Infantry Combat: The Rifle Platoon: An Interactive Exercise in Small-Unit Tactics and Leadership

by John Antal

In this interactive work, you are U.S. Army second lieutenant Steve Davis. Your light infantry battalion has been airlifted into the Middle East on short notice, and now your platoon must defend Wadi Al Sirree against the superior might of an advancing enemy mechanized force. The stakes are high; the odds are long. Your knowledge and judgment will determine your success. If you are wrong, defeat and death may be your lot. Success will let you savor the sweet taste of victory and live to fight another day.
The scenario is highly realistic and is supported by maps and appendices with detailed specifications of the equipment and forces involved. The choices you must make are those that would face a rifle platoon leader in combat. You must win the respect of your troops, ensure the security of your positions, obtain intelligence of the enemy, and accomplish everything else required to survive and win in a hostile environment.
Whether you're a serving infantryman or an armchair enthusiast, this is the best crash course in light infantry tactics you will find, short of a rotation through the National Training Center. And you won't have to spend weeks in the field doing it!

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Colonel John Antal, US Army (Retired)served 30 years in the US Army as a leader, senior staff officer and commander. He commanded tank and combined arms combat units at platoon, company, battalion and regimental level. He is Airborne and Ranger qualified. He has served in sensitive joint, combined Army staff assignments in the US and overseas. He also served as the Special Assistant to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. Since his retirement from the US Army in 2003, he has become a successful author, speaker, magazine editor, film adviser and personality, mass-market video game developer, explainer-integrator, journalist, and leadership expert.

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lets you decide what to do in a given situation. And thank God I am not a platoon leader - we would have been all killed or captured after the first scenario.

[Who · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Vein of others in the genre, but less doctrinally focussed. Lessons from the two books seem to occasionally contradict each other (armour attacks: always hold your ground. Infantry combat: retreat! ), and it was easy to get cluelessly lost in this book as the choices are rarely clear cut. Infantry combat is by far the "harder" book

[David Fandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choose your own adventure as a 2nd Lt

Optimum path is
1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 42 - 38 - 19 - 85 - 30 - 54 - 59 - 94 - 64 - 68 - 71 - 74 - 76 - 75 - 77 - 82 - 98

2 starting locations - 3 and 76, but the second one is much weaker than the first.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first saw this book years ago it was after I had left military service. I spent eight years in the US Army infantry: 1 1/2 years mechanized, 6 months long-range surveillance, 2 years air assault with the 101st including Desert Shield/Storm, 3 1/2 with the 82nd and 4 years with USAFR forward airfield defense security forces squadron. In the Army my specialty was heavy anti-armor missile (i.e. the TOW). I had served in every crew position, squad leader, section leader, NBC NCO and air assault instructor. So I know a thing or two about infantry operations.

I looked forward to reading this book to see how I would do in what decisions I would make as envisioned by an officer. I liked how the book was laid out with the reader being able to make certain decisions and other points being left up to chance with the roll of the dice. I was a little hesitant in how the premise of the book was laid out. I light infantry platoon put in a location with little support facing an enemy heavy task force. The deck appeared stacked.

In the first run I died. In the second run I died. In the third run I was captured and so and so on. It got to the point where I started skipping ahead to various points and pretty much everyone of them ended with the reader dying, being captured or severely wounded needed evacuation and the platoon being wiped out. A couple of the outcomes were so unrealistic as to be a complete farce. Basically the reader will come away from this book believing that being in the infantry is akin to committing suicide.

I understand that Antal was an armor officer and that there has always been professional rivalry between armor and infantry but this was ridiculous in how it was played out. Communications failed early on and were never restored, a company in defense was somehow overwhelmed by a small enemy air assault even after being warned.

Anyone who thinks this book is a realistic portrayal of the US Army Infantry is delusional. Anyone who thinks this book would be a great training tool for future officers should have his head examined. I fully understand that this is a work of fiction but Antal presented this book as being a "realistic" examination of decision-making when the only thing realistic about it was that's hot in the desert.

I had already ordered "Armor Platoon" when I started reading this. We'll see if I get beat up as bad there or if as I suspect the tankers will win the day.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like the 'choose your own adventure' books you used to read as a kid. Antal does a good job at creating a very realistic situation that one might face as a Platoon Leader. You decisions and failures are explained in a very clear way that correspond with combat doctrine.