Suppressive Fire

[JMA]

As a Marine Machine Gunner MOS 0331 you are trained from day one in SOI School of Infantry that when you recieve contact you immediatly lay down that supression. (obviously in the direction of the enemy) Now accuracy is most defanitly wanted but the main goal is to keep the enemys heads pinned down. This is in the current war atleast. That is just for machine gunnery, any other MOS such as Rifleman 0311 will take the accurate shots and maneuver towards the enemy.

It is the general comment from those with experience that the drill where you immediatly lay down suppressive fire in the general direction of the enemy does more for your morale than it suppresses the enemy fire. Bursts of machine fire in the general direction of the enemy does not achieve much at the ranges contacts reportedly take place in Afghanistan. The use of alternate fire positions by the Taliban and the restricted movement potential of ISAF forces due to the IED threat and individual weight loads make most of these contacts reportedly inconclusive.

Given the number of contacts infantry patrols have experienced there should have been a tactical evolution by now.

[Fuchs]

Given the number of contacts infantry patrols have experienced there should have been a tactical evolution by now.

I think there is; the same as with fighter aircraft with the introduction of radios by the late 30's. More loose patrols with lots of spacing between elements allows much of the blue force to remain effective even if one or two elements are in trouble. It's much better to fan out like this than to patrol in a large, cohesive group.
The terrain and mission don't allow for consistent use of such spacings and the elusive enemy has the initiative, can engage whenever the Westerner's are not in a favourable position...