And, of course, it's the experienced fighters and NCOs who gravitate to the longer-range more specialized weapons, which require more than a rookies attention and for whom an AK is a better and simpler item of issue- particularly for those nighttime situations. It's a good bet that that snakeeater advisor helping those guys by pointing the air support the right way is a heavy weapons NCO....
I seem to recall T.E. Lawrence making the point that it is better that they should do a thing imperfectly, than that you should do it for them perfectly... But directing close air support can be partricularly costly if done inexpertly, even if the locals are fast learners.
You reckon those folks are using the killdots against the bad guys?
-archy-/-
There is no longer any such critter as a "heavy weapons NCO" on a team. Only "weapons NCO's". The caliber (no pun intended) of the weapons training had fallen off to the point where it was worse then useless until about 2 years ago,when some changes were made. The students were not only not being taught very much,but some of what they were being taught was wrong. Don't get me started on this. I can rant and rave for hours,and won't be able to sleep for a couple of days.