M 249

Second Lieutenant Keith Froehlich, a student in the Basic Officer Course, alerts his squad leader that his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon is properly setup and ready to go into action at Marine Corps Base Quantico More

Indiana National Guard Pfc. Saul Gonzalez, a 38th Infantry Division nodal network systems operator from Indianapolis, re-assembles an M-249 lightweight machine gun at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Monday, Aug. 19, 2019 More

Sgt. Nicholas Turner, a 38th Infantry Division fires support sergeant from Salem, Indiana, performs function checks on the M-249 lightweight machine gun at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. Hoosier More

U.S. Army Soldier assigned to C Battery, 17th Field Artillery Regiment 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division conducts security operations with an M249 SAW during Decisive Action Rotation 19-10 at the Natio More

Staff Sgt. Casey Church, 56th Security Forces Squadron combat arms training and maintenance instructor, monitors Senior Airman Alexander Friend, 56th SFS law enforcement patrolman, while he fires a M240B machin More

Soldiers in 66th Troop Command, Mississippi Army National Guard, conduct M249 Squad Automatic Weapon qualification September 7, 2019 at Camp Shelby, Miss. The Soldiers are training with various crew served weap More

Soldiers from the 372nd Engineer Brigade conduct small arms training at Total Force Training Center Fort McCoy.

This graphic depicts the component parts of the M249 barrel assembly and what movement is allowable.

Capt. Vincent Kirk, the signal officer for 2nd Brigade Support Battalion and native of Auburn, Alabama practices his M249 firing procedures and malfunction corrections during 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2n More

Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, and 41st Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, join forces to practice operating in extreme conditions during a platoon live fir More

Georgia National Guardsmen attend the opening class for the squad automatic weapons course at Fort Stewart, Ga. on Nov. 21, 2019. The course will include instruction on the break down the charactaristics of the More

A Spanish Army Battalion Training Team 3 instructor demonstrates how to assemble and disassemble an M249 light machine gun to Iraqi police from the 3rd Battalion, 20th Brigade Federal Police at the Besmayah Tra More

U.S. Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment (Charger Company), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division conduct a buddy team live-fire exercise at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Feb. 5, 2020. (U.S More

U.S. Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, fires a Danish M60E6 General Purpose Machine Gun at the firing range at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, March More

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry Litten, left, and Capt. Adam Fitterer,1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, observe a safety briefing at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, A More

Airman First Class Christopher Eastes, 4th Security Forces Squadron patrolman, fires an M249 light machine gun at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 6, 2020. The M249 bolt assembly provides stripping, cambering, f More

25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Soldiers trained on aerial gunnery May 20 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. This training allows our crews to maintain combat readiness and weapons proficiency More

U.S. Army Pvt. 2nd Class William Gossett, automatic rifleman, 1-187th Infantry Battalion, East Africa Response Force (EARF), Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), fires an M249 lightweight machin More

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 transport range targets at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, July 13, 2020. MWSS-171 trained with various weapon systems and field equipme More

An M249 sight adjustment tool is used on the front sights of an M240 machine gun. The tool was produced via additive manufacturing at the Center of Excellence for Advanced and Additive Manufacturing at Rock Isl More

Pfc. Daria Bolton, 184th Sustainment Command, fires the M249 light machine gun during crew serve weapon qualification on Aug. 1, 2020, at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. (U.S. Army National Guard phot More

A Soldier from 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team prepares to begin firing at the M249 range on Schofield Barracks, August 7, 2020. The Soldiers went to the range to qualif More

Master Sgt. Jonathan Miller, the range safety officer, the 84th Training Command, checks ammunition for an M249 light machine gun range at Fort McCoy, Wis., August 20, 2020, as part of Operation Ready Warrior. More

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bradley Deskis conducts the sequence of fire during pistol qualifications on Range 8, Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. The intent of this range was to maintain skills with the More

Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct an M249 squad automatic machine weapon qualification at Fort Carson, More

U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Support Battalion, Information Group, participate in a live-fire machine gun range during MEF Exercise (MEFEX) 21.1 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia Nov. 6, 2020 More

