This manual is dedicated to the soldier — the key to success on the battlefield. Wars are not won by machines and weapons but by the soldiers who use them. Even the best equipped army cannot win without motivated and
well-trained soldiers. If the US Army is to win the next war, its soldiers must be motivated by inspired leadership, and they must know how to do their jobs and survive on the battlefield.
This is the soldier’s field manual. It tells the soldier how to perform the combat skills needed to survive on the battlefield. These are basic skills that must be learned by soldiers in all military occupational specialties (MOS).