Squad Leading with Fireteams Guide

Take your squad leading to the next level with proper usage of fireteams!
This guide will go over how you can maximize the usage of fireteams in your squad and how your gaming experience can be improved. You will also get direct instructions how this can even be applied on inexperienced players that you have no personal connection to.
Move away from only assigning fireteam leaders to only have 3 people in your squad with he ability to mark things on the map for you and crank your squad experience up to max by diversifying your fireteams instead of color marking soldiers based on the role they have with the fireteam assignments.

Introduction

At first glance working with proper fireteams can feel intimidating and that it will require a lot of work and energy. It might feel overwhelming but once proper fireteams have been set up, you will only have to worry about 3 "chess pieces" (Alpha, Bravo & Charlie) instead of 8 Soldiers (Rifleman, Medic, Heavy Anti-tank, Light Anti-tank, Machine gunner, Marksman, Automatic Rifleman & Combat Engineer). Your game-play experience will change.

Move away from using the fireteam leader assignment as a way to only get contact information in from only a few soldiers or using it to elevate only your friends. There is more ways fireteam orders can be used. Try putting a Rifleman & a Medic in with the Anti-Tank or Machine Gunner, those individuals can lift those other classes higher, make them stay alive longer or make them more deadlier.


Stop using it to color mark assets. This prevents you from fully utilizing the fireteam orders yourself and you will get a poor distribution of assets to be flexible to quickly handle the multiple variation of threats your squad may face.


Take you squad leadership to the next level by incorporating following 4 keywords:

Composition

Maximize your soldiers efficency by pairing them with other soldiers and combine their strengths to negate their weaknesses.

Control

Offload workload on your subordinates to use their own initiative to accomplish the goals you set for them

Command

Communicate your goals and intent for your subordinates to be able to get a good idea of how to accomlish the task you designate them

Coordination

Having your squad divided in fireteams allows you to deal with multiple things at the same time without having to assign taks by player names. (BRAVO FLANK, CHARLIE SUPPRESS!)

• Attack an objective while building a FOB,
  
• Suppressing, While flanking,
  
• Defending in multiple directions at the same time
  
• Defending while flanking the attackers
  
• Flanking from multiple directions

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There is many variations and many factors that plays in how you organize your squad with fireteams. To cover the chapter of how to compose a fireteam for your Fireteam Leader, be sure to check out this guide:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1695575021

Here are a few examples how you can structure your fireteams (The roles assigned are not absolute and just recommendations. For more details check out the composition guide linked above.).

• A good basic composition with 2 strong and versatile fireteams.
  
  
• If you have a Marksman or a Engineer (Not exclusively those roles) that you want to do special tasks for you while still having strong and versatile fireteams.
  
  
• If you have both a Marksman and Engineer this composition works well. You can assign ither to support a fireteam to temporary buff up them it the situation requires it.
  
  
• Offers a good mechanized/motorized warfare composition.

-- Recomendations

Here is a few recommendations you should consider applying when operating with fireteams:

1. In the start of the round, announce that you have made fireteams and a fireteam leader have been assigned for each. This is to let inexperienced players know that there is a command structure that there is to be followed. Failure to do this may result in that players will not recognize their fireteam leader as a individual with command authority.
   
2. Every time you are changing a squad members fireteam assignment, announce it clearly. It is very common that fireteam members who's fireteam have been changed, did not realize that and therefor follows the wrong leader. It is your responsibility as SL to make sure that you make this clear for the person in question.
   
3. Clarify to the fireteams how you expect to use them in general to influence the fireteam leader & members behavior to better service your intent.
   
4. If you need a specific role in your squad/fireteam you can try to ask first but do not wait and wait for someone to speak up. If nobody immediately says they are prepared to change/take the role then you must order who you think should change. It is your squad so you can have it how ever you wan't, people don't need to stay if they don't like it and it is your responsibility how well it works. If the person you ordered is refusing to change kit and offer no good reason why you should change your mind then you have to kick the person to not show that disobedience is acceptable.

