Fire team

The term fire team referred to the most basic of ground combat units deployed within the  and Marine Corps. Much like a within a starfighter, there were typically three such fire teams in an infantry squad, with four troopers led by corporals.

Tactics and role
Fire teams worked in concert on the battlefield, at the discretion and guidance of the sergeant leading the squad. Often, one team would lay suppressing fire on an enemy-occupied position while another would flank the enemy, leaving the third to either cover the squad's flank or to further surround or engage enemy forces or reinforcements. In defensive fighting, fire teams would often be placed so that they could provide overlapping fields of fire, preventing an advancing enemy from being able to take cover.

As the most basic infantry unit, leading a fire team was an aspiring non-commissioned officer's first taste of command. Most fire team leaders had at least some combat experience, however excellent performance in training exercises during the course of a trooper's initial years of service also counted. Fire team leaders were sometimes called upon to assume command of a squad if the sergeant was killed or incapacitated.

Appearances

 * The Last Full Measure