PDA

View Full Version : II MEF (Fwd) Marines hone combat shooting skills



thedrifter
09-26-08, 03:16 PM
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. —Marksmanship has long been the Holy Grail for all Marines, and annual, known-distance qualification courses have helped them achieve this goal.

However, the dynamic nature of urban combat, which became prevalent after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, demanded another style of marksmanship. To satisfy that need, traditional marksmanship training has been supplemented by the Combat Marksmanship Program (CMP), which teaches Marines to fire while pivoting and on the move.

The CMP has long been a requirement for ground combat Marines, but has only recently become a training requirement for all Marines deploying to combat zones.

To meet this requirement, Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) must take to the rifle ranges to complete the CMP before deploying to Iraq early next year.

“I’ve done a couple of these CMP shoots already,” said Cpl. Tommy Sengdao, a field radio operator with 8th Communications Battalion. “It’s so much better than a regular range, because instead of lying in the prone or sitting, we’re shooting and moving. It just makes sense.”

Shooters participate in both day and night qualifications. At night, targets are illuminated with flares or floodlights, but the firing drills remain identical for both qualifications.

Even first-time participants understood the importance of the training.

“This is combat shooting,” said Col. Daniel Lecce, staff judge advocate for II MEF (Fwd). “It’s more relevant to what we might encounter while deployed.”

The CMP provides practical training for Marines, regardless of rank or military occupational specialty.

“A lot of non-infantry Marines don’t have the opportunity to practice these types of combat drills,” said Cpl. Steven Sess, a logistics specialist with the Marksmanship Training Unit, II MEF Headquarters Group. “Also, senior Marines with thirteen or more years are no longer required to go to the rifle range, so the CMP re-familiarizes them with the rifle.”

The traditional known-distance annual rifle qualification lasts more than a week, but the CMP provides the down and dirty of combat shooting in just one day, and also includes familiarization training with the Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), which all Marines carry in combat zones.

“It’s only one day, so it’s quick, but we put a lot of rounds down range,” Lecce said. “The training is also good for camaraderie, and it’s good to be in the field.

In addition to the CMP, II MEF (Fwd) Marines must complete a host of other training that will enable them to succeed in an operational environment. This training is dependent upon the individual’s rank and billet, and can include weapons qualification or familiarization, humvee driving courses, and combat lifesaving, among other topics.

For more information on II MEF (Fwd), visit the unit’s web site at http://www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/iimeffwd, and to learn about the ongoing mission in Iraq, go to http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil.

Ellie