In response to my post below on Camp Pendleton 8 Update (I think the comment might have been intended for my post on Room Clearing), Mike at Cop the Truth says:

“Stacking” is merely the way a team lines up “as***** to appetite” in preparation for storming a building, room, bus, plane, etc. The “stack” helps the assault team stay together, thereby cutting down on “friendly-fire” incidents. It also assigns specific areas of responsibilty to each man, according to skill level, assigned weapon, leadership role, etc. It provides for the maximum efficiency and safety of every member of the team, and the team, itself, and is used both by the military and the police, especially SWAT teams.

My response: Exactly!

You never know how much detail to include, and besides, I really don’t know how completely what the Marines do matches up with what a SWAT team does, for example.  There might be additional elements of the military version in use in Iraq that is not in the SWAT version, or vice versa.

Either way, the point is still the same.  “Room-clearing” is a rapid, deadly and precise procedure with the intent to kill those in the room.  It is not an opportunity to enter a room, sit with the occupants, and discuss their political or religious views.

We should all remember that war is a rough, deadly business when we see collateral damage resulting from it.  When we send our boys to conduct war, they will conduct war.  They are doing what we – through our elected leaders — have told them to do.