The Point Raid Playbook
When conducting a point raid, everything begins well before we hit the objective. From the staging area all the way through exfil, discipline and sequencing are what make or break the raid.
We start in the Staging Area. This is where all final prep happens: weapons check, ammo topped off, radios confirmed, gear redistributed. Leaders issue last FRAGOs, confirm accountability, and lay out the movement order. The raid is set here — not on the objective.
From staging, we move to our VDO or LZ. Whether it’s a ground drop-off or an air infil, the first action is always the same: establish near-side security and get off the X quickly. Once secure, we move into file or staggered file and start pushing toward the ORP.
The Objective Rally Point (ORP) sits a few hundred meters short of the target, in the best covered and concealed position we can find. Here, the security element sets a perimeter, redistribution happens, and the leader’s recon moves forward to confirm the route, the target, and possible SBF and assault points. This is our last major pause before execution.
From the ORP, we push forward to the Release Point (RP). The RP is our final control measure before the assault. At this position, the squad breaks into Assault, SBF, and Security elements. Radios get a final check, TRPs are confirmed, and from here on out, silence is maintained — only hand and arm signals.
The Assault Element is tasked with hitting the objective directly. They move from the RP to their assigned Assault Points — these are designated breach or entry positions that leaders have already identified. Their mission is simple: breach, clear, and dominate the objective. They follow the 3Cs: Clear enemy resistance, Control personnel and material, and Confirm destruction or seizure of the target. Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) is conducted quickly, with priority on mission-critical intel and equipment.
The Support-by-Fire (SBF) Element sets up on terrain that gives them good observation and fields of fire into the objective. They suppress using TRPs to control fires — windows, doors, or alleyways. They maintain sustained rate suppression until the assault element is committed, then shift to rapid rate immediately prior to breach, and finally lift fires on command. If things go wrong, the SBF is also the anchor point that allows the assault to disengage.
The Security Element isolates the target. Their job is to cover enemy avenues of approach — roads, trails, alleys — and block reinforcements or escapees. They maintain 360° throughout, engage QRF, and keep the raid force from being encircled.
Once the raid is complete, the focus shifts to Exfiltration. The signal to withdraw is always pre-briefed — a code word, a radio call, or a pyro signal. Assault pulls back first under SBF cover. The SBF lifts last, bounding back under smoke. Everyone consolidates at the ORP, accountability is taken with an ACE report, casualties are moved to the CCP, and then we move back to the VDO or LZ. Final reporting is sent up using SALUTE, along with any SSE findings.
Key Points to Emphasize
- Staging sets the raid; the objective only executes it.
- RP = last control measure. Silent, final checks, element split.
- Assault Points = where the fight starts. Clear, Control, Confirm.
- SBF Points = the backbone of the raid. Suppress, shift, and cover withdrawal.
- Security = isolation. No enemy in, no enemy out.
- Exfil is rehearsed. Order of withdrawal is pre-briefed and disciplined.
⚔️ Endstate: The raid force infiltrates clean, isolates and dominates the objective with coordinated Assault and SBF, secures or destroys the target, and exfiltrates intact before the enemy can react.