Spc. Austin T. Strawder, a combat medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Sill, OK, watches over the Soldiers conducting a weapon familiarization range on Nov More

Fort Benning Ga.- Soldiers assigned to the Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, train on the M4 and the the M249 rifles, Jan 25, 2021 on Fort Benning. The M4 series 5.56 mm Carbine is equipped More

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, Task Force Ultimate simulation trainers, learn about the origin of the U.S. Army at Valley Forge while on a staff ride during Operation Cold Steel II, hosted by U.S. Army Civil Affai More

Chief Warrant Officer Pamela Howell follows an instructional handout for the M249 SAW during pre-deployment training at Camp Ripley on Jan. 25. All Soldiers of the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade participated in w More

Cpl. Charles E. Neal, standing far left, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit armorer and Portland, Ore., native, explains the potential hazards involving the spring during an M-249 squad automatic weapon class aboar More

Lance Cpl. Pete Shea (left), rifleman, and Cpl. Duane Kamps (right) mortarman, both with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, sprint toward the firing line May 10 during the 2011 Australian More

Lance Cpl. William Gomez, rifleman, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, fires on a target at the classification range here May 10 during the 2011 Australian More

An Afghan National Army special forces recruit inspects the chamber of an M249 machine gun, Kabul province, June 27. The recruits practiced their weapons skills with the M249 machine gun, M4 rifle, 9 mm handgun More

Army Sgt. Sean Mathews, team leader attached to the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team, pulls security while the team prepares their weapons at the off-base firing range near Forward Operating Base Mehtar L More

Cpl. Kyle Cochran, a team leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, signs to pull back the charging handle of an M-240 to the Afghan National Arm More

A U.S. Marine with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division provides security during a exercise on Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii, Dec. 13, 2011. The Marines are trai More

Soldiers of the 316th ESC receive a primary marksmanship instruction briefing on the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon at a range at Fort Dix, N.J., March 21. PMI briefings are important to maintain the safety of so More

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to A Troop, 6/1 Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division conduct a dismounted patrol with Strykers as support by fire during Operation Iron Focus on Fort Bliss, Texas, More

U.S. Army solder assigned to Bravo Troop, 6/1 Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division put a handcuff on a simulated detainee during Operation Iron Focus on Fort Bliss, Texas, May 02, 2012. The pu More

A German soldier qualifies with a M249 light machine gun as Pfc. Ethan Bednar, gunner with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, serves as a range safety duri More

Combat Logistics Company 36 (CLC-36) Marine Cpl. Nicholas J. Durbin, left, a motor transportation mechanic, helps Lance Cpl. Timothy Blake, a supply administration and operations specialist, prepare the M249 li More

Citizen-soldiers of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard conducted their weapons qualification at Camp Santiago Joint Maneuver Training Center Oct. 13. During the weapons qualification training, the soldiers qua More

Pfc. Caleb R. Lane, a rifleman from South Carolina National Guard's 118th Infantry assembles a tactical radio during Bravo Company's Fire Team Competition at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. The Greenville S.C., native More

A Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, fires an M240B machine gun from the turret of a high-mobility, multi-purpose wheeled vehicle during a live-fire training exercise her More

A student with Company D, Infantry Training Battalion - East lies in the prone position while firing the M27 Infantry Automatic Weapon aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Jan. 9. Students had the chance to fi More

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Bryan Collins qualifies on an M240B machine gun during Operation Cold Steel II, hosted by U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), July 23, 2018 at Joint B More

An Afghan Commando from 3rd Company, 7th Special Operations Kandak, are mentored by their coalition partners on the proper use of M240 machine gun in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 2, 2013. Commandos revie More

U.S. Army Sgt. Brian Mcbee with the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artilery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, explains to cadets of the Savannah High School JROTC Program about some of the equ More

Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Wilson, a security forces airman with 11th Security Forces Squadron, cradles a belt of 7.62mm rounds as it feeds into an M240B medium machine gun during predeployment qualification e More

