Field Manual FM 3-21.8 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad

By U.S. Government and U.S. Department of the Army

Book Overview

This field manual provides a doctrinal framework on how Infantry rifle platoons and squads fight. It also addresses rifle platoon and squad non-combat operations across the spectrum of conflict.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1537084089
• ISBN13: 9781537084084
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 604 Pages
• Weight: 2.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

No two wars are ever the same.

This isn't the manual I grew up with. It's new and improved; that's why the terminology has changed. The manual is part of a complete system, which is explained as clearly as possible at the start of the book. We get an overview of war itself and the role it plays. Eventually, we move on to the detailed tactics of “The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad.” Being in armed reconnaissance (Tet-68) was not as grueling as being in a rifle platoon. It was not as necessary to hone the skills daily, but everyone is a soldier first. Ever wonder how a handful of professionals can outmaneuver, think, and act against a bigger or better-equipped force? It is mostly training and drills combined with the flexibility to carry out the commander’s intent and take advantage of targets of opportunity. To do this, you have to know the commander's intent and recognize targets of opportunity. The field manual is best used for its intended purpose. However, as with many other manuals, one can build character and apply not the specific tactics but their purpose to other disciplines. In a mechanized war, it is easy to forget that something needs to be taken and held. I have always had respect for those who can. Even though I never acquired a military attitude, I found it intriguing to try to outmaneuver those who follow the book. I would have paid for my time at the National Training Center (Mojave) and similar locations.