FM 31-28, dated 1 December 1999, is a legacy Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) manual formerly marked FOUO that established foundational tactics for urban operations. The document detailed techniques in close quarters battle, breaching, and advanced marksmanship. For an overview of the SFAUC course, visit Special Forces Training. SF Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) - Special Forces Training
FM 31-28 FOUNO Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat 1 December 1999
Overview
This field manual, FM 31-28 FOUNO, published on December 1, 1999, focuses on Special Forces advanced urban combat. The manual provides tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for Special Forces operating in urban environments. The document emphasizes the complexity of urban terrain and the need for specialized training and techniques to navigate and combat within cities.
Content Structure
The manual is structured to address the unique challenges of urban combat, including:
Urban Terrain and Environment: Description of the urban terrain and its effects on operations, including visibility, cover, and obstacles.
Reconnaissance and Surveillance: Techniques for conducting reconnaissance and surveillance in urban areas, emphasizing the use of civilian clothes and blending in with the local population.
Engagement and Combat Techniques: Detailed techniques for engaging enemy forces in urban environments, including room clearing, building searches, and sniping.
Movement and Navigation: Methods for navigating through urban areas undetected, including moving through buildings, using maps, and maintaining direction.
Communication and Signals Intelligence: Strategies for maintaining effective communication while minimizing the risk of detection.
Casualty Evacuation and Medical Treatment: Procedures for evacuating and treating casualties in the urban environment, minimizing exposure to civilian populations.
Civilian Considerations: The importance of minimizing civilian casualties and collateral damage, including interaction with local authorities and populations.
Tactical Considerations
Combined Arms and Joint Operations: The manual highlights the importance of integrating with other military branches and international forces in urban combat scenarios.
Sniper and Observer Teams: Detailed use of snipers and observers for overwatch, reconnaissance, and targeting enemy forces.
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Mines: Countermeasures against IEDs and mines commonly encountered in urban warfare.
Urban Patrolling: Conducting foot patrols through urban areas safely and effectively.
Training and Implementation
The manual emphasizes that personnel should receive advanced training in urban combat techniques. Simulation and practical exercises are recommended to prepare units for the physical and psychological stresses of urban combat.
Conclusion
FM 31-28 FOUNO provides comprehensive guidance on advanced urban combat techniques for Special Forces. The manual acknowledges the urban environment's complexity and the operational challenges it presents. The document underscores the need for specialized training, adaptability, and decisive action in urban combat scenarios.
Limitations and Dated Information
As a document published over two decades ago, some tactics, techniques, and procedures may have been superseded by newer doctrine or advances in technology. However, the foundational principles of urban warfare remain relevant, and this manual can still serve as a valuable resource for understanding the principles of advanced urban combat.
Recommendation
This manual is recommended reading for military professionals, particularly those involved in special operations, urban warfare training, and tactical planning. Civilian security professionals and scholars interested in military science and tactics may also find it a useful resource.
FM 31-28 is the primary United States Army training manual for the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) program. Dated 1 December 1999, this publication established the common doctrine and training strategy for Green Berets operating in dense urban environments. Purpose and Development FM 31-28, dated 1 December 1999, is a
The manual was developed under the direction of the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) to standardize urban combat training across all seven Special Forces Groups. Its creation was driven by a need to refine the "Warrior Spirit" and prepare Special Forces Operational Detachments "A" (ODAs) for the complexities of modern city-based warfare. Core Training Components
FM 31-28 outlines a multi-week program of instruction that typically includes:
Advanced Marksmanship: Intense training with rifles, pistols, and shotguns on flat ranges to ensure precision under pressure.
Close Quarters Battle (CQB): Techniques for entering and clearing single- and multi-room buildings while minimizing collateral damage.
Breaching: Instructional methods for both mechanical (using crowbars or "quickie saws") and explosive entry through doors, windows, and security fences.
Infiltration and Mobility: Tactics for reaching targets via helicopter insertion, fast-roping, vehicle movement, or parachute.
