MCRP 12-10B.1, page 205

her front, he/she should lie prone as close as possible to a building on the same side of the open area as the enemy. To engage the Marine, the enemy must then lean out of the window and expose himself/herself to return fire. g. No Cover Available. When no cover is available, target exposure can be reduced by firing from the prone position, by firing from shadows, and by presenting no silhouette against buildings. 27. Prepared Firing Position. A prepared firing position is one built or improved to allow the shooter to engage a particular area, avenue of approach, or enemy position, while reducing his/ her exposure to return fire. Examples of prepared positions include: barricaded windows, fortified loopholes, sniper positions, antiarmor positions, and machine gun positions. a. The natural firing port provided by windows can be improved by barricading the window and leaving a small hole for the firer’s use (Figure A-56). The barricading may be accomplished by using materials torn from the interior walls of the building or any other available material. When barricading windows, a Marine should avoid: (1) Barricading only the windows that will be used as firing ports. The enemy will soon determine that the barricaded windows are firing positions. (2) Neat square or rectangular holes that are easily identified by the enemy. A barricaded window should not have a neat, regular firing port. The window should keep its original shape so that the position of the firer is hard to detect. Firing from the bottom of the window gives the firer the cover advantage of the wall because the firing port is less obvious to the enemy. Sandbags are used to reinforce the wall below the window and to increase protection for the firer. All glass should be removed from the window to prevent injury to the firer. Lace curtains permit the firer to see out and prevent the enemy from seeing in. Wet blankets should be placed under weapons to reduce dust that may create a signature. Wire mesh placed over the window keeps the enemy from throwing in hand grenades. b. Although windows are usually good firing positions, they do not always allow the firer to engage targets throughout his/her sector. (1) To avoid establishing a pattern of always firing from windows, an alternate position is required such as the prepared loophole (Figure A-57). This involves cutting or blowing a small hole in the wall to allow the shooter to observe and engage targets in his/her sector. (2) Sandbags are used to reinforce the walls below, around, and above the loophole. If the position is on the second floor or higher, two layers of sandbags are placed on the floor under the firer to protect him/her from an explosion on a lower floor. A wall of sandbags, rubble, furniture, and so on should be constructed to the rear of the position to protect the firer from explosions in the room. A - 44 MCWP 3-35 .3