MACHINE GUN EMPLOYMENT FUNDAMENTALS EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026

MACHINE GUN EMPLOYMENT FUNDAMENTALS EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026 USMC Acronym for Principles of Machine Gun Employment - Answers PICMDEEP PICMDEEP MG Employment Principles - Answers Pairs Interlocking Coordinating Mutual Support Defilade Enfilading Fire Economy of Fire Protection Army Principles of MG Employment (MCISSCE) - Answers Mutual Support Coordination Interlocking Fire Sited in Defilade Sited to produce Enfilade Fire Cover and Concealment Economy of Ammunition Interlocking fires - Answers - Reinforce and double the firepower employed across the units frontage. - This also ensures no area goes uncovered, especially when grazing fires intersect Coordination of fires - Answers - Dictates use of appropriate weapons to fire on appropriate targets. - This allows maximum effectiveness of all weapons systems employed, to conserve ammunition, and ensure all machine gun fires are delivered at the appropriate time and place. Defilade - Answers allows us to fire the gun behind the mask of terrain outside the effects and observation of the enemy What are the characteristics of fire - Answers Trajectory Burst of fire Cone of fire Beaten zone Dead space Danger space Define Line of Sight - Answers An imaginary line, from the firers' eye, through the sights, to the point of aim on the target. Define Trajectory - Answers The arching flight path of the round from the muzzle to the target. Define Ordinate - Answers Elevation of the flight path of the round above the line of sight. Define Max Ordinate - Answers The max elevation of that round above the line of sight along its flight path. This distance is reached at 2/3 the distance to target. Describe Cone of Fire - Answers Each round fired from a MG travels a different path due to vibration, ammo, and shooter. The pattern of those rounds is called the cone of fire. - For an M240B the cone of fire is always 2 mils wide - What are the factors that affect a burst of fire? - Answers The gunner and rate of fire The gun and ammunition Clarity of target Air/Weather Distance Describe the Beaten Zone - Answers The elliptical pattern formed by the impact of the rounds. The width of the beaten zone always stays the same, but the length is terrain dependent. What percentage of rounds is considered an effective beaten zone? - Answers 85% Describe how the length of the beaten zone changes on uniform terrain at short distances and long distances. - Answers At short ranges, beaten zone will be long. At long distances, the beaten zone decreases in length. Remember: short people deserve long beatings. Describe how the length of the beaten zone changes on rising terrain. - Answers Rising terrain stops rounds abruptly, creating a small beaten zone resembling the cone of fire Describe how the length of the beaten zone changes on falling terrain. - Answers Beaten zone becomes longer. 3 Classes of MG Fire - Answers Respect to ground Respect to target Respect to weapon Classifications of MG Fires in relation to the ground. - Answers Plunging fire Grazing fire In relation to ground, describe dead space. - Answers Occurs anytime the target or enemy drops below the line of aim or line of sight. What type of space occurs anytime the target drops below the line of sight? - Answers Dead Space In relation to ground, describe Danger Space. - Answers When firing over terrain, any space up to 1.8 m above the deck (the height of an average man) is considered danger space. What type of space is 1.8m above the deck? - Answers Danger Space In relation to ground, describe plunging fire. - Answers Defined where the danger space is confined to the beaten zone. This is obtained when firing from high to low, or low to high and when using long range fires. What type of Fire is where danger space is confined to the beaten zone? - Answers Plunging Fire In relation to ground, describe grazing fire. - Answers Where the center of the cone of fire does not rise more than one meter off the deck. This is the most effective type of fire we can employ. What type of Fire is where the center of the cone of fire does not rise more than 1m off the deck? - Answers Grazing Fire What is the most effective fire a machine gun produce? - Answers Grazing Fire Classifications of MG Fires in relation to the target - Answers Flanking fire Frontal fire Oblique fire Enfilade fire In relation to target, describe flanking fire. - Answers Fires delivered on the flank of a target when the target is oriented 90 degrees or more away from the firing unit. What type of Fire is delivered when the target is oriented 90 or more degrees away? - Answers Flanking Fire In relation to target, describe frontal fire. - Answers Fire delivered to the front. What type of Fire is delivered to the front of a target? - Answers Frontal Fire In relation to target, describe oblique fire. - Answers Delivered on the oblique of a target when the target is oriented between 0 and 90 degrees to the firing unit. What type of Fire is delivered when the target is oriented from 0 to 90 degrees. - Answers Oblique Fire In relation to the target, describe enfilade fire. - Answers Long axis of the beaten zone coincides with or nearly coincides with the long axis of the target. What type of Fire is where the long axis of the beaten zone coincides with the long axis of the target? - Answers Enfilade Fire Classifications of MG Fires in relation to the Gun. - Answers Fixed Traversing Searching Traversing and Searching Swinging Traverse Free Gun In respect to the gun, describe fixed fires. - Answers Fire delivered on a point target with little of no manipulation of the gun. What type of fire is usually used on a point target? - Answers Fixed Fire Examples of Point Targets - Answers Enemy troops Bunkers Weapon emplacements Lightly armored vehicles Traversing Fire - Answers Fire delivered against a wide target requiring changes in direction. Beaten zones of adjusted shots should be adjacent to each other if not overlapping. What type of fire is usually used on a linear target? - Answers Traversing Fire Searching Fire - Answers Fire delivered against a target in depth requiring changes in elevation. What type of fire is usually used on a deep target? - Answers Searching Fire Traversing and Searching - Answers Fire delivered against an oblique target requiring changes in both elevation and direction. Swinging Traverse - Answers Fire directed against targets which require major changes in direction with little or no change in elevation. Free Gun - Answers Fire delivered against moving targets that require major changes in both elevation and direction. What type of fire is usually used on a linear target in depth? - Answers Traverse and Search What type of fire is usually used on Area Targets? - Answers Traversing and Searching Fire Three classifications of fighting positions - Answers Primary Alternate Supplemental Define the Primary Position in relation to MG fighting positions. - Answers The position from which the gun will fire it's primary sector Define the Alternate Position in relation to MG fighting positions. - Answers Secondary position from which the gun will fire its primary sector of fire. Define Supplemental Position in relation to MG fighting positions. - Answers Another separate prepared position from which the gun fires a secondary or alternate sector of fire. Principal Direction of Fire (PDF) - Answers Primary focus of weapon system covering a likely enemy avenue of approach. Final Protective Line (FPL) - Answers - Weapon is primarily in a position to employ grazing fires across a unit's frontage as a last effort to defend the lines. - The FPL is only fired in accordance with the unit commander giving the order to fire his Final Protective Fires. Final Protective Fires - Answers Immediately available prearranged barrier of fire to stop movement across defensive lines. What form is used for a Range Card - Answers DA Form 5517-R What is a range card - Answers Diagram drawn to record the firing data and mission of that machine gun position. Also serves to assist defensive fire planning. Elements of a Range Card - Answers Weapon symbol Sector of fire PDF OR FPL Range, azimuth, and # of targets Location of gun position Distance and azimuth from known point or 8 digit grid North Seeking arrow Data section Dead Space What are the 3 rates of fire - Answers Sustained Rapid Cyclic Sustained Rate of Fire - Answers Normal rate of fire for the gunner. Rapid Rate of Fire - Answers Barrel Change after 2 minutes allows exceptionally high volume of fire, but only for short period of time. When is a Range Card Prepared - Answers As soon as the gunner occupies the position. Cyclic Rate of Fire - Answers When the trigger is held to the rear uninterrupted for 1 minute. Types of predetermined fire - Answers Sector of Fire Final Protective Fire Final Protective Line Principal Direction of Fire Grazing Fire Dead Space Primary Sector of Fire Secondary Sector of Fire Methods of Fire Control - Answers Verbal Hand and arm signals Prearranged Signals Personal contact Range cards SOP's Observations Leader Checks Shift Fire Mutual Support Fire Return Fire Rates of Fire Applications of Fire - Answers - Methods used to cover a target area