New Marine Rifle Course Redefines What It Means To Be a ‘Rifleman’
Mil & Intel
By Dustin Jones | October 12, 2021
Starting Oct. 1, the Marines began judging their marksmanship in a new way. Marines will no longer shoot their qualifying courses of fire in the traditional order of prone, kneeling, and standing positions. To qualify as riflemen, Marines now face a more pragmatic “train like you fight” Annual Rifle Qualification.
“Dating back to the early 1900s with only minor changes from its original form, the current annual rifle training qualification has been unchanged,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Anthony Viggiani, Marine gunner at US Marine Corps Training and Education Command. “This has been the same qualification that every Marine shoots throughout their entire career, until now.”
Marines aboard California’s Camp Pendleton qualify on the Corps’ traditional rifle course, which has seen little change since its inception in the early 1900s. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ronald L. Parker II.
The combat-oriented three-day course will require Marines to shoot in their body armor, using bipods, backpacks, and support barricades to measure their lethal effectiveness.
https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-army/2021/10/12/army-logisticians-will-face-unprecedented-challenges-in-future-combat/
