[ikka]

Even in WWII it is estimated that as much as 50% of our troops did not fire their weapons during combat.

[Strategerist]

Yeah, that's in line with what I've read.

Especially in a first combat, the VAST majority of troops, even ones that have received decent training, essentially "freeze."

Something you don't see in the movies.

[Zhang Fei]

Even in WWII it is estimated that as much as 50% of our troops did not fire their weapons during combat.

This SLA Marshall study has been discredited. Most soldiers fire their weapons - they just don't aim. We saw a lot of this in Vietnam - ARVN troops would raise their weapons over a wall of sandbags, or swing their rifles around the corner of a building and just pull the trigger until the magazine was emptied.

[demlosers]

Combat troops that were fighting in the front line?

BS...

A huge portion of the troops are in support position supporting the war fighters.

[COEXERJ145]

Even in WWII it is estimated that as much as 50% of our troops did not fire their weapons during combat.

It was actually higher than that. For regular army, it was around 67%. It was much lower for Ranger and Airborne forces but still over 30%. Marines, IIRC, were around 40% early in the war and it rose to over 50% as more and more poorly trained replacements (the "three week wonders") entered the ranks.