Start walking and bring the patient in the nearest safe place.
NOTE: Synchronization is needed while walking, Team Leaders
should command other rescuers before stepping with your inner foot
or outer foot. In any case always walk using your inner foot first.
6. If you’re already in the safe place, the Team leader will return to the
patient’s back and then he/she will grab the patient’s hands and will cross it again.
7. The Team leader will move backwards and will do a squat position as gently as possible while he/she is holding
the patient. The second rescuer will then support the Team Leader by holding to the patient’s belt loop,
waistband, or the sides of their upper clothing just like what he/she did when lifting the patient. When the
patient is already sitting on the floor, release the hands of the patient
and immediately move to one side at the same time hold his shoulder
that will support the patient’s head.
8. Slowly put the patient’s head on the floor.
D. Extremity Carry
b. If the patient is wearing skirt, put your elbows on the ground then slide it under her knees and lift her
knees.
3. Put your elbows on the ground then slide it in his nape. Twist your palm, lift the victim and put your leg on his
back. Your legs should be on 90 degrees.
NOTE: Always use your palm when sliding.
4. Check the airway.
A. If there is no obstruction seen, proceed to the next step
B. If there is obstruction is seen:
C. If the obstruction is a solid:
a. Scissors
b. Forceps
c. Baby hook
D. If the obstruction is a liquid, use a clean cloth then gently and lightly touch the obstruction until the cloth
absorbs the liquid
5. Go to his back, feet on the ground and squat position. The patient’s back should lean in your thighs.
6. Insert your hands in the patient’s underarm then grab the patient’s opposite hands with your hands.
A). There are things to consider in inserting your hands:
a. If the patient is a male and the responder is also a male, you can insert your hands below his underarm
and grab the patient’s opposite hand (this is also applicable if the patient is a female and the responder
is female).
b. If the patient is female and the responder is a male:
7. You can grab her elbow then lift the patient
8. You can also let the patient hold one of her elbows. Lift the patient by grabbing her elbow and her hand that
holds her another elbow.
A). Before Lifting the patient call for help by shouting “Buddy I need help” or anything that will notify your buddy
that you need their help.
a. There are things to consider before lifting the patient in this technique:
1. If the patient is if the patient is wearing jeans or shorts the Second rescuer will back between the
victim's legs, squats down, and grabs the patient’s knees.
2. If the patient is wearing skirt go to the side of the patient and then grab the patient’s knees and place it
on your side.
9. Start walking and bring the patient in the nearest safe place.
NOTE: Synchronization is needed while walking, Team Leaders should command other rescuers before
stepping with your inner foot or outer foot. In any case always walk first using your inner foot.
10. If you’re already in the safe place, the Team leader will return to the patient’s back and then he/she will grab
the patient’s hands and will cross it again.
11. The Team leader will move backwards and will do a squat position as gently as possible while he/she is holding
the patient. The second rescuer will then support the Team Leader by holding to the patient’s belt loop,
waistband, or the sides of their upper clothing just like what he/she did when lifting the patient. When the patient
is already sitting on the floor, release the hands of the patient and immediately move to one side at the same
time hold his shoulder that will support the patient’s head. Slowly put the patient’s head on the floor.
A. Hammock Carry
3. Kneel down. One of your knees should be aligned with the patient’s shoulder and the other on his side.
4. Ask the patient or the by-standers what happened
5. Cross the hands of the patient above his chest.
6. Arrange the legs close to each other and lift the knee.
A. There are things to consider in lifting the knee of the patient:
a. If the patient is wearing jeans or shorts just lift the knee using his pants or shorts.
b. If the patient is wearing skirt, put your elbows on the ground then slide it under her knees and lift her
knees.
7. Call for help by shouting “Buddy I need help” or anything that will notify your team that you need their help.
8. The rescuers will then stand on the side of the patient, Rescuers should stand in order of their height, the tallest
rescuer should be the nearest to the patient’s head. the Team Leader will command other rescuers to count a
sequence of 1 and 2 to identify who will go on the other side of the patient. The Team Leader will then tell his
team that all of those who counted number 2 will go on the other side of the patient.
NOTE: Always remember that rescuers should prevent from going through the patient’s head to go to the other
side, instead, they should go around the patient’s feet to go to the other side.
12. On the command of the Team Leader, the rescuers will lift the patient the rescuers will then use their
knees/thighs nearest to the patient’s head to act as a support for the patient. Their other knee will still be on the
ground.
13. On the command of the Team Leader all of the rescuers will stand up.
14. Before walking the Team, Leader should command other rescuers if they will face on the direction of the head
or the feet of the patient, Team Leaders should command other rescuers before stepping with their inner foot or
outer foot. In any case always walk first using your inner foot
15. If you’re already in the safe place. The rescuers will go back to the squad position with their knees/thigh’s acting
as a support and the other knee on the ground. (The same position before lifting the patient).
16. Put the patient on the ground as gently as possible.
NOTE: Wait for the Team Leader’s command before putting the patient on the ground.
Basic Life Support- refers to maintaining the airway patency and support breathing and the circulation
without the use of equipment other than a protective device.
1. Includes recognition of signs of sudden cardiac death (SCD), heart attack, stroke, and foreign-body
airway obstruction (FBAO).
2. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
3. Defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED)
Ex. “Hey, hey, hey are you ok?” Simultaneously tapping the shoulder.
d. If the person is unresponsive check the following:
Airway – check airway for possible obstruction such as: foreign-body airway obstruction or even
blood/fluids.
During CPR
Make sure that the front of your elbow is the one who is visible.
Use your upper body upon giving chest compression.
Always look to the face of the person to monitor if he/she is making a reaction,
indicating that the person is conscious.