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A big concern players have that discourage them to squad lead with fireteams is that they don't see the benefits, they only imagine the work behind it. While in reality when you have fireteam the workload is reduced due to that you distribute/delegate responsibility. Another issue people may have is that they may recognize the usefulness with fireteams but then think it only works with experienced FTL's, while in reality it works with inexperienced ones. This section will go over how you can have control over your fireteams (experienced or inexperienced FTL's doesn't matter) and how you get the greatest use out of them.

-- Why have FTL:s

1. Beacon - A FTL works as a beacon. He becomes a point on the map in which the fireteam members know they should be operating near. This becomes important as medics specifically have a hard time distributing themselves where they might be needed. But if they know they have to follow a FTL and that there will be a team there, they will be more able to provide fast medical aid so the team can continue their engagement and you will reduce the risk of downed squad members bleeding up or giving up due to them feeling neglected.
   
2. Pointman - Similar to a beacon the FTL serves as a pointman, as a “do as I do” or “go after me” person. This allows more inexperienced members a model of example to follow.
   
3. Situational Field Command - As a SL you do not have eyes and ears everywhere and you are not always where the action happens, certain situations requires split second decisions to be made and a FTL can provide just that with their situational awareness they are the experts of their teams situation.
   
4. Micromanagement - If the FTL is experienced, the FTL can optimize their team and its members to carry out your order with greater efficiency. They can specifically place their members where they will perform their best.
   
5. Compartmentalization of Communication - When grouping a squad in fireteams, the communication between fireteam members can be done with local communications. This allows the FTL to command his team. It also allows the team members to be able to share information with each other. This means the communications will not be clogging up the squad radio
   
6. Marking - The FTL can mark locations of interest with the FT order. If the team members is calling out contact over local, the FTL can choose to forward up the contact information over squad radio and with the information from his fireteam members place contact markers on the map to alleviate the SL from having to place the markers.

-- What you need to provide for your FTL:s

1. Trust - Trust that they are experts of their situation and will make the best decisions to accomplish your intent/order to the best of their ability with the limitations of the situation. Failure to do so can result in the FTLs becoming disgruntled and unmotivated to lead.
   
2. Authority - Avoid to micromanage their fireteam members (unless you need them for a certain task that does not pertain to the specific order you given to the fireteam). If you ordered a team to perform a certain task that you then later goes in a meddle with by starting to directly command a FTLs members, you will then gain distrust from your FTL and disloyalty. If you are unhappy with how the FTL is carrying out the order, tell it to the FTL and let the FTL fix the problem instead of you taking it into your own hands.
   
3. Empowerment - Ensure that the fireteam members: follow their FTL orders (if you hear/notice disobedience), stays near their FTL (if you hear about/notice lonewolfs). If the FTL ask you to kick disobedient members from their fireteam, then do so. Failing to keep order and chain of command will message the rest of the squad that they can do whatever they want and jeopardize the team/squads safety and capability to perform intended tasks. Troublemakers needs to be corrected proportionally so that the fireteam and squad maintains its integrity.
   
4. Purpose - You need to explain your intent and explain what involvement you expect from the FTLs and their teams, what role they play. If the FTL does not know their purpose they can not take own initiative to satisfy your intent.
   
5. Service - With the best of your ability and the assets and tools to your availability try to please the needs of your fireteams, if they want a mortar fire barrage coordinate it, if they need ammunition find a solution to it and if nothing can be done, inform them of the situation and perhaps take suggestions if the situation permits.

-- Assigning a Fireteam leader

When assigning a fireteam leader, following factors may dictate who you do not want to be leading a fireteam.

• Tunnelvision - Some soldiers may be subjected to tunnelvision when operating in their role. Either by looking down the narrow optics of a scope or having to focus on multiple task simultaneously. These soldiers are less likely to be able to micromanage others.
  
• Stealth - Certain roles may benefit from having the enemy distracted to shoot on others. Those roles. Those roles benefit by not having a team of individuals following them around.
  
• Target Acquisition - Many times the fireteam leader will be in the front as pointman, this means that in many situations the FTL will be the first person to encounter enemies, therefor that individual needs to be equipped with a weapons that they can quickly acquire and kill their target with. An Assault Rifle with scope is the most versatile rifle for such a task.
  
