Fire and Maneuver

Practice the Simple Things HARD, and the hard things become simple. I can't remember which of my buddies has that as part of his signature line, but it is largely true. SF, Rangers, SEALs don't really train on anything different than a regular Soldier or Marine, they just train on the basics until they never get it wrong.

I don't know if Squids or Zoomies get a block of "Buddy SET!" and "Buddy MOVING!" buddy team exercises during their version of basic training but I know that even paper pushers in the Army get some live fire training on covering their battle buddy during a buddy team exercise. This isn't saying that the Army/USMC is better than the Air Force or Navy, just that every Soldier and Marine should be familiar with the concepts of fire and maneuver. The "Buddy Team" is the basis for all maneuver. But this isn't rocket surgery, it's a simple concept that is scalable from a two man team all the way up to Echelons Above Reality.

Corporals and Sergeants are expected to be able to control a FIRE TEAM (4 men in two buddy teams) to set one buddy team to cover the other while they move.
Squad Leaders, (E-6's) are expected to control a SQUAD by maneuvering FIRE TEAMS.
Platoon Leaders are expected to be able to control a PLATOON by maneuvering SQUADS.
Company Commanders are expected to control a Company by maneuvering PLATOONS. Three platoons, one fire, one maneuver, one reserve.

Battalion commanders are expected to control a Battalion by maneuvering COMPANIES. Three companies (not including any specialty companies), one fire, one maneuveuver, one reserve.
This goes all the way up the food chain to Corps and Army level commanders that move Divisions and Brigades around the battlefield. But the only real difference between a Buck Sergeant Fire Team Leader and a 3 Star General is one of scale and experience.

I'm not saying that an E-5 is every bit as capable a commander as an O-5, it just isn't so, but that the basics of fire and manuever are the same.

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