Students from Waco High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp attempt to retract a tire attached to a M777 Howitzer during the WHS JROTC end-of-year field trip hosted by 3rd "Red Dragons" Battalion, 82nd More

U.S. Army Spc. Casey Hill, a cavalry scout with the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, remotely controls the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station II (CROWS), u More

Spc. William Hayes (left), A Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, checks his azimuth using a lensatic compass prior to conducting movement to contact, react to contact, and entry and room More

Cpl. Johnny Hurst, assigned to A Company 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, a native of Chicago., yells a command to his fireteam during a live-fire and movement-to-contact operation on the Infa More

U.S. Soldiers with the 125th Military Police Battalion receive instructions and a safety briefing prior to a M249 squad automatic weapon familiarization training at Camp Santiago Joint Maneuver Training Center More

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Edward Stewart, a Tactical Air Control Party specialist attached to 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, communicates with supporting aircraft during a training exercise at the sim More

Pfc. Jason L. Tullis, a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, mounts his vehicle and prepares for a convoy July 20 at Fort Bliss, N.M. Cavalry units, true to More

Members of a civil affairs team interact with simulated Afghan villagers July 22 in Khuribad, a simulated Afghan village on Fort Bliss, N.M. In order to foster a healthy relationship with Afghan citizens, Ameri More

Smoke rises from an Mk-19 grenade launcher after Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, fire hundreds of rounds during a live-fire training exercise at Range 222 here, Sept. 4, 2013. Th More

Lance Cpl. William Krueck (right), a machine gunner with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, and a native of Milwaukee, evaluates Lance Cpl. Pete Williams, a machine gunner with Alpha Co. and nat More

Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conduct a machine gun range on Forward Operating Base Thunder, Paktia province, Afghanistan, More

Staff Sgt. Frederick heads out on patrol with his squad in shoulder high grass and rough terrain. Soldiers of Cherokee Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment conduct a live fire range in Grafenwoehr Trai More

On Jan. 8, 10th Regional Support Group Headquarters Company's Sgt. Bryan Salvador fires an M249 light machine gun on the Engagement Skills Trainer at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan. (Photo by James Tamura Jr., 1 More

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 977th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, conduct communication checks on an AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven prior to launch during a traini More

U.S. Army Spc. Brandon Groom, a combat documentation production specialist assigned to Vulture Team, Operations Group, National Training Center, documents armored vehicles shooting and engaging enemies at the N More

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, receive a brief on the new AH-6E Apache Guardian during Decisive Action Rotation 14-06 at the National Training Cen More

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, fly UH-60 Black Hawks in formation over the National Training Center during Decisive Action Rotation More

Lance Cpl. Tylor Nelson, a mortarman with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a Glenville, Minn., native, employs the M249 medium machine gun for sustainment t More

Marines operate an M240B medium machine gun Oct. 22 during the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company Basic Course on Camp Schwab. The M240B operates at a maximum rate of sustained fire of 100 rounds per minute, the More

Soldiers assigned to Comanche Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, wait for the order to breach duri More

U.S. Army Rangers, assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, tactically move prior to raiding an enemy compound during Decisive Action Rotation 15-02 at the National Training Center, Fort More

Republic of Korea Marines practice reloading in preparation for the U.S. Marine “table three” unknown distance rifle range Feb. 5 during Korean Marine Exchange Program 15-3 in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Republic More

Spc. Manuel Espinoza, a food service specialist with the 968th Quartermaster Company, zeroes his rifle during battle training assembly on Fort Irwin, Calif., Feb. 7, 2015. Soldiers of the 968th QM Company condu More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Danny E. McClure, from Decatur, Illinois, throws an M69 training grenade during Korean Marine Exchange Program 15-17 Feb. 9 at the Cham Sae Mi Close-Quarters Training Facility in Pohang, More

Spc. David Austin assigned to Apache Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, a native of Lancaster, Ohi More

A Soldier with Company E “Outlaws,” 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th ADA Brigade, fires his M249 light machine gun at targets March 26, on Fort Hood, Texas, during a live-fire exercise. More