• Passiveness - In order for some roles to be efficient, they need to remain stationary. This is not suitable as those individuals might end up back in the formation and therefor they would not be suitable as pointman.

Following roles are listed in suitability for leading a fireteam of 2-4 members. (1 Is highly Suitable & 5 is not suitable.)

1. R, GR & AT - Riflemen, Grenadiers and Anti-Tanks are the roles with best suitability for leading a fireteam. Most of the time they get equipped with assault rifles and have the possibility to equip a scope. Anti-Tanks and Grenadiers can also use the FT order to use as a reference point on the map to either estimate the range to it or ask the SL to place his order on it for range.
   
2. ENG - The Combat Engineer/Sapper is in many ways like a rifleman but does not always have the possibility to be equipped with a scope. The Combat Engineer may also benefit from stealth in order to flank/sneak in to FOB or Weapon Cashes to destroy them.
   
3. DM - Marksmen does not have the clip size, noir the rate of fire of an assault rifle which makes the marksman not the best bet to be pointman in a close quarter environment. Also having the marksman operating as a fireteam leader of a full fireteam would make the squad miss out on having the DM to be a flexible squad asset that could be used to support any of your fireteams. The Marksman can be used however to be in charge of a 1(2) man Scout Team.
   
4. AR & MG - Automatic Riflemen and Machine Gunners will have to remain stationary to deploy accurate fire thus rendering unsuitable as a fireteam leader. Another reason an AR or MG is not suitable is that the AR/MG is more sensitive to fatigue and in medium range situations where they been on the move, they struggle with getting down accurate fire.
   
5. MED - Due to the fact that casualties do not move, they tend to end up in the back, the Medic will have to stop and treat the wounded, which can be a lengthy ordeal.

Experienced FTL:s
The more experience a Fireteam leader have with their role, weapon and leadership capabilities the less important their selected role and weapon becomes when it comes to appointing a Fireteam leader. However the more experienced FTL you have in a lesser suitable kit, the greater experienced soldiers in their roles you need to have in the fireteam to aid the FTL.

Inexperienced FTL:s
Even if you do not have experienced FTL:s they can still provide a "Beacon" for their soldiers, be a "Pointman" for their team to follow (as the fireteam is staying close together they can use their local VOIP to "Compartmentalize the communication") and place fireteam orders to "Mark" targets and points of interest. That is at least 4 out of 5 reasons why you could even have inexperienced FTL:s and still get decent results out of it.

If you are playing with a few re-occurring faces when you are squad leading you can suggest that they check out this guide to hone their skills to make you into a well coordinated unit.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1884694007

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In order to command your fireteam leaders and soldiers you need different mediums of communication. Your two greatest tools will be:

• Your spawn menu map that you can interact with to place visual orders and markers
  
• Your voice that you can direct, explain, instruct and motivate your visuals with.

A combination of visual and audible aids will provide the best chances that what you are trying to convey is coming through to the recipients!

-- Commanders Intent

Squad leaders are humans, you can not possible keep everything in your mind and you can neither transmit your thoughts to anyone else to carry out your will as you want it.
When it comes to leadership and command of your fireteam, you can utilize that the fireteam leader you have appointed (experienced with leadership or not) have a brain and can make own decisions that the members of the fireteam can benefit of.

This method is know within the military command culture as "Mission Command"[en.wikipedia.org]. Mission Command puts emphasis on that the leader declare their goals (with eventual restrictions) to their subordinates and not the specific actions on how the goals are ment to be accomplished. In order for a subordinate to understand the goal you need to inform them with your intent, the "Commanders Intent"[en.wikipedia.org].


The more clear you can be the less room you will create for your subordinates to misunderstand, which will yeild a greater efficency in accomplishing your intent. The more visual and audible ways you can utilize to convey your intent, the better. If time permits try to get in as many of following listed methods as you can and combine them in order to convey your intent as clear as possible:

1. Verbalize your intent - Explain your plan
   
   • Brief - Tell your squad what you intend the squad will be doing for the duration of the round in the beginning of the round. Tell what each team should be prepared to do.
     
   • Re-Verbalize - When the plan changes or when the situation changes. Explain how it will affect the various fireteams and their orders.
     
