Qualifying with an EOTech

SGT Montana Crawford — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:05:03 -0400

I'm currently stationed at a hospital, working on those 68w promotion points any way I can, including college credits and APFT. My current question concerns the range. We use borrowed weapons from an MP Batt, so optics are out of the question.

What I need to know is, is there any actual Army regulation or policy that keeps me from attaching a personally owned optic (such as an EOTech or even a m68) to an M16 for qualification purposes? I know my current capabilities, and after 3.5 years Infantry, and almost 8 years total Army time, I'm stuck at 34-36 with ironsights. Kneeling is a pain, and I do work on it when I can..

Please refrain from beating your chest, as people are prone to do when I ask this.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2014 11:47 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 23:47:56 -0400

What does your chain say? It's generally at the discretion of the range NCOIC or if he has no spine, the range OIC. I think it's fair to assume that a reasonable NCO would allow you to use an optic to qualify for this purpose, but your frame of reference would be FM 3-22.

More specifically, the only optics authorized for a 3595 record fire score card per the FM are Iron sights, M68 CCO, ACOG, AN/PAS-13, AN/PAQ-4 B/C, and the AN/PEQ-2 A/B, the latter two only being designators and not actual optics. The EOtech or other COTS optics are not specifically authorized.

You can find this in appendix B of the FM. Borrow an ACOG from someone if you can't see, but it isn't going to help you shoot any better.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2014 8:45 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 08:45:00 -0400

I would not be against it personally.

However, the weapons we use in the Army whether they are assigned to you or another unit are still goverment property. So, if you put something on the weapon that had the potential to break something or damage it in any way you would be accountable for the damages to that weapon. This is why we stress that you make no modifications to any weapon unless you are issued the item to put on the weapon (any malfunction that the ISSUED item had that damages the weapon would not be your fault unless you were neglegent to the care of that weapon).

I would get clearance from a) the Unit Commander that the weapon belongs to. b) Let your chain of command know what your intentions are and that you plan to do it if they are ok with it. By doing this you will clear up any authorized optics questions. Then, if you get a thumbs up from both Command teams, then put it on there.

The range NCO/OIC doesn't need to be involved as they are there to run the range and ensure safety. I have been a range NCO and in that role there is no time to deal with questions of weapon configuration. If someone asked me I would probably say no, unless you caught me when I had time to think about it in the early morning before the grind started.