Infantry Rifle Squad

<p>The concern over the infantry squad's effectiveness in the recent past has focused almost exclusively on its size. Critics argue that the current US Army infantry squads both light and mechanized are too small to accomplish their mission (particularly the mechanized squad). While it may be true that the squads' current nine man strength can not sustain as much attrition as the former eleven man squad size is not the key issue in the squad's effectiveness. Historical analysis of the infantry squad since World War II would suggest that the US Army's current squad's primary shortcoming lies in its organization rather than its size. As such it is possible to make the current squads more effective without increasing its size. This fact is significant since present personnel limitations at the Department of the Army level preclude increasing the squad's size. Based on data from both combat experience and peacetime testing the author suggests that eliminating one of the squad's two M249 Squad Automatic Weapons and M203 Grenade Launchers would improve the nine man squad's overall effectiveness.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>