Posted on 11/13/2006 3:23:12 PM PST by tje
Marine Corps Rules for Gun Fighting
The Marine Corps Birthday makes me nostalgic for the good ol’…well, maybe good is too strong a word. In fact, I can't say that I miss being on active duty; but I do miss being with my fellow Marines.
Thinking about my friends who are getting shot at by ungrateful Iraqis reminded me of this list, an old Corps favorite, on how to act in a gun fight:
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Send the Marines
3. Drink Coffee
If this is a dup, I didn't find it..
Point and "click".
Good ones..Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch used to repeat these for his classes..He may still do so..
I've never been in the military. I particularly like 13 and 23, good advice in life. 23, especially during a road rage. I insisted the wife drive an F350 because it's a monster that instills second thoughts. And 13 because Murphy rules.
And if it's a dupe, I'm glad you reposted, because I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.
*snicker
They are good ones... The one that seems to be missing is; Keep shooting until the threat is gone.. or words to that effect.
bttt
The science started from the decks and fighting tops of wooden ships. One of the duties of Marines in previous centuries was to shoot the personnel on opposing ships. The marksman was on a moving, rolling deck or up in a mast. He had to hit a target that was on a moving, rolling platform while figuring in elevation and windage. You can imagine that anyone who could overcome these obstacles and put a shot in a man-sized target was pretty good.
Rule # 25: Get court marshaled for doing your duty.
Rule #26: Court Marshals hurt less than getting shot.
I don't know about gunfights, but I can tell you what to bring along on Shore Patrol when you're a 125-lb LTJG. A very, very large Marine. And a 300-lb Samoan Boatswain's Mate. It's amazing what it does for one's command authority...
shouldn't "Shoot first..." be in there somwhere ?
Your son has my respect.. and you get it for raising him...
lol
It's a time-honored repost. And a pretty worthwhile one, or it always seemed that way to me.
- Tracer rounds can be seen from both ends - and identify your position.
- If the enemy is in range, so are you.
- Smoking after dark, is REALLY unhealthy.
- Do NOT kick a corpse to verify it's dead -- shoot it again.
- Do not trigger the ambush until you have ascertained how many have fallen into your ambush -- and you are convinced you can win.
- Do not kill the first enemy emerging from cover. Wait to see how many are behind him before engaging.
- The only version of an encounter that will ever be reported, will be given by the survivor.
I'm sure there are more recent grunts in the forum that can add some "rules" that are unique to Afghanistan/Iraq.
Semper Fi
Heh! Us BM's are a weird group.
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