Combat for Dummies: Murphy's Rules, Part II

-If your attack appears to be going really well for once, it’s an ambush.   

-The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.

-“When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.” --U.S. Marine Corps 

-If it's stupid but works, it ain’t stupid.

-Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you can't get out.

-A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

-Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and NEVER, EVER volunteer to do anything.

-The quartermaster has only two sizes: too large and too small.

-“Five second fuses [are guaranteed to] last three seconds.”  --Infantry Journal 

-You are not Superman (Marines and fighter pilots take note). 

-A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down. 

-If you are forward of your position, your artillery will fall short. 

-Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder. 

-The enemy diversion you're ignoring is their main attack. 

-No OPLAN ever survives initial contact. 

-There is no such thing as a perfect plan. 

-There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole. 

-A retreating enemy is probably just falling back and regrouping

-Friendly fire - ain’t. 

-Recoilless rifles - aren't. 

-Suppressive fires - won't. 

-Protective fire - don't. 

-Perfect plans - aren't. 

-The important things are always simple. 

-The simple things are always hard. 

-If you're short of everything except the enemy, you're in combat. 

-No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.

-No inspection-ready unit has ever passed combat. 

-Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support. 

-When both sides are convinced that they are about to lose ... they are both right. 

-All weather close support doesn't work in bad weather. 

-The bursting radius of a grenade is always one foot greater than your jumping range. 

-The only terrain that is truly controlled is the terrain upon which you are standing. 

-The law of the bayonet says the man with the bullet wins. 

-The best tank killer is another tank. Therefore tanks are always fighting each other ...& have no time to help the infantry. 

-Precision bombing is normally accurate to within +/- one mile (...or so). 

-“Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground.” --USAF Ammo Troop 

-The side with the fanciest uniforms loses. 

-Armored vehicles are bullet magnets; a moving foxhole that attracts attention. 

-Expending material in combat is easier than filling out Graves Registration forms -- Ammo is cheap; your life isn't. 

-Just because you can't see the enemy, don't for a minute believe they can't see you. 

-When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy. 

-"Aim towards the enemy." --Instruction printed on U.S. Rocket Launcher 

-"A slipping gear could let your M-203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your unit." --Army's magazine of prevention maintenance 

-"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed."  --U.S.  Air Force manual
-"Tracers work both ways."  --U.S. Army Ordnance 

-"Any ship can be a minesweeper....once." --Anon 

-"Never tell the platoon sergeant you have nothing to do." --Unknown Marine Recruit

 -"If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him." --USAF Ammo Troop

-“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.” - Gen. MacArthur

-You, you, and you . . . Panic. The rest of you, come with me. (Marine Gunnery Sergeant)