Do not do the following when providing chest compression:
Bending the elbow.
Massaging the chest.
Rocking your head.
Do not bounce your hand.
Changing the position of your hand.
ACTION ADULT (13 YRS OLD AND ABOVE) CHILD (1 – 12 YRS OLD)
30 chest compression: 2
Compression / 30 chest compression: 2 ventilation
ventilation
ventilation 1 or 2 rescuers
1 or 2 rescuers
Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth and Nose
Ways to ventilate
Protective equipment to ventilate:
Face shield; face mask and bag valve mask (BVM)
Ventilations Until the chest clearly rises (about 1 second per ventilation)
1*2*3*4*5*6*7*8*9*10*11*12*13*14*15*16*17*18*19*20
Counting for
1*2*3*4*5*6*7*8*9 and 1
standardization
Then breathe, breathe
purposes
(… up to 5 cycles)
After CPR
When the person is showing signs of life (positive signs of pulse and breathing) checked
for DOTS if there is any possible injury and put the person into the recovery position follow these
steps:
With the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side.
Extend the arm nearest you at a right angle to their body with their palm facing up.
Take their other arm and fold it so the back of their hand rests on the cheek closest to
you, and hold it in place.
Use your free hand to bend the person's knee farthest from you to a right angle.
Carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee.
Their bent arm should be supporting the head, and their extended arm will stop you
rolling them too far.
Make sure their bent leg is at a right angle.
Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that
nothing is blocking their airway.
Stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives.
RECOVERY POSITION
END
Directions: Given the situation below, write in bullet form your step by step procedure on how you will engage to
provide first aid assistance. Be specific. (100 Points)
UNIT SEVEN
OTHER MILITARY KNOWLEDGE
CHAPTER 11
Cyber Security and IED Awareness
CHAPTER 12
Drill and Ceremonies
CHAPTER 11
Cyber Security and Improvised Explosive Device Awareness
Essential Questions:
1. Explain the types of cyber threats and safety tips against cyber-attacks.
2. Identify the types of IEDs and their classification.
Elements of an IED
IEDs consist of a variety of components that include an initiator, switch, main charge, power source, and a
container. IEDs may be surrounded by or packed with additional materials or “enhancements” such as nails, glass, or
metal fragments designed to increase the amount of shrapnel propelled by the explosion. Enhancements may also
include other elements such as hazardous materials. An IED can be initiated by a variety of methods depending on the
intended target.
Secondary Hazards
The explosion of a bomb can cause secondary explosions if gasoline, natural gas, or other flammable material
is ignited. Secondary hazards that result can include fire with possibly toxic smoke, disruption of electric power, ruptured
natural gas lines and water mains, and debris. There can be loss of traffic control in the area of the blast with possible
traffic accidents involving fleeing citizens.
It can be difficult to determine when to report something suspicious. People most familiar with a given
environment are in the best position to determine whether or not something is out of the ordinary. Use common sense,
and follow these guidelines:
Trust your instincts; if something feels wrong, don’t ignore it.
Do not assume that someone else has already reported it.
Call local authorities.
Keep your distance from a suspicious package—do not approach or tamper with it.
When you make a report, be ready to provide your name, your location, a description of what you think is
suspicious, and the time you saw it. The responding officer will assess the situation, ensure the area is evacuated and
call for appropriate personnel and equipment. Technologies used to assess whether a package contains explosive
material may include portable x-ray systems or bomb disposal robots.
Detecting IEDs
Detection of IEDs presents a real challenge for security screeners, employees, first responders, and military
personnel. Training security guards, airport staff, and other personnel to be alert for suspicious behavior and IED
indicators is the most common and best defense. Various bomb detection technologies continue to be developed for
use in high-risk areas or situations such as airports and high profile events. These technologies include “trace
detectors” that identify trace amounts of commonly used explosives in the air, and “millimeter-wave technology” that
detects dense objects, hidden under clothes. Explosives-detection dogs, trained to detect and locate chemical
explosives, are used in many security scenarios.
“The number one way to protect yourself and others from an IED attack is to be alert to your surroundings.”
Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data
from malicious attacks. It's also known as information technology security or electronic information
security. The term applies in a variety of contexts, from business to mobile computing, and can be
divided into a few common categories.
Network security is the practice of securing a computer network from intruders, whether targeted attackers or
opportunistic malware.
Application security focuses on keeping software and devices free of threats. A compromised application
could provide access to the data it’s designed to protect. Successful security begins in the design stage, well
before a program or device is deployed.
Information security protects the integrity and privacy of data, both in storage and in transit.
Operational security includes the processes and decisions for handling and protecting data assets. The
permissions users have when accessing a network and the procedures that determine how and where data
may be stored or shared all fall under this umbrella.
Disaster recovery and business continuity define how an organization responds to a cyber-security incident
or any other event that causes the loss of operations or data. Disaster recovery policies dictate how the
organization restores its operations and information to return to the same operating capacity as before the
event. Business continuity is the plan the organization falls back on while trying to operate without certain
resources.
End-user education addresses the most unpredictable cyber-security factor: people. Anyone can accidentally
introduce a virus to an otherwise secure system by failing to follow good security practices. Teaching users
to delete suspicious email attachments, not plug in unidentified USB drives, and various other important
lessons is vital for the security of any organization.
2. Emotet
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) describes Emotet as “an advanced,
modular banking Trojan that primarily functions as a downloader or dropper of other banking Trojans. Emotet
continues to be among the most costly and destructive malware.”
3. Denial of Service
A denial of service (DoS) is a type of cyber-attack that floods a computer or network so it can’t
respond to requests. A distributed DoS (DDoS) does the same thing, but the attack originates from a computer
network. Cyber attackers often use a flood attack to disrupt the “handshake” process and carry out a DoS.
