Suppressive Fire for Dummies

Suppressive Fire is a phrase that you might have heard if you have ever played a video game or seen an action movie. But what does it actually mean? Imagine you are playing a game of hide and seek, and you want to make sure your friends stay hidden while you try to find them. So, you start firing pretend shots into the area where you think they might be hiding. This makes them scared and forces them to stay hidden, right? Well, that is similar to what suppressive fire is. It is a military tactic used to keep the enemy hiding and prevent them from shooting back at you or advancing towards you.

When soldiers are engaged in combat and facing an enemy who is shooting at them, they may use suppressive fire to create a psychological and physical barrier. Instead of aiming directly at the enemy soldiers, they fire their weapons in a way that makes the area around the enemy filled with bullets or explosions. The goal is not necessarily to hit the enemy, but to make them feel threatened and scared, so they won't have the courage or ability to fight back effectively. It's like throwing a bunch of basketballs into the air while your friends are trying to shoot hoops. They would be too afraid of getting hit to focus on making their shots, right?

Now, let's break down this phrase even further to fully understand it. The word "suppressive" means to hold back, put down, or restrain. It is like when you are trying to push a door open, but someone on the other side is holding it closed to prevent you from entering. Similarly, in the context of suppressive fire, the goal is to hold back or restrain the enemy's ability to fight. The word "fire" refers to shooting or discharging a weapon, like when you play with toy guns and pretend to shoot.

In the military, suppressive fire is often used to gain an advantage in a battle or to protect friendly soldiers. By keeping the enemy pinned down and afraid, it allows your own troops to move around, take cover, or even advance towards the enemy to gain a better position.

So, in simple words, suppressive fire means shooting a lot of bullets or explosives towards the enemy to make them too scared and threatened to fight back effectively. It's like throwing lots of fake punches or basketballs to keep your opponents at bay and protect yourself or your teammates. It's a tactic used in combat to restrain the enemy and create a psychological and physical barrier.