Photo By Sgt. Paul Peterson | Marines take aim on their first day of Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course held at...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - There is a proud tradition of shooting with a storied history of marksmen. It’s often held at face value if an individual bares the title Marine, he also knows how to shoot. Yet a Marine’s skill at arms is an earned trait, less the product of his or her title and more the result of his history, selectivity and training.
In every Marine’s career there is a coach, possibly many, whose skill and experience continues to feed truth into the phrase, “Every Marine is a rifleman.”
“The coach is the guy actually on the firing line, making sure the Marine is doing what he needs to do, analyzing data books, making sure their shot delivery is correct and helping them qualify,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Peter Burns, officer in charge of the Marksmanship Training Unit aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. “A Marine who comes out here and goes through the coaches school goes through the full gambit of fundamental marksmanship training in the Marine Corps.”
Prospective coaches report to MTU at Stone Bay, where they receive three weeks of instruction, and 12 classes of up to 90 students are convened each year. Students learn the fundamentals of pistol shooting and train in the various areas of Marine rifle marksmanship. In addition, coaches learn how to conduct the range, coach shooters and run the range for qualifying Marines. Equally important, coaches put their own skills to the test.
“The idea is you are instructing, but you are also doing: practice what you preach,” said Burns. “It gives you a whole new perspective on the teaching. It lets you teach with more confidence, and it means more. People tend to listen a little bit more because you’ve actually done it, and it worked.”
Each unit has a quota for coaches it needs to fill. Every year commands send their selected Marines to MTU, where they earn the qualifications needed to provide coaching support to their units as Marines report to the range for their annual qualification.
“Those are the Marines who need to be doing your preparatory training prior to going out and shooting on the rifle range,” said Burns. “There’s a wealth of knowledge the Marines bring back, and they can be very valuable to their units.”
Not only do the coaches provide training for their unit’s Marines, they also garner a great deal of benefits for themselves. Marines who make it through the MTU course and come out the other end as coaches earn an additional military occupational specialty, qualify on both the rifle and the pistol, and open up additional military occupational specialties and experiences for themselves.
Training for coaches is now standardized around the Marine Corps, and qualified coaches have the ability to pursue additional specialties. Six months after completing the Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course some Marines have the ability to move on to the Combat Marksmanship Trainers Course, which comes with an additional MOS, said Burns. A Marine with both specialties has the ability to put in for orders to one of the many ranges around the Marine Corps.
The Marines who complete the MTU training return to their units and continue with their original MOS after their year on the range is completed. However, their importance to their units and expertise as a coach continues to contribute to the rifle skills of the Marine Corps.
“You don’t want to spend too much time out of your MOS,” said Burns, “but showing you are a well-rounded Marine who can do things outside of his MOS is always a good thing.”
Stone Bay’s MTU does more than provide coaches and trainers for the Marine Corps, said Burns. They also help with the Competition Arms Program and the various shooting competitions, even fielding their own shooting team. In addition, MTU stands poised to help units struggling to get their Marines qualified on the range.
“If there is a unit out there that needs support, give MTU a call and we can see if we can get support to you,” said Burns. “Not only do we do the (courses), but if you need help with pistol qualification or need instruction, we can provide it. We can even run a pistol range for you; however, we do need to schedule it around what we already do.”
Units requiring assistance with training, scheduling or running a range, meeting their quota for coaches or locating a trainer, which is required for the preparatory ‘Grass Week’ training prior to shooting on the range, can call 440-2026 or 440-2027.
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2012 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 90323 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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