Several other techniques may be used, and some cyber attackers use the time that a network is
disabled to launch other attacks. A botnet is a type of DDoS in which millions of systems can be infected with
malware and controlled by a hacker, according to Jeff Melnick of Netwrix, an information technology security
software company. Botnets, sometimes called zombie systems, target and overwhelm a target’s processing
capabilities. Botnets are in different geographic locations and hard to trace.
4. Man in the Middle
A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack occurs when hackers insert themselves into a two-party
transaction. After interrupting the traffic, they can filter and steal data, according to Cisco. MITM attacks often
occur when a visitor uses an unsecured public Wi-Fi network. Attackers insert themselves between the visitor
and the network, and then use malware to install software and use data maliciously.
5. Phishing
Phishing attacks use fake communication, such as an email, to trick the receiver into opening it and
carrying out the instructions inside, such as providing a credit card number. “The goal is to steal sensitive data
like credit card and login information or to install malware on the victim’s machine,” Cisco reports.
6. SQL Injection
A Structured Query Language (SQL) injection is a type of cyber-attack that results from inserting
malicious code into a server that uses SQL. When infected, the server releases information. Submitting the
malicious code can be as simple as entering it into a vulnerable website search box.
7. Password Attacks
With the right password, a cyber attacker has access to a wealth of information. Social engineering
is a type of password attack that Data Insider defines as “a strategy that cyber attackers’ use that relies heavily
on human interaction and often involves tricking people into breaking standard security practices.” Other types
of password attacks include accessing a password database or outright guessing.
2. Secure configuration
Having an approach to identify baseline technology builds and processes for ensuring configuration
management can greatly improve the security of systems.
You should develop a strategy to remove or disable unnecessary functionality from systems, and to
quickly fix known vulnerabilities, usually via patching. Failure to do so is likely to result in increased risk of
compromise of systems and information.
3. Network security
Connections from your networks to the Internet and other partner networks, expose your systems
and technologies to a potential attack.
It reduce the chances of your systems and technologies being attacked by creating and implementing
simple policies and appropriate architectural and technical responses. Your organization’s networks almost
certainly span many sites and the use of mobile or remote working, and cloud services, makes defining a fixed
network boundary difficult. Rather than focusing purely on physical connections, think about where your data
is stored and processed, and where an attacker would have the opportunity to interfere with it.
6. Incident management
All organizations will experience security incidents at some point. Investment in creating effective
incident management policies and processes will help to improve resilience, support business continuity,
improve customer and stakeholder confidence and potentially reduce any impact. You should identify
recognized sources (internal or external) of specialist incident management expertise.
7. Malware prevention
Malicious software, or malware is an umbrella term to cover any code or content that could have a
malicious, undesirable impact on systems. Any exchange of information carries with it a degree of risk that
malware might be exchanged, this could seriously impact your systems and services. The risk may be reduced
by developing and implementing appropriate anti-malware policies.
8. Monitoring
System monitoring aims to detect actual or attempted attacks on systems and business services.
Good monitoring is essential in order to effectively respond to attacks. In addition, monitoring allows you to
ensure that systems are being used appropriately in accordance with organizational policies. Monitoring is
often a key capability needed to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
Anti-virus (AV) protection software has been the most prevalent solution to fight malicious attacks.
AV software blocks malware and other malicious viruses from entering your device and compromising your
data. Use anti-virus software from trusted vendors and only run one AV tool on your device.
Using a firewall is also important when defending your data against malicious attacks. A firewall helps
screen out hackers, viruses, and other malicious activity that occurs over the Internet and determines what
traffic is allowed to enter your device. Windows and Mac OS X comes with their respective firewalls, aptly
named Windows Firewall and Mac Firewall. Your router should also have a firewall built in to prevent attacks
on your network.
3. Use Strong Passwords & Use a Password Management Tool
You’ve probably heard that strong passwords are critical to online security. The truth is passwords
are important in keeping hackers out of your data. According to the National Institute of Standards and
Technology’s (NIST) 2017 new password policy framework, you should consider:
Dropping the crazy, complex mixture of upper case letters, symbols, and numbers. Instead, opt for
something more user-friendly but with at least eight characters and a maximum length of 64
characters.
Don’t use the same password twice.
The password should contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one number, and
four symbols but not the following &%#@_.
Choose something that is easy to remember and never leave a password hint out in the open or
make it publicly available for hackers to see
Reset your password when you forget it. But, change it once per year as a general refresh.
If you want to make it easier to manage your passwords, try using a password management tool or
password account vault.
According to NIST, an SMS delivery should not be used during two-factor authentication because malware
can be used to attack mobile phone networks and can compromise data during the process.
5. Learn about Phishing Scams – be very suspicious of emails, phone calls, and flyers
We recently blogged that phishing scams are nastier than ever this year. In a phishing scheme
attempt, the attacker poses as someone or something the sender is not to trick the recipient into divulging
credentials, clicking a malicious link, or opening an attachment that infects the user’s system with malware,
trojan, or zero-day vulnerability exploit. This often leads to a ransomware attack. In fact, 90% of ransomware
attacks originate from phishing attempts.
A few important cyber security tips to remember about phishing schemes include:
Bottom line – Don’t open email from people you don’t know
Know which links are safe and which are not – hover over a link to discover where it directs to
Be suspicious of the emails sent to you in general – look and see where it came from and if there are
grammatical errors
Malicious links can come from friends who have been infected too. So, be extra careful!
Hacking, phishing, and malware incidents are becoming the number one cause of security breaches today.
