Small unit tactics

[1][2][3] The composition of a United States Army squad falls into three broad categories: classical, balanced and combined.

The fire element consists of a machine gunner and one or two personnel who act as loaders and barrel changers for the gun and porters for its ammunition and ancillary components.

The maneuver element is composed of troops armed with assault rifles, entrenching tools, grenades and additional ammunition for the machine gun and tasked with the role of enabling the safe movement of the fire element by scouting ahead and providing a security detail.

In this phase the squad consolidates its position by entrenchment, construction of fortifications, creation of passageways between structures and forward reconnaissance of surrounding areas.

On the defensive, an isolated squad will allow a small element to hold a weak and easily evacuated position behind a remote detonated mine, flanked by a machine gun.