A significant portion of the manual details equipment specific to Special Forces operations. This includes:
Note: This article summarizes and contextualizes the U.S. Army Field Manual FM 31-28 (marked FOUO) titled Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat, dated 1 December 1999. It does not reproduce the manual verbatim.
Operators maintain binocular vision to preserve situational awareness and peripheral depth perception in dark or shifting environments.
By December 1999, the U.S. military was heavily processing lessons from the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu and operations in the Balkans. It became clear that conventional urban warfare—which historically relied on massed artillery and block-by-block leveling of structures—was incompatible with the surgical requirements of Special Operations Forces (SOF). A significant portion of the manual details equipment
The program was launched in the late '90s under the direction of then-Brigadier General Jerry Boykin. His goal was to use this specific training as a "catalyst to raise the Warrior Spirit" and standardize urban combat doctrine across the Special Forces Groups. Inside the Manual: The Three Pillars
Urban environments complicate casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). The manual addresses the integration of tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) within tight spaces. It emphasizes rapid hemorrhage control and the stabilization of blast injuries before moving casualties through narrow exit points. The Evolution of Doctrine: From 1999 to Present
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Compare these 1999 tactics with modern urban combat doctrines.
The key innovation of FM 31-28 was : an SF team in a city would operate without conventional fires or immediate reinforcement, relying on stealth, speed, and host-nation security elements.
FM 31-28, "Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat," is a comprehensive guide to advanced urban combat techniques for Special Forces operatives. The manual's publication in 1999 marked a significant shift in the formalization of doctrine and training for Special Forces units operating in urban environments. military was heavily processing lessons from the 1993
For further exploration of this topic, one might consider analyzing the historical impact of FM 31-28 on subsequent military training, comparing the 1999 manual's strategic theories with more modern urban doctrine such as ATP 3-06, or examining the broader legal and ethical frameworks governing urban military operations. Share public link
Urban combat requires immediate access to fortified structures. The 1999 manual details three primary forms of breaching:
For those interested in accessing the full text of FM 31-28, the manual can be downloaded from various online sources. The document is in PDF format and can be accessed using a range of devices and software.