   • Verbalize "Prepare Order(s)" - If you want a fireteam to do something up on a specific command, order or scenario. Example: “Team Bravo, Be ready to counter attack the enemy attackers when you have contact.
2. Show your intent - Use the different Fireteam and squad orders to direct
   
   • Arrow/Move = Go here, prepare to move further
     
   • Shield/Defend = Defend, move to this location and stay/wait
     
   • Dagger/Attack = Clear from enemies, Search And Destroy, Move with weapons “at ready”, Eliminate
     
   • Shovel/Dig/Construct = Take down/Build Up enemy/friendly HAB/FOB
     
   • Eye/Observe = Watch This direction, Look here, Point of interest
3. Illustrate your intent - Use map markers to graphically draw out your plan
   
   • Waypoint Arrow - Can be used to paint up front lines, avenues of approach/flank paths
     
   • Point Of Interest Marker - Can be used for the same purposes as the Orders when all orders have been placed. Can also be used as a reference point when talking about an area on the map.
     
   • Pickup Marker - If one from your squad or another squad is providing transportation, you should get your squad to meet up to speed up the loading process.
     
   • Reinforcement Marker - Can be used to show where you want individual soldiers to go
     
   • Ammo Resupply/Construction Resupply Marker - If you want a friendly rifleman with ammo bag to go somewhere, or a vehicle to be brought somewhere for people to rearm or if you requested a friendly vehicle to rearm. You can also use it to show where you want your combat engineer will be to provide extra repair.
     
   • FOB Marker - If you want your squad to be ready to drop supplies and to construct, its good if you place Fireteam Shovel/Dig order for the Fireteam you intend to help you construct it.
4. Gesture your intent - If you start doing something, you will be an example.
   Keep in mind that if you have not been clear on what you expect your soldiers to do, they will follow your lead even if you did not intend them to.

Keep in mind! You need to have a tolerance, understanding and forgiveness for your subordinate leaders misinterpretations or choice of method to accomplish your intent. You should only blame yourself when your subordinates have not understood your intent. Look back at yourself and ask what you could have done different to convey your intent more clearer. In order to be sure they understood you can ask them to confirm they understood your order/intent by repeating it back to your in their own words (if time permits).

Direct Order. If time does not permit, then you have to cut down to "brass tax" and give a direct order. At these few times you have to rely on your subordinates experience and situational awareness that they can temporary with all previous input get an idea of what your intent is and carry out your order.

The FTL's perspective
To get a idea how it will be for your FTL, you can check this guide out.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1884694007

-- Verbal Communication

When you are communicating you should be: Short, Brief & Clear.

• Short - There is a lot of things that can be ongoing during a round, you can be in the middle of combat fighting an enemy or in the middle of a dialog with another person. Therefor you must aim to keep your verbal communications as short as possible to leave room for higher priority events.
  
• Brief - You need to get as much information in you verbal communications without sacrificing that you need to keep your communications short as well. Apply a smart vocabulary where your choice of wording might shorten a sentence down.
  
• Clear - It is easy to misunderstand and a misunderstanding can cost you valuable time and tickets and you could loose unique windows of opportunities to exploit against the enemy. So it should not be a surprise that avoiding misunderstandings is important. However this is a common mistake many people do as they don't realize the gravity of their words or how they say them. Sluring, not articulating, using made up words, not addressing who you talking to before speaking, spicing up your command with a joke can add confusion, while you can get away with much of that in a common not-time-sensitive situation, in the high pace of games that squad can offer you need to set that aside and communicate with discipline.
  Here is some other things that can help your communication to get more clear.
  
  • Repeat - Squad is loud, combat is loud, multiple people can talk at the same time and it can be hard to get through. repeating the same messages (3 times in a row) can allow it to easier come through an otherwise loud environment.
    
  • Correction - You will make mistakes and say the wrong things, you will give the wrong order to the wrong fireteam. When this happens it is good that you constrast your mistake with the term "CORRECTION" followed up by a 2-3 time repetition of the correct message. If you ever hear that your FTLs are confused about their orders, you can repeat all of the fireteam orders to ensure that the FTL are not mixing up who is doing what.
    

