Section V
Clearing Techniques
This section will discuss basic clearing techniques; however, the fundamentals may have to be
modified depending on the various situations and building/room layouts that Marines may
encounter. Caution should be taken when using a stacked type of position as personnel may be
concentrating in a danger area where they could be exposed to fires penetrating walls or explosive
effects from boobytraps or grenades thrown by the enemy. Marines should always remain aware
of the protective, or lack of protective, capabilities of the materials comprising the walls, floors,
ceilings, and doors within the areas they are clearing.
19. Clearing a Room, Door Closed or Open, From Stacked Positions. The following
discussion and series of figures will focus on the two-man clearing team in the conduct of clearing
a room. The covering team is positioned by the assault element leader to provide security as the
clearing team begins its procedures to enter and clear a room.
a. Shooter Number Two is behind Shooter Number One (stacked position). This positioning
is the same if the door is already open or nonexistent (Figure A-29).
Figure A-29. Clearing a Room, Door Closed
b. Shooter Number One determines the direction in which the door opens then quickly
informs Shooter Number Two and forces the door open.
When a door is the only means of entering a room, Marines should beware of fire from enemy
soldiers within the room and of boobytraps. When opening a door, Marines should not expose
themselves to fires through the door. The two-man clearing team forces the door open by
directing a short burst of automatic fire through the door around the latch (Figure A-30) and
then kicking it open. Another method of opening the door is to use a shotgun with 12-gauge
slugs to shoot the hinges and/or the latch. When the doorknob is locked and/or deadbolt locks
are present, shooting the hinges of the door is recommended. The door may then be opened
by kicking or using a battering ram.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 27
Figure A-30. Shooting the Door Open
Marines can also use an ax or demolitions if they are available. As a last resort, Marines can
kick the door open with a front kick (Figure A-31) or mule kick. This is the least preferred
technique because it is difficult and tiring to the Marine. It also rarely works the first time,
thereby giving any enemy units within the room ample warning (and giving the enemy time to
shoot through the door). In situations where restrictions on firing and limiting structural
damage have been imposed and/or boobytraps are not expected, using the door handle to
open the door may be appropriate (apply METT-T).
Figure A-31. Opening a Door With a Front Kick
A - 28 MCWP 3-35.3
c. Once the door is open, Shooter Number Two immediately throws a hand grenade into the
room. Shooter Number One maintains cover for Shooter Number Two as he prepares to
throw the grenade into the room. Shooter Number Two then returns to the original stacked
position behind Shooter Number One (Figure A-32). If Marines have no grenades, the
procedures remain the same except for throwing the grenade. Note: When the door is already
open or nonexistent, the stacked position is always used.
WARNING
Because fragments from M67 fragmentation grenades may injure Marines outside the
room, they should not be used. Marines should use MK3A2 offensive hand grenades
instead. Also, the technique of cooking-off hand grenades can be deadly unless properly
performed.
Figure A-32. Throwing a Grenade Into a Room
(1) Throwing Grenades. Two techniques are available for using grenades in room
clearing. The preferred technique for Marines is to throw a concussion hand grenade into
the room so hard that it skips and bounces, making it difficult for the enemy to pick up
and throw back. The skip/bounce technique should be used by Marines during training and
combat. The least preferred technique is to cook-off a concussion hand grenade by
removing the grenade’s safety pin, releasing the safety lever, counting off two seconds by
thousands (one thousand and one, one thousand and two), and then throwing the grenade
into the room. Cooking-off the grenade will be used only as appropriate during combat.
(2) Nonverbal and Verbal Alerts. To alert all that a grenade will be thrown, a visual
showing of the grenade is made to assault element members, and a visual acknowledgment
from them is received. A nonverbal alert may ensure that the enemy is surprised when the
grenade is thrown. If the situation demands, a voice alert can be used, but the element of
surprise may be lost. When or if a voice alert is used, the voice alert is “FRAG OUT;”
when an enemy grenade has been identified, friendly forces shout, “GRENADE.” This
allows Marines to distinguish between warnings for outgoing and incoming grenades.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 29
d. After the grenade explodes, Shooter Number One steps across the threshold and clears his
immediate area (Figure A-33). He engages targets from the ready carry position. Shooter
Number Two follows immediately behind Shooter Number One, buttonhooks, and clears his
area.
