Tactical Movement Drills
Movement under threat is a small set of physical and verbal habits, drilled until they don't require thought. Below are the ones that pay off fastest.
Pie every corner
Lateral steps that swing your weapon into more of the unknown each step. The single most-practiced movement in CQB.
Sector left, right, depth
In any element, every member has an assigned sector. Eyes on it. Always. The moment you're all looking at the same threat, the unwatched sector kills you.
Direction-of-contact reflex
When a threat appears, the call is 'contact [direction]' before anything else. Direction first, threat detail second. The squad needs to face the right way.
Drill 1 — pie reps
Find a corner. Slowly step laterally so your weapon arcs into the unknown. Each step, you're seeing a slightly bigger slice. Do it slow on purpose. Speed comes after the muscle memory.
Drill 2 — sector check
Element of 4. Each person assigned a sector (12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock). Walk in formation. Element lead randomly calls 'sector check' — every member states their sector and what they see. Do this until it's automatic.
Drill 3 — bounding warm-up
Pair up. Open ground. One bounds 10m, calls set. Other bounds 10m, calls set. Repeat for 100m. No firing — just the rhythm and the calls. Boring. That's why it works.
Drill 4 — react-to-contact
Element walks. Element lead randomly calls 'contact left' or 'contact right.' Element pivots, suppresses imaginary threat, and bounds back to cover. Reset. Run it 10x per direction.
Common questions
Are these realistic drills?
These are simplified versions of drills run at every basic infantry-equivalent course on the planet. They're not full-spectrum, they're starting reps.
Can I run these in a tactical sim?
Yes — and you should. TGH's Arma Reforger nights run drills 3 and 4 as warm-ups. CQB nights run drill 1 and 2.
What's the most-skipped drill?
Drill 2 — sector discipline. Boring. But every squad we've watched die in a sim died because everyone was looking the same direction.