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1-506th Infantry Regiment Weapons Squad
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The 506th IR is looking for you to join our ranks in one of our hard-hitting Weapons Squads. While you will still be an 11B and have all the training of your peers from our challenging OSUT program, you will also become specialized in the use of our three most deadly weapons systems... the M240, the FGM-148 "Javelin", and the M3 MAAWS (Carl Gustav).
Medium Machine Gun Team
The M240 is a belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine gun that fires the deadly 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge at 750-950 rounds per minute. We use the weapons system to destroy our enemies at ranges all the way out to 800m. Utilizing its high rate of fire we are able to suppress enemy combatants and allow the rifle squads to advance.
The M240 will be operated by the Machine Gunner, who is also the senior member, and assisted by the Assistant Machine Gunner. While it may seem the Machine Gunner is doing all the work while engaging the enemy and providing suppressive fire the Assistant is responsible for a host of others duties such as providing ranges for the gunner and giving feedback for round placement, providing close security to the gunner, engaging all targets that appear at closer distances, carrying the vital supplemental ammo the Gunner needs to keep raining hell on the enemy, and the prime responsibility of taking over for the Gunner if he is incapacitated.
Obviously without the M240 Gunners and Assistants we are at a severe disadvantage when we are in combat and I know this Platoon Sergeant would never want that.
Anti-Armor Team
The FGM-148 Javelin is a man portable fire and forget anti-tank missile system. Using its attached CLU (Command Launch Unit) the weapons system is capable of detecting and destroying armored target at ranges up to 2000m. Since it can lock on to a targets heat signature the Javelin makes quick work of moving targets as well. Nothing can hide from the devastation brought by the Javelin.
The Javelin is manned by the Anti-Armor Specialist who leads the team and when you add the Assistant Anti-Armor Specialist to the mix you have 2 soldiers that have the know-how and equipment to disable an entire convoy. With the extra ammo carried by the Assistant and his ability to acquire targets and assess the broader picture while the Leader has his head attached to the CLU this team becomes a definitive force multiplier every time they exit the helo's.
The M3 MAAWS (Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-tank Weapon System) is an 84 mm man-portable reusable anti-tank recoilless rifle. It can be loaded with various munitions to suit mission needs including the deadly Air Burst Projectile. Our targets, be them infantry or armor, cannot escape from the precision and versatility of the MAAWS when it is in the hands of one of our Anti-Armor Specialists.
You won't find a single member of the Rifle Squads that hasn't had an armor piece roll up onto their position just to have it magically explode into a fiery wreck thanks to the work of the Anti-Armor Gunners and their assistants.
How to Join
This is the best part about joining the outstanding troopers in the Weapons Squad! To join you simply tell you OSUT instructor that you want to be a Machine Gunner or an Anti-Armor Specialist when you finish your final day of training! That simple.
I know that I speak for every Platoon HQ when I say that we wouldn't be able to do what we do without our Weapons Squads. If any of this interests you I urge you to give Weapons Squad a shot.
Also I urge any current members of our Weapons Squads to post comments, videos, pictures, or anything else letting a potential recruit know what it's like being a part of that squad
Sergeant First Class Heckman
Platoon Sergeant
1st Platoon, Alpha Company