6 different types of machine-gunners you’ll meet in the infantry

Tim Kirkpatrick
Apr 29, 2018 1:08 AM PDT
1 minute read
Army photo

SUMMARY

After spending two to three months in boot camp, young troops who are looking to serve in the infantry must move onto additional grunt training at other various grounds. Once they graduate from that, some head off to their first units, wh…

After spending two to three months in boot camp, young troops who are looking to serve in the infantry must move onto additional grunt training at other various grounds.


Once they graduate from that, some head off to their first units, where they'll encounter some interesting personalities.

Some of these exciting personalities exist in the diverse troops who carry the "big guns" — aka, the machine-gunners.

Related: 6 types of enlisted 'docs' you'll meet at sick call

1. The "Marksman"

An infantryman works and trains hard to one day deploy their weapon system and score an accurate kill shot. For machine-gunners, scoring a precise kill from a distance is highly unlikely.

This isn't because the shooter is incapable; that weapon system wasn't designed to nail an enemy combatant square between the eyes but, rather, to take their head clean off.

However, some gunners still strive to make that perfect shot with their heavy-ass weapon.

Lance Cpl. Eric Lewis (left) shouts out commands to machine gunners during a platoon-size live fire range as part of Exercise Desert Scimitar 2014 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Luis A. Vega)

2. The "Napoleon"

This one refers to the French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, because of his height. This gunner gets looked at differently because of the contrast between their smaller body and the massive size of the M240 they're holding.

However, they always manage to carry it and fire the weapon like a seasoned pro.

3. The "Screamer"

Machine-gunners are trained to whisper the words "die motherf*cker, die" while firing their weapon. In the time it takes to finish saying the words to themselves, they've shot roughly between four to six rounds. The "screamer" chooses to shout that sh*t out loud.

This repeated mantra is designed to prevent the gunner from overheating their barrel and causes them regularly adjust their fire for more accuracy.

U.S. Marine machine gunners provide cover during a live-fire and maneuver exercise as part of sustainment training at D'Arta Plage, Djibouti. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus)

4. The "Barrel-burner"

As previously stated, machine-gunners are trained to only discharge four to six rounds at a time to avoid overheating their barrels. The "barrel-burner" tends to forget the shooting cycle and fires more than intended — which can cause the barrel to warp.

Army infantrymen change barrels on an M240 Bravo machine gun during a live-fire exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jordan Anderson)

5. The "Freeloader"

This gunner tends to ask other members of his squad to carry his extra ammo so that they can haul more Rip-Its. What's hilarious about this type of gunner is the nice way they go about asking you.

It makes you feel good about yourself for helping out a brother.

Also Read: 5 of the sneakiest ways people try to fool the front gate MPs

6.  The "Animal Mother"

If you've ever served in the infantry, you probably had one or two "Animal Mothers" in your company. Just like in the movie, Full Metal Jacket, he's the trigger-happy badass who is more than thrilled to shoot into an enemy compound and then ask questions later.

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