Figure A-33. Shooters Enter the Room
e. Both shooters clear the immediate area and along their respective walls, starting from the
nearest respective corner and continuing to the farthest respective corner (Figure A-34).
Shooters use the pieing technique to systematically clear the room by sector. (See Paragraph
3.a. of this appendix.)
Figure A-34. Clearing a Room
f. Both shooters then establish a dominant position in the room one step away from the wall
and two steps into the room and clear the room by sector, pieing to the opposite side of the
room (Figure A-35). Meanwhile, the covering team (two-man team) in position outside the
room being cleared provides security.
A - 30 MCWP 3-35.3
Figure A-35. Clearing a Room (Continued)
g. Another option for entering a room (situation dependent): If Shooter Number One of the
clearing team enters a room without Shooter Number Two immediately following him (this
could be due to room size, entering the room through a narrow opening, or a number of
factors caused by the situation), then Shooter Number One will position himself inside the
room to the left or right of the door and quickly scan the entire room. He then gives the
command to Shooter Number Two, “NEXT MAN IN, LEFT (RIGHT).” Shooter Number
Two shouts, “COMING IN, LEFT (RIGHT),” enters the room, positions himself up against
the wall to the left (right) of the entrance as designated, and scans the room. Once in position,
the clearing team leader can call in additional members with the “NEXT MAN IN” command,
as the situation dictates. It is critical that all assault element members tell each other where
they are to avoid fratricide.
h. When the clearing team has cleared the room and is ready to exit the room, it uses the
following voice alerts. Once a room has been cleared, the clearing team yells, “CLEAR,” to
inform the covering team. Before leaving the room and rejoining the covering team, the
clearing team yells, “COMING OUT” and waits to hear the covering team yell, “ALL
CLEAR.” The clearing team then executes its movement out of the room. The assault
element then marks the room according to unit SOP.
When moving up or down a staircase, the appropriate team yells, “COMING UP” or
“COMING DOWN.” As before, it waits for the response “ALL CLEAR” before executing
movement and rejoining its element. When exiting a building, the clearing team or assault
element yells, “COMING OUT” and waits for the support force or covering team to respond
with “ALL CLEAR.”
20. Clearing a Room, Door Closed, Split Positions
a. Before opening a door, Shooter Number Two of the clearing team positions himself
opposite Shooter Number One on the other side of the door and away from the wall in a safe
position that allows Shooter Number One to shoot the door-opening mechanism (Figure
A-36). This positioning allows Shooter Number Two to be in position to immediately move to
a wall position opposite Shooter Number One. No matter what method is used to open the
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 31
door, Shooter Number Two should get in a position on the side of the door opposite Shooter
Number One. If the door is already open, the stacked positions in Paragraph 19.a. of this
section are used.
Figure A-36. Positioning To Open a Door
b. After Shooter Number One shoots the door open, Shooter Number Two immediately
moves to a kneeling position against the wall (Figure A-37). Shooter Number One kicks the
door open from a standing position. If the Marines have grenades, then Shooter Number Two
immediately throws a grenade into the room as discussed in Paragraph 19.c. of this section. If
the Marines do not have any grenades, the stand/kneel positioning of shooters places the
shooters’ weapons at different levels, thus allowing each shooter to engage targets inside the
room while staying out of the other shooter’s line of fire. The shooters scan the room for
targets.