But, what’s more troubling, these hacking attempts are the result of human errors in some way. Education and
awareness are critically important in the fight against cybercriminal activity and preventing security breaches.
The legal framework of the Philippines for cybercrime and electronic evidence is largely in line with the
Budapest Convention, with the Cybercrime Prevention Act entered into force in February 2014.
The Philippine Congress enacted Republic Act No. 10175 or “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012” which
completely address crimes committed against and by means of computer system on 12 September 2012. It includes
penal substantive rules, procedural rules and also rules on international cooperation.
The Philippine Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 focuses on the pre-emption, prevention and prosecution of
cybercrimes such as offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems,
computer-related offenses, and content-related offenses.
In addition, Section 6 thereof provides that all crimes defined and penalized by the Revised Penal Code, as
amended, and special laws, if committed by, through and with the use of information and communications technologies
shall be covered by the relevant provisions of Revised Penal Code: Provided, That the penalty to be imposed shall be
one (1) degree higher than that provided for by the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and special laws, as the case
may be.
Furthermore, Section 7 thereof provides that prosecution under the Cybercrime law shall be without prejudice
to any liability for violation of any provision of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, or special laws.
References:
https://cipher.com/blog/10-personal-cyber-security-tips-cyberaware/
https://www.gov.je/StayingSafe/BeSafeOnline/ProtectYourBusinessOnline/Pages/10StepstoCyberSecurity.aspx
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CHAPTER 12
Drill and Ceremonies
Essential Questions:
1. How does one be able to know drill information and basic commands?
2. What are the different types of movements and marching in drills and ceremonies?
__________1. A straight line upon which several elements or terms are formed. It is the dressing of several elements
upon a straight line. A unit is aligned when it is dressed.
__________2. The elements on which a movement is regulated. For instance, in executing right front into line, the
leading squad is the base.
__________3. The uniform rhythm by which a movement is executed or the number of steps or counts per minute of
which movement is executed. Drill movements are normally executed at the cadence of quick time or
double time.
__________4. The middle point or element of a command. In a platoon of three squads in line, the second squad from
the right is the center. With four squads in the platoon, the second squad from the right is the center
squad, the rule being that when these are even number of squads (platoons), the right-center squad
(platoon) is the center squad (platoon).
__________5. A formation in which the elements are placed one behind another. Example: a column of files (men
placed one behind another); column squad (squads one behind another); and column platoon (one
behind another).
__________6. The space between elements when the elements are one behind the other. Between units, it varies with
the size of the formation; between individuals it is an arm’s length to the front plus six inches or about
40 inches, measured from chest of one man to the back of the man immediately to his front.
__________8. The direction of the face during the eyes right should be 45 degrees to the right side.
__________9. The right or left extremity of a unit, either in line or in column; the element on the extreme right or left of
the line; a direction at a right angle to the direction where an element or a formation is facing.
__________10. An individual, squad, platoon, company, or larger body, forming a part of still another larger body.
__________11. Arrangement of the elements of a unit in line, in column or any other prescribed manner.
__________12. Two men, the front-rank man and the corresponding man of the rear rank. The front-rank man is the
file leader. A file, which has no rear-rank man, is not a file. The term file applies also to a single man in
a single rank formation. It is a single column of men one behind the other.
__________13. The man with whom the command or element thereof regulates its march. This is often the case in
battle or on practice marches. In a squad drill, a private (number 1 front rank) is often the guide.
__________14. The lateral space between elements on the same line. An interval is measured between individuals
from shoulder to shoulder; and between formations, from flank to flank. Unit commanders and those
with them are not considered in measuring interval between elements of the unit with which they are
posted. Normal interval between individuals is one arm’s length. Close interval is the horizontal distance
between shoulder and elbow when the left hand is placed on the left hip.
__________15. A formation in which the different elements are abreast. The expression “abreast of each other” means
on the same line. The other vital part of this definition centers on the word “element”. A section may be
an element. Therefore, if the leading elements of several sections are on the same line, it becomes a
line formation.
__________16. For drill purposes, platoons within each company are numbered from right to left when the company
is in line and from front to rear when the company is in column. Squads within each platoon are
numbered from right to left when the platoon is in line and from front to rear when the platoon is in
column.
__________17. Post means the correct place for an officer or non-commissioned officer to stand. This can be in front,
behind or by the side of a unit. When changes in formation involve changes of posts, the new post is
taken by the most direct route and, as soon as practicable, after the command of execution. Officers
and non-commissioned officers who have prescribed duties in connection with the movements take
their posts when the duties are completed. In executing a movement or facing, and when moving from
one post to another, officers and non-commissioned officers maintain a military bearing and move with
smartness and precision.
___________20. To cancel a command that has not been carried out or to start a movement improperly begun from
halt, the command MANUMBALIK is given. On this command, the movement of troops and men
resumes its former position.
General Information
The AFP prescribes its own drill regulations with the end goal of cultivating to the full alertness and the
presence of mind of each military personnel not only during drills but at all times. These attributes of character
are essential to the members of the AFP.
All movements in this manual are precision movements designed to foster proper coordination among military
personnel. Teamwork is the final result.
In the military service, we help attain teamwork through drill and ceremonies.
Drills consist of certain movements by which the squad, platoon, company or battalion is moved in an orderly
manner from one formation to another. These movements are executed with smartness, order and precision.
Each individual in the squad, platoon or company does his part exactly as how he is supposed to perform.
The primary purpose of drill is to teach a precise and orderly way of doing things. As drills increase skill and
coordination, they accustom a soldier to respond to commands. Drills also promote teamwork. It is important
for a soldier to know and understand a drill, otherwise, its value is lost. It must be remembered that a drill is
conducted with precision. Hence, perfection is the only accepted standard. Drill periods are frequent and of
short duration.
