Er, 26 + 2 < 33. Does that mean you didn't have to take the pistol as often?
Not a smart ass comment, just a curious "would like to know" from one of those astigmatics who never served and probably wouldn't have been able to it the broad side of a barn. (Back in Boy Scouts days, I was pretty good with a bow & arrow, but lousy with the .22.)
Thanks.
Originally Posted by: wade
...It depended upon what weapons you were required to maintain on an annual basis as per what is called the T O & E . (Table of organization & Equipment)
The armorers want you to be equipped with everything. You want to be equipped with nothing. If you are equipped, you must qualify and CLEAN the bitch, whatever it is.
My TO&E always called for both. There are many variables involved. We don't go and qualify for the rifle on the KD range at Camp Lejeune etc. if we are in friggin' Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. We qualify more if the school we are about to enter wants a very recent qual= e.g.- scout/sniper school, Within 7 days prior to when I went is what they wanted, as an extreme example.
Pistol was far closer to annual, no one really gave a rat's ass about pistol except the armorers, and you got to dodge it far easier as a Marine. No dodging annual qual as a Marine with a rifle unless a grunt in a combat zone , be it a cook, baker. supplyman, air-winger or the Commandant of the Marine Corps. You can either shoot that rifle or get the fuck out of the Corps.
Edit-- (Sorry Nick, et al, lol)
The reason the armorers were trying to slough weapons off on you is that if you were responsible for cleaning/maintaining/shooting it... they weren't.
Annual with exceptions is the best answer, but to complicate things, Infantry commanders wanted infantry to "make up" B-mod quals with "KD" quals when "their" men were forced to shoot on a "REMF range"--- (Non-infantry can shoot Bmod which is maxed at 300 yards- Infantry shoot KD, which is maxed at 500 yards) I don't believe the doggies or even the vaunted SEALS have ever gone beyond 300 for qualifying. yet the Corps even make the boots do that. The maximum effective range of the 5.56 is 460 meters.
I had two Bmods which I "made up for" in my next "real" command. If we ever get an air-winger-REMF-type Marine in here he will tell you that the BMod was no party, but infantry commanders don't see that. My TO&E for pistol was dropped while the Corps sent me through college... Not rifle though, my Navy Lieutenant OIC down in Bainbridge (Officer-in-charge) was silly enough to try and get that requirement dropped on my behalf without my knowledge...
He subsequently told me how we was advised that he was in the military and the personnel under him were being paid to go to war, not to friggin' college, lol. I listened quietly, but habla'd where the directives were coming from, even though he was a really nice fella- Personally, I had wished I'd joined the friggin' Navy at that point, lol
That's all with iron-sites, btw. I couldn't even approach marksman in 2012. I'd go "Unq" with a scope, for cripes-sake. It goes Marksman, Sharpshooter, then Expert. It was and is extremely hard to do, as defined by the Marines. It's a "zone" thing. Perspective-The Navy actually sent investigators to Fallujah as there were so many head shots being delivered by the Marines there. The Navy was convinced there were wholesale assassinations going on. Turns out the Marines were just hitting what they saw, at ranges to 500 yards. The NIS just couldn't believe it. Look it up. (Naval investigative Service)