Figure A-37. Positioning To Enter a Room
c. If no grenade was thrown: Once the initial scan of the room is complete, Shooter Number
One yells, “MOVE,” and both shooters pivot from their respective positions toward each
A - 32 MCWP 3-35.3
other, pieing (see Paragraph 3.a. of this appendix) while maintaining eye-muzzle-target
contact. Shooter Number Two is kneeling, and Shooter Number One is still standing (Figure
A-38). Both shooters clear their respective sector of fire.
If a grenade was thrown: After the explosion, Shooter Number One yells, “MOVE,” and both
shooters pivot from their respective positions toward each other, immediately enter the room,
and buttonhook (Figures A-38, A-39A, and A-39B). Shooter Number Two goes from
kneeling to standing as he pivots. Both shooters clear their respective sector of fire.
Figure A-38. Shooters Clear Sectors of Fire From Doorway
d. If no grenade was thrown: After scanning is completed, Shooter Number Two stands up
and yells, “READY,” and Shooter Number One Yells, “MOVE.” Both shooters enter the
room together (Figure A-39A).
Figure A-39A. Shooters Enter the Room Together
e. Both shooters pass through the doorway together and immediately face respective
corners, using the adjacent wall for cover. Both shooters buttonhook their respective areas
(Figure A-39B). At this point, clearing the room is the same as discussed in Paragraphs 19.e. -
19.h.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 33
Figure A-39B. Shooters Clear Immediate Area
f. Cross Method. When employing the cross method, two Marines position themselves on
either side of the entryway. Each Marine faces into the room covering the corner of the room
opposite his position. On a prearranged signal, each Marine alternately enters the room. Each
Marine crosses quickly to the opposite corner while covering the half of the room toward
which he is moving. Once in the near corner, he assumes an outboard kneeling position to
reduce his silhouette and continues to maintain coverage of his half of the room. He may
change the position of his weapon to best cover the room. (Figure A-40)
Figure A-40. Cross Method of Entering and Clearing Rooms
21. Covering Team Members Used To Support Clearing of a Room
a. Three Marines Clearing a Room. Clearing a room with three men involves the same
procedures used by the aforementioned two-man clearing team, with a third Marine (from the
covering team) following immediately (stacked) behind Shooters Number One and Two.
Shooter Number Three moves to one side of the door and establishes a center sector of fire
coverage (Figure A-41). The remaining covering team Marine provides outside security. If the
split position is used, Shooters Number Two and Three are placed on the opposite side of the
door.
A - 34 MCWP 3-35.3
Figure A-41. Three-Marine Clearing Team (Stacked)
b. Four Marines Clearing a Room. When four Marines (entire assault element) are used to
clear a room, outside security should be established by another assault element. (If outside
security cannot be established, then the two- or three-Marine clearing team should be used.)
The two-Marine clearing team procedures are used for initial entry into the room. Shooters
Number Three and Four (split position example) stack up opposite Shooters Number One and
Two. Shooters Number Three and Four follow Shooter Number Two into the room. Shooter
Number Three crosses the threshold and establishes a center sector of fire coverage. Shooter
Number Four follows Shooter Number Three and establishes a center sector of fire coverage
opposite Shooter Number Three (Figure A-42). If the stacked position is used to enter a
room, all shooters stack up on the same side of the door and follow each other in with the
same positioning.
Figure A-42. Four-Marine Clearing Team (Split)
c. Single Marine Clearing a Room. This is the least preferred method of clearing a room.
However, there may be times when this is the only method available, for example, when
gaining access to an upper story window. When this is the case, the Marine gains entry to the
room by shooting, kicking, ramming, or breaking a window. He then throws a grenade into
the room if one is available and no restrictions apply and takes cover. Immediately after the
grenade explodes, he crosses the threshold using the buttonhook technique depicted in earlier
figures, scans the room for targets, and engages targets with two shots as they appear.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 35
22. Clearing a Room, Entering Through Mousehole. Mouseholes measure about 2 feet wide
and are blown or cut through a wall so that Marines can enter a room (Figure A-43). Mouseholes
are safer entrances than doors, which can be easily boobytrapped and should be avoided.