    BRAVO attack that building.
    ....
    CORRECTION
    CHARLIE Attack that building.
    CHARLIE Attack that building.
    While
    BRAVO Continue to defend.
    And
    ALPHA Supports CHARLIE.

  • Addressing - Avoid confusion when it comes to who does what, a good practice of proper call signs is worth utilizing. Avoid using loose/anonymous/unspecific callouts like: can anyone, someone, one of you ect.
    Proper addressing is:
    
    • Freteam: "Alpha", "Bravo" & "Charlie" (With or without suffix "Team")
      
    • Freteam: The name of the FTL
      
    • Soldier: The name of the soldier

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The key to be sucessfull as a squad when using fireteams is to not effectivly become 2-3 small squads with 2-4 men in them but to be one squad with elements helping each other out to be stronger. Your job as a squad leader is to coordinate this effort and a simple rule to folllow is:

Give one fireteam the same mission of the squad and let your other fireteams support/enable/help the primary fireteam in your squad to be greater at what they do and completing your squads mission.

Always try to have all your squads to focus on reaching the same goal and working on completing the same objective. Sometimes the situation requires you to split up the squad to work on different missions that is not directly giving benefit to the other fireteams in your squad however you as Squad Leader should avoid this by always attempting to coordinate with other squads to prevent stretching your squad area of operations out or its capabilities to maintain operational integrity and reliability. To avoid streching your area of operations out to far, avoid ordering your fireteam to go further than:

• 100m in dense vegetation or urban terrain
  
• 200m in open terrain with little cover & concealment
  
• 300m in complete open terrain

-- Movement

Many times you will find yourself in in a situation where you need to move your squad from one place to another. while you should strive to always do this by having your own transportation or coordinating with other squads to ride with them, this can not always be achieved and transportation on foot is required. Movement of foot may also be required when transportation to the destination is not tactically favorable, example: when stealth and silence is key factor to sucess.
However walking on foot is slow and in case you are under attack on your way to your destination you risk having many casualties if you do not mind your "spacing". Moving in a formation can provide you with spacing and flexibility to act if engaged.

-- Formations

One of the main reasons squad leaders do not apply formations in squad is because their soldiers in their squad have a lack of experience of formations and having to teach rookies formations while trying to lead and command the squad at the same time is less than optimal. Therefor this part of the guide will teach you how you can in an easy way apply military formations, gain their benefits without too much effort.

Formation Rules

• The Squad Leader does not need to be part of the formation (unless specified to be included)
  
• The "Pointman" is always in the right position

Formations

• SQUAD COLUMN/FILE
  Description: Designed to deal with contact in any direction while retaining the flexibility that one fireteam that is not in contact with the enemy can flank the enemy or split of while the fireteam in contact distracts the enemy.
  Difficulty: EASY to form / EASY to move in
  Movement Speed: FAST
  Security: MEDIUM
  Strengths:
  
  • Good for fast movement between locations
    
  • Good for countering ambushes
    
  • Good for high risk of contact in unknown direction
    
  • Good firepower & observation to all sides
    
  • Easily allows flanking of enemy
  Weaknesses:
  
  • Reduced firepower & observation to the front and rear
  Fireteam Formations: Any (FTL Decides)
  Command (Rookie friendly):
  Place "Move Marker" at either final destination or waypoint
  

  BRAVO IN FRONT + (LEAD THE WAY), CHARLIE FOLLOW BRAVO/(SL) + (AT DISTANCE OF FIFTY METERS)

  The fireteams formations is not so important the important thing is to retain the flexibillity for the rear fireteam to flank the enemy or to split of while the forward team distracts the enemy.
  
