Cognitive Task Analysis Report - Employ Hand Grenades

Task: (Also referred to as a Goal or Learning Objective.)Employ Hand GrenadesExperts: John SmithTask Analyst: B. ScottDate: April 1, 2006References: (All publications and manuals that support this task.)

Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks Skill Level 1, Oct. 2005, 071-325-4407, pg. 3-310 – 3-312FM 3.23-30 Prerequisite Skills / Knowledge: (What are the Grade, MOS and Skill Level of the trainee or what SL training has been completed?)

Specialist E-4 / 88M10Conditions: (Reflect field conditions and identifies anything that has a significant influence upon performance of the task.)

You are engaged in operations that require you to do one of the following: destroy enemy personnel or equipment, signal friendly soldiers, screen friendly movement or operations, or create a diversion. Standards (Are there any time limits, efficiency, or quality standards?)

Do not reveal your position or expose yourself to enemy fire. Detonate the grenade within effective bursting radius of the target. Killed, captured, or forced the withdrawal of all enemy engaged and complied with the rules of engagement (ROE). Procedures (List procedures for accomplishing the task in order of performance; or, if not applicable, list procedures from least to most complex. ELOs/Lessons are produced from this list.)

Procedure 1. Identify the target to engageProcedure 2. Determine the type of grenade to useProcedure 3. Select a throwing positionProcedure 4. Grip the hand grenadeProcedure 5. Prepare the grenade for throwing Procedure 6. Determine if the grenade should be cooked-off Procedure 7. Throw the grenade

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Outcomes (Describe some routine problems students should be able to solve if they have learned the main steps for this task.)

1. Soldiers will be able to select the type of grenade required to accomplish their goal. (Offensive, signaling, screening, diversion)

2. Soldiers will be able to screen movement using smoke grenades.3. Soldiers should be able to engage an enemy bunker using hand grenades.4. Soldiers should effectively engage enemy troops using hand grenades.5. Soldiers will be able to clear buildings and rooms in urban terrain.

Concepts (Identify new terms, objects, and locations.)

M67 Fragmentation Grenade. This grenade is used to disable or kill personnel. It explodes four to five seconds after the safety lever is released. The effective casualty-producing radius is 15 meters.

MK3A2 Offensive Grenade. This grenade is commonly referred to as the concussion grenade and is designed to produce casualties during combat while minimizing danger to friendly personnel. The grenade is also used for concussion effects in enclosed areas, for blasting, or for demolition tasks. The shock waves (overpressure) produced by this grenade when used in enclosed areas are greater than those produced by the fragmentation grenade. It is, therefore, very effective against enemy soldiers located in bunkers, buildings, and fortified areas. The effective casualty radius in open areas is 2 meters. Secondary missiles and bits of fuse may be projected as far as 200 meters from the detonation point.

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M18 Colored Smoke Grenade. The grenade produces a cloud of colored smoke for 50 to 90seconds. The smoke colors are red, green, yellow, and violet. This grenade can be used forsignaling and screening.

AN-M8 HC White Smoke Grenade. The grenade emits a dense cloud of white smoke for 105to 150 seconds. This grenade can be used for signaling and screening.

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M15 White Phosphorous Grenade. The M15 grenade is a bursting type grenade with abursting radius of 17 meters. The WP filler burns for about 60 seconds at a temperature of5,000 degree Fahrenheit. This intense heat causes the smoke produced by the grenade to risequite rapidly, especially in cool climates, which makes the M15 grenade less desirable as ascreening agent.

M84 Diversionary/Flash-Bang Stun Hand Grenade. These grenades are used forbuilding and room clearing operations where the presence of non-combatants is likely orexpected and the unit is operating under restrictive rules of engagement.

Safety Clip: This is a small clip that attaches the safety pin to the safety lever. This clip prevents the safety pin from coming lose.

Safety Cotter Pin: The Safety Cotter Pin holds the safety lever to the grenade body and prevents the safety lever from inadvertently separating from the grenade.

Safety Lever: This is a spring-loaded lever that maintains pressure on the striker. Releasing the safety lever arms the grenade.

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Cooking-Off: The action taken to achieve above-ground detonation or near-impact detonation. This is done by removing the grenade’s safety pin, releasing the safety lever, counting ONE THOUSAND ONE, ONE THOUSAND TWO, and throwing the grenade. Cooking-off uses enough of the grenade’s 4- to 5-second delay (about 2 seconds) to cause the grenade to detonate above ground or shortly after impact with the target.

Process Knowledge (Describe the new process if knowledge is required about how something works.)

Mechanical Functioning of a Hand Grenade: All U.S. hand grenades function in a similar manner. The sequence for the mechanical functioning of the M67 fragmentation hand grenade is as follows. a. Remove Safety Clip and Safety Pin: First remove the safety clip, then the safety pin, from the fuse by pulling the pull ring. Be sure to maintain pressure on the safety lever--it springs free once the safety clip and the safety pin assembly is removed.b. Release Pressure on Lever: Once the grenade is thrown, the pressure on the safety lever is released, and the striker is forced to rotate on its axis by the striker spring, throwing the safety lever off. The striker then detonates the primer, and the primer explodes and ignites the delay element. The delay element burns for the prescribed amount of time then activates either the detonator or the igniter. The detonator or igniter acts to either explode or burn the filler substance

Equipment (What supplies and materials are on hand?)

