Combat Manual - Anti-Sentry Techniques

Brachial Stun, Throat Cut

This technique relies on complete mental stunning to enable the soldier to cut the sentry's throat, severing the trachea and carotid arteries. Death results within 5 to 20 seconds. Some sounds are emitted from the exposed trachea, but the throat can be cut before the sentry can recover from the effect of the stunning strike and cry out. The soldier silently approaches to within striking range of the sentry (Figure 7-1, Step 1). The soldier strikes the side of the sentry's neck with the knife butt or a hammer fist strike, which completely stuns the sentry for three to seven seconds. He then uses his body weight to direct the sentry's body to sink in one direction and uses his other hand to twist the sentry's head to the side, deeply cutting the throat across the front in the opposite direction. He executes the entire length of the blade in a slicing motion. The sentry's sinking body provides most of the force—not the soldier's upper-arm strength.

Brachial stun, throat cut

Kidney Stab, Throat Cut

This technique relies on a stab to the kidney to induce immediate shock. The kidney is relatively accessible and by inducing shock with such a stab, the soldier has the time to cut the sentry's throat. The soldier completes his stalk and stabs the kidney by pulling the sentry's balance backward and downward and inserts the knife upward against his weight. The sentry will possibly gasp at this point, but shock immediately follows. By using the sentry's body weight that is falling downward and turning, the soldier executes a cut across the front of the throat. This completely severs the trachea and carotid arteries.

Kidney stab, throat cut

Pectoral Muscle Strike, Throat Cut

The stun in this technique is produced by a vigorous strike to the stellate ganglia nerve center at the top of the pectoral muscle (Figure 7-3, Step 1). The strike is delivered downward with the attacker's body weight. Use the handle of the knife for impact. Care should be taken to avoid any equipment worn by the sentry that could obstruct the strike. Do not try this technique if the sentry is wearing a ballistic vest or bulky LCE. The sentry is unable to make a sound or move if the stun is properly delivered. The throat is then cut with a vertical stab downward into the subclavian artery at the junction of the neck and clavicle. Death comes within 3 to 10 seconds, and the sentry is lowered to the ground.

Pectoral muscle strike, throat cut.

Nose Pinch, Mouth Grab, Throat Cut

In this technique, completely pinch off the sentry's mouth and nose to prevent any outcry. Then cut his throat or stab his subclavian artery. The danger with this technique is that the sentry can resist until he is killed, although he cannot make a sound.

Nose pinch, mouth grab, throat cut.

Crush Larynx, Subclavian Artery Stab

Crush the sentry's larynx by inserting the thumb and two or three fingers behind his larynx, then twisting and crushing it. The subclavian artery can be stabbed at the same time with the other hand.

Crush iarnyx, subclavian artery stab.

Belgian Takedown

In the Belgian take down technique, the unsuspecting sentry is knocked to the ground and kicked in the groin, inducing shock. The soldier can then kill the sentry by any proper means. Since surprise is the essential element of this technique, the soldier must use effective stalking techniques. To initiate his attack, he grabs both of the sentry's ankles (Figure 7-6, Step 2). Then he heaves his body weight into the hips of the sentry while pulling up on the ankles. This technique slams the sentry to the ground on his face. Then, the soldier follows with a kick to the groin.

Belgian takedown

Neck Break With Sentry Helmet

The soldier can break the sentry's neck by vigorously snatching back and down on the sentry's helmet while forcing the sentry's body weight forward with a knee strike. The chin strap of the helmet must be fastened for this technique to work.

Neck break with sentry helmet

Knockout With Helmet

The sentry's helmet is stripped from his head and used by the soldier to knock him out. The soldier uses his free hand to stabilize the sentry during the attack. This technique can only be used when the sentry's chin strap is loose. The preferred target area for striking with the helmet is at the base of the skull or on the temple.

Knockout with helmet

The Garrote

In this technique, use a length of wire, cord, rope, or webbed belt to takeout a sentry. Silence is not guaranteed, but the technique is effective if the soldier is unarmed and must escape from a guarded area. The soldier carefully stalks the sentry from behind with his garrote ready. He loops the garrote over the sentry's head across the throat and forcefully pulls him backward as he turns his own body to place his hips in low against the hips of the sentry. The sentry's balance is already taken at this point, and the garrote becomes crossed around the sentry's throat when the turn is made. The sentry is thrown over the soldier's shoulder and killed by strangling or breaking his neck.

The garrote