FM 3-19.4 - Army Electronic Publications & Forms - U.S. Army

FM 3-19.4
arms fire and fragmentation weapons, while allowing
soldiers full weapon system engagement. A fighting
position provides cover and concealment from which to
engage or defend against the enemy. See FM 7-8 for
individual fighting position construction.
4-60. Fighting positions do not protect against the
destructiveness of artillery and other area weapons.
Nevertheless, a dug-in fighting position may be the key
to survivability. Digging in cannot remove a soldier's
vulnerabilitybyitself.Itdoesreduceexposuretothe
enemy's acquisition, targeting, and engagement
systems. Platoons must be able to construct their
survivability positions, often without engineer
assistance.
4-61. Locate fighting positions for crew-served weapons
where gunners can stop dismounted attacks. The sectors
of fire must cover infantry avenues of approach and
provide the most grazing fire across the platoon or squad
front. Overlap the sectors of fire with each other and
those of adjacent squads. Prepare fighting positions so
that their primary sectors of fire have the guns firing
across the front of the unit. Prepare secondary sectors of
fire so that the guns fire to the front.
4-62. Usually, one MP team occupies an M249 or MK19
fighting position. One member is the gunner, one is the
assistant gunner, and one is the ammunition bearer or
rifleman. Each gunner has a primary and a secondary
sector of fire. The gunner fires in the secondary sector
only on order or when there are no targets in the
primary sector. Each gunner uses aiming stakes to set
his weapon for a final protective line (FPL) or a principal
direction of fire (PDF) within the primary sector. The
FPL and PDF are control measures to help defend a
position. In an attack, the gunner knows the primary
areas. He engages the greatest threat and, on the order
of the platoon leader or PSG, fires the FPL.
Combat Operations 4-25