Finally, everyone gets a certain amount of pleasure from doing anything well in joint effort with others. A
military ceremony provides the same reaction. After every successful ceremony, every soldier-participant can
proudly claim: “I was there”.
Drill Terms
To help understand the meaning of drill terms, the following definitions are included:
A straight line upon which several elements or terms are formed. It is the dressing
Alignment (Linya)
of several elements upon a straight line. A unit is aligned when it is dressed.
The swinging of arms must be 6 inches straight to the front and 3 inches straight to
Arms Swing the rear of the trouser seams, with knuckles out facing forward and fingers formed
into a fist with the thumb over the forefinger.
The elements on which a movement is regulated. For instance, in executing right
Base
front into line, the leading squad is the base.
The uniform rhythm by which a movement is executed or the number of steps or
Cadence counts per minute of which movement is executed. Drill movements are normally
executed at the cadence of quick time or double time.
The lateral space between elements on the same line. An interval is measured
between individuals from shoulder to shoulder; and between formations, from flank
to flank. Unit commanders and those with them are not considered in measuring
Interval (Pagitan) interval between elements of the unit with which they are posted. Normal interval
between individuals is one arm’s length. Close interval is the horizontal distance
between shoulder and elbow when the left hand is placed on the left hip.
Left (Kaliwa) The left extremity or element of a body of troops.
A formation in which the different elements are abreast. The expression “abreast of
each other” means on the same line. The other vital part of this definition centers
Line (Linya)
on the word “element”. A section may be an element. Therefore, if the leading
elements of several sections are on the same line, it becomes a line formation.
Loose Pieces Rifles and automatic rifles not used in making stacks.
An angle between 0 and 45 degrees. (Right/Left oblique - march is at an angle of
Oblique (Lihis)
45 degrees.)
The formation in which the units, in double rank, are separated by intervals greater
Order Close
than that in close order.
30 inches is the length of the full step in quick time. The pace at double time is 36
Pace
inches
Piece The term piece as used in this text means the rifle or automatic rifle.
The point at which a formation begins, especially the point toward which units are
Point Of The Rest aligned in successive movements. For instance, in executing “ON RIGHT INTO
LINE”, the point of rest is the place where the leading squad halts.
Quick Time (Siglang
Cadence at a rate of 120 steps per minute.
Hakbang)
Right The right extremity or element of a body of troops.
The swinging of sword must be 6 inches to the front and 3 inches to the rear of the
Sword Swing
trouser seams.
Slow Time Cadence at a rate of 60 steps per minute.
The distance measured from heel to heel between the feet of a man walking. A
step maybe any prescribed number of inches. The half step and back step are 15
Step (Hakbang)
inches. The right step and left step are 12 inches. The steps in quick and double
time are 30 and 36 inches, respectively.
Successive Movement A maneuver in which the various elements of a command execute a certain
(Sunurang Galaw) movement one after another as distinguished from a simultaneous movement.
To cancel a command that has not been carried out or to start a movement
To Revoke A Command improperly begun from halt, the command MANUMBALIK is given. On this
command, the movement of troops and men resumes its former position.
To change the direction of a column by 45 degrees to the left or right the command
is LIKO HATING-KANAN (KALIWA), KAD. To execute a slight change of direction,
Partial Changes Of Direction
the command PAGAWING KANAN (KALIWA) is given. The guide or guiding
elements move/s in the indicated direction, and the rest of the unit follows.
For drill purposes, platoons within each company are numbered from right to left
when the company is in line and from front to rear when the company is in column.
Numbering Units
Squads within each platoon are numbered from right to left when the platoon is in
line and from front to rear when the platoon is in column.
Post means the correct place for an officer or non-commissioned officer to stand.
This can be in front, behind or by the side of a unit. When changes in formation
involve changes of posts, the new post is taken by the most direct route and, as
soon as practicable, after the command of execution. Officers and non-
Post commissioned officers who have prescribed duties in connection with the
movements take their posts when the duties are completed. In executing a
movement or facing, and when moving from one post to another, officers and non-
commissioned officers maintain a military bearing and move with smartness and
precision.
In movements after the first formation, guidon bearers and special units maintain their positions with respect
to the flank or the end of the unit to which they were originally posted.
In all formations and movements, non-commissioned officers commanding an element take the same post as
prescribed for an officer. When giving commands, making or receiving reports (except squad leaders in ranks) or drilling
a unit, a non-commissioned officer armed with rifle carries it at the right shoulder.
When acting as an instructor, the officer or non-commissioned officer goes wherever his presence is needed to
correct mistakes and supervise the performance of the men in ranks.
Counting Cadence
Except at the beginning of basic training, the commander or instructor does not count cadence to acquaint
the men with cadence rhythm. When a man gets out of step, he is corrected by the commander who halts the
unit and then moves everybody off in the step. Counting cadence by the group helps to teach group
coordination, cadence, and rhythm. To help a man keep in step, the commander encourages him to keep his
head up and watch the head and shoulders of the man in front of him. The command is BILANG HAKBANG,
KAD. The command of execution is given as the left foot strikes the ground. The next time the left foot strikes
the ground, the group calls the cadence for 8 steps in a firm and vigorous manner as follows: ISA, DALAWA,
TATLO, APAT… However, this command must not be executed in a boisterous manner. The good instructor
holds his counting to a minimum.
As soldiers begin to master the art of drills, instructors try to create a spirit of competition among individuals
and between units. Although repetition is necessary when teaching drills, instructors must use competitive
drill exercises to ensure that drills do not become boring or monotonous.
Mass commands are used to develop confidence and promote enthusiasm. These are effective in developing
a command voice when instructing a leadership course.
