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?
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Marines
Political Correctness
Marines Political Correctness
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 200
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While on Active Duty, I had numerous occasions to brief members of other Services about the Marine Corps. Included in this was the ethos of "Every Marine a rifleman". I regularly pointed out that it was more of a mindset, and not a statement of a qualification; the idea that there are no non-combatant Marines. Moreover, that every Marine needs to be mentally prepared that they are expected to fight, regardless of MOS. I know that the attitude of "Every Marine a rifleman" is one of the key factors that makes the Marine Corps one of the premier fighting forces in history.
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Every Marine is trained with the rifle. Hence, a rifleman. However basic.
You on, the other hand, are trained in infantry tactics. Still a rifleman, no longer basic.
Sgt. Irvine 0311
You on, the other hand, are trained in infantry tactics. Still a rifleman, no longer basic.
Sgt. Irvine 0311
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I hate to say it but why are you butthurt over this? It's something that is explained over and over throughout Bootcamp and subsequent training. At any given moment a Marine passing out in supply or typing away in admin can be given a rifle and sent to a line company. There are better things to trouble yourself with.
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LCpl Tad Cunningham
Most of the shit they say in boot camp is a lie anyways. Only brand new Marines believe it's all truth.
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Cpl Daniel Welle
When shit went down in Chosen, every Marine in Puller's unit was a rifleman no matter what their real MOS was. That's what it's friggin about. That type of situation. I don't know what it is with people these days. Always feel the need to hold themselves separate, feel 'special' guess what, you already are different. You are a damned United States Marine. Stop worrying about a fricking motto, if you are active right now you REALLY have more important things to be concerned with.
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SSgt Terry P.
Cpl Daniel Welle - Excellent statement,Cpl,we were personally reinforced over and over in VN with typist,cooks,motor trans,and any other Marine they deemed necessary.Tactics are usually left to the leaders and i thought any Marine could follow orders.
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Sgt Dan Catlin
LCpl Tad Cunningham - Actually, they do. I was a Ground Radio Repairman 2841 when I went to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, 3rd Bn/9th Marines. They put me on an M60 crew for a short time until someone noticed they were vey short of Radio Repairmen and had a fit over it. I got to carry the tripod. I think they thought I'd fall down and wet myself at some point, me not being an 03anything. But I always had a great set of pins under me. Even loaded down I could keep up with anyone. But I have to admit, they were a LOT better at most of it than me! I actually didn't like going back on the bench until they told me I didn't have to make formations, pull mess duty, guard duty, or anything else. Just get in there early, stay late, and fix radios! Never was I more enthusiastic when I said "Aye aye, SIR!" Still, an M-60 would have been a nice addition to my bench ...
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PO2 Hank Kaczmarek
Like most of my Marines, 20/400 uncorrected vision, picking gnats off a chipmunk's ass at 500
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Hey Tad, I'm gonna have to disagree. In '93 I was in S Battery 5/10. We went to Somalia and became...... A provisional rifle company. Every Marine is indeed a rifleman.
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CW3 Matt Hutchason
Hey Will, can you shoot me that picture at [login to see] please? Thanks Leatherneck. CWO3 (Join to see)
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PO2 Hank Kaczmarek
CW3 Matt Hutchason - Glad to see my old unit got to see some action. In 83 we sat on Okinawa as the barracks blew. Some guys get all the luck!
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Speaking as an old Army NCO, I always held up that Marine boast as being symbolic of what it means to be a soldier regardless of uniform, and was very vocal that we all should make that our individual goal. If you change that, you may be acknowledging a new reality, but the ultimate loss will be inevitable, particularly in a world of asynchronous warfare mission sprint as opposed to creep. Everybody better be a rifleman in that world, and the Marines need to remain the best at it. If you wear a uniform, you're supposed to be able to pick up that rifle and do what needs to be done; because the Marines invest time and training in it and have that as part of their mystique, guess what, they're the best at it. Something for other services to aspire to and something to defend proudly.
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there is a reason i made this meme and even posted it here a while back. if you run out of planes, helicopters or tanks, you become infantry. and the basics must always be there and to a useful skill level. this must always be your mindset.
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CPT Terry Lewis
Couldn't help but notice the dogs on board! I was a Scout dog handler in Viet Nam, The dogs got me and many others out alive!
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Richard Alty
Royal Naval field Gun Competition 1999 ( NOT the "last")
NOT THE LAST...Not by any means the last but nevertheless regarded by many as the last because it was the last with full-sized guns over the full Earl's Cour...
