Flagging and Gun Safety
General points:
- Your weapon should not be pointed at anything you are not willing to kill or destroy.
- Your weapon should never be pointed directly at friendly operators for ANY reason.
- Friendly fire should be avoided like the plague - even if you and your team are in danger.
High vs Low Ready
Proper muzzle discipline can be achieved by using both high and low readies -physical compression of your weapon to your body- to keep from flagging your team members. While both are effective in different scenarios, it is important to remember that high-readies have non-verbal significance that should be used with caution.
Earning Your Shots
All shots must be clean, meaning that an operator who decides to engage targets, enemies, etc., are only permitted to do so if they do not directly pose a risk to friendly operators or civilians by firing their weapon. Note that this means that the foreground and the background of the target must be in clear line of sight. In an event where there is an inherent risk to friendly operators, one must maneuver and position themselves so that they have a clean shot. That is Earning your shot.
On-Line Firing
When working in elements, you can earn your shots by placing yourself “on-line” with your teammates, with at least a one meter reactionary gap. This reactionary gap allows those around you to actively respond to any movement or change you might make during an engagement. It also ensures maximum effectiveness in fire and reduces the possibility of friendly collateral. ONLY in an instance where a reactionary gap cannot be made, operators should employ Muzzle Before Flesh (MBF, explained in the next section) to earn their shots.
Muzzle Before Flesh (MBF)
Muzzle Before Flesh (MBF) is the act of a wingman placing himself in conjunction with a pointman so that his muzzle is PAST the pointman’s mass, facilitating safe engagement. When performing MBF, there should be physical body contact between both operators. This will prevent muzzle blocking caused by movement and substantially reduce the risk of friendly fire. The wingman may use any outward angle off of the pointman to ensure maximum security.
MBF Positioning
MBF Angle ManipulationMBF in Motion