Reproduced from that thread:


These are the hand signals used by Rangers of the 80's when they patrolled. I don't know if any have changed over the years but I doubt it. Some may or may not help, and some are pretty standard.

1. Enemy sighted –– pointing rifle in direction of threat
2. Head Count –– patting the top of head
3. Rally Point –– pointing with finger at spot on the ground, and making
circular motions
4. Freeze (STOP WHERE YOU ARE!!! No movement at all) –– fist held up
5. Halt (stop, and slowly get down) - open hand held up
6. Unit Leader Up –– tug on collar
7. Danger Area –– moving of hand back and forth across throat
a. Linear –– one finger held up
b. Open –– five fingers opened wide
8. Spread Out –– rapidly open hand several times
9. Gather In –– bring open hand from away from body, towards the body
10. Look –– index and middle fingers pointed at eyes (then point at what you want them to look at.)
11. Listen –– tug on top of ear
12. Say Again –– tug on top of ear and turn palm of hand from front to rear, and back again.
13. Smell –– tap nose with two fingers
14. What is that? / What is it? –– shoulder shrug and point at object
15. What? –– shoulder shrug
16. When? –– tap wrist
17. Bivouac here –– hand cradling side of head, head leaning to side; then point finger at ground
18. Get on Line –– finger pointing at ground in front of you, then moving from left to right several times
19. OK? Or OK! –– OK sign made with thumb and index finger, other fingers extended
20. Silent kill / sentry removal –– finger on lips, point at target
21. Quiet –– finger on lips
22. Ambush sighted (for before the ambushers have spotted you) –– rifle up, pointed at ambush, free hand making Danger Area sign

23. Ambush (set one up) –– point at location where ambush is wanted, then make fist and hit chest with it. ( when setting up, it is the team leader's responsibility to point each team member to their assigned spot, and to point out the direction they are to face)
24. Rest Here –– Make Halt sign, then when everyone is down, hold up fingers to designate length of halt. (Five fingers for five minutes, etc.……)
25. Box Recon (used when at an Open Danger Area) –– point at team members that are to make recon, then point at danger area. Make box in air with finger.
26. Indian File –– two fingers held up behind head (like feathers)
27. Wedge –– two fingers held pointing down, and spread apart (like
upside-down peace symbol), off to your side
28. Up –– thumb pointing up
29. Down –– thumb pointing down
30. Water crossing –– hand in front palm down, making undulating motion (like waves in the water). Point at entry point.
31. Climb –– From a salute, raise hand until the fingers point straight up
32. Pace Count –– tap heel of foot
33. Drink Water –– pinkie and thumb extended from fist, swivel hand (thumb up / thumb down) in front of face
34. Get Water –– pinkie and thumb extended from fist, swivel hand at side
35. Dig In –– make digging motion with one hand
36. Corpsman Up –– Open hand across heart, raise thumb above head
37. Radioman Up –– fist against head (like holding a phone), raise thumb above head
38. How Many? –– open hand held across mouth, then brought to the side, by the head.
Distances, numbers, etc.…… were denoted using fingers being held up in sequence (e.g. Enemy Sighted at 250 yards was done by pointing the rifle towards the threat, then holding up 2 fingers, pausing, quickly closing the hand, holding up 5 fingers, pausing, quickly closing the hand, and holding up a circle of the fingers)
Tactics at the individual level are as complex as tactics at higher levels. The individual usually has little say in whether or not combat is initiated and is more concerned with not getting killed. Killing the enemy is secondary.
Individual tactics, more than any other level of tactics, rely on commonsense. If the enemy doesn't know you are there, he's not likely to shoot you. If he does know you're there and is firing at you, he can't hit you if there is something in the way that his bullets can't go through, unless of course you stick your head up to shoot back. If you don't stick your head up and shoot back he is going to move into a position where he can shoot around your cover.