A fire team is a small military unit, typically consisting of four to six soldiers. A US Army infantry fire team usually consists of a leader, a machine gunner, a grenadier (using a grenade launcher) and a radioman.
In the US Army "legs" unit (basic dismounted front-line infantry), fire team leaders are usually "buck" sergeants (E5). They are chosen for skill, professionalism and leadership ability. They are selected from the ranks of enlisted men through tests for leadership and management ability, not just through seniority, and are slowly developed into full fledged noncommissioned officers. In addition to the skills of a typical enlisted man, a sergeant takes care of soldier training and motivation. Their duties include ensuring the soldiers are in the right place at the right time with the right equipment and training - while leaving the officer time to plan and organize missions. While a sergeant's responsibilities overlap to some extent with that of an officer's, their position generally involvs delegating and supervising. As sergeants are more numerous and "closer to the ground" than officers, most soldiers look to them first for leadership.
A fire team leader's most important skill is the ability to communicate orders during the stress and noise (or silence) of combat.
Fire team leaders in the US Marine Corps are usually armed with grenade launchers, which they use to "point" at their targets. They frequently have a lower rank, such as Corporal.
Fire Team Leader (Strong Hero 3/Charismatic Hero 1): CR 4; Medium Humanoid (human); HD 3d8+1d6+4, hp 24, Mas 13; Init +1, Spd 25 ft.; Def 18 (+1 Dex, +2 class, +5 light-duty vest); BAB +3, Grap +3; Atk combat knife +3 melee (1d4+1/19-20) or automatic rifle/carbine +4 ranged (2d8); FS/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 0, Rep +2; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 13.
Occupation: Military (class skills: Climb, Knowledge [tactics]; bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency)
Skills: Climb -1*, Diplomacy +3, Hide -1 (+1 fatigues)*, Intimidate +3, Jump -2*, Knowledge (current events) +3, Knowledge (tactics) +7, Listen +2, Profession +4, Sense Motive +2, Spot +3, Swim +2 (no ACP modifier included, on the grounds that swimming in full armor and gear is suicide).
Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Personal Firearms Proficiency.
Talents (Charismatic): Coordinate.
Talents (Strong): Extreme effort, melee smash.
Possessions: automatic rifle with illuminator and bayonet, 6-8 boxes of ammunition with tracers (30 rounds, 1 in 10 rounds are tracers), 4 frag grenades, combat knife, light-duty vest or tactical vest, kevlar helmet, mesh load-bearing vest, MOLLE backpack (with rain suit, chemical/biological suit, sleeping bag, MREs), fatigues and jacket, combat boots, gas mask, night vision goggles, squad-level radio, water bladder hydration system, tactical map, 2 white smoke grenades, first aid pouch.
| This article is related to D20 Modern |
| D20 Modern NPCs |
| D20 Modern NPCs by Creature Type |
| D20 Modern NPCs by Primary Character Class |