  
• SQUAD STAGGERED COLUMN/FILE
  Description: Similar to the SQUAD COLUMN this formation retains the flexibility to react to enemy contact in most directions and retains the ability to easily transform into a SQUAD WEDGE or LINE
  Difficulty: MEDIUM to form / EASY to move in
  Movement Speed: FAST
  Security: MEDIUM
  Strengths:
  
  • Good for fast movement between locations
    
  • Good for low risk of contact
    
  • Strong firepower to the sides
    
  • Good observation to the sides
    
  • Easily transforms into a Line or a Wedge
  Weaknesses:
  
  • Reduced firepower & observation to the front and rear
    
  • Vulnerable to incoming fire from front & rear
  Fireteam Formations: Fireteam Column/File
  Command (Rookie friendly):
  Place "Move Marker" at either final destination or waypoint
  

  BRAVO LEFT + (OF SL), CHARLIE RIGHT OF BRAVO/(SL) + (AT DISTANCE OF FIFTY METERS)

  Even if this formation wont resemble the "zigzag" saw-tooth pattern the core attributes are still there and will function similarly as the likely outcome of this command will result in the fireteam members will fall in behind their fireteam leader in a column/file formation anyway.
  
  
• SQUAD LINE
  Description: Designed to engage an enemy in one direction, to gain the maximum firepower by consolidating all squad members focus to one direction. Useful when getting ready to assault an enemy location or when ambushing a incoming enemy.
  Difficulty: EASY to form / HARD to move in
  Movement Speed: SLOW
  Security: LOW
  Strengths:
  
  • Good for assaults on a known enemy location
    
  • Good for making ambushes
    
  • Good for a high risk of contracts to the front
    
  • Strong firepower & observation forward
  Weaknesses:
  
  • Reduced firepower to the sides
    
  • Reduced observation to the rear and sides
  Fireteam Formations: Fireteam Line/Diamond/Wedge (FTL Decides)
  Command (Rookie friendly):
  Stop (Stand still and wait for the formation to form up before moving)
  Place "Move Marker" at either final destination or waypoint.
  

  SQUAD ON LINE, BRAVO LEFT + (OF SL), CHARLIE RIGHT OF BRAVO/(SL)

  This formation will likely not stay like this while on the move and more resemble a SQUAD WEDGE and will only come to its shape when the squad remains stationary at an ambush or the moments before an attack is ordered.
  
  
• SQUAD WEDGE
  Description: Designed to provide maximum firepower to the front of the formation (while still requiring to move the squad forward) when an enemy is expected to the front.
  Difficulty: MEDIUM to form / MEDIUM to move in
  Movement Speed: MEDIUM
  Security: HIGH
  Strengths:
  
  • Good for assaults on a known enemy location
    
  • Good for a high risk of contracts to the front & sides
    
  • Strong firepower & observation forward
    
  • Good firepower & observation to the sides
    
  • Easily transforms into a Line
  Weaknesses:
  
  • Reduced observation to the rear
  Fireteam Formations: Fireteam Line/Diamond/Wedge (FTL Decides)
  Command (Rookie friendly):
  Place "Move Marker" at either final destination or waypoint.
  

  SQUAD ON LINE, BRAVO LEFT + (OF SL), CHARLIE RIGHT OF BRAVO/(SL)

  While the verbal command is "LINE" the effective result of ordering a line while on the move and having a lot of inexperienced squad members is that the far ends will lagg behind. In other words a wedge is a "Lazy Line"

-- Attacking & Defending

When a squad reaches their destination they should be prepared to either attack it or defend it. This is covered in this guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1728307151

In short, regardless if you are attacking or defending, what determines if you will be victorious when attacking or defending is your ability to kill all means the enemy have to reinforce before they kill yours. In contrast to what one would think, when all enemies are killed. Unlike real life, we can respawn in the game so, not until the spawn points have all been eliminated or disrupted can a victory be more or less guaranteed.

Determine where the enemy spawn points are, hiding your own and making sure to have more spawn points then the enemy, offers a good foundation to win. But you need to deploy your squad teams appropriately to make it happens, diverting perhaps a portion to spawn point "Search and Destroy" while other parts puts pressure on the cap-zone. Adding distractions and diversions for the enemy, utilizing element of surprise.

But you are not alone, there are other squads, sometimes they are trying to attack or defend the same objective as you, try to coordinate with them, split up responsibilities, but do not make any demands from squad leaders, if you truly want something out of another squad leader, treat them with respect (even if you don't think they deserve it). If you don't care if they help out or not, then it doesn't matter how you communicate with them, in the end.

