Tables 3-6: Enhancing Combat Readiness

Photo By Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Staff Sgt. Stuart Clark, a training staff noncommissioned officer for Headquarters Battalion, observes Marines conducting Table Five as part of the unit’s annual training qualification at Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility aboard MCB Hawaii on March 15, 2017. Headquarters Bn. is conducting the training in order to meet the Marine Corps’ requirement that every unit must complete Tables Three through Six to better prepare Marines for combat. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil)  

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES

03.15.2017

Story by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Marines with Headquarters Battalion conducted Tables Three through Six at Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility on March 15, 2017.
The purpose of this training is to meet the new requirement established by the Marine Corps, that all units must complete Tables Three through Six, in addition to Tables One and Two, as part of their annual rifle qualification.
“For a while it was waivable, but now they want everyone to do it,” said Staff Sgt. Stuart Clark, a staff noncommissioned training officer with S-3 Headquarters Bn. “Look at the flight line attack on Camp Leatherneck a few years back. You never know when or where you’re going to get hit, and it’s our duty as Marines to be prepared.”
Clark said that Tables Three through Six are more complex and uncontrolled than the standard Table One shooting qualification.
“Table One is from 100 to 500 yards,” Clark said. You’re using certain positions that are not necessarily comfortable, but you’re applying the fundamentals of marksmanship slowly. For all the other tables, particularly Three through Six, you’re closer, it’s louder and dirtier. It’s more about applying the fundamentals faster with all your gear on, and engaging your target in a shorter amount of time.”
Clark said that the training is critical for Marines in regards to the conflicts the Marine Corps has experienced in the past.
“If my enemy is 500 yards away, I’m going to put him down from as far away as I can,” Clark said. “But sometimes I don’t have that option, look at Fallujah, Ramadi, Marjah, there’s a lot of examples in our recent history of extremely close, fast and dirty combat.”
Cpl. Richard Flores, a noncommissioned officer with S-3 Headquarters Bn., said that the training is beneficial for Marines, and even plays a part for those deployed overseas.
“Unknown distance was something I had to deal with while I was deployed,” Flores said. “I had to estimate how far the target was during an engagement so I could fire more accurately.”
Flores said it’s every Marines responsibility to know how to properly conduct themselves in a combat situation.
“They need to know how to properly handle and fire their weapon,” Flores said. “Every Marine’s a rifleman. They need to get into that combat mindset when going through this type of training.”
The shooting tables add challenges that will make the Marines better warfighters.
“I think the hardest part would be Tables Three and Four involving finding your impacts, adjusting and hitting your targets,” said Cpl. Ty Pendergraft, a finance technician with Headquarters Bn. “Shooting at night with the night vision optics is also difficult because the recoil hits your helmet and you can’t really look up towards the target.”
The added tables challenge the Marines and better prepares them for combat.
“I hope these Marines learn how to apply the fundamentals faster,” Clark said. “I pray to God they never have to use what they’ve learned, but if they do, I hope they prevail because they’ve already done it during training.”

• Date Taken: 03.15.2017
• Date Posted: 03.18.2017 00:04
• Story ID: 227296
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US