Fireteam
A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize "bounding overwatch" and "fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat.[2] Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or fewer members: an automatic rifleman, a grenadier, a rifleman, and a designated team leader. The role of each fireteam leader is to ensure that the fireteam operates as a cohesive unit. Two or three fireteams are organized into a section or squad in co-ordinated operations, which is led by a squad leader.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Historically, nations with effective fireteam organization have had a significantly better performance from their infantry units in combat than those limited to operations by traditionally larger units.
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| NATO Map Symbols[1] |
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 -_Unspecified_or_Composite_All-Arms_(NATO_APP-6).svg) |
| A fireteam |
-_Infantry_(NATO_APP-6).svg) |
| An infantry fireteam |
-_Military_Police_-_Dog_(NATO_APP-6C).svg) |
| a military police dog team |
-_Military_Engineers_-_Explosive_Ordnance_Disposal_().svg) |
| an Engineer EOD team |
U.S. Army doctrine recognizes the fire team, or crew, as the smallest military organization[9][10] while NATO doctrine refers to this level of organization simply as team.[11] Fireteams are the most basic organization upon which modern infantry units are built in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force Security Forces, Canadian Forces, and Australian Army.