II. COMMANDS
General Information
A drill command is an oral order of a commander or leader. The precision of a movement is affected
by the manner in which the command is given.
The following rules for giving commands apply to the commander when the unit drills as a separate
unit and not as a part of a larger formation.
1. When at halt, the commander faces the troops when giving commands. On commands that set
the unit in motion (marching from one point to another), the commander moves simultaneously
with the unit to maintain correct position within the formation.
2. When marching, the commander turns his head toward the direction of the troops to give
commands.
3. Exceptions to these rules occur during ceremonies.
4. When elements drill as a part of a larger unit, the rules of supplementary commands apply (see
supplementary commands).
5. The commander gives the command MANUMBALIK (AS YOU WERE) to revoke a preparatory
command that he has given. The command MANUMBALIK must be given prior to the command
of execution. The commander cannot cancel the command of execution with MANUMBALIK. If
an improper command is not revoked, the personnel execute the movement in the best manner
possible.
Mass Commands
Directives
Combined Commands
In some commands, the preparatory command and the command of execution are combined, for example,
HUMANAY (FALL IN), PALUWAG (AT EASE), LUMANSAG (DISMISS). The commands are given without inflection
and at a uniform high pitch and loudness comparable to that of a normal command of execution.
Supplementary Commands
a) Supplementary commands are oral orders given by a subordinate leader to reinforce and complement a
commander’s orders. They ensure proper understanding and execution of a movement. They extend to the
lowest subordinate leader exercising control over an element for he commands as a separate element within
the same formation.
b) A supplementary command may be a preparatory command, a portion of a pre-command, or a two-part
command. It is normally given between the pre-command and the command of execution. It is used when a
command requires an element of a unit to execute a movement different from other elements within the same
formation, or the same movement at the time prescribed by the procedures covering that particular movement.
For example, the platoon is in column formation and the platoon leader commands DALAWAHANG TUDLING
SUNURAN MULA SA KALIWA (pause), KAD. The first and second TUDLING leaders command PASULONG;
the third and fourth TUDLING leaders command MANATILI (STAND FAST). On the command of execution
KAD, the first and second squads march forward. At the appropriate time, the squad leader (third) nearest the
moving element commands LIKO HATING KALIWA, KAD (for both remaining squads). As the third and fourth
squad leaders reach the line of the march, they automatically execute a LIKO HATING KANAN and obtain
normal distance behind the first and second squads.
c) A subordinate leader gives all supplementary commands over his right shoulder except when his command
is based on the actions of an element on his left or when the sub-element is to execute a LIKO SA KALIWA,
LIKO HATING KALIWA or KALIWANG PANIG. Giving commands over the left shoulder occurs when
changing the configuration of a formation, such as forming a file or a column of four and reforming.
Note: When in formation at present arms and the preparatory command of order of arms is given, the
subordinate leaders terminate their salute before giving their supplementary commands.
d) A subordinate leader gives all supplementary commands over his right shoulder except when his command
is based on the actions of an element on his left or when the sub-element is to execute a LIKO SA KALIWA,
LIKO HATING KALIWA or KALIWANG PANIG. Giving commands over the left shoulder occurs when
changing the configuration of a formation, such as forming a file or a column of four and reforming.
Note: When in formation at present arms and the preparatory command of order of arms is given, the
subordinate leaders terminate their salute before giving their supplementary commands.
e) When no direction is given, the response is understood to be forward. When no rate of march is given, the
response is SIGLANG HAKBANG (QUICK TIME). This normally happens when a direction or rate of march
is included in the pre-command, or the direction or rate of march is given as a supplementary command.
Mass Commands
a) Mass commands may be used to develop confidence and promote enthusiasm. (They are definitely effective
in developing a command voice when instructing a leadership course.)
b) When the commander wants the unit to use mass commands, he commands SA AKING PAG-UTOS (AT MY
COMMAND). The commander gives preparatory command describing the movement to be performed. For
example, face the platoon to the right. The command of execution is RAP (COMMAND). When the
commander orders HARAP SA KANAN, RAP (COMMAND), all personnel in the unit execute the command
HARAP SA KANAN (RIGHT FACE) in unison.
c) To give mass commands while marching, the commander gives the preparatory command for the movement
and substitutes KAD (COMMAND) for the command of execution KAD (MARCH), for example, LIKO SA
KANAN, KAD (COLUMN RIGHT COMMAND); PABALIK KAD (REAR COMMAND).
d) Mass commands for the execution of the manual of arms are given in the same manner as described in sub-
paragraphs a-c.
e) When the commander wants to stop mass commands, he commands SA AKING PAG-UTOS (AT MY
COMMAND). The normal method in the conduct of drills is then resumed.
Directives
a) Directives are described as all oral orders given by the commander that direct or cause subordinate leader to
take actions.
b) The commander gives directives rather than commands when it is more appropriate for subordinate elements
to execute a movement or perform a task as independent elements of the same formation.
i. Directives are given in sentence form and are normally prefixed by the terms “IBUKA ANG TALUDTOD
AT ITUNGKOD ANG SANDATA”. Example: “ITANGHAL ANG SANDATA”.
ii. “PAMUNUAN ANG INYONG PANGKAT O TILAP, PULUTONG, BALANGAY” is the only directive with
which a commander relinquishes his command and with which salutes are exchanged.
iii. A subordinate commander, upon receiving a directive, will resort to the normal two-part command.
Voice Control
The loudness of a command is adjusted to the number of soldiers in the unit. Normally, the commander is in
the front and at the center of the unit and speaks facing the unit so that his voice reaches everyone.
