In a modern conflict, the military and the public are inundated with fantastical claims about science and technology changing the battlefield. From drones to artificial intelligence, to cyber warfare, each plays a role in contemporary warfare, however, the war in Ukraine also demonstrates that some things never change. At the end of the day, despite what high-tech gear you may have, infantrymen still need to go and take the hill and clear the trenches.
In Colorado Springs, 10th Special Forces Group is training to do exactly that.
While it is highly unlikely that U.S. Special Forces will be entering and clearing enemy trench lines in the near future, the conflict in Ukraine has made it clear that they will be training their Ukrainian counterparts to do exactly that. And in order to teach it, you need to know how to do it.
A recent video published by the Army shows 10th Special Forces Group soldiers conducting battle drill 7A: enter and clear a trench. Typically soldiers will assault up to the trench, lob hand grenades into it, and once they detonate roll into the trench and begin clearing it using close-quarter battle techniques.
The Army press release stated that the point behind this training was to prepare for, "Large Scale Combat Operations. They constantly seek to combine the fundamentals of maneuver warfare with emerging technical developments commonly found on the modern battlefield."