Fort Johnson, Louisiana. (December 13, 2024): Close Quarter Battle or CQB, is when an infantry Soldier gets “up close and personal” with the enemy in brutal, chaotic combat. In this photo by Specialist Isaiah Mount, Soldiers prepare to breach and clear a house during a live-fire exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center here. The assault team practiced rapidly entering a building using force and momentum to overwhelm any threats inside. The team moves with “controlled aggression” to quickly dominate and clear each room of combatants. It is tough work characterized by sudden violence at close range.

This type of combat has occurred since the beginning of warfare. The ancients used lances or swords in individual combat, Allied Soldiers resorted to bayonets during trench warfare in World War I, and close quarter combat was developed into a science in World War II.

The concept of CQB, also known as Defendu, was a new form of martial arts developed by William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes, both former British Soldiers and police officials in Shanghai, China prior to World War II. The new tactics involved using firearms to assault structures while minimizing friendly casualties. The program stresses surprise, speed, and controlled violent action with each playing a critical role in the success of an assault.

The U.S. Special Forces further developed CQB principles and practices in the 1970’s peaking with the terrorist attack on the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Since then, both military and civilian law enforcement have trained to maximize their effectiveness at combat in confined spaces while ensuring the safety of civilians.

Soldiers know the better their training and preparation, the more likely they are to survive getting “up close and personal” with the enemy.