Liquid_Cow wrote:I have to wonder how much of this is because you know you're never going to run into a superior force while on patrol. On a "real" battlefield where there was any chance of seeing enemy armor the tanks would never waste shots on buildings to avoid being caught low on ammo against a T-90.
Side question, are they even carrying SABOTs?
While I never got to see major combat, when I was in we were training to go toe to toe with the Soviets, and fire discipline was a major theme in training. In fact, that's where the 3 round burst on the A2's came from; since we'd be mostly fighting them on open ground/woodlands, single well aimed fire was the expected mode of firing. The argument was that we'd just waste ammo with full auto (no, I don't agree with it, that was just the argument).
We conducted the same counter sniper drills, you light up the sniper while a fire team advances on his position, but usually it was a single fire team (2 M-16's, a M203, and a SAW) doing the shooting. All other members of the squad would assume defensive positions and only fire as necessary.
So my question to you Kenwayy, if there was a realistic chance that you'd run into a combat force on par with yours, would you still expend ammo like that?
Yes, we would. In a force on force engagement we wouldn't waste bullets on a house. We'd call a quick fire mission as it'd be quicker and safer. As is we are bared from using most of our firepower options you'd see in a force on force (MLRS, Mortars, 155's). The problem is no one really knows, because there hasn't been a force on force engagement since WWII. The lethality of the US weapon systems pretty much makes it completely useless for a country to try and do that.
Also, especially today, the biggest reason we dominate so much is the ungodly support system we have setup, for the exact reasons you stated. Not to many military's can gear up, invade, beat, and sustain operations 1/2 around the world for years at a time and with almost no notice. The naval power to move supplies safely, network of air bases and supply dumps around the world and sea, etc.