Final Words

To simplify with a more "Too Long Didn't Read" version:

1. Organize your squad similar to the examples above
   
   • Have a Assault Team with a AT, GR ,R & MED (Make the AT a FTL).
     
   • Have a Support Team with a R, MG, MED (Make the R a FTL).
     
   • Have a Scout Team with a DM/ENG.
2. Keep your squad together working on the same objective.
   
3. Coordinate your squad so that 1-2 fireteam tries to complete the objective while 1-2 supports.
   
4. Do not leave your fireteams without orders.
   
5. Care about your FTLs.

"The Speech"
When I squad lead I wanna make sure that all my squad members knows at what level I am setting the bar. So I name my squad "NO BS & MIC REQ" where the "NO BS" Means to not mess around, play as a team, don't ruin the game for the others in the squad. The "MIC REQ" is a short for microphone being required. After the squad have filled up, I do a mic check.
I also state in the start of the round the following:

Everyone welcome to my squad!

You have joined a NO BS squad and in my world it means that if you are doing stupid stuff, I will kick you and I wont be using a warning system.

If you are a new player to the game, then that is not BS but not using your eyes, ears, mouth and brain is as I expect everyone to have plenty of practice with those abilities before you got the game.

I have appointed fireteam leaders.

If you are a fireteam leader, I do not expect you to fireteam lead but I do encourage it. If you choose to fireteam lead, I will kick any disobedient fireteam members from your team on your request.

If you are a fireteam member, you must stay in local to your fireteam leader. Do not separate from your fireteam leader unless they or I order you to do so.

This "Speech" is engineered, both in what tone I say it and what words I choose to with as short time as possible convey to all members the type of squad they joined and what they can expect from me and others. I have come to realize that this "speech" is key to "prime" the players who never played with me to know how they should play, to best fit in.

You have joined a NO BS squad and in my world it means that if you are doing stupid stuff, I will kick you and I wont be using a warning system.

This part will communicate that I am taking myself serious and are not joking, it strengthen the message my squad name have "NO BS". If players do not understand that you are serious they will not care about what you have to say and lone-wolf/disobey orders as result. The part about not using a warning system works to have players avoid testing the limits on what can be done and will instead focus more on playing the game.

If you are a new player to the game, then that is not BS but not using your eyes, ears, mouth and brain is as I expect everyone to have plenty of practice with those abilities before you got the game.

Peoples definition of what "NO BS" is, may differ, however I am relying on that mots people will use their own judgement. We all, to a degree have a "common sense" that I am hoping people will use, regardless experience level. But the goal is to stimulate squad members to think before they act and consider the consequences. It's important for new players to know that I do not consider mistakes BS but I want people to be focused and play the game, when they are playing the game. People need to communicate, listen, observe their surrounding and think about what they are doing, how it is affecting their surrounding and how their surrounding is affecting them and others as this will help them become better function members of a team.

I have appointed fireteam leaders.

If you are a fireteam leader, I do not expect you to fireteam lead but I do encourage it. If you choose to fireteam lead, I will kick any disobedient fireteam members from your team on your request.

With this point, I am informing that there is a chain of command however that I do not put any pressure on FTL's to lead, this means I will adjust my level of leadership to accommodate the fireteam based on how I see the FTL is leading. Anything the FTL brings in terms of leadership is a bonus for me, I want my FTL's to not feel burden with the task but rather liberated. I therefor extend the authority to them to ask me to kick any of their members for disobedience. If a FTL is forced to work with people who is not willing to "play ball" then they will loose their motivation and I will loose a leader. Therefor I will kick (without much question) on the FTL's request. Because I rather have a motivated FTL and make room for a new player than keeping a fireteam member that is giving my FTL's grief. However if I notice a FTL is exploiting their kick power (haven't happen yet) I will kick them.
Every member of the squad will hear this part of the "speech" and thus know that they must follow their FTL's orders or else even them can indirectly have them kicked.

If you are a fireteam member, you must stay in local to your fireteam leader. Do not separate from your fireteam leader unless they or I order you to do so.