It is necessary for the voice to have carrying power, but excessive exertion is unnecessary and harmful. A
typical result of trying too hard is the almost unconscious tightening of the neck muscles to force the sound
out. This produces strain, hoarseness, sore throat and worst of all, indistinct and jumbled sounds instead of
clear commands. Ease is achieved through good posture, confidence, proper breathing and correct
adjustment of throat and mouth muscles.
The best posture for giving commands is the position of attention. Soldiers in formation are prone to adopt the
posture of their leader. If the posture is unmilitary (relaxed, slouched, stiff or uneasy), the subordinates will
imitate it.
The most important muscle used in breathing is the diaphragm - the large muscle that separates the chest
cavity from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm automatically controls normal breathing and is used to
control the breath in giving commands.
The throat, mouth and nose act as amplifiers and help to give loudness (resonance) and projection to the
voice.
Distinctiveness
Distinctiveness depends on the correct use of the tongue, lips and teeth that form the separate sounds of a
word into syllables. Distinct commands are effective. Indistinct commands cause confusion. All commands
can be pronounced correctly without loss of effect. Emphasize correct enunciation (distinctiveness) and
enunciate clearly making full use of the lips, tongue and lower jaw.
To develop the ability to give clear and distinct commands, practice giving commands slowly and carefully,
prolonging the syllables. Then gradually increase the rate of delivery to develop proper cadence, still
articulating each syllable distinctly.
Inflection
Inflection is the rise and fall in pitch and the tone changes of voice.
The preparatory command is the command that indicates movement. Pronounce each preparatory command
with a rising inflection. The most desirable pitch when beginning a preparatory command is near the level of
the natural speaking voice. It is possible to give the command execution with clarity or without strain. It is good
to remember to begin a command near the natural pitch of the voice.
The command of execution is the command that indicates when a movement is to be executed. Give it in a
sharper tone and in a slightly higher pitch than the last syllable of the preparatory command. It must be given
with plenty of snap. The best way to develop a command voice is to practice.
In combined commands such as HUMANAY (FALL IN) and TIWALAG (FALL OUT), the preparatory command
and command of execution are combined. Give these commands without inflection and with the uniform high
pitch and loudness of a normal command of execution.
Cadence
Cadence in commands means a uniform and rhythmic flow of words. The interval between commands must
be uniform in length for any given troop unit. This is necessary so that everyone in the unit will be able to
understand the preparatory command and will know when to expect the command of execution. For the squad
or platoon in marching, except when supplementary commands need to be given, the interval of time is that
which allows one step (or count) between the preparatory command and the command of execution. The
same interval is used for commands given at halt. Longer commands, such as KANANG PANIG, KAD (RIGHT
FLANK MARCH), must be started in such a way that the preparatory command will end on the proper foot,
and leave a full count between the preparatory command and the command of execution.
When the supplementary commands are necessary, the commander should allow for one count between the
preparatory command and the subordinate leaders’ supplementary command, and an additional count after
the subordinate command but before the command of execution.
“Maintain discipline and caution above all things, and be on the alert to obey the word of command. It is both
the noblest and the safest thing for a great army to be visibly animated by one spirit.”
– Archidamus of Sparta
IV. CEREMONIES
REVIEWS
A review is an inspection of troops by a high officer or honored guest as a way of showing its troops’ unit strength, state
of discipline and preparedness.
Historical Background
Reviews in the Armed Forces of the Philippines were patterned after the United States Army’s. This is due to the fact
that the Americans greatly influenced the Philippine government’s educational system and the military during their
occupation of the country right after the Spanish regime. US military reviews were outlined in the Regulations for the
Order and Discipline of the troops of the United States commonly known as the Blue Book written in 1779 by Baron
Friedrich von Steuben, a former Prussian Officer under Frederick the Great. He was commissioned by General George
Washington to develop the revolutionary forces into a well-organized and highly disciplined army. The origin of military
reviews may be traced back to as early as the Middle Ages when rulers were likely to have military ceremonies as a
way of showing strength. At the turn of the century, armies all over the world began adopting the regimental system.
Regiments were assigned a specific color or number for easy identification and positioning on the battlefield. In battle,
the color (flag) party marched in front and center of its unit as a point for the unit to dress on. Since victories in those
days were expressed in terms of the number of enemy colors captured, the color party was the logical priority target
and thus suffered heavy casualties. In the US Army, the Colors have been historically placed in the center of the
formation and considered to be part of the company on the immediate right of the Colors. This company is still called
the Color Unit.
Musical elements (usually drums and fifes, and sometimes a band) were used during actual battle and marched 12 to
15 paces to the rear of the formation.
By 1892, US infantry drill regulation posted bands and field musician the right of the formation or at the head of the
formation when it moved in column. Today, the presence of the Colors at the center of the formation represents their
presence in the old days at the forefront of the unit during the heat of battle. On the other hand, the presence of the
band represents the significant role that the drum, fife and other musical instruments have played throughout military
history for signaling in camp or on the battlefield.
Purpose
Reviews are often mistaken to be the same as parades while features are similar, these are two distinct ceremonies
although the combination of the two is normally practiced. A review is a military ceremony used to:
a. Honor a visiting high-ranking commander, officials, or dignitary and/or permit them to observe the state of training of
a unit.
b. Present decorations and awards.
c. Honor or recognize unit or individual achievements.
d. Commemorate events.
