Infantry Rifle Squad: Size is not the Only Problem

The concern over the infantry squad's effectiveness in the recent past has focused almost exclusively on its size. Critics argue that the current US Army infantry squads, both light and mechanized, are too small to accomplish their mission (particularly the mechanized squad). While it may be true that the squads' current nine man strength can not sustain as much attrition as the former eleven man squad, size is not the key issue in the squad's effectiveness. Historical analysis of the infantry squad since World War II would suggest that the US Army's current squad's primary shortcoming lies in its organization rather than its size. As such, it is possible to make the current squads more effective without increasing its size. This fact is significant since present personnel limitations at the Department of the Army level preclude increasing the squad's size. Based on data from both combat experience and peacetime testing, the author suggests that eliminating one of the squad's two M249 Squad Automatic Weapons, and M203 Grenade Launchers, would improve the nine man squad's overall effectiveness.

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