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LESSON 4
CONTROL FORCE BEHAVIOR
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
In this lesson you will learn: The factors influencing control force behavior during civil disturbances; stresses confronting control forces; control force discipline.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
| ACTION: | Learn the factors influencing control force behavior, stresses confronting control forces and control force discipline. |
| CONDITIONS: | You will have this subcourse, paper and pencil. |
| STANDARDS: | To demonstrate competency of this task you must achieve a minimum score of 70 percent on the subcourse examination. |
| REFERENCES: | The material contained in this lesson was derived from the following publication: FM 19-15. |
INTRODUCTION
The influence which can affect a crowd can also affect you as a control force member. You feel unknown as part of your unit and easily influenced by strong emotions. You may feel tempted to let go of some emotions of your own, but you must not let your position or tension of the moment make you do something you will later regret. You are a self-disciplined, trained member of a control force, and keeping this in mind will help you not fall victim to them.
PART A - CONTROL FORCE DISCIPLINE
The actions of control forces in an area of civil disturbance are critical in restoring order. You must know what you can and cannot do, not only to fulfill the mission and keep order, but to protect yourself physically, mentally, and legally. The mission and orders of your commanding officer will govern your activities.
1. Appearance. Your appearance must be beyond reproach. This is a psychological factor which influences how the people perceive you. Your uniform must be neat and meet regulatory requirements.
2. Professionalism. Dissidents and the control force are competing for the crowd's sympathy in some cases. If the crowd sees that the control force members know their jobs and can handle the situation properly, their opinion of that force will be favorable.
a. Carry out your assigned duties in a military manner and present a neat military appearance at all times. Be sure that everything you do reflects credit upon your country, the military service, your unit, and yourself.
b. Have regard for the human rights of all persons. Be as courteous toward civilians as possible under the circumstances. Do not mistreat anyone or withhold medical attention from anyone needing it. Do not damage property without cause.
c. Use only the minimum amount of force required to fulfill your mission and, if necessary to defend yourself. When under the control of an officer, you will load or fire your weapon only on his orders. When not under the control of an officer, you will load or fire your weapon only when required to protect your own life or the lives of others, to protect specified property designated as vital to public health and safety, or to prevent the escape of persons endangering life or vital facilities, you are not authorized to use firearms to prevent offenses which are not likely to cause death or serious bodily harm, nor endanger public health or safety.
d. When firing is necessary, shoot to wound, not to kill.
e. When possible, let civilian police arrest lawbreakers; but when aid is necessary or in the absence of the civilian police, you have the duty and the authority to take lawbreakers into custody. Take such persons to the police or designated military authorities as soon as possible. Cooperate fully with the police by safeguarding evidence and completing records as instructed.
f. Allow properly identified news reporters freedom of movement, as long as they do not interfere with the mission of your unit.
g. Do not talk about this operation or pass on information or rumors about it to unauthorized persons, refer all civilians who ask for information about what you are doing to your commander.
3. Courtesy and Assistance. Many people find themselves caught in an affected area and will look to you as an authority figure to aid them. Always be ready to offer aid in a courteous manner.
PART B - MENTAL PREPARATION OF TROOPS
1. General. Persons must be fully prepared for the mental and physical stress of civil disturbance control operations. Training in this area should be geared toward understanding crowd and mob behavior and preparing troops to control their own actions and emotions. Typical causes of civil disorders should be studied to give the troops a better understanding of why they may be called upon to control civil disorders. Group behavior should be thoroughly discussed to show individuals what to expect. Further, troops must be made aware of the influence of psychological factors upon their own behavior.
2. Individual Response to Stress.
a. Troops engaged in civil disturbance operations will be exposed to the noise and confusion created by large numbers of people facing them. Individual soldiers may be shouted at, insulted, or called cruel names. They must learn to ignore these taunts and not allow personal feelings to stop them from fulfilling their mission. In addition, troops can expect objects to be thrown at them, but must learn to avoid thrown objects by evasive movements; they must never throw objects back. Troops must hold back their emotions and carry out their orders firmly and actively whether in formation, patrolling, or posted as guards. They must be emotionally prepared for unusual actions, such as members of the crowd screaming and rushing toward them, tearing off their own clothes, or deliberately injuring or maiming themselves. Troops should understand that the well-disciplined fulfillment of orders is the most effective force applied against rioters. They must be taught all aspects of self-control so that they may be mentally prepared for participation in civil disturbance operations.
b. An effective way to familiarize a soldier with the stress of confronting a mob is to conduct an exercise employing part of the unit as violent demonstrators, with the remainder acting as the control force. Have the mob harass those acting as the control force in a manner as realistic as possible keeping safety in mind.
