Opening fire
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JohnD (talk | contribs) at 15:59, December 1, 2008. It may differ significantly from current revision.
Opening fire refers to the first shots fired in an engagement. It can be small arms fire or artillery. The question Who fired the first shot? has legal and ethical implications.
Returning fire refers to a response to opening fire.
In confrontations between US military forces and civilians, there are strict ethical and legal rules of engagement applied to the military.