COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER MT. FUJI, Japan -- Combat Logistics Company 36 Marines put down their M16A4 Service Rifles, their M9 Pistols and their M1014 Combat Shotguns to pick up guns with even bigger combat capabilities as part of Exercise Dragon Fire II at Combined Arms Combat Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, July 16 and 17, 2012. Marines fired the M249 Light Machine Gun, M240G and the M2 .50 caliber Machine Gun.
The M249 is a light machine gun, firing 5.56mm rounds at 800 rounds per minute in a cyclic rate, while the M240G is a 7.62mm medium machine gun, firing at a rate of up to 950 rounds per minute, depending on the gas setting at which it is set.
The Marines then stepped up to some real heavy firepower. The M2 heavy machine gun fires a 12.7mm, .50 caliber round, at a rate of 635 rounds per minute. “Suppressive fire is used to keep the enemy’s head down and allow the team to maneuver forward or flank around for a better attack position or destroy the enemy faster and more effectively,” said Cpl. Dener A. Echeverria, CLC-36 post security officer.
Many Marines in CLC-36 work directly with supply and motor transportation. This training can affect them directly during convoys through combat environments.
“No matter what type of convoy there is, there will always be machine guns on a gun truck to help provide security,” said Echeverria. “With all this training being put together and every Marine being a rifleman, who says they can’t jump up on a gun truck and use the M240 Golf or M249?”
Combat efficiency and proficiency were focal points of the training.
“We train with automatic weapons in case we are ever on a battlefield and a scenario occurs where we need to be proficient with these weapons,” said Lance Cpl. David W. Skinner, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron provost marshal’s office military policeman. “If a gunner goes down in a valuable position, it becomes a major priority to get that gun in the fight due to its fast rate of fire and tactical positioning.”
One of the many uses of automatic weapons is to control key sectors of fire with suppressive fire.
“Automatic weapons can provide suppressive fire, which allows ground forces to push forward or can be set up to defend tactical locations throughout a battlefield,” said Skinner.
There are many advantages to automatic weapons, including faster cycle rates, belt-fed ammunition, longer duration of fire between reloads, and the intimidating presence of a loud, destructive machine gun.
“With the suppressive capabilities of automatic weaponry in key sectors of fire it allows riflemen to go oneon- one with the enemy and stack the odds in our favor,” said Skinner.
Skinner went on to say the presence of automatic weapons greatly increases the overall success rate, speed and precision Marines are able to provide for the U.S. and its allies.