Murphy's Law of Combat

 1. You are not Superman.
 2. Recoilless rifles aren't.
 3. Suppressive fire won't.
 4. If it's stupid, but works, it's not stupid.
 5. Don't look conspicuous.  It draws fire.
 6. Never draw fire.  It makes everyone around you nervous.
 7. When in doubt empty the magazine.
 8. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you.
 9. Your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
10. If your attack is going well, it's an ambush.
11. If you can't remember ... the claymore is pointed at you.
12. All five second grenade fuses are three seconds.
13. Try to look unimportant.  They may be low on ammo.
14. If you are forward of your position the artillery will be short.
15. The enemy diversion you're ignoring is the main attack.
16. The easy way is always mined.
17. The important things are always simple.
18. The simple things are always hard.
19. You're short of everything in combat but the enemy.
20. When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy.
21. Incoming fire has the right of way.
22. No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
23. No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat.
24. Teamwork is essential.  It gives them other people to shoot at.
25. If the enemy is in range so are you.
26. Friendly fire isn't.
27. Anything you can do can get you shot ... including doing nothing.
28. Make it too tough for the enemy to get in ... you can't get out.
29. Ambushes never draw fire.  NDPs always do.  
30. Tracers work both ways.
31. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is
    incoming friendly fire.
32. Radios will fail as soon as you need something desperately.
33. If you take more than your fair share of objectives 
    you will have more than your fair share to take.
34. When both sides are convinced they are about to lose ... 
    they are both right.
35. Professionals are predictable.  The world is full of amateurs.
36. All weather close support doesn't work in bad weather.
37. The bursting radius of a frag grenade is always one foot greater
    than your jumping range.
38. The only terrain that is truly controlled is the terrain upon
    which you're standing.
39. The law of the bayonet says the man with the bullet wins.
40. R. E. M. F. is everywhere.
41. The best tank killer is another tank.  Therefore tanks are always
    fighting each other ... and have no time to fight the war.
42. Precision bombing is normally accurate within plus/minus one mile..
43. Cluster bombing from B-52s and C-130s is very, very accurate.
    They hit the ground.
44. Murphy is a grunt.
    
                                -30-

    Uploaded by Cap'n Jacq' Tucker 70531,2070  01/26/92
                U S Marine Corps (Retired)
    Copied (and cleaned up) from fuzzy copy, copy, copy 
    obtained in Columbia, Missouri..
