The Roles and Weapons with the Squad

[William F. Owen]

After all, the three-fire team Marine squad was born of Pacific island battles where casualties were sometimes well past the 50% mark that would reduce even the mighty three-team USMC squad down to the strength of a single large fire-team.

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Having researched to origin of fire teams in some detail, I think I am safe in saying that the 3-Team Squad was copied from the Chinese, whom Evans Carlson observed them using in the 8th Route Army. I am still trying to confirm if the PLA still use the same structure. Apparently, and I am still trying to confirm this, some IDF platoons use 3 x 12 man squads, each of 3 fire teams.