Editing Fireteam (section)

===Interwar period===
In the inter-war years, [[United States Marine Corps]] Captain [[Evans F. Carlson]] and [[Merritt A. Edson]] are believed to have developed the fireteam concept during the [[United States occupation of Nicaragua]] (1912–1933). At that time the US Marine [[squad]] consisted of a Corporal and seven Marines all armed with a bolt-action [[M1903 Springfield rifle]] and an automatic rifleman armed with a [[Browning Automatic Rifle]]. The introduction of the [[Thompson submachine gun]] and [[Winchester Model 1912]] [[shotgun]] was popular with the Marines as a point-defense weapon for countering ambush by [[Nicaragua]]n [[guerrilla]]s within the thick vegetation that could provide cover for a quick overrun of a patrol. A team of four men armed with these weapons had proven more effective in terms of firepower and maneuverability than the standard nine-man rifle squad.

Carlson, who later went to [[China]] in 1937 and observed Communist [[8th Route Army]] units of the [[National Revolutionary Army]] in action against the [[Imperial Japanese Army]], brought these ideas back to the US when the country entered [[World War II]]. Under his command, the [[Marine Raiders|2nd Marine Raider battalion]] were issued with the semi-automatic [[M1 Garand]] rifle and were organized in the standard 4-man fireteam (although it was called firegroup) concept, 3 firegroups to a squad with a squad leader. A firegroup was composed of an [[M1 Garand rifle]]man, a [[M1918 BAR|BAR gun]]ner and a [[submachine gun]]ner. After sustaining severe wounds, Carlson was replaced and his battalion later disbanded and reorganized under conventional Marine doctrine of ten-man squads. Later, Carlson's fireteam concept was re-adopted.