P5-27 Armored vehicle roles

Armored vehicle roles differ somewhat from those of soft vehicles, primarily because they are intended to be aggressively employed in a combat role. The drivers, commanders, and gunners of armored vehicles must be knowledgeable on what that means, and capable of carrying out the following responsibilities with competence.

 

Driver

The armor driver is typically the junior member of the crew. His basic responsibilities include:

• Moving the armor in a tactical fashion from one tactical position to another, at the commander's orders.
• Locating and positioning the armor in hull-down and other protected positions when possible, with the assistance of the Vehicle Commander (VC) or Tank Commander (TC).
• Scanning to the front for mines, satchels, IEDs, and other threats or suspicious objects (such as oddly parked cars) that may be placed in his path.
• Listening to the commander or gunner for movement orders.
• Staying alert of friendly infantry positions and attempting to avoid them when tactically sound. The driver should also attempt to communicate his intent to reverse when in tight terrain with infantry nearby (ie: MOUT).

 

AMV driver turned out

 

Gunner

The armor gunner is responsible for employing the bulk of the armor's armaments. His basic responsibilities include:

• Scanning for the enemy. A gunner who is not scanning constantly is not doing his job.
• Calling out contacts as he sees them. This helps the armor commander prioritize his fires as needed.
• Listening for and acting on the vehicle commander's orders. An armor gunner oftentimes has a restricted view of the surroundings compared to what the commander sees, so it is important that he listens for orders and direction from those that can see more than him.
• Engaging the enemy and communicating what he is doing to the armor commander and driver. This includes letting the driver know when he is reloading the main gun, so that the armor can go turret-down if possible.
• Using the correct weapon for any given threat. The gunner should have the familiarity and judgment to not employ SABOT rounds against enemy infantry, as one example.
• Covering his sector and taking cues from other vehicles to know what sectors he should pay the most attention to.

 

An AMV gunner engages down a street at night

 

Commander

Often referred to as the 'vehicle commander' (VC) or 'tank commander' (TC), the armor commander is the senior member of the crew. He is in charge of his armor, and gives orders to both the gunner and driver in order to carry out whatever mission they have been tasked with. His basic responsibilities include:

• Directing the movement of his armor. He does this by giving move waypoints to the driver and giving guidance on how and where the vehicle should be moving.
• Coordinating with other armored vehicles or other friendly forces.
• Scanning for and designating targets for his gunner, specifying the method of engagement if needed.
• Employing the commander machinegun for close-in defense of the vehicle, or fire against light targets at other ranges.

 

---

CREDITS
This SOP has been contributed to by 1 editors:
Lieutenant Colonel James

REFERENCES
UNITAF Standard Operating procedures (SOP) are adapted primarly from US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Our written and audio procedures are a combination of the following primary source materials, as well as our own learnings, modifications and adaptations:
- US Army Techniques Publication, Infantry Platoon and Squad (ATP 3-21.8)
- Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks Warrior Leader Skills Level 2, 3, and 4 (STP 21-24-SMCT)
- The Warrior Ethos and Soldier Combat Skills (FM 3-21.75 / FM 21-75)
- Leadership Development (FM 6-22)
- Dyslexi's Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures for Arma 3 (TTP3)

---