USMC Marksmanship... And Why It's Better Than The Army's • The Havok Journal

Marksmanship can be the difference of being a live troop or being a dead one.
Make it count !

TSgt Joe C. PO3 Steven Sherrill CW3 Kevin Storm SSG (Join to see) SGM Steve Wettstein SMSgt Thor Merich MSG (Join to see) PO1 John Johnson MAJ Ken Landgren LTC Greg Henning PVT Mark Zehner MSG Tom Earley Alan K. SPC Mark Huddleston PO1 H Gene Lawrence SGT Elizabeth Scheck Sgt Deborah Cornatzer SSgt Boyd Herrst SPC Diana D. SFC George Smith

I'll be honest... I didn't learn how to shoot properly until I left the Service. I can't recall exactly, but I think I had like one day on the range at the Academy...fired the M14 and the M9 for "quals" occasionally while on ship...and didn't get any real time on the M4 until I went to Riley. The latter was my first exposure to Army marksmanship, and as a Sailor, I was impressed with what we were trained to do in such a short amount of time. I don't know how much the MTTT there differed from more conventional Army training, but I did leave the frozen wastes of Kansas feeling like I'd have a fighting change of surviving a firefight day or night. Downrange, we scored extra ammo from some SF folks we knew, and shot a bit more than we were expected-far less than we wanted. I was so concerned over how many skill sets I had lost in just a few months that I actually ran on iron sights only for a time. Back home, once I began seeking professional training, and spending a lot of time on the range...a "light bulb" finally came on, and everything started to come together. Ultimately however, I think it all comes down to lots of practice, incorporating many different skills. The Marines greatest flaw...and greatest asset has always been it's comparatively small size against the other Services. Over the decades, it's imbued them with a unity of purpose, a commitment to exceptionalism, and a focus on important and distinguishing characteristics. Great models for any force to emulate.