Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.--Recruits of Company A, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, set their aim down range for their rifle qualification at Edson Range, March 24.
            
Rifle qualification is one of the requirements that recruits must pass in order to graduate recruit training.
            
“One thing we try to teach the recruits is confidence with the weapon,” said Sgt. Tim S. Bazua, senior drill instructor, Platoon 1034. “After all, most of these recruits have never fired a weapon before in their lives.”

During rifle qualification, recruits fired the M16-A4 service rifle from the 200, 300 and 500-yard lines utilizing four different shooting positions: standing, kneeling, sitting and prone.

“The positions help the recruits have a steady shot,” said 27-year-old Bazua. “They need to be both stable and relaxed to get the shot where they want it.”

There were three different types of targets that varied between each yard line: the bull’s eye target or ‘able’, the low-profile silhouette target or ‘dog’ and the larger silhouette or ‘B-modified.’

From the early stages of recruit training, recruits are issued a weapon and instructed on the basic handling techniques before they learn the basic fundamentals of firing it.
            
“We have multiple discussions on how to use the weapons as well as tips and tricks for the recruits to use,” said Bazua, a native of Tucson, Ariz. “One the biggest challenges I see with recruits is that they are so afraid of getting dropped, they freak out when it comes to qualifying.”

If recruits do not qualify on the range or they do not pay attention and become a safety violator they have the possibility of getting dropped back to the next training company. 

“I was a little nervous that I was going to get dropped,” said Recruit John J. Rath, Plt. 1013. “I wasn’t going to let it hurt my score.”

Recruits had a primary marksmanship instructor to assist them with any questions or concerns they may have had. The PMI taught them marksmanship fundamentals during Grass Week and a range coach while they fired to reiterate the techniques.

“The PMI taught me a lot,” said Rath, a native of Bismarck, N.D. “There are a lot of things that go into taking a shot and it’s really easy to mess up.”

After recruits finish table one they will complete table two, which is combat marksmanship, and will receive a qualification of marksman, sharpshooter or expert depending on their score.

“Their rifle training does not stop here,” said Bazua. “They will all go through additional training at the School of Infantry and every year will qualify again on the range.”