Infantry Drills

Appendix F: Machine Gun Employment



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Whether organic to the unit or attached, machine guns provide the heavy volume of close and continuous fire needed to achieve fire superiority. They are the Infantry platoon’s most effective weapons against a dismounted enemy force. These formidable weapons can engage enemy targets beyond the capability of individual weapons with controlled and accurate fire. This appendix addresses the capabilities, limitations, and fundamental techniques of fire common to machine guns.

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Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad