how does the army assign Combat weapons to it's troops?

Answer 1

It's pretty simple...your rank puts you where you should be on a team, and need and availability determines the rest.

For example, when I was an infantryman, you could get assigned as a rifleman (M16), grenadier (M16 or M203), or machine gunner (M249) if you got assigned to a rifle squad as an E1-E4P. As an E4 promotable or E5, you'd be a team leader (M16 or M203). E5+ would put you as squad leader (M16 or M203), and E6+ would assign you as platoon sergeant (M16 or M203).

As a private, you could also get assigned AG (Assistant Gunner, M16) to the M60, which was a pain-in-the-butt job (lugging around your rifle and M60 ammo). You could also have been put on the mortar platoon to carry the mortar base (M16). It all depends on the unit's needs.

If you're lucky enough to get a slot for Sniper school, you could end up in the Scout Platoon. Don't know what the heck rifles they use now.

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In real world, I got shoved an M249 at me as a brank-spanking new E2 infantryman, without any qualification ranges. MTOE is the way the Army is supposed to work. Battalion HQ will get MTOE reports all the time reflecting filled positions, but in reality, the Army is always short of people (unless we start drafting again).

Answer 2

Ok, here's the real deal! I am retired Army so I definitely know the answer.

Every company is authorized certain types of weapons and amount of weapons (based off of its mission -also called MTOE (or TDA for some)). This also has to do with the amount of soldiers assigned to the company as well. Anyways,...

Each soldier is assigned a certain position (or line number) in the company. Let's say you are in an Infantry unit and you are a private first class....you are assigned to a squad that may contain about 8 soldiers. That squad may be authorized one M240B (light machine gun that fires 7.62mm bullets) and 7 M4 Carbine Rifles (just an example). The squad leader (in charge of the squad of the 8 soldiers) will assign each person a weapon. To actually carry that weapon, they have to be qualified on it at the range.

So, it depends on lots of things. If you can qualify on that weapon system then you can use that weapon (like the MK-19 40mm machine gun, etc...) I hope this helps.

Answer 3

They look to see what your qualifications are on each one and assign accordingly, unless they need a certain amount of a certain weapon at a given command!

Answer 4

THIS IS COMING FROM A SOLDIER THAT IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED. LOOK YOU JUST GET HANDED ONE. EVERYONE STARTS WITH AND M16 BUT IF YOU QUALIFY WITH SOMTHIN ELSE THEN YOULL GET THAT MOST LIKLY BUT NOT ALWAYS.