3. Psychological Influences.
a. A crowd can be swept into violence by the strong suggestions of the leaders. Persons in a crowd feel that they can remain unknown, therefore they feel free to release repressed emotions. The control force reaction may be unsuitable because of the effect of such factors on them. Both the leader and the control force members must be informed of these factors so that they can cope with them in a civil disturbance.
b. Control forces must be made fully aware of the reasons for which they have been committed. The growing effect of psychological factors may cause too great a response by control force personnel who come into contact with persons who show hostility. They cannot handle hostility unless they have been properly trained. The fatigue factor must also be considered. Studies of recent disorders show that control forces tend to suffer strain and fatigue when they are kept on duty for a long time. Control force personnel must be able to deal with being provoked, tempted, taunted, offered food and drink, physical missiles, tracts, and leaflets. Rumors or violent acts committed against fellow members of the force also increase tension. This may result in the use of excessive force by control force members. After a while, they begin to believe that they are in a war, and that all dissidents are their enemies. Sniping incidents tend to confirm their suspicions and provide assumed justification for revenge, such as excessive use of force. In situations where the control forces become extremely emotionally involved, the commanders may lose control over the actions of their men. If they are not fully aware and prepared for the situation, they may act improperly or fail to act on command. Official reports stress the importance of training to develop self-discipline and teamwork.
PART C - COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Troops entering any community to restore order will eventually have a difficult task relating to the people of the community who are engaged in the disturbance. This effort at understanding is necessary, however, if the disturbance is to be calmed in an nonviolent and efficient manner as possible, the problems, causes, and factors of the disturbance must be determined and the strategic approach of the troops must be formed accordingly. It would be impossible to examine all possible combinations and consequences of the contributing causes and factors but, as one example, the Regular Army troops employed in the Detroit disturbances of 1967 were successful in part because of the fact that many of those troops were members of a racial minority. Those of the local masses who were of this minority group and who were engaged in active or passive support of the disturbances were favorably impressed with the apparent objectiveness of these troops in particular and all the troops in general. This factor was important in that these disturbances involved a racial cause. In general, however, the troops can build toward good community relations by keeping high standards of military discipline and courtesy and adhering to their special orders.
At this point, it must be stressed that it is clear from the foregoing that the traditional military picture of public relations is only a small part of the community relations picture. Building a good military image in the minds of the public is important. This is especially true in times of civil disturbances. The best community relations system is one that shows positively that the troops are interested in helping the community better itself.
PART D - MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND COURTESY
The unit commander must ensure that all personnel refrain from acts which may be damaging to the high standards of personal conduct and discipline in the Army. Most US citizens have respect for the law and want to support authority. The misconduct of a single person can reflect upon the entire military force. Even a rumor of misconduct can extend and distort mistakes to major proportions. This may result in area-wide hostility and lack of citizen cooperation. Leaders must ensure that all personnel are clean, well-groomed, neat in appearance, and conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of military courtesy and discipline. Prescribed standards of conduct and fair treatment of civilians must be stressed constantly. Soldierly appearance and military discipline are factors that are psychologically impressive to the masses and will help the fulfillment of the mission. Development of the leadership traits and adherence to the principles discussed above provide a sound foundation for the achievement of acceptable levels of military courtesy and discipline.
PART E - TRAINING IN SPECIAL ORDERS
a. During riot training all named components of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps will be given training to become familiar with the following special orders:
b. The intent of these special orders is to strike a balance in the use of force so as to avoid unnecessary firing in civil disturbance situations while still protecting the person's native right of self-defense.
c. All personnel will have a copy of the special orders while engaged in civil disturbance operations. They are available through publications distribution channels as GTA 21-2-7. Copies are stockpiled at suitable locations for easier distribution. (See Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2.)
PART F - LEADERSHIP
The conduct of civil disturbance control operations places unusual demands upon leadership skills. Soldiers and small leaders should be aware of these unusual demands and be prepared to cope with them. Training for civil disturbance control operations must include a careful review of military leadership and should state the importance of the following traits:
Bearing. Creating a favorable impression on the civilian community through proper posture, dress, and personal conduct.
Courage. The need for each individual soldier to control fear and emotion through self-discipline in order to present the impression of strength and ability to take necessary action in the face of popular disfavor and accept responsibility for his actions.
Decisiveness. The need for each individual soldier and small unit leaders to make prompt decisions when confronted with situations not covered by special orders.
Initiative. The need for each person to recognize tasks that need to be done and do them without having to be told.
Judgement. The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions in various situations that may develop.
Knowledge. The need for each person to know his job and build confidence in himself as well as in others.
Tact. The ability to deal with others without creating offense to the feelings of others.
Practice Exercise
