Photo By Sgt. Tyler OConnell | A South Dakota National Guard soldier with the 153rd Engineer Battalion fires his M4...... read more read more
Soldiers from the South Dakota National Guard’s 153rd Engineer Battalion were the first unit in the state to tackle the U.S. Army’s new individual weapons qualification course at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, Oct. 3-4.
The new course replaces the previous annual marksmanship qualification standards with one that requires soldiers to engage targets faster and to operate as they would in combat. The course prepares soldiers to fire their M16 rifle or M4 carbine in positions they may find themselves in during an engagement with the enemy.
Rather than having magazines pre-positioned and receiving instructions from a range tower on when to change firing positions or magazines, soldiers are now changing magazines in the midst of changing positions, which is much more realistic to how they are expected to react in a firefight.
The new qualification course now includes four firing positions, or tables, where soldiers will engage 40 pop-up targets at varying distances. The course now also includes a barricade for supported positions.
Soldiers start out in the standing position for one target and quickly transition to the prone unsupported position for nine targets. Next, they move to the prone supported position for 10 targets and then transition up to the kneeling supported position for another 10 targets. Finally, soldiers stand in the supported position for the last 10 targets.
“As the M-16 range qualification OIC (officer in charge), soldiers found the new qualification tables challenging, yet fun,” said 1st Lt. Garret Gibbs, platoon leader with the 153rd Forward Support Company. “The process of ‘Fighting up!’ builds soldier confidence in their own abilities as the new qualification is at a faster pace and requires quick target acquisition, decision making and increased manual of arms movements.”
“The new qualification tables seemed intimidating at first, because it was different and something new that I haven’t tried before,” said Sgt. Christopher Weber, a communications specialist with Headquarters Company, 153rd. “It has given me the confidence that I can still shoot proficiently even while making transitions to different shooting positions.”
The soldiers started out in the crawl phase being introduced to the new firing positions with the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000, a virtual weapons simulator computer system. The soldiers worked on their shot zeroing/grouping, shooting in a gas mask, and night fire.
Next, they moved to the zero range, where for the first time are required to not only have a good zero but a good shot grouping to be able to move onto the qualification range. Once on the qualification range, soldiers are issued four magazines loaded with 10 rounds each, which are placed into their magazine pouches.
The soldiers then move to an individual firing lane to begin the course. The course takes about four minutes to complete and includes engaging both single and multiple targets, has no administrative calls to switch magazines or move positions, and soldiers have to be ready to correct a weapon malfunction, should they occur.
Soldiers still earn three different proficiencies in marksmanship. To pass, soldiers will have to score 23 out of 40, make 23 to 29 for marksman, 30 to 35 for sharpshooter, and 36 to 40 for expert.
After completing the new weapons qualification course, Weber and Gibbs are encouraged by the new standard and feel it will be more beneficial for soldiers.
“I’m excited we have transitioned to this new qualification standard, and I’m looking forward to continuing this training in the years to come,” Weber said.”
“I personally found the new training superior to the old standard,” Gibbs said. “It built my confidence in the soldier's weapon handling capabilities and encourages me that we will have a better trained and capable force for the future conflicts ahead.”
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2020 13:01 |
| Story ID: | 381920 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 1,646 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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