Posted on Apr 13, 2016
Should the saying "every Marine a rifleman" be changed?
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A commonly thrown around term is "Every Marine is a rifleman" I strongly disagree with this statement as I am an 0311 Rifleman. I do agree that every Marine is expected to know how to shoot and qual annually with a rifle. Doesn't mean they're a rifleman. What does everyone else think?
Posted in these groups: 
Marines
Political Correctness
Marines Political Correctness
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 200
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As a 3381, when the chow hall gets over run, I pick up my rifle. I don't even think 3381 exist any more
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MSgt Jesse Tiede
After our airplane and Officer's Club, the Chow Hall was the next most defended place on any Air Force Base... (Firmly Tongue-in-Cheek...)
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Every Marine is a rifleman NOT every Marine is an infantryman. No matter your MOS we all go to the range and are expected to be proficient with our weapons. That's one of the things that sets Marines apart from the other branches.
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Check out the Chosin Reservoir. When the s..t hits the fan you're gonna want to know your weapon. Grunts are a breed apart from the Leave. Semper Fi.
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Should have added to my previous post: about 10 years ago, I had the pleasure of introducing former CMC, Gen. Carl Mundy, as guest speaker at our annual battalion reunion. He told me afterwards that he was delighted with how I closed out my introduction by referring to him as “a rifleman who found himself wearing 4 stars”.
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"Every Marine is a rifleman", true. "Every Marine is a Marine", even more so. The combat arms, storming the beaches, roaring across the desert in tanks, sending rounds long distances. OUTSTANDING!! But none of this happens without the dedication and support of thousands of other Marines. just as dedicated, just as motivated, to see the day won. Is every Marine a rifleman? A Marine is a Marine, not an MOS.
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If it ain't broke don't fix it. Semper Fi, and no I was not in the Corps but there is a meaning and history behind that motto. Leave it alone.
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LCpl Tad Cunningham
Active duty infantryman who are real riflemen. Modern day Marine Corps isn't like the old corps where everyone was needed to do grunt things.
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LCpl Jim Pleace
Politically correct bullshit has no place in our military let alone our beloved Corps!
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I was under the impression it was "basically trained rifleman".... I was in the air wing an make no claims to have near the qualifications an 0311 has. That said if the need arose the Marines at our airstation could be called on to stand a post and defend our perimeter.
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PO2 Randall Knight
Rgr that, I was a 6144 aviation metals mitch but also had my 8th award expert badge and pistol expert as well. I know weapons proficiency is only a very small part of "gruntsmanship " 0311 but I can hit what I aim at .
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LCpl Tad Cunningham
My original qual was with iron sights. Was one of the last to use iron sites in boot camp. Expert qual. Have used iron sites quite a few times outside of the range as well. I don't disagree that every Marine is taught how to shoot. Every matching can operate a gun. Every Marine is not a rifleman.
Rifleman patrol, understand and practice CQB/CQT, they live in the field, not in an office.
I work in the S-3 and consider myself rifleman by MOS not by billet. So a Motor T mechanic who only works on vehicles not only doesn't have the rifleman MOS, but also does not have the billet. If in country he was pulled to a squad and held the billet of rifleman. He would be a rifleman.
Rifleman patrol, understand and practice CQB/CQT, they live in the field, not in an office.
I work in the S-3 and consider myself rifleman by MOS not by billet. So a Motor T mechanic who only works on vehicles not only doesn't have the rifleman MOS, but also does not have the billet. If in country he was pulled to a squad and held the billet of rifleman. He would be a rifleman.
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LCpl Tad Cunningham
I think you should at least train with iron sights. What happens in country when your rco goes down and nobody knows how to use iron sights?
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Basic rifleman. In other words, if ish hit the fan and some of us...what do you call us...oh yeah, POGs were around at the time, there'd be a general idea as to what to do and basic commands given. Not sure what you'd refer to calling everyone. 03s drive vehicles, get called operators, but Motor T guys don't get the feels over it. I never had pains when a grunt used my radio after getting trained on it. Dig on in to Marine Corps history and it'll explain why Marines are basic riflemen. Supply guys in WW2 filling in the infantry losses, you'll see cooks in Korea getting some and then heading back to the chow hall, or artillerymen in Iraq running patrols and then returning to the gun line, FOs, combat engineers,RTOs, you name it, all humping with the grunts and knowing WTF contact left or hand signals are or how to set up LP/OPs. Basic rifleman stuff.
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LCpl Tad Cunningham
In current operations though. If you're admin, cook, supply, shit like that. You probably will never be called upon. Being an RO is different as you're, more often than not, attached to a platoon and you're not gonna sit there and not return fire.
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TSgt Marco McDowell
There's the crux,"probably". But there may be a chance. So it's best if everyone has basic rifleman skills. I've never heard anyone that isn't infantry claim to be a grunt but we do take pride in knowing that we've all been trained as a basic rifleman, someone proficient enough in weaponry to be an asset if called to. It's something that bonds a admin weenie to a mortar man to a pilot to a full fledged 03. Basic rifleman is a generic term, it doesn't imply that we are all equal to the task of infantry. Only grunts comprehend grunts, the rest of us, even those of us who get attached to and hump along are outsiders, but if required, we'd could get slotted in to fill a shortage. And since you'd be the duty expert, I wouldn't have issue with being led by a LCpl in that stituation. Don't take it as a slight, take it as a honor that ties us all together.
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