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I would appreciate it if you experienced squadleaders could give some advice on how to succesfully play that role. I sometimes become squadleader (when the former leader leaves the squad) and I am not feeling comfortable. I feel like I have to do something special but I can only come up with "attack this position" or "defend this position".

IMO.

1. Stay Alive. Hide if you have to. You are a last resort shooter, you rarely engage if to only protect your own men from someone flanking them from behind.
2. Set Waypoints (obejctives)--always and dont forget--use them, update them.
3. Assign Individuals by name, to take point/lead + Assign Kits as needed, a good SM will ask "What kit do you want me to have?"
4. Stay safe, likely in the rear of the squad
5. communicate objectives clearly to squad/Commander (if possible)
6. Coordinate with other squads, be aware of the location of other squads on the map, don't duplicate efforts, support eachother. Be aware of a squad in need of help to take an objective. Be aware of the map and what's going on (losing, winning, where most of the people are, possible movements of the enemy, possible un defended/weak points of the enemy--of your team for that matter).
7. Kick those out of the squad that are not participating i.e. Following your orders/waypoints attacking/defending your objectives......

What he said

Good stuff Malum. Also, some tactics will be included in the Gameplay Guide that will be released soon.

Let me put some of my own advice down.

First, make certain people are responsive to your voice. I speak not of the instant orders that the command rose or map let you put out, but the actual VoiceIP itself. If you know they can follow your orders, then that means they trust you.

The next step is to find out if any of your members are voice-capable. If you use Teamspeak, this shouldn't be that much of a problem and you can skip this. If you're like me, cannot use Teamspeak, and can only use the VoiceIP, find out who shares the comm-line with you, so that way you know who can talk back to you so you can swap information when the situation calls for it.

Now for specifics. The first involves the commander. If you have a commander who does use the VoiceIP (I've had quite a few who do not...) then that makes your orders a lot easier to deliver. A direct transmission for central command, handed to you, then you handing it to your men verbally, can make that much more of a difference than merely pressing insert to accept the order. Share as many details as you can with your squad, about the situation, the environment en-route to the order destination or, for the defending squad, ask command from time to time about a situation update regarding what is happening around you. By transmitting that to your squad, you and your buddies can be that much more effective together. That, and they'll feel a lot better about following orders from a squadleader who's directly connected with central command. Even if you screw up, and believe me, you will, and you all die, it doesn't matter because the fault fell on the commander's head, but also your head. In other words: execute your orders with more than just the basic information that you get. Ask your commander questions, ask for situation status. You're just one man, but your voice, with the voice of your commander, and the voice of your men, can give you a much larger perspective on the surrounding situation than merely 'Attack here!' or 'Defend here!'

And, as I already stated, that makes your men feel better and more likely not to go off in their own direction as I've witnessed quite a few times in a squad where I was the member only.

Class choices:
Always take something that is fast on its feet. The Engineer or special operations are good selections. Never take a support role because, as a squad leader, you shouldn't be carrying anything heavy. That makes you slow. The point here is: A slow squad leader is a dead one. Let someone else carry the heavy stuff.

If you really, really want to carry something a little bigger than what those two classes offer, then either go with the sniper or assault class. Anything above that is a no no.

Anyway, that's how I like to be a squad leader. I'm certain there are others who have different opinions. Summarized, I try to practice communication with my men (or women, I've come across a few women in BF2) and my superior officer as much as I can. Communication is Key. Remember that. Always be open to listening to the ideas of your men as well.

The battlefield is always changing, and you should always be ready to adapt. To know when to, and not to, follow an order. To know when to call a retreat. This is how I play my part as a squad leader when I am called for it.

If you don't have a commander or you have one which is thick headed and wont be supportive, then try to do as best as you can by yourself and your men. You may be cut off from a higher perspective on the battlefield, but that doesn't mean you can't see through the eyes and hear through the ears of your men. If you can talk, then that makes everything that much better.

Edit: Blast. Malum beat me to the punch.

Allways keep speed in mind. Just before a cap point is taken, give the next order, either defend or attack the next. Communicte early and often, like Malum stated, verbaly give orders to individuals as they have a harder time disobeing when called by name, ain't peer pressure a *****? For example, on Steel Thunder as the US we owned all cap points except for the one in the NE across the bridge. My team would just sit there and shoot across the bridge. I gave a verbal command to send three men via FAV around the south all the way past our main and hit the rear, while myself and another squad member got under the bridge and moved across. This attack worked and they just didn't think of it untill I verbaly told them what to do. Some people need a little encouragement. Malum hits it on the head.

