ATP 3-21.8 — Infantry Rifle Platoon And Squad (this Item Is Published W/ Basic Incl C1)
ATP 3-21.8 governs the tactical application of techniques for Infantry rifle platoon and squad offense and defense.
- Publication number: ATP 3-21.8
- Title: INFANTRY RIFLE PLATOON AND SQUAD (THIS ITEM IS PUBLISHED W/ BASIC INCL C1)
- Date: 01/11/2024
- Proponent: T2COM
- Status: ACTIVE
View ATP 3-21.8 on armypubs.army.mil
ATP 3-21.8 covers organization, planning, movement and maneuver, offensive and defensive operations, patrols, and sustaining the platoon. It provides frameworks and techniques that are descriptive rather than prescriptive.
Applies to: ATP 3-21.8 applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/the Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.
Topics covered
- Infantry rifle platoon organization
- Small-unit troop leading procedures
- Tactical movement and maneuver
- Offensive operations
- Defensive operations
- Patrols and patrolling
- Tactical combat casualty care
Questions and answers
What happens during Step 4 of the troop leading procedures?
Leaders initiate movements necessary to continue mission preparation or to posture the unit for starting the mission. (paragraph 2-101)
What should leaders consider when conducting reconnaissance?
To exploit the principles of speed and surprise, leaders should weigh the advantages of reconnoitering personally against just using the supplied information from higher echelon information systems. (paragraph 2-102)
What is reconnaissance?
Reconnaissance is a mission undertaken to obtain information about the activities and resources of an enemy or adversary, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, geographic, or other characteristics of a particular area, by visual observation or other detection methods (JP 2-0). (paragraph 2-9)
How can the sequence of events in an area defense vary?
Some events may be performed simultaneously or in an order different from shown in the example sequence. (paragraph 5-136)
What is a withdrawal?
Withdrawal is a planned retrograde operation, which a force in contact disengages from an enemy force and moves away from the enemy. (paragraph 5-183)