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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – “Five up, two right!”
A Marine adjusts his elevation and deflection as he engages his next
target at 1,200 meters in the distance.
The roar of Mk-19
grenade launcher and .50 caliber machine gun fire engulfs the area
as Marines serving with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine
Regiment, conducted a live-fire exercise on Range 222 here, Sept. 4
and 5, 2013.
During the two days of shooting, the Marines
fired Mk-19 grenade launchers, .50 caliber machine guns, M249 squad
automatic weapons and M240B medium machine guns to cross train and
refine their skills with each weapon system.
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Lance Cpl. William Krueck
(right), a machine gunner with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st
Marine Regiment, and a native of Milwaukee, evaluates Lance Cpl.
Pete Williams, a machine gunner with Alpha Co. and native of San
Diego, as he engages targets with a .50 caliber machine gun during a
live-fire exercise on Range 222, Sept. 4, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Scanlan)
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The machine gunners from Alpha Co. fired grenade
launchers and heavy machine guns during the first day of
shooting, and the riflemen fired SAWs and M240Bs during the
second day.
“As machine gunners, we need to be a
master at craft of all light, medium and heavy machine
guns,” said Sgt. Jack Marino, a machine gun section leader
with Alpha Co. and a native of Martinez, Calif. “A lot of
the Marines out here shooting are young and haven't had much
time to familiarize themselves with the heavy machine guns.
There is only so much you can learn through classes and
reading about a weapon system, so today we're giving the
Marines a full hands-on experience.”
A majority of
riflemen marksmanship training includes shooting M16A4
service rifles, M4 carbines and M27 Infantry Automatic
Rifles, but they are also trained to utilize many weapon
systems other than their own.
“To get an opportunity
to crosstrain is awesome because riflemen are often times
referred to as the jack of all trades,” said Lance Cpl. Ryan
Schalles, a team leader with Alpha Co. and a native of
Houston. “As the jack of all trades, whether it be a mortar
system, shoulder-fired weapon or machine gun, we have to
know how to use each weapon system effectively because at
any time in a combat zone we may be in a situation where we
have to use a certain weapon system to keep our Marines
alive.”
The Marines went through extensive classes on
weapon safety, maintenance, nomenclature and firing
procedures prior to firing on the range. All of the riflemen
who attached to the company in the past six months upon
completing the School of Infantry had never fired a SAW
because it's no longer included during the rifleman training
curriculum at the school since it is now classified as a
machine gun.
The Marines were on the range honing
their skills to build a good baseline of knowledge and
marksmanship across the company so any Marine can get behind
a weapon system and feel comfortable utilizing it, said 1st
Lt. Marc Hildwein, a platoon commander with Alpha Co. and a
native of Chicago.
Each Marine's shot groups and
confidence was evaluated as he fired each weapon during the
two days of shooting to form a foundation of accuracy and
expertise in the company. A senior Marine was at each weapon
to monitor proficiency, give advice and test the Marine
shooting it.
After completing the two days of
shooting, the company plans to continue marksmanship and
infantryman training to maintain deployment readiness.
See video
By USMC Cpl. Joseph Scanlan
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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