Tactical Exercises: Culminating Field Training Exercises (FTX) that simulate complex scenarios involving mission planning and rehearsals. Access and Distribution
As indicated by the FOUO (For Official Use Only) designation, FM 31-28 is a restricted publication.
Current Status: Distribution is generally authorized only to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors.
Availability: It is typically hosted on secure platforms like Army Knowledge Online (AKO) or the General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library.
Physical Requests: Official requests for the document are often referred to the Commander of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), NC. SF Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) - Special Forces Training
FM 31-28 Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) is a restricted U.S. Army field manual issued on 1 December 1999. It provides a standardized doctrinal framework for Special Forces (SF) detachments to conduct high-stakes operations in dense urban environments. Key Features of FM 31-28
Advanced Marksmanship: Focuses on precision shooting in confined spaces, including rapid target acquisition and specialized "surgical" shooting techniques required for urban environments. Urban Terrain and Environment : Description of the
Close Quarters Battle (CQB): Details micromanagement tactics for small squads, covering room clearing, hallway movement, and mechanical or explosive breaching of structures.
Urban Terrain Analysis: Breaks the urban battlespace into four critical levels: building, street, subterranean, and air, emphasizing the need to fight on all levels simultaneously.
Specialized Mission Sets: Provides guidance for core SF missions adapted for cities, such as Direct Action (DA), Counterterrorism, and Special Reconnaissance.
Operational Security: Designated as FOUO (For Official Use Only), it contains sensitive techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) intended strictly for military personnel and commanders.
The manual was specifically designed to prepare Green Berets for the complexities of modern urban warfare, where mobility, elusiveness, and surgical precision are critical for mission success. 19th Special Forces Group Advanced Urban Combat Training
FM 31-28, dated 1 December 1999, establishes the foundational doctrine for the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) program, training 12-man ODAs in high-intensity urban operations . The curriculum, often designated for official use, covers advanced Close Quarters Battle (CQB), breaching, specialized marksmanship, and insertion techniques . For an example of current training, view this DVIDS video. News - SFAUC Course - DVIDS
The Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat course is a three-week long training event that teaches a higher level of urban tactics. Video - Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course
The term "Advanced" in the title is key. This was not a primer on basic room clearing (which is taught in basic training); it was designed for 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) teams operating independently or with partner forces.
Key concepts covered in the manual included:
In the annals of modern military doctrine, few documents have carried the mystique of FM 31-28 (FOUO), titled Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat, effective 1 December 1999. Unlike its predecessor, the conventional FM 90-10 (Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain), this manual was not for line infantry or mechanized battalions. It was written specifically for the green berets of the U.S. Army Special Forces (SF), the “quiet professionals” who operate in small teams behind enemy lines.
The identifier "25" likely refers to a specific paragraph, annex, or figure number within the document — perhaps detailing a 25-point urban breaching checklist, a 25-meter engagement drill, or Annex 25 covering underground tunnel networks. While the physical “FOUO” (For Official Use Only) stamped copies from 1999 have largely been recalled or destroyed, their doctrinal DNA survives in today’s urban warfare training at the SWCS (Special Warfare Center and School).
This article reconstructs the historical backdrop, core tactical innovations, and lasting legacy of FM 31-28, a manual that turned the claustrophobic chaos of city fighting into a systematic art form for 12-man detachments.
Conventional breaching focuses on doors and windows. FM 31-28 emphasized "lateral circulation" – moving through party walls, false ceilings, and utility chases. One FOUO annex detailed a 5-pound C4 charge that could blow a discreet “mousehole” through a 12-inch reinforced concrete wall with minimal external flash (the “big voice” technique). built-up areas) emphasizing adaptability
By 1999, the U.S. Army recognized that future wars would not be fought solely in the German Fulda Gap or the deserts of Iraq. Instead, conflicts were moving into sprawling megacities: Mogadishu (1993), Grozny (1994-95), and the ongoing Balkan peacekeeping operations. For Special Forces, whose primary mission was Unconventional Warfare (UW) – training guerrillas in denied territory – the urban environment was a nightmare. How do you run a resistance cell in a city of 2 million, under pervasive surveillance, with vertical terrain and civilians everywhere?