Weapons, Marksmanship, and Combat Skills
Weapons data
The M4/M4A1 carbine fires 5.56mm ammunition from a 30-round magazine, has a cyclic rate of about 700 to 950 rounds per minute, and has a maximum effective range of 500 meters against a point target and 600 meters against an area target. The M16A2 fires the same round, has a three-round burst mode, and reaches 550 meters point and 800 meters area. The M9 pistol fires 9mm from a 15-round magazine with a maximum effective range of 50 meters. The M249 (5.56mm) and M240B (7.62mm) are the crew-served weapons most often tested.
Marksmanship
Four fundamentals: steady position, aiming, breath control, trigger squeeze. Zero at 25 meters before qualification. Pistol shooters use BRASS - breathe, relax, aim, slack, squeeze. The shot should surprise you.
Combat skills
Know individual movement techniques (low crawl, high crawl, three- to five-second rush), masking and tactical breathing, care under fire and tactical field care, tourniquet application, and the nine-line MEDEVAC request. Know the conditions of a weapon (safe, semi, burst or auto) and the clearing procedure that makes a safe weapon truly safe.
Traps
Maximum range versus maximum effective range; sustained versus rapid versus cyclic rate of fire; blaming recoil for a miss when the cause is usually trigger jerk or failure to follow through.
Rule of thumb
Treat every weapon as loaded, and prove it safe with the correct sequence rather than a glance.