ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Military Knowledge and Tactical Skills Syllabus

Military Knowledge and Tactical Skills syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Military Knowledge and Tactical Skills in ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Land Navigation and Map Reading

   4 topics

   • Map Fundamentals
     • Marginal information and map symbols
     • Map scales and colors
   • Grid Coordinates and Terrain Association
     • Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)
     • Identifying major and minor terrain features
   • Using a Compass
     • Magnetic, grid, and true north / declination
     • Azimuths, back azimuths, and intersection/resection
   • Day and Night Land Navigation Courses
2. 2

   Small-Unit Tactics

   4 topics

   • Squad and Platoon Movement
     • Movement formations and techniques
     • Travelling, bounding, and overwatch
   • Battle Drills
     • React to contact and break contact
     • Ambush and react to ambush
   • Offensive and Defensive Operations
     • Attack fundamentals
     • Establishing a defensive perimeter
   • Patrolling Operations
     • Reconnaissance and combat patrols
     • Patrol bases and security
3. 3

   Individual Soldier and Field Skills

   4 topics

   • Weapons Familiarization and Marksmanship
     • Service rifle nomenclature and function
     • Fundamentals of marksmanship and qualification
   • First Aid and Tactical Combat Casualty Care
     • MARCH algorithm and care under fire
     • Treating bleeding, shock, and fractures
   • Camouflage, Cover, and Concealment
   • Field Craft and Survival Basics
4. 4

   Drill, Ceremony, and Military Customs

   4 topics

   • Drill and Ceremony Commands
     • Stationary movements and facing
     • Marching movements and formations
   • Military Customs and Courtesies
     • Saluting protocol and reporting
     • Rendering honors and respect to the flag
   • Rank Structure and Insignia
     • Enlisted, warrant officer, and officer ranks
     • Cross-branch rank equivalencies
   • Uniform Wear and Appearance Standards

Military Knowledge and Tactical Skills flashcards for ROTC Scholarship / Selection (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)

18 of 79 cards from the Military Knowledge and Tactical Skills deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. On a military map, what is the difference between magnetic north, grid north, and true north?

   True north points to the geographic North Pole, grid north follows the vertical grid lines on the map, and magnetic north is the direction a compass needle points toward the magnetic pole. The angular difference between grid and magnetic north is the G-M angle.

2. What is the G-M angle (grid-magnetic angle) and where is it found?

   The G-M angle is the angular difference between grid north and magnetic north. It is shown in the declination diagram in the map's marginal information and is used to convert between grid and magnetic azimuths.

3. How do you convert a grid azimuth to a magnetic azimuth (and vice versa) in the Western Hemisphere with an easterly G-M angle?

   To go from grid to magnetic, subtract the G-M angle (for easterly declination); to go from magnetic to grid, add the G-M angle. Memory aid: 'LARS' - Left Add, Right Subtract, depending on the diagram.

4. What is the representative fraction (RF) of a map, and what does a scale of 1:50,000 mean?

   The representative fraction expresses the ratio of map distance to ground distance. 1:50,000 means one unit on the map equals 50,000 of the same units on the ground (e.g., 1 cm = 50,000 cm = 500 m).

5. What are contour lines on a topographic map, and what does the spacing between them indicate?

   Contour lines connect points of equal elevation. Closely spaced lines indicate steep terrain; widely spaced lines indicate gentle/flat terrain. The vertical distance between adjacent lines is the contour interval.

6. Name the five major terrain features depicted by contour lines on a map.

   Hill, valley, ridge, saddle, and depression.

7. Name the three minor terrain features and two supplementary terrain features.

   Minor: draw, spur, and cliff. Supplementary: cut and fill.

8. What are the five basic colors on a military map and what does each represent?

   Black = man-made features; blue = water; green = vegetation; brown = relief/contour lines and elevation; red (or red-brown) = main roads, built-up areas, and boundaries.

9. What is a grid coordinate, and what is the rule of reading them?

   A grid coordinate is a set of numbers identifying a location on a map using the grid squares. The rule is 'read right, then up' - read the easting (horizontal) value first, then the northing (vertical) value.

10. How precise is a 4-digit, 6-digit, and 8-digit grid coordinate?

    A 4-digit grid locates a point within 1,000 meters (the grid square), a 6-digit grid within 100 meters, and an 8-digit grid within 10 meters.

11. What tool is used to determine accurate grid coordinates, and how is it oriented?

    A coordinate scale and protractor (GTA protractor). It is placed with the horizontal scale along the bottom grid line and the vertical scale aligned to read up to the point, keeping the zero in the lower-left of the grid square.

12. What is terrain association in land navigation?

    Terrain association is navigating by comparing the terrain features around you (hills, valleys, ridges, drainage) to those depicted on the map, rather than relying solely on compass azimuth and pace count.

13. What are the three norths' use in plotting: which azimuth does a compass measure?

    A compass measures a magnetic azimuth. To use it with a map, it must be converted to a grid azimuth using the G-M angle.

14. What are the major parts of the lensatic compass?

    The cover (with sighting wire), the base (with the floating dial, bezel ring, and luminous markings), and the lens/rear sight (the reading lens used for sighting and reading the azimuth).

15. What are the two methods of holding a lensatic compass to shoot an azimuth?

    The compass-to-cheek method (for precise sighting) and the center-hold (center-of-body) method (faster, used for general direction and dead reckoning).

16. How many degrees and mils are in a full circle on a military compass?

    360 degrees or 6,400 mils in a complete circle.

17. What is a back azimuth and how do you calculate it?

    A back azimuth is the opposite direction of an azimuth (180 degrees from it). If the azimuth is less than 180 degrees, add 180; if it is 180 degrees or more, subtract 180.

18. What is dead reckoning in land navigation?

    Dead reckoning is navigating by following a set magnetic azimuth for a known distance, using a steering point and pace count to track distance traveled to reach an objective.

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