Infantry Rifle Platoon And Squad, FM 7-8, Military Manual

by U.S. Department of the Army

This manual provides doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures on how infantry rifle platoons and squads fight. Infantry rifle platoons and squads include infantry, airborne, air assault, ranger, and light infantry platoons and squads. This manual supersedes FM 7-8, Infantry Platoon and Squad dated April 1981, as well as FM 7-70, The Light In fantry platoon and Squad dated September 1986, and is aligned with the Army’s AirLand Battle doctrine. The primary audiences for this manual are the infantry rifle platoon leader platoon sergeant, and squad and fire team leaders; instructors in TRADOC schools; and writers of infantry [raining literature. Secondary audiences include other infantry leaders and staff officers, service schools, and ROTC and military academy instructors. This manual is organized with separate chapters covering doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures, and includes a tactical standing operating procedure. This manual is designed to fit in the cargo pocket of the eader's Battle Dress Uniform. It should be used in the field as a guide to training and combat operations. It is written with a heavy bias toward the tactics, techniques, and procedures that make in fantry soldiers successful in battle. Leaders must use the tactics, techniques, and procedures, but they must not lose sight of the simple doctrinal principles outlined in Chapter 1, Doctrine. Additionally, infantry leaders should usc this manual in developing an estimate of the situation and an analysis of mission, enemy, terrain, and troops and time available. This analysis leads to an effective plan and to successful execution of the assigned mission.

601 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

The Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency within which the United States Army is organized, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has statutory authority 10 U.S.C. § 3013 to conduct its affairs and to prescribe regulations for its government, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the Secretary of Defense and the President.

The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The highest-ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the Army, who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior officials of the Department are the Under Secretary of the Army (principal deputy to the Secretary) and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (principal deputy to the Chief of Staff.)

The Department of War was originally formed in 1789 as an Executive Department of the United States, and was renamed by the National Security Act of 1947 to the Department of the Army on September 18, 1947. By amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 in 1949, the Department of the Army was transformed to its present-day status.