This 1917 manual of musketry training is designed to instruct all infantry ranks in the use and care of their rifles, even under the gruelling battle conditions of the western front in the fourth year of the Great War. It is also aimed at instructing Commanding officers to make the best use of their men s firepower under all conditions. There are chapters on the care and maintenance of arms; on visual training and distance judging; fire discipline and range firing; and section, platoon and company training.

This manual provides doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures on how infantry rile platoons and squads fight.

This field manual provides a doctrinal framework on how Infantry rifle platoons and squads fight. It also addresses rifle platoon and squad non-combat operations across the spectrum of conflict. Content discussions include principles, tactics, techniques, procedures, terms, and symbols that apply to small unit operations in the current operational environment (COE). FM 3-21.8 supersedes FM 7-8, Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad, dated 22 April 1992 (with change 1, dated 1 March 2001). It is not intended to be a stand-alone publication. To fully understand operations of the rifle platoon and squad, leaders must have an understanding of FM 3-21.10, The Infantry Rifle Company, and FM 3-21.20 (FM 7-20), The Infantry Battalion.The primary audiences for this manual are Infantry rifle platoon leaders, platoon sergeants, and squad and fire team leaders. Secondary audiences include, instructors in U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) schools, writers of Infantry training literature, other Infantry leaders and staff officers, and Reserve Officer Training Candidate (ROTC) and military academy instructors.Infantry leaders must understand this manual before they can train their companies using ARTEP 7-8 MTP, and ARTEP 7-8 Drill. They should use this manual as a set along with the publications listed in the references.The Summary of Changes list major changes from the previous edition by chapter and appendix. Although these changes include lessons learned from training and U.S. Army operations all over the world, they are not specific to any particular theater of war. They are intended to apply across the entire spectrum of conflict.

The training circular, TC 3-21.8 Infantry Rifle and Mechanized Platoon Collective Task Publication August 2013, is a tool that platoon leaders can use as an aid during training strategy development. The products in this TC are developed to support the plan. This TC provides guidance for platoon leaders, leaders, and Soldiers who are responsible for planning, preparing, executing, and assessing training of the Infantry platoon. This publication applies to the Active Army, the U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG)/Army National Guard of the United States (ARNGUS), and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) unless otherwise stated. The primary target audience for this TC is the platoon leader, and other leaders within an Infantry platoon. The secondary audience comprises training developers involved in developing training support materials for Professional Military Education (PME). The proponent for this publication is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. The mission of the Infantry is to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver in order to destroy or capture him, or to repel his assault with fire, close combat, and counterattack. The Infantry will engage the enemy with combined arms in all operational environments to bring about his defeat. The close combat fight is not unique to the Infantry.

This field manual provides a doctrinal framework on how Infantry rifle platoons and squads fight. It also addresses rifle platoon and squad non-combat operations across the spectrum of conflict. Content discussions include principles, tactics, techniques, procedures, terms, and symbols that apply to small unit operations in the current operational environment (COE). FM 3-21.8 supersedes FM 7-8, Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad, dated 22 April 1992 (with change 1, dated 1 March 2001). It is not intended to be a stand-alone publication. To fully understand operations of the rifle platoon and squad, leaders must have an understanding of FM 3-21.10, The Infantry Rifle Company, and FM 3-21.20 (FM 7-20), The Infantry Battalion. The primary audiences for this manual are Infantry rifle platoon leaders, platoon sergeants, and squad and fire team leaders. Secondary audiences include, instructors in U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) schools, writers of Infantry training literature, other Infantry leaders and staff officers, and Reserve Officer Training Candidate (ROTC) and military academy instructors. Infantry leaders must understand this manual before they can train their companies using ARTEP 7-8 MTP, and ARTEP 7-8 Drill. They should use this manual as a set along with the publications listed in the references. The Summary of Changes list major changes from the previous edition by chapter and appendix. Although these changes include lessons learned from training and U.S. Army operations all over the world, they are not specific to any particular theater of war. They are intended to apply across the entire spectrum of conflict.