Hand Grenade Sensory Mode Information (Are there any sensory experiences, for example, sight, smells, tastes, textures, etc., trainees must experience in order to learn?)

Sight

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Reasons (What is the risk for not performing well? What are the benefits to the trainees if they do a good job?)

Risks: Improper employment of grenades can injure you, your teammates and lead to mission failure.

Benefits: The rifle, the bayonet, and the hand grenade are the soldier’s basic lethal weapons. The proper use of hand grenades could determine the fate of the soldier or the success of the mission.

Examples:

Hand grenades can be used during urban warfare to help clear a building occupied by the enemy. Grenades can be thrown through doors and windows.

It is often difficult to engage a bunker using only small arms fire. A properly thrown hand grenade can roll into the bunker and destroy the enemy.Safety Factors:

Never make unauthorized modifications to hand grenades.

A safety clip can be removed and reattached to a grenade if the safety cotter pin is still in place.

A safety cotter pin cannot be removed and re-inserted. Never attempt to reinsert a safety pin. Once the Safety Pin has been pulled, the grenade must be thrown.

The composition of the target must be considered when employing grenades. The inside walls of a building are usually not heavily constructed and can be easily penetrated by the fragments of an M67 fragmentation grenade. All types of grenades can start fires if the target is composed of flammable items. Although the killing radius is 5 meters and the casualty radius on this grenade is 15 meters, fragments can disperse as far away as 230 meters. All friendly personnel within the 17-meter burst area of the M15 should be in a covered position to avoid being struck by burning particles. Careful consideration must be given prior to the use of the white phosphorous grenade inside an enclosed space as it spreads, ignites, and burns in the air and could cause extreme burns to the body. These grenades should be used with extreme caution, as no immediate follow up is possible. White Phosphorous burns up all the available oxygen.

Grenades should be cooked off only in combat situations, where a thrown grenade might be picked up by opposing forces and thrown back at friendly personnel. Not all grenades can or should be cooked off.

Environmental Considerations:

None

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Procedure and Steps (Include Decision Points )

Procedure 1. Identify the target to engage.

Procedure 2. Determine the type of grenade to use.

a. IF you need to disable or kill personnel THEN select the M67 Fragmentation Grenade and continue to Procedure 3.

b. IF you need to produce casualties during combat while minimizing danger to friendly personnel or produce concussion effects in enclosed areas, for blasting, or for demolition tasks THEN select the MK3A2 Offensive Grenade and continue to Procedure 3.

c. IF you need to clear a building or room where the presence of non-combatants is likely or expected and the unit is operating under restrictive rules of engagement, THEN select the M84 Diversionary/Flash-Bang Stun Hand Grenades and continue to Procedure 3.

d. IF you need to signal or screen THEN select the M18 Colored Smoke Grenade or the AN-M8 HC White Smoke Grenade and continue to Procedure 3. Note: The color of smoke selected should be IAW with local policies and procedures.

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Procedure 3. Select a throwing position.

a. IF occupying a fighting position or during operations in fortified positions or urban terrain, THEN use a standing position.

b. Assume a natural stance with the weight balanced equally on both feet. Hold the grenade shoulder high and hold the non-throwing hand at a 45-degree angle with the fingers and thumb extended, joined, and pointing toward the intended target. Continue to Procedure 4.

c. IF only a low wall, a shallow ditch, or similar cover is available, THEN use a kneeling position.

d. Hold the grenade shoulder high and bend the non-throwing knee at a 90-degree angle, placing that knee on the ground. Keep the throwing leg straight and locked with the side of the boot firmly on the ground. Move the body to face sideways toward the target position. Keep the non-throwing hand at a 45-degree angle with the fingers and thumb extended, joined, and pointing toward the enemy position. Continue to Procedure 4.

e. IF pinned down by hostile fire, THEN use the alternate prone position.

f. Lie down on the back with the body parallel to the grenade’s intended line of flight. Continue to Procedure 4.

g. IF in urban terrain, THEN attain the best body target alignment possible using any of the throwing positions or a modified throwing position. Continue to Procedure 4.

Procedure 4. Grip the hand grenade

a. IF in open-terrain, THEN you may place your weapon on the ground and continue to step 4.c.b. IF in urban terrain, switch your weapon to your non-throwing hand and continue to step 4.c.

c. IF right handed, THEN hold the grenade with the fuse and pull pin on top. Continue to Procedure 5.

d. IF left handed, THEN hold the grenade with the fuse and pull pin on the bottom. Continue to Procedure 5.

Procedure 5. Prepare the grenade for throwing.

a. Straighten the safety cotter pin.b. IF the grenade has a safety clip THEN remove it and continue to step 3.c.c. Pull the pin.

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Procedure 6. Determine if the grenade should be cooked-off

a. IF you need the grenade to burst above ground (in the air), are engaging enemy bunkers at close range, or are in a situation where the thrown grenade might be picked up by opposing forces and thrown back at friendly personnel THEN proceed to step 6.c.

b. IF you do not need to cook off the grenade, THEN continue to Procedure 7.

c. Release the safety lever.

d. Count by thousands for the appropriate delay (one thousand and one, one thousand and two).

Procedure 7. Throw the grenade

a. Look at the target.b. Throw the grenade using the overhand method so that the grenade arcs, landing on or near the target.c. IF using a fragmentation grenade in urban terrain, THEN announce “FRAG OUT” and continue to step 7.d.d. Take cover.

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