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Lessons learned from combat

Intro

Some lessons learned from professional warriors who have been in combat.

Lessons

• You are not a superhero.
• If it’s stupid but works, it isn’t stupid.
• Don’t look conspicuous—it draws fire.
• When in doubt, empty your magazine.
• Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.
• Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
• If your attack is going really well, it’s an ambush.
• No plan survives the first contact intact.
• All five-second grenade fuses will burn down in three seconds.
• Try to look unimportant because the bad guys may be low on ammo.
• If you are forward of your position, the artillery will fall short.
• The enemy diversion you are ignoring is the main attack.
• The important things are always simple.
• The simplest things are always hard.
• The easy way is always mined.
• If you are short of everything except enemy, you are in combat.
• When you have secured an area, don’t forget to tell the enemy.
• Incoming fire has the right of way.
• Friendly fire—isn’t.
• If the enemy is in range, SO ARE YOU!
• No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.
• Things that must be together to work usually can’t be shipped together.
• Radios will fail as soon as you desperately need fire support.
• Anything you do can get you shot, including doing nothing.
• Tracers work both ways.
• The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
• If you make it tough for the enemy to get in, then you can’t get out.
• If you take more than your fair share of objectives then you’ll have more than your fair share of objectives to take.
• When both sides are convinced that they are about to lose, they’re both right.
• Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of amateurs.

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