Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad - Sakai

Fundamentals of Tactics
WEAPONS SQUAD LEADER
1-99. The weapons squad leader leads his teams by personal example. He has complete authority over his
subordinates and overall responsibility for those subordinates’ actions. This centralized authority enables
the weapons squad leader to act decisively while maintaining troop discipline and unity and. Under the
fluid conditions of modern warfare, even in the course of carefully-planned actions, the weapons squad
leader must accomplish assigned missions using initiative without needing constant guidance from above.
1-100. The weapons squad leader is normally the senior squad leader, second only to the platoon sergeant.
He performs all of the duties of the rifle squad leader. In addition, the weapons squad leader—
• Controls fires and establishes fire control measures.
• Recommends machine gun employment to the platoon leader.
• Coordinates directly with the platoon leader for machine gun base-of-fire effects and plans
accordingly.
• Monitors ammunition expenditure.
• Coordinates directly with the platoon leader in placement of the Javelin close Combat Missile
System (CCMS) to best cover armored avenues of approach in the defense and overwatch
positions in the attack.
• Employs C2 systems available to the squad and platoon.
• Performs the role of the platoon sergeant as required.
• Understands the mission two levels up (platoon and company).
SECTION IV — COMBINATIONS
1-101. The Army’s preferred method of fighting is combined arms. Combined arms warfare is based on
the concept of strengths and weaknesses. All weapons, branches, and tactics have strengths and
weaknesses, advantages, and disadvantages. Understanding this, leaders use the power of combinations to
protect their weaknesses while using their strengths to create dilemmas for the enemy. There are two
principles that guide leaders in fighting combined arms: complementary effects; and reinforcing effects.
These two principles are separate and distinct, but are present in most situations.
COMPLEMENTARY EFFECTS
1-102. Leaders create complementary effects when they arrange elements with different characteristics
together (Figure 1-8). Complementary effects enable leaders to protect friendly vulnerabilities or enhance
effects on the enemy. For example, leaders can combine the effects of their direct fire weapons with those
of mortars or artillery to produce an overall greater effect than if each were used separately. Combinations
are created based on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their weapons, the different branches
and services, and tactical tasks.
28 March 2007 FM 3-21.8 1-21