Soldier Skill Level 1 Tasks

Learn about the importance of SKL 1 Tasks...

Intro

Since Soldiers cannot train for ALL the possible needed tasks, a Mission Essential Task List (METL) is created. This changes from unit to unit based on the unit's mission statement.

Soldier Skill Level 1 Tasks are considered the most important individual combat related skills

They include 5 Subject Areas:

• 1- Shoot

• 2- Move

• 3- Communicate

• 4- Survive

• 5- Adapt

A final section is dedicated to Battle Drills/actions for an individual Soldier

• Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills: React to Contact, Establish Security, Perform Actions as a Member of a Mounted Patrol, and Evacuate a Casualty

Shoot

Subject Area 1: Shoot/Maintain, Employ, and Engage with Assigned Weapon System

Subject Area 2: Employ Hand Grenades

Subject Area 3: Perform Individual Movement Techniques

Move

Subject Area 4: Navigate From One Point To Another

Subject Area 5:Move under Fire

Communicate

Subject Area 6: Perform Voice Communications
(SITREP/SPOTREP/9-Line MEDEVAC, EXPLOSIVE HAZZARD (EH)

Subject Area 7: Visual Signaling Techniques

Survive

Subject Area 8: React to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Attack/Hazard

Subject Area 9: Perform Immediate Lifesaving Measures

Subject Area 10: Perform Counter IE

Subject Area 11: Maintain Situational Awareness/Every Soldier as Sensor

Subject Area 12: Perform Combatives

Subject Area 13: Assess and Respond to Threats (Escalation of Force)

Adapt

Subject Area 14: Adapt to Changing Operational Environment

Subject Area 15: Grow Professionally and Personally (Build Resilience)

Battle Drills

"A Battle Drill is a collective action executed by a platoon or smaller element without the application of a deliberate decision-making process."

Subject Area 16: (Battle Drills) React to Contact

Subject Area 17: (Battle Drills) Establish Security

Subject Area 18: (Battle Drills) Perform Actions as a member of a Mounted Patrol

Subject Area 19: (Battle Drills) Evaluate a Casualty

7 Steps to Training

When preparing to train apply these 7 steps:
1. Set training objectives
- what are the tasks and training topics/objectives/outcomes ?

2. Prepare the needed supplies/resources/support
- personnel/time/funds/facilities/devices and training aids

3. "Train the trainer"
- ensure that as a leader you as proficient in all tasks

4. Provide the resources
- most training tasks require some kind of set-up/preparation

5. Manage risks/environmental/safety concerns
- perform a risk assessment for safety; check the weather and any possible safety issues

6. Conduct the training
- ensure training is performed to standard and supervise as necessary

7. Evaluate the results
- conduct an AAR

Task, Condition & Standard

Task: The task title identifies the action to perform.

Conditions: The task conditions identify all the equipment, tools, materials, references, job aids, and supporting personnel that the Soldier needs to perform the task. This section identifies any environmental conditions that can alter task performance such as visibility, temperature, or wind. This section also identifies any specific cues or events ( for example, a chemical attack or identification of an unexploded ordnance hazard) that trigger task performance.

Standards: A task standard specifies the requirements for task performance by indicating how well, complete, or accurate a product must be produced, a process must be performed, or both. Standards are described in terms of accuracy, tolerances, completeness, format, clarity, number of errors, quantity, sequence, or speed of performance.

Training and Evaluation guidelines

Training and evaluation guide.

This section has two parts.
The first part, Performance Steps, lists the individual steps that the Soldier must complete to perform the task.

The second part is the Performance Evaluation Guide. This provides guidance about how to evaluate a Soldier’s performance of the task.

It is composed of three subsections.
-The Evaluation Preparation subsection identifies special setup procedures and, if required, instructions for evaluating the task performance. Sometimes the conditions and standards must be modified so that the task can be evaluated in a situation that does not, without approximation, duplicate actual field performance.
-The Performance Measures subsection identifies the criteria for acceptable task performance. The Soldier is rated (GO/NO- GO) on how well he or she performs specific actions or produces specific products.
- As indicated in Evaluation Guidance, a Soldier must score a GO on all or specified performance measures to receive a GO on the task in order to be considered trained.

Training References

Training References.

Here, you will find the source documents of the task in question. It will be the training source for the task at hand. More detailed task descriptions and explanations will be present.

Example: an infantry task would have FM 3.21.8 as a reference

'GO/NO-GO'

Each task has a series of sub-steps that must EACH be passes in order to pass the task

Example:

Skill Level 1 Example

Select Temporary Fighting Positions

Standards:
Selected a firing position that protected you from enemy observation and fire, and allowed you to place effective fire on enemy positions without exposing most of your head and body.

Conditions:
You must select a temporary fighting position when at an overwatch position, after initial movement into a tentative defensive position, at a halt during movement, or upon receiving direct fire.

Standards:
Selected a firing position that protected you from enemy observation and fire, and allowed you to place effective fire on enemy positions without exposing most of your head and body.

Performance Steps
1. Choose a position that takes advantage of available cover and concealment
2. Choose a position that allows you to observe and fire around the side of an object while concealing most of your head and body.
3. Choose a position that allows you to stay low when observing and firing, whenever possible.
4. Choose a position with a background that does not silhouette you against the surrounding environment.
5. Follow your leader’s directions after your initial selection of a temporary battlefield position.

Evaluation Preparation
Setup: Evaluate this task during a march or a simulated march in an area with varying degrees of cover and concealment. Have the soldiers in full battle gear.

Brief
Soldier: Tell each soldier the enemy has been reported in the area and may be encountered at any time. At preselected points during the march, at a rest halt, after ordering the soldier to take an
overwatch position, or after ordering the soldier to take a tentative defensive position, have him select a temporary fighting position.

1. Chose a position that took advantage of available
cover and concealment.

__ GO

__ NO-GO

2. Chose a position that allowed for observation and
fire around the side of an object while concealing
most of head and body.

__ GO

__ NO-GO

3. Chose a position that allowed you to stay low
when observing and firing, whenever possible.

__ GO

__ NO-GO

4. Chose a position with a background that did not
silhouette you against the surrounding environment.

__ GO

__ NO-GO

5. Followed leader’s directions after initial selection
of a temporary battlefield position.

__ GO

__NO-GO

Evaluation
Guidance: Score the soldier GO if all performance measures are passed. Score the soldier NO GO if any performance measure is failed. If the soldier scores NO GO, show him what was done wrong and how to do it correctly.

References

Required: FM 21-75 (outdated but still relevant)

Related: N/A

Conclusion

Skill Level 1 Tasks are important because they:

• give you a clear set of Task, Condition & Standards

• allow you to customize the METL to fit your unit's needs

• builds individual tasks for future Small Unit Tactics

• allows TM/SQD LDRs to train their Soldiers in the 'basics'