A Marine with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion shoots an M240 Bravo medium machine gun at targets placed at unknown distances at range SR-7 aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 6, 2015. Approximately 30 Marines from t More

The 10 competitors in the Top Notch Brigade’s Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year event range-walk out to the firing line at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, April 27. The competitors zeroed their weapons and More

Jordanian soldiers discuss capabilities of their 60 mm mortar system to U.S. Marines with Kilo Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, before conducti More

From left, U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Jordan A. Sanford, Samuel C. Smith and Jacob M. Moushon, all security specialists with the 182nd Security Forces Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard, display the unifor More

Private First Class Nicholas Waurio, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, fires an M4 rifle during a training exercise aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 21. The Marines participated in several firi More

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Robert Clark, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) administrative assistant chief and native of Gastonia, N.C., reassembles a Mossburg 12 gauge shotgun model 500 at Marine Corps Base Camp More

A fire team leader with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, fires a burst of rounds from the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle in the kneeling position during a training retreat on range L-5 aboard Cam More

Airman 1st Class Seth Lamb, a member of the 122nd Security Forces Squadron, 122nd Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne, Ind., defends his squads position from enemy combatants with an M249 Light Machine Gun during a reconn More

Sgt. Jason Vickness, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist, headquarters and headquarters company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, gives commands from a mi More

Staff Sgt. Joseph Pico trains with a Barrett sniper rifle at the Suffolk County firing range on July 27, 2015. Pico is a Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM) instructors with the 106th Rescue Wing, and a More

A Soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade fires an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon on Aug. 19 at the Warrior Range on the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in South Korea. The S More

Two Soldiers work together to zero an M249 machine gun Aug. 25 at Camp Bullis, Texas. U.S. Army South’s Operations Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion conducted a multi-purpose machine gun range Au More

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Christopher Markl (right), team leader for the 364th Engineer Company (Sapper) out of Dodge City, Kansas, receives his team's first two grid coordinates for the land navigation portion of More

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Andrew Newlon, combat engineer, 688th Engineer Company (Mobility Augmentation) out of Harrison, Ark., disassembles a M240B machine gun during a weapons jumble at Sapper Stakes 2015 in For More

U.S. Army Reserve combat engineers with the 455th Engineer Company out of Hayden Lake, Idaho, compete in Sapper Stakes 2015 in a timed Zodiac boat carry at Fort Chaffee, Ark., Aug. 31. (U.S. Army photo by Staff More

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Jeffrey O'Connell, combat engineer, 309th Engineer Company (Mobility Augmentation), pounds a picket while emplacing a hasty frat fence during Sapper Stakes 2015 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., Sep More

U.S. Army Pfc. Mueller, assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, estimate range with binoculars during the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command’s Vilseck Training Area, More

An Airman from the 791st Security Forces Squadron cleans his M4 weapon system at the 5th Security Forces Armory at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Sept. 18, 2015. Airmen use CLP – a cleaning chemical, brushes, and More

Sergeant Ben Mercer, a combat engineer, loads a 16-round link into his M249 machine gun at Fort Bragg, N.C., Sept. 21, 2015. Today marks day one of the 2015 FORSCOM Marksmanship Competition and Mercer is one of More

Master Sgt. Russell Moore with the 416th Theater Engineer Command and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Team loads M9 pistol magazines during the first day of the U.S. Army Forces Command Weapons M More

Master Sgt. Russell Moore, with the 416th Theater Engineer Command and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Team, prepares for the Robotic Human Type Target scenario during the second day of the U.S. More

Master Sgt. Russell Moore, with the 416th Theater Engineer Command and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Team, engages targets with his M9 pistol during a Limited Visibility event on the final day More

Capt. Peter Adams (top center), chaplain, conducts a field service for Soldiers from Companies A and C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Oct. 11 at thei More

Cpl. Craig Bessette, a radio operator with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU), sights in with the M249 light machine gun during crew served weapons training at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Nov. 3, 2015. C More