Murphy's Laws of Combat - I like #17

[packman]

1. If the enemy is in range, so are you.
2. Incoming fire has the right of way.
3. Don’t look conspicuous, it draws fire.
4. There is always a way.
5. The easy way is always mined.
6. Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.
7. Professionals are predictable, it’s the amateurs that are
dangerous.
8. The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions:
a. When you’re ready for them.
b. When you’re not ready for them.
9. Teamwork is essential, it gives them someone else to shoot at.
10. If you can’t remember, the claymore is pointed at you.
11. The enemy diversion you have been ignoring will be the main
attack.
12. A “sucking chest wound” is natures way of telling you to slow
down.
13. If your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush.
14. Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you.
15. Anything you do can get you shot, including nothing.
16. Make it tough enough for the enemy to get in and you won’t be
able to get out.
17. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.
18. If you are short of everything but the enemy, you are in a
combat zone.
19. When you have secured an area, don’t forget to tell the enemy.
20. Never forget that your weapon is made by the lowest bidder.
21. Friendly Fire Isn’t.

[hobbit709]

1. The primary one: "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy"

[MosheFeingold]

7. I always heard it different

"The first casualty of war is the plan."

[malthaussen]

10. Funny, I thought the first casualty of war was the truth. n/t

[KG]

2. it's best just to stay away from places where the people hate you enough to kill you.

[Recursion]

3. Suppressive fire won't. Tracers work both ways

All combat happens at night in the rain at the junction of four map segments.

[malthaussen]

11. That last one is classic.

Maybe doesn't apply in the desert, though.

-- Mal

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

4. #17 can be expanded universally to say 'Never sleep with anyone crazier than yourself.'

Also, the USMC rules for gun fighting have a bunch of wisdom:

http://www.snipercountry.com/articles/gunfightrules.asp

1 Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. Bring their friends who have guns.
2 If you can, make friends with those on the crew served weapons. Bring them as well. Borrow money from them, it gives them an added incentive to protect you.
3 Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
4 Only hits count. Close doesn't count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
5 If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
6 Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
7 If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
8 In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived and who didn't.
9 If you are not shooting, you should be communicating (calling for arty or air support), reloading, and running.
10 Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting is more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
11 Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket."
12 Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
13 In combat, there are no rules, always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
14 Have a plan.
15 Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
16 Have a back-up, back-up plan in case CentCom or SecDef finds the first two plans "unacceptable".
17 Use cover or concealment as much as possible. The only visible target should be in your gun sights.
18 Flank your adversary when possible. Protect your flank.
19 Don't drop your guard.
20 Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
21 Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
22 Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
23 The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
24 Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
25 Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
26 Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
27 Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."

[Xyzse]

5. Number 20 is so right.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. In one sense but not in the big picture.

Have a t-shirt:

[Xyzse]

8. Very true.

[sarge43]

9. I've always liked

Superiority is no guarantee. A stone ax can kill you just as dead as a nuke. It just takes longer and there's enough left to send home.

[A Simple Game]

12. One more.

22. When it is all over remind yourself that no one ever wins a war... no one... ever. The best you can do is lose less than the other guy.