Thanks for your last reply.

Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
We had a maintenance problem, and a training problem, and a mobility problem, with the employment of the SAW within the team and squad...
Do you think the USMC has this problem as a service specific issue, or do you think it is universally applicable to all armies with belt-fed weapons in the squad/section?

I ask this as I have never heard of any issues with the M249 in my army. I wonder whether this is due to a lack of low-level combat experience compared to the USMC, or whether it is a cultural/employment issue.