Well, I would argue that instituting a specialty for machine-gunners (a la the USMC 0331, and for some reason I recall that the Army did have one, eons ago - my memory is no longer to 10/20 standards), and having NCOs in that specialty within the rifle company MTOE would do more to ensure a high level of training for gun crews than just grouping them at company level and not having a specialty, or specialist NCOs (I can recall 1SGs that would swap people around just as much between platoons as the PSGs did within platoons). Given the sheer number of MOS in the Army, I can't imagine that one more would destroy the system.
Machineguns "talking" to each other, and setting up for an FPL, that I saw, but I recall that knowledge about the beaten zone and indirect fire for an MG often didn't make it out of the FM.
No argument about the absolute NECESSITY to continue to train for high-intensity combat. Given the budgets for the relevant parts of PEO Soldier/Natick, PEO Ammo, et al., compared to other programs in the military, it makes one wonder if the infantryman is the most important weapons system...
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