A Fire Team is a four-man element where infantry tactics are built neither on the infantry platoon nor the squad, but on the four-man fire team.
The fire team is an independent unit, and they are routinely employed separately. Combat experience dictates that no more than four men can act as a single unit on the modern battlefield and also that unit cohesion is strongest in the smallest possible unit. The key is keeping the maximum amount of firepower easily maneuverable.
When you're in your initial deployment phase you should start thinking of how you can combine your forces into the Fire Teams before and during deployment. Getting a clean break on quickly assembling deployed forces makes all the difference in who brings the most firepower to bear the quickest. When you're deploying, think ten seconds ahead, into what your Fire Teams may run into, paths of travel, Sniper zones, and build your deployment based on that, not just throwing Force Points into the blue or green area.
With considerations such as terrain, visibility of enemy troops, and other factors, this quickly limits the amount of direct fire you can provide into an area to a few key positions, such as doorways, windows, around the corners of obstacles, etc. Since Marines are hardly ever able to just sprint across open ground without a Sniper putting them into a hurt locker, maneuvering around and through buildings, forest, and other line of sight obstacles that keep them from dying is imperative to success.
One successful idea is to keep the firing positions you set up with a Fire Team rotating with 'fresh meat'. As your Fire Team troops take hits immediately drop them back and replace them your reserve. Don't have a reserve of troops? Wrong answer - you need to always plan a reserve location, known as a safe house, back where your ammo and medics are located. The closer to the center of the action this reserve is located the quicker you can put troops into the rotation.
Two different terms for closely related jobs.
A Fire Team is composed of certain units in order to effectively place the most firepower on target. The Fire Team can have individual members take on temporary Element Tasking. If the situation calls for it, the Fire Team itself can provide organic element support in order to storm a building, clear a room, breach a wall, deny enemy movement, etc. An example would be one Grunt performing as a Security Element as the Fire Team runs through a building, the Grunt keeps checking the Fire Team's six, or rear area, for enemies who may pop out.
Elements are parts of an overall strategy focusing on tasks such as providing security for an ongoing assault, conducting the assault itself, and supporting the assault from another direction to keep the heat off the assault element. They are terms used to quickly communicate a task assignment, i.e. Heavy Weapons Fire Team's job is support the Assault on xx, yy building.
Optimally, you will use complete Fire Teams as an Element within a greater Offensive / Defensive Strategy. Due to urban combat restrictions of line of sight, etc. your options may be restricted and you may have to use individual units as Elements, particularly as you start taking casualties.
The key to using Fire Teams effectively is in shifting parts of the team from one to the next, and also replacing wounded line troops with fresh resupplied troops from the reserve or Security Elements.
Examine the hierarchies listed below in order to see how these fit together.
Defensive Warfare Strategy might have a Security Element (consisting of an Assault Fire Team patrolling the flank), Assault Element (consisting of a Heavy Weapons Fire Team providing the 'shock and awe' which is denying enemy movement), and Support Element (Safe House, where wounded troops are getting patched up and are on their way back to resupply).
Offensive Warfare Strategy may have a Security Element (Sniper Fire Team providing overwatch and long range reporting), Assault Element (consisting of three Assault Fire Teams and a Heavy Weapons Fire Team), and Support Element (Safe House Fire Team moving under cover to set up.)
When you're in your initial deployment phase you should start thinking of how you can combine your forces into the Fire Teams before and during deployment. Getting a clean break on quickly assembling deployed forces makes all the difference in who brings the most firepower to bear the quickest. When you're deploying, think ten seconds ahead, into what your Fire Teams may run into, paths of travel, Sniper zones, and build your deployment based on that, not just throwing Force Points into the blue or green area.
Heavy Weapons Fire Team - 2 or more Grenadiers or 2 Commanders - they qualify as Heavy Weapons on their own, but usually need a Grunt or two along to keep them covered. Since they usually draw a bunch of fire, but have the ability to withstand it, going against the conventional wisdom of deploying Medics with the Fire Team works. I recommend keeping them away from Medics as much as possible, then rotating them out with fresh units when they take damage.
Assault Fire Team - 3 or more Grunts make a great room clearing team. This is the typical Fire Team, and may be accompanied by a Medic, Commander, or Grenadier. Adding a Commander and you have a great urban assault team for very close assault work, including Breaching.
Sniper Fire Team - 2 Snipers, 1 Sniper with 1 Grunt or Medic. Two Snipers will usually take out a single Sniper in a duel, and they also will really put the hurt onto a Machina Missile Tank or AI. Snipers work well on their own, but pair them with a single Force Point unit and you minimize the sad occurrence of your sniper getting shot three times while trying to shoot a Grunt once when moving through buildings or other cover.
One great way of using these Sniper Fire Teams is to follow behind an Assault Fire Team that works on clearing a room, then the Sniper Fire Team moves in for a bit of fun (window or doorway shooting) perhaps even to cover the Assault Fire Team as they are moving across open areas to the next building.
Safe House Fire Team - 2 or more Medics, hopefully escorted. This is not really a Fire Team, just the transiting component of a safe house. Usually two Medics seen together is a big draw for attention from an enemy, so they may run with a single Commander and set up shop briefly in a clear area in order to quickly support wounded units. If you plan out where good safe house locations are from the beginning, you can maneuver your Medics in with other Fire Teams in order to not draw too much attention to the location.
The Safe House Fire Team also works well as bait, if you travel through an area the enemy may think that you have valuable but easy to kill units in that direction. Also, if you are down to only a few men, and you need them as a reserve late in the game, bring them on in as extra guns.