Procedures discussed in Paragraph 19 are used. The assault element leader positions the covering
team to provide security.
a. In this situation, Shooter Number One would enter the room through a mousehole after
throwing a grenade and waiting for the detonation.
b. Shooter Number One will position himself inside the room to the left or right of the
mousehole and quickly scan the entire room. He then gives the command to Shooter Number
Two, “NEXT MAN IN, LEFT (RIGHT).” Shooter Number Two shouts, “COMING IN,
LEFT (RIGHT),” enters the room, positions himself against the wall to the left (right) of the
entrance, and scans the room.
c. The clearing team continues clearing the room as discussed in Paragraph 19.
Figure A-43. Entering Through a Mousehole
23. Clearing an L-Shaped Hallway. After entering a room or building, the clearing team may
encounter an L-shaped hallway that should be cleared. The following procedures are used:
a. The clearing team finds an L-shaped hallway.
b. Each shooter takes a dominant position.
c. Shooter Number Two aims his weapon to cover the dead space (Figure A-44).
A - 36 MCWP 3-35.3
Figure A-44. Positioning To Clear an L-Shaped Hallway
d. Shooter Number Two, with his weapon covering the dead space, pies as far as possible
and moves forward to increase his angle of fire further into the dead space. Shooter Number
One moves accordingly with Shooter Number Two (Figure A-45).
e. Shooter Number Two stops pieing just before he reaches the position where he cannot
cover the dead space. Shooter Number One stops short of the hallway and goes to a kneeling
position.
Figure A-45. Clearing an L-Shaped Hallway
f. Shooter Number One says, “READY!”
g. Shooter Number Two then says, “MOVE!” and both shooters move simultaneously to
clear the hallway (Figure A-46). Shooter Number Two remains standing, and Shooter Number
One remains kneeling as he pivots around the corner of the wall into the hallway.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 37
Figure A-46. Clearing an L-Shaped Hallway (Continued)
24. Clearing a T-Shaped Hallway. After entering a room or building, the clearing team may find
a T-shaped hallway that should be cleared. The following procedures are used:
a. Both shooters approach the T-shaped intersection together, pieing their individual sectors
while maintaining eye-muzzle-target contact (Figure A-47).
b. Both shooters move to dominant positions without entering the intersection.
Figure A-47. Positioning To Clear a T-Shaped Hallway
c. Shooter Number One clears his sector of fire and then says, “READY!” (Figure A-48).
d. Shooter Number Two clears his sector of fire and then says, “MOVE!”
e. Both shooters buttonhook into their next positions.
A - 38 MCWP 3-35.3
Figure A-48. Clearing a T-Shaped Hallway
f. Both shooters clear their immediate areas along their respective walls, starting from the
nearest respective corner and continuing to the farthest respective corner (Figure A-49).
g. Both shooters establish dominant positions that give them control of the hallway and the
doorways leading into hallways. The covering team can then be called forward to provide
security while the clearing team clears one end of the hallway and associated rooms. The
clearing team then clears the other end of the hallway.
Figure A-49. Clearing a T-Shaped Hallway (Continued)
25. Clearing a Stairwell. After entering a building, the assault element may encounter stairwells.
The following procedures are used:
a. Shooter Number One leads upstairs, one step ahead of Shooter Number Two (Figure
A-50). Upon reaching the point just before he can be engaged from above, Shooter Number
One turns around and covers overhead. From this point, Shooter Number One ascends the
stairs, moving backward while covering behind and above.
Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain A - 39
b. Shooter Number Two follows Shooter Number One upstairs, one step behind and to the
side of Shooter Number One. When Shooter Number One turns to cover overhead, Shooter
Number Two remains oriented to the front, covering directly up the stairwell.
The clearing team’s speed of movement is determined by Shooter Number One. Marines pie
as much of an area as possible before ascending each step.
Figure A-50. Clearing a Stairwell
A - 40 MCWP 3-35.3
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