It is more fitting therefore to entitle a program “A Review in Honor of ________” or “A Review in Commemoration of
_______”, instead of calling it a parade and review when actually what would be done is only a review.
General Information
Normally, a review is conducted with a battalion-size or larger troop unit. However, a composite or representative
element consisting of two or more platoons may serve the same purpose. A review consists of the following steps in
sequence:
a. Formation of troops
b. Presentation of Command and Honors
c. Inspection
d. Honors to the Nation
e. Remarks
f. Pass-in-Review
g. Conclusion
Note: The review stage may be omitted for decorations, awards, or individual recognition ceremonies. Other
ceremonial activities or combinations thereof, those maybe incorporated within a framework of review are:
a. Review with decorations, awards and individual recognition ceremonies.
b. Review with change of command, activation, or de-activation of units.
c. Review with retreat.
d. Review with retreat and retirement, decorations, and awards.
e. Review with retreat and change of command, activation, or deactivation of units.
f. Review and parade with all of the above combinations.
To enable himself to review his own command with a visiting Reviewing Officer (RO), a commander normally
designates an Officer of his command as Troop Commander (TC). The TC is responsible for the preparation of the
troops for the review.
Parade
A parade is a military ceremony wherein a body of troops is formed before its Commanding Officer or other
high-ranking officer for the display of its condition, members, equipment and proficiency. It includes exercise in the
manual of arms, the report on the members of the various units present or accounted for, the publication of orders, etc.
and ends with a pass in review.
Distinctive Features
The preparation and organization of troops for a parade are similar to those for a review. However, in a parade,
since the commander is also the reviewing officer, the distance between the troops and the commander is greater than
that for a review. Other features are: the band conducts sound off; the inspection is omitted; reports are rendered;
orders are published; and the officers and guidons are marched forward and centered on the commander. If retreat is
scheduled, it is conducted in lieu of Honors to the Nation. This means that the Retreat is already the HONORS TO
THE NATION.
d) Presentation
e) Manual of Arms
f) Report
g) Publishing of Orders
h) Officers Center March
i) Pass in Review
Ceremonial Brigade Parade
Street Parade
Evening Parade
left leg straight) alongside the right foot as in the position of Attention. Continue this movement, keeping the
arms at the sides as in the position of Attention.
To halt when executing right or left step, the command is TILAP (PULUTONG), TO. This movement is
executed in two counts. The preparatory command is given when the heels are together. The command of
execution TO is given the next time the heels are together. On the command of execution TO, take one more
step with the lead foot and then place the trailing foot alongside the lead foot, resuming the position of
Attention.
The halt from backward march is executed in two counts.
To Face In Marching
a) Face to the Right as in Marching
Assume you are halted at attention and you receive the command, LIKO SA KANAN, KAD. On the preparatory
command, LIKO SA KANAN, shift the weight of your body to the left leg without noticeable movement. On the
command of execution KAD, face 90 degrees to the right by pivoting on the ball of the left foot, at the same
time taking a 30-inch step in the new direction with the right foot, swinging your arms in their natural arc, six
inches to the front and three inches to the rear of your legs, but allow them to swing away from the body
(Step). You will continue to march, taking 120, 30-inch steps per minute, swinging your arms 6 inches to the
front and 3 inches to the rear of your legs, until given another command.
the deck, as this is a movement to the right. On the command of execution, NA, and for the count of one, your
next step will be a 30-inch step to the front with your left foot. At the same time, all files, except the right file,
will smartly turn their head and eyes 45 degrees to the right (Step). The shoulders remain square to the front.
The members of the right file will keep their heads and eyes to the front. You shall continue to march until
given the next command. The command to terminate this movement is HANDA, HARAP. The command of
execution is given when the last rank is six paces beyond the reviewing officer, and as the left foot strikes the
deck, as this involves a movement to the left. On the command of execution, HARAP, your next step is a 30-
inch step to the front with your right foot. At the same time, all men who have executed eyes right will then
turn their heads and eyes to the front (Step). You shall continue to march until given another command.
Eyes Left While Marching
The movement of eyes left may only be executed while marching and is normally done during street parades,
when the reviewing stand is on the left. While marching at quick time, the unit leader gives the command when
he is six paces away from the reviewing officer. The command of execution is given as the left foot strikes the
deck, as this involves a movement to the left. On the command of execution, NA, and the count of one, your
next step will be a 30-inch step to the front with your right foot. At the same time, all files except the left file
will smartly turn their heads and eyes 45 degrees to the left (Step). The shoulders remain square to the front.
The members of the left file will keep their heads and eyes to the front. You shall continue to march until given
the next command. The command to terminate this movement is HANDA, HARAP. The command of
execution is given when the last rank has moved six paces, as this involves a movement to the right. On the
command of execution, HARAP, your next step is a 30-inch step to the front with your left foot. At the same
time, all files that have executed eyes left will smartly turn their head and eyes to the front (Step). You shall
continue marching until given another command
Staff behind the Commander
To make a staff move to the rear of a commander, the command is KALUPUNAN, SUMALIKOD KO, KAD.
The movement is executed in 9 counts for 2 or 3 men staff, 11 for 4 men staff, 13 for 5 man staff, and 15 for
6 men staff.
At the command KAD, all members of the staff execute right face, then the first man faces to the left and
marches 4 steps, column left and halts on the prescribed last count. All members shall march forward and
follow the first man turning at the same pivot made by the first man.
All members halt in the designated count and face left altogether automatically facing the new direction.
END
NOTES
REFERENCES:
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Unit’s Military Science One (1) Module is
a compilation of information from various references and ideas based on the Program of Instruction presented by the Philippine
Army Reserve Command for the benefit of the PLV-ROTC cadets.
Special thanks to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela Officials and Administrators, National Service Training
Program Director and Instructors, PLV-ROTC Unit Commandant and Staff, Tactical Commissioned Officers and Non-
Commissioned Officers, Officers-in-charge of the PLV-ROTC Unit, Corps Commander and Staff of PLV-ROTC Unit and to
those people who made this possible.
PERSONAL NOTES