In order for the FTL's to properly lead their teams, they need to be able to communicate. This is done in local. Even if the FTL wont say a word, they all need to stills stay together for better effectiveness and survivability. Effective local voice range is like 50m so if I see fireteam members to get too far away, I will check in why they are "lone-wolfing" by asking and if they have a valid excuse then I wont kick but I will stress that they have to return to their FTL. if they do not have a valid excuse I kick. I do not waste time with warnings. I am not kindergartner teacher, I am trying to play the game and have fun and I do not consider it fun, to have to nag on my squad members. I do not whish it up on my FTL's either. We are here to play the game, have fun. Having fun should not be at expense of each other but together and if people do not want to have fun together then they do not need to be in my squad.

This is my "Speech" and yours does not need to be the same, I do not mind if you copy mine exactly as it is. But I do recommend you at least include something suggesting that you are not afraid to kick, that fireteam members need to stay within local of their FTL and that the FTL is not forced to lead and you are willing to kick on their request.

In Conclusion
My personal gaming experience from using fireteams have changed drastically both when I play as a soldier and fireteam leader in a well structured squad with fireteams but also as squad leader. I Never get as intense game as I get when I use fireteams. The pace of the game can be increased due to the fact that I have to worry less about micromanagement and more about the tactical and strategical aspects of the game.

Do yourself a favor, have more fun with your game experience when you squad lead. Get rid of this usage of fireteam/squad composition:

If you wan't to improve your squad leadership when using fireteams but you find my guides insufficient. feel free to add me to your friend on steam and we can work together on improving your leadership!

Roadmap

My guide is not completely finished. I have some plans for how i want it to look in its finished state. This is the things I'm planning to add:

• Grammatical Errors Fixing
  
• Graphics

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• None

[FERHULT]

cool

[Z]

and this formation usually works well for also new players trying kits, and have a mic, HAT, LAT, CE can help each other and also AR and MG are also something that they can help each other and so on, on each AIT kits and role. and btw this usually works well when you have a team with mics and the Squad Leader is a good communicator, with these two this is not a good formation cause as you said people will likely to give up, and its just a domino of downfall, the SL have to make sure the foundation of everything is always at their place, its a good formation of FT for new player, and organisation, but can also fall apart easily if leadership is missing.

[Z]

Fair enough, honestly there many ways to organise a squad, and depending on the situation, it can change, and dont worry there moment there contact ill usually send the medic right away, and if both side have contact ill split them one of each FT, and i like to keep my squad in a relatively still close and organised way, every FT should around a radius of Max 150m (and that is when im generous), and usually it is also important to communicate with ur squad that medics are on their way towards them.

[Fox]

Not putting a medic in each fireteam and not enforcing FT cohesion usually results in higher ticket losses as more players give up than wait for a revive.

[Fox]

What ever works for you man! we all play in different ways, Thanks for sharing!

Tho this guide is about stepping away from that mentality. it's a bit unsitable for squad. it works better for Project Reality.

The medic holds a important role for a fireteam, as the medic can significantly increase the endurance and independence of a fireteam. The medic possesses unique abilities to carry extended amount of bandages, can revive much faster and can heal soldiers to return to full health without a stamina penalty. Casualties most likely gonna happen on the front line where the fire teams are deployed to so personally for me it makes little sense to hog a private medic a SL when the soldiers in the field needs that ability more. Usually SLs only really need a dude with a shovel, which is practically anyone. I like to avoid breaking up a fireteam or take away their guardian angle, their medic, but If I have to, I task the FTL to designate a soldier to come with me.

[Z]

what i usually do is that i keep the medic in alpha, bravo all combat engineer and rifleman, and charlie, AR, MG, GL, marksman. where bravo are mostly focus on vics and armor side, and charlie on infantry and objective, alpha will shift on the either bravo or charlie depending on the sides needed to most help in a battle situation and shift back to me once finished and if both neither need anything, they stick with me, for me medic always should be last man standing with me they are important for my squad and if i lose them, its like i lose my queen in chess.

[Fox]

Thank you for your feedback!

[NeonHavok]

When a arma player tries to play Squad

[OperatorNugget]

Thanks for the awesome guide man

[Fox]

@infy

you are welcome to do so, I will be curious on your progress so keep me updated! :D