Every Marine a rifleman

Photo By Cpl. Michael Dye | Cpl. David Romrell, field wire chief with Black Sea Rotational Force 13 and Salt Lake City native, conducts a speed reload from the kneeling position during a Combat Marksmanship Program range June 17, 2013, at Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Base, Romania. BSRF-13 is serving as a crisis response force for the Black Sea, Balkan, and Baltic Region.  

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, ROMANIA

06.17.2013

Story by Lance Cpl. Michael Dye 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania – About 30 Marines with the Command Element, Black Sea Rotational Force 13, conducted crisis contingency training at Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Base, Romania, June 17, 2013. These Marines refined their skills as riflemen by conducting a Combat Marksman Program live-fire exercise.

“A CMP range is a close-combat range designed to help Marines in a Military Operations in Urban Terrain, or MOUT, environment,” said Cpl. David Romrell, field wire chief with BSRF-13 and Salt Lake City native.

The Marines who participated in this exercise were particularly excited to conduct this training because they are not currently assigned to an infantry platoon. The group composed of Marines working in a supporting role in sections like communications and operations. While a Marine in an infantry platoon might conduct a CMP range about once a month, these Marines, who work in combat support roles, do not have as many opportunities to shoot at a range outside of annual rifle qualifications.

“Most of the Marines here today are communication [platoon] Marines,” said Romrell. “However, it is important to remember that every Marine is a rifleman and training like this is important to sharpen your shooting skills and be better prepared for anything that may arise while on deployment.”

The Marines not only completed the training on the range, they also turned it from a range shoot into a competition by challenging the Marines to take home the bragging rights of Top Shooter.
Marines set up targets and then ran through various drills from the 25, 15, 10 and 5-yard line. They conducted fire-while-moving drills, reload drills and added a shooting-under-stress scenario where each Marine started by conducting 20 push-ups, 20 jumping-jacks, and sprinting for 50 yards before conducting a moving course of fire, all while wearing a full-combat load of up to 60 pounds of gear. This is load is similar to what a Marine with an infantry platoon would have.

“I enjoy this type of range more than a precision marksmanship range,” said Lance Cpl. Stephen O’Day, a radio operator with BSRF-13, and Beach Park, Ill., native. “It gives us a more real-life type scenario and allows us to focus more on a combat type environment than a range that gives us the comfort of taking our time with each shot that you may not have in a combat environment.”

These Marines were involved in the training and asked lots of questions while on the range because although these are not infantry Marines, the possibility of combat is always there.

“This training means a lot to me,” said O’Day. “I am a radio operator, which means that my job is to get communication set up and able to communicate with higher command. I go out with the infantry Marines. I am expected to be able to engage the enemy if need be. Every Marine is a rifleman.”

After the range was complete Cpl. Romrell went home with the top shooter title. He had a score of 247 points out of a possible 260.

“Being top shooter is bragging rights,” said Romrell. “The thing about bragging rights is now I am challenging the Marines under me to be better than me, and they will be training to overthrow my title.”

• Date Taken: 06.17.2013
• Date Posted: 06.27.2013 06:39
• Story ID: 109346
• Location: MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO
• Hometown: BEACH PARK, IL, US
• Hometown: SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US