Basic Marksmanship Training

All I can say is... about time, and still not enough.

Spc. Eliamar Casta–Staff Sgt. Carlos Osorio, drill sergeant with D Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, center, checks the sights of Pvt. Michael Cooper's weapon before he qualified Wednesday.

I've never been impressed with Army marksmanship training - and it was really frustrating as a battery-level commander in an artillery unit trying to get my people qualified to what I considered an acceptable level. The system got in the way, from STRAC allocations of ammo, to getting range time, and when I commanded a Headquarters Battery, staff grumpiness about people.

Don't even get me started on keeping the officers competent. And boy, did egos get in the way there! They were all convinced they could shoot, so it was always the weapon at fault.

Perhaps one reason I didn't retire a general officer is that I would take their weapon, shoot Expert with it, and give it back, agreeing with them that it *must* be the weapon, not the hands that held it. And kept a straight face. I really liked the ones who wanted to argue bullet variability in military ammo lots.

C'mon, ladies and gents, we're shooting at man sized targets, a hit is a hit, no one is measuring minutes of angle to determine who outshot who. We're just trying to drop the target or punch a hole somewhere inside the paper silhouette. No more.

Anyway - we're trying. I'll leave it to the Heartless Libertarian (who's got a good post on adaptation), who commands a basic training company, to offer any insights he might have should he wander by.

Keep in mind fellas - this is Fort Benning - the Home of the Infantry we're talking about.

New program of instruction changes Basic Combat Training Brigade

Story and photo by Spc. Eliamar Castañon/The Bayonet

FORT BENNING, Ga. (TRADOC News Service, Dec. 17, 2004) – The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command has changed the program of instruction for initial-entry training by incorporating the M-16 into all parts of training and using the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 to enhance marksmanship techniques learned on ranges.

Originally, Soldiers in IET received instruction on the M-16 during the basic rifle marksmanship phase of training. The new POI has Soldiers being issued an M-16 and a magazine with five blank rounds of ammunition one week into training.

“The idea is for Soldiers to become more familiar with their weapon and are comfortable using it,” said Capt. Cecil Henry, commander of D Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment.

The EST 2000 is an emerging training simulator using virtual reality to project a variety of scenario possibilities and allows for immediate feedback of shooting techniques without ever having to go to the field.

Henry said an EST 2000 will be brought to Sand Hill in January 2005 for the Basic Combat Training Brigade, and Soldiers will use the simulator at least three days in conjunction with time spent at the range.

D Company is not the only cycle of basic-training Soldiers that has converted to the new POI. Three other cycles have completed basic, and the feedback from the commanders was positive, said Capt. Alina Martinez, BCTB adjutant.

“The BRM scores for the Soldiers who carried the weapons the entire time in basic improved immensely,” Martinez said. “The first-time go’s for the different companies have improved immensely.”

Henry agreed with Martinez and said 91 percent of his Soldiers received first-time go’s on the practice range for their BRM qualifications.

Pfc. Matthew Bacon, with 3rd Platoon, guaranteed an expert score shooting at the range.

“I’ve been shooting rifles for more than 20 years now, but never an M-16,” Bacon said. “Having it with me all the time really makes me more comfortable now that I’m firing it.”

Bacon and other Soldiers in his company said they carry their weapon everywhere and sleep with it hanging on a rack next to their bunk.

“We have it with us at all times, even when we sleep,” said Pvt. Joshua Cronk. “It doesn’t matter what your MOS is, you have to be familiar with your weapon because you never know when you’ll have to use it. You have to be prepared for anything at all times.”

Pvt. James Tolman said they all received instruction on how to properly carry an M-16 the first weekend they were in training.

“I can take it apart and put it back together in two to three minutes,” Tolman said.

He also expected to get an expert shooting score to beat his brother, Samuel Tolman, who is currently in one-station unit training.