Or Artillery.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32s4qCCFnmk&t=325s
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The saying is "Every Marine is a Rifleman". It is NOT "Every Marine is an Infantryman". I don't see what your issue is.
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Suspended Profile
Looking at a lot of valid responses here, I'd say that the solution would be changing the title of 0311 to Infantryman? Would that make the 03xx's happy then?
I get it, being a superPOG myself, that there are people out there in the fleet that forgot or never properly learned some basic skills. Not everyone is fully proficient at PMCS of a M-240 or even touching an Mk-19 - depends on the individual and unit. I think that we should do more of that when we go to the field, vs. just getting the mission accomplished. Looking at a grander picture, which we at the lower levels don't see it those METL's being fulfilled, what actually needs to happen and expectation....
In conclusion, I think most of us are riflemen, because we train and are expected to perform as one, when the time comes. Wish POG's would do more of that - patrols, convoys, all the fun MCT stuff but on a more detailed scale, with lots of moving parts.
I get it, being a superPOG myself, that there are people out there in the fleet that forgot or never properly learned some basic skills. Not everyone is fully proficient at PMCS of a M-240 or even touching an Mk-19 - depends on the individual and unit. I think that we should do more of that when we go to the field, vs. just getting the mission accomplished. Looking at a grander picture, which we at the lower levels don't see it those METL's being fulfilled, what actually needs to happen and expectation....
In conclusion, I think most of us are riflemen, because we train and are expected to perform as one, when the time comes. Wish POG's would do more of that - patrols, convoys, all the fun MCT stuff but on a more detailed scale, with lots of moving parts.
LCpl Tad Cunningham
I agree that every Marine can operate a rifle and can function in combat. Unless they are taught CQB/CQT at a bare minimum they definitely aren't rifleman.
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Suspended Profile
We were told in MCT that we're taught the basic 0311 package - all crammed in in 28 days, with 4 libo periods projected but not guaranteed. I only had 2 - one was for haircuts and whatnot (4hrs total, which was waiting in line), and the overnight one (once you're done with the "curriculum", and getting ready to graduate). ITB is like an MOS school - you get evenings, and weekends for the most part to yourself (aka off), correct? Even though it was a different school, I had evenings and weekends off. I'm not saying ITB is easier or better, or whatever, but I remember while we were training late during weekdays and on weekends, there were other students in casual attire, going about their business. From that aspect, I think we may get what you are getting training-wise, just crammed. The problem may/will occur once we hit the fleet, and there is no continuation of honing and maintaining those skills (not at a 100% capacity, but at the level that a POG is not retarded when it comes to these things). We all know that POGs would never call themselves grunts, infantrymen, or really riflemen - it's more of an idea and something to paint a picture of our purpose (should this happen, we have a larger ego/mental capacity problem). If I was ever in a situation where I would be employed as one, I wouldn't go around telling my guys or anyone else how I was "pretty much a grunt"! Even some of my fellow Comm guys (radio operators), that were attached to line companies in Infantry Bn's NEVER claimed that they were a grunt or rifleman - they would say I performed that function/billet as (in their case, 0621), or would say, in a positive manner, "I was a grunt with a radio attached to me/carrying a radio around!"...... I would never think of me as a true rifleman, unless I performed that as a part of my day to day tasks and living, and eventually got to deploy as one (a MEU at least).
Hopefully this made some sense.... also, remember, there are POGs out there that know their shit, being motarded or not, and you might be surprised how much they know or retained in terms of basic combat skills and tactics. Everyone (or at least the vast majority of) joins to be a trigger puller, door kicker!
Hopefully this made some sense.... also, remember, there are POGs out there that know their shit, being motarded or not, and you might be surprised how much they know or retained in terms of basic combat skills and tactics. Everyone (or at least the vast majority of) joins to be a trigger puller, door kicker!
Suspended Profile
Forgot to ask, what in your opinion constitutes CQB/CQT?
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I went to Vietnam in November 1966 as a 1371 Combat Engineer in Dong Ha,was sent to Khe Sahn in Feb.1967 and had my MOS changed to 0311 until Aug. 1967 when I became the Khe Sahn Combat Base courier with an MOS 0141 until Nov. 1967.Upon leaving Khe Sahn to return home to El Torro and the USA in Nov. 1967 my MOS was changed back to my original MOS of 1371 Combat Engineer which was my given MOS after completing Combat Engineering school at Camp LeJune in 1966. That said, no matter what your MOS a Marine is always first and formost a rifleman,everything else is secondary.
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