What is a hasty fighting position?

 A hasty fighting position refers to a hole in the ground.

Not just any hole in the ground, though. Technically, a hasty fighting position doesn’t actually have to be dug, and can incorporate elements of the environment, but it is generally dug, perfect fighting positions being somewhat rare in nature.

Before we get into ‘hasty,’ let's define a fighting position.

The point of a fighting position is to enable a soldier to fire his weapon at the enemy from cover and concealment (Two very different military concepts). Within the US military, a fighting position can be called any of the following terms: foxhole, fighting position, ranger grave, or fighting hole.

A group of American soldiers in their natural habitat.

A good fighting position should:

 

• Allow the soldier(s) in it to fire on the enemy.
• Protect said soldier(s) from enemy observation and direct and indirect fire.

Of course, doing it is a little more complicated than simply writing the words.

According to the US Army, the standard for frontal cover on a fighting position is at least 18 in (46 cm) of dirt, as this is just about the minimum to be thick enough to stop small arms fire. That, however, is only the minimum. Soldiers are expected to do quite a bit more to establish a proper fighting position.

Digging in according to the US Army.

Of course, how much they’re expected to do depends on the situation. If the goal is to dig a temporary position for one night, ‘good enough’ might be acceptable (Where ‘good enough’ is defined as meeting the standards), whereas, if the goal is to stop the enemy in his tracks, and there is time for it (Not a given), the men will be expected to far outdo the standards (Seeing as they’ll be living in their holes for a not insignificant period of time).

That said, fighting positions are not purely for the infantry, though the infantry tends to dig them. Fighting positions can even be dug for things like tanks and APCs!

Not a fun job. Digging up frozen dirt sucks.

But now, finally, we get to ‘hasty’. 

‘Hasty Fighting Position’ is simply the military’s way of saying ‘As much of a fighting position as you can build in the time and with the materials you have.’ Generally, they tend to look like human-sized holes in the ground surrounded by dirt berms, though they will occasionally be more advanced.

“I wish god I was 2 feet shorter… I’d have to dig less.”

As combat drags on, these hasty positions would become less and less hasty, with Troops adding reinforcements and making the system more elaborate as the fighting continued Eventually, if there is enough of a stalemate, you get something akin to WW1 trenches.

You mean we have to charge the machine guns again?!

Update: Since this Answer seems to be getting a lot of traction, I thought I’d add a more modern example of trench warfare, just to show that it still happens. Here’s Ukraine, current year:

Not really all that dissimilar, is it?

Now vs. then

Might as well be straight from the manual

End Update. (Thanks for the upvotes everyone)

In other words, a hasty fighting position is the quickest and least intensive possible option when making field fortifications. They can be subsequently upgraded as needed, or abandoned as one side overruns the other.

All images from Google Images.