In my limited expriance I've learned a few things.

Be patient, this goes along with staying behind the action and keeping yourself alive. This is one thing I know I must work on. Patients also is good for stealth. Taking a flank is a great way to capture a flag right under the enemies nose. Sometimes taking the long way around is far more effective than a full frontal assualt.

Also, set your priorities. Will you defend or attack? If you choose to defend then don't just leave your post because it's been a minute since the enemy has come close. If you attack it's pretty important(at least I think so) to not just turn your back on your attack as soon as a flag goes white. It's pretty easy to get a flag white, but it's not so easy to hold it until it's yours and usually your team is reliable enough to gain it back. In the mean time you can sit tight in a nice hiding spot and wait to see if you must return to regain your fallen post or if you can get the jump on the enemy.

Another problem I have is being decisive. I've not played squad leaders enough to be fully confident in my decisions. I just don't like sending my men off to their deaths and having a wasted charge and this is a problem in itself. While you are debating in your head what to do the enemy is swelling around you and your squad and you'll die pretty quickly just because you didn't move. If you make a poor decision don't dwell on it, learn from it. Becoming a good SL is like anything else, it takes time and practice.

Lastly, if you are in a good, experianced squad, then don't be afraid to ask for advice.

Just talk, get some feedback. Say "lets do this, what do you think"? Quite often people don't talk until someone else does.

I'm a sh*t SL, but if there is a server full of **** SL's then i'll start one and get talking. People are generally willing to listen at the very least, and if you're telling them to do something rather than using the context menu they generally [in my experience] listen.

Good advice, i would add a exclamation point to what Tychandrus was saying...COMMUNICATION!!

Its truly everything, another rule I would add is making sure your SM are your eyeballs, and that I like to say to my squad to stay within EYESHOT (think earshot but with eyes) of eachother, you dont have to be shoulder to shoulder,..but try not to lose a sight line
with them, esp on these BF2 maps, that keeps it tight but not too tight where a frag blows half your squad....but tight enough where when they see a man go down they pretty much know where the threat came from....and that leads to my next point...

ANNOUNCE ALL THREATS.....foreign and domestic....seriously, announce any threat you see...only engage a threat if you MUST..your priority should be to communicate it to the SL...and your SM's...give a direction where they are in relation to your position (E, S, N, W) and if you can, which way they are moving, and how strong....often times you cant give all that info, just calling enemy and at which compass setting they are at tells alot.....

WHY? what does this have to do with the squad LEADER? the SL demands this...the squad leader ASKS for this "Any contact?"...."Announce your contact, guys!"....The squad leader sets the tone, whether you are talking about the game and the dynamics of a situation or your talking about the latest fad joke on the internet about ORLY and NO WAI....haha, did you see that OWNED picture with the ....well, that OWNED picture is likely to have YOUR SQUAD on it, when you are OWNED because you werent focused...and another squad was....SL sets that tone, rebuts, interrupts, cheap small talk with situational questions bringing back the focus...

true words and nice infos here...

but i miss overall communications !

sure, ever squad has voice speak/or listening to it, chatting sometimes...but what we need more is overall communication for all squads.

so often i died and saw a whole enemy squad from deathcam, if i can i write it in the say-team chat, that i.e east side of xx enemies inb numberxx

i would love to see that more people use this feature, so all people are informed and not only one squad. it doesnt work always of course, sometimes you are too much in stress situations but if you have the time, just do it.

By the time you get done typing the hostile squad has usually engaged your team mates.
You can also use voice while you're wounded, but not while you're dead.

lots of great advice here. but in my experience, there is one thing that you MUST always remember... the KISS method (keep it simple stupid). don't try and be super tactical, don't give out complicated orders. the easier the orders are, the more likely they will succeed. also, plans usually get borked when bullets come your way. sometimes you need to alter them. if they are complicated in the first place, it's usually quite difficult to alter them.

It also would really HELP if the Speaker would FIRST - identify himself - before speaking............ie......... "SiHawk here............."

"The [soldiers] must learn to keep their ranks, to obey words of command, and signals by drum and trumpet, and to observe good order, whether they halt, advance, retreat, are upon a march, or engaged with an enemy."

