A few interesting “new” (to me) additions to the AP Archive on YouTube.
The Big Picture – The Atomic Soldier. Operation Desert Rock tactical nuclear blast, Frenchman’s Flats, Nevada, January 1955 (28 minutes)
The Big Picture: Marksmanship. December 1959. (28 minutes)
The Big Picture – Airmobile – The New 1st Team. 1st Cavalry, Ia Drang, Vietnam, November 1965 (28 minutes).
Folks gave this Navy skipper a hard time for this “Name 10 things wrong with this” image a few weeks back.
Well, the Army just clapped back.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, go!
EIC training at Fort Jackson…
It looks like Big Green is pumping up training not only in Basic (marksmanship training is moving from 500-rounds/83 hours to 600 rounds/92 hours to include the use of co-witnessed iron sights and the Aimpoint M2/M68 close combat optic) but also in One-Station Unit Training for Infantry as well.
In 2019, the U.S. Army will extend OSUT at Benning for Infantry Soldiers from 14 weeks (a standard they have had since 1974) to a whopping 22 weeks.
Changes to the program are meant to increase Soldier readiness, making them more lethal and proficient before they depart for their first duty assignment, according to the Infantry School commandant, Col. Townley R. Hedrick.
Big changes include a full 40-hours for combat lifesaving, a week of land nav (up from a day), use of the ACOG and PSQ-20 NVG to include day/night quals, 40 hours of combatives (up from 22), more reaction drills, more MOUT, a 16-mile road march (up from 12), more crew-served weapon time, lots more maneuver training in small units among other things.
In short, the Army is getting closer to the model the Brits have used for generations. At Catterick, all Tommies run a 26-week course (28 weeks for the Paras or Guards).
From CMP:
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is looking to expand the reach of its Small Arms Firing School beyond its regular schedule, which is held annually at the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, the CMP Travel Games at Oklahoma City Gun Club, Camp Butner – North Carolina, CMP Talladega – Alabama, New England Games at Camp Ethan Allen – Vermont and the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
Currently, the CMP welcomes 400 to 800 attendees each year at the national Small Arms Firing School at Camp Perry as part of the National Matches. CMP travel games SAFS programs serve between 40 and 100 participants per event. The CMP provides rifles and ammunition for all SAFS programs, home and away.
As a part of our firearms safety and marksmanship mission, with an emphasis on youth, the CMP is looking for a few more qualified sites around the U.S. to host the classroom program of instruction and 200-yard Excellence-In-Competition rifle match to reach those who lack the time or means to travel to a current CMP instruction site. The SAFS EIC rifle match is the only match which allows a beginning competitor to earn four leg points toward a Distinguished Rifleman Badge – the highest honor most marksmen seek to achieve in our sport. Firing the match is not a requirement of the class.
The CMP will provide instructional and administrative staffing to conduct the classroom activities, rifle match staging, squadding, firing, awards, and record-keeping.
SAFS Remote Location Training Course and Match Criteria
Classroom
Rifle Range
If your range facility would like to be considered by the CMP to schedule a future Small Arms Firing School and rifle match and your facility meets the criteria listed above, respond via email to CMP special projects coordinator, Amy Cantu, at acantu@thecmp.org, or by phone at 419-635-2141, ext. 602.
For years, the Army has focused on using ACOGs in basic training. But now, with increasing use and threats of a future battlefield that will be more geared to EW/ECM, training with co-witnessed irons will be given. This, of course, means more hours and rounds.
According to Military.com:
In the past, new soldiers in BCT shot 500 rounds and received 83 hours of marksmanship instruction over a 16-day period. The redesigned standards have soldiers shooting 600 rounds and receiving 92 hours of training.
Ft. Benning just dropped these two nuggets. Enjoy!
Shooter’s Corner: “Sights and Optics”
SSG Andrew McElroy of the Army Marksmanship Unit goes into more detail on minutes of angle and the types of sights and optics commonly used.
Shooter’s Corner: “Trajectory at Known Distance”
In part six of this series, SSG Andrew McElroy of the Army Marksmanship Unit demonstrates necessary holds at known distance targets.