Posted on Aug 12, 2020
Why doesn’t the US Army’s fireteam not have a Assistant Automatic Rifleman?
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Hello RallyPoint, hope everyone is doing well. My question for today is what the title says, I’ve noticed that Marine fireteams have an assistant auto rifleman that helps carry extra ammo for the auto rifleman. We know that the auto rifleman’s job is to lay down suppressing fire, which does eat up quite the amount of ammo, so why is it that the army doesn’t have one? Is it to keep the number down to an even four? I can only imagine the peace of mind a fireteam would have in knowing that they still have more munitions for their main weapon that helps them maneuver under fire. The question just popped in my head recently, but I can only imagine moments that a fireteam (or even a squad with both SAW gunners) where the problems they would encounter when ammo starts running low for their M249. Anyways, hope all of you are doing well.
Posted in these groups: 
11B: Infantryman
11B: Infantryman
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
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So most have already answered that an A-gunner isn't really needed for SAW's but I will say that if carrying ammo ever became an issue the rest of the team would haul it. All extra gear and ammo gets spread across the squad regardless of who uses it. Claymores, mortar rounds, optics, water, etc. all get spread out and the same would be true for extra ammo if needed. The same holds true for the 240 gunner to some extent but the SAW just has no one Soldier dedicated to the task.
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There is no Assistant Automatic Rifleman in the USMC, it was removed in favor of a Grenadier. A drum of SAW ammo is not that heavy and doesn't require a dedicated second person to carry it.
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Jake Lang
I read somewhere in the Marine Corps Gazette that the Commandant was gonna reduce the USMC fireteam from 4 down to 3. If they do keep a fireteam at 4. If they intend to keep it at 4, does that mean that they would be structured like the Army’s fireteam?
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LTC Jason Mackay
Jake Lang the SAW is an individual weapon. The 240 is a crew served weapon. The 240 is not organic to the rifle squad fire team. The 240s are in a weapons squad and controlled by the PL.
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SFC (Join to see)
Jake Lang - While they reduced it to three personnel they increased it to three fire teams per squad, not two. It's important to understand that the Marines have a fundamentally different role than the Army and their Battle Order reflects their needs to accomplish that mission.
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LTC Jason Mackay
SFC (Join to see) under 5, consolidate and reorganize. Man most casualty producing weapons. Been 30 years but still remember.
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While it is not the case, the Marines no longer have this position. It is the duty of the Gunner to carry the ammo for their weapon. Army Soldier train year round to do their jobs and that includes physical fitness. Soldiers have no issue carrying their gear.
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Jake Lang
Without a doubt Sergeant Major, my concern was with the amount any individual (regardless which branch) could realistically carry. Seems my assumptions were a bit off on the purpose of the M249 SAW and the role of an automatic rifleman. I originally was of the thought process that it was mostly for suppression of enemy targets, but it seems many are saying that that is more of a secondary (or perhaps even LAST) option. A 240 team would of course be seen for that job, but would that mean a 240 team is always accompanying an infantry squad? If not, is the amount of suppressing fire produced by a fireteam alone truly enough to keep multiple enemies hunkered down? Or am I missing something?
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
We have been in the fight steadily sinc 2003. The Army and Marines deploy squads and Teams in a very effective manner. Weapons can change depending upon the mission. Rest assured that they are the worlds best. All of our Services have it figured out, and they continually change structure slightly based on the threat and technological advances. Jake Lang
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