Niccolo Machiavelli: Arte della Guerra, 1520 A.D.



HI-RES version of this picture:
http://tinyurl.com/hnhsr

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000. ... enDocument

Marine Corps Squad Leaders

From Marine Corps News Service
Dec 18 2005
by Master Sgt. Gideon Rogers

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- A maxim exists in Marine Corps infantry platoons and loosely paraphrased, says if a squad leader falters, freezes or fails, all paper-smart strategic plans conceived are worthless.

Cpl. Chris W. Adair, a 20-year-old native of Custer County, Colo., knows about this adage from experience.

Adair is one of many squad leaders with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines Regiment, who are on their second deployment to Iraq. Last year, Task Force 2/7 was part of Regimental Combat Team-7 and worked at Hit. This time around with Regimental Combat Team-8, the “War Dogs” operate in and out of Fallujah. This is the third Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

“Not often do you find 20-year-olds tasked with critical life-or-death decisions on a daily basis in the civilian world; but in the Marine Corps, they become men who are depended on and expected to come through in different kinds of military operations on the streets of Fallujah and the communities that surround it,” said Gunnery Sgt. Scott J. Baker, E Company gunnery sergeant.

Adair, who has the look and demeanor of Tom Berenger's character, Staff Sgt. Bob Barnes in the 1986 movie "Platoon," knows a thing or two about being a squad leader. He entered the Corps in 2003 after graduating from Custer County High School in Westcliffe, Colo. He completed recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Marine Combat Training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., before he arriving for 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. He became a squad leader for 1st Platoon in February 2004 when he was still a lance corporal and was promoted to corporal a month later.

“A squad leader is responsible for the accomplishment of squad missions, but he’s also responsible for the lives of a dozen other Marines,” said Adair. “That’s the basic concept that you learn from day one at boot camp and it’s reinforced in (Marine Combat Training) and when you get to your unit.”

That basic concept of leadership might be instilled from "day one," but it is quickly tested here in real-life operations.

“There’s a lot of preparation that goes into just going on a simple mounted or foot patrol,” Adair explained. “Everything must be preset, ready to go – any special equipment for the task, weapons or ammo, vehicles, individual task assignments and rehearsals if necessary. But most of all, you’ve got to make sure your Marines are ready,” explained Adair.

Squad leaders must know how to both give and take orders, and how to deal with immediate situations but not lose sight of the overall mission. All of this is done during military operations in the complex and dynamic environment of Iraq's Al Anbar province.

Patrols are daily and each one is unique. They may be distinguished by time, location, and method of movement -- as day or night, urban or rural, foot or mounted. "Each type of patrol brings with it differences in the way you prepare for it," explained Adair. But according to Adair, the most important thing to prepare for is the unexpected -- and the young Marines here have learned to expect it.

"A grenade thrown from a three-story building into the back of an up-armored vehicle, a suicide bomb attack on a convoy, a buried IED detonated on a patrol route -- these are some of the situations we’ve faced," Adair said calmly.

“Our job is to guide and direct our Marines, make tactical decisions for the squad and enforce the rules,” said Adair. Squad leaders for the battalion ensure their Marines receive serviceable gear, good living conditions, physical conditioning, proper training and supervision, according to Adair. In Iraq, squad leaders are responsible for the very lives of their Marines, directing them through the phases of daily operations.

“Their lives depend on your decisions and how well you handle yourself under pressure,” Adair explained.

The Marines chosen for this burden are well prepared for the challenges they face. During their time as riflemen, Marines are observed for a special blend of infantry skills, experience, toughness, intelligence, selflessness and communication skills, according to Baker.

“Experience is the teacher,” added Baker morosely. “Sometimes young squad leaders are baptized by fire, but you can trust that the experiences here prepare them for just about anything imaginable.”

“The more you’re in the position, the easier it becomes,” said Adair matter-of-factly. "Confidence is the key. You've got to know that you can make things happen."

Hmm, I'm a big fan of staying alive so that others way live... so to speak.

Lets say you're leading an attack, 4 of your squad gets cut down... Dont continue with the attack.. wait 30 seconds (IF YOU HAVE THE TIME) to let them spawn back on you... otherwise you will also end up dead, and everyone will have to spawn back at the flag.