Military Police train to be marksmen by Pfc. J Nava III MEF
Marines from 1st Marine Aircraft Wing’s Military Police Company conducted training with the M39 Enhanced Marksmanship Rifle at Range 2 here, Sept. 10.
Two platoons participated in the training, one of which is currently attached to Combat Logistics Battalion 3, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
The purpose of the training was to select six Marines from each of the platoons to serve as designated marksmen.
The designated marksmen’s role will be to carry out all duties as a field MP and also provide long-range capabilities for their respective platoons.
“Having this capability helps a lot because it gives us long-range and precision threat capabilities,” said Lance Cpl. Mackenzie Sansom, a military policeman with MP Company, CLB-3. “We can take out targets with a single shot rather than having to use machine guns.”
The Marines started the training with familiarization of the M39 EMR. For many of the Marines, this was their first opportunity to use this weapon.
“This was the first time I was able to employ this weapon and at the beginning I was little confused,” said Lance Cpl. Winston Bremner, military policeman, MP Company, 1st MAW.
“But the instructors taught us everything we needed to know and at the end I shot pretty well.”
The course of fire that determined which Marines would become designated marksmen consisted of three rounds of fire after an initial Battle Sight Zero, where the Marines adjusted the scope to their own specifications.
The first round consisted of a stress test where the Marines performed a quick and intense workout away from their firing positions and then sprinted to their rifles. From the moment they reached their rifle the Marines had six minutes to fire and accurately place 15 rounds downrange from the prone, sitting and kneeling positions.
The second round was T-zone grouping on command, where Marines had to place shots in the “T-Box” of a paper target at an instructors command.
The “T-Box” is an imaginary letter “T” that forms across a person’s brow and down the bridge of their nose. Marksmen are instructed to aim for this area when they want a kill shot.
During this exercise an instructor counts down from five. The shooters are instructed to fire at the “T-Box” in unison once they hear the first sound of the word two.
This exercise is designed to train Marines for a shot initiated entry scenario, where a team stands ready to infiltrate a structure as soon as the designated marksmen take out the targets inside.
In the final round, shooters had five minutes to shoot five rounds at five, two inch bull’s-eyes.
At the end of the course of fire the targets were gathered and the points were tallied up. Six Marines from each platoon became designated marksmen but every Marine came away with a newfound knowledge of the weapon and its uses.
“This training opens up more opportunities for us as MP’s,” Sansom said. “It gives me better background and better capabilities as an MP.”
The Marines started the training with familiarization of the M39 EMR. For many of the Marines, this was their first opportunity to use this weapon.
“This was the first time I was able to employ this weapon and at the beginning I was little confused,” said Lance Cpl. Winston Bremner, military policeman, MP Company, 1st MAW.
“But the instructors taught us everything we needed to know and at the end I shot pretty well.”
The course of fire that determined which Marines would become designated marksmen consisted of three rounds of fire after an initial Battle Sight Zero, where the Marines adjusted the scope to their own specifications.
The first round consisted of a stress test where the Marines performed a quick and intense workout away from their firing positions and then sprinted to their rifles. From the moment they reached their rifle the Marines had six minutes to fire and accurately place 15 rounds downrange from the prone, sitting and kneeling positions.
The second round was T-zone grouping on command, where Marines had to place shots in the “T-Box” of a paper target at an instructors command.
The “T-Box” is an imaginary letter “T” that forms across a person’s brow and down the bridge of their nose. Marksmen are instructed to aim for this area when they want a kill shot.
During this exercise an instructor counts down from five. The shooters are instructed to fire at the “T-Box” in unison once they hear the first sound of the word two.
This exercise is designed to train Marines for a shot initiated entry scenario, where a team stands ready to infiltrate a structure as soon as the designated marksmen take out the targets inside.
In the final round, shooters had five minutes to shoot five rounds at five, two inch bull’s-eyes.
At the end of the course of fire the targets were gathered and the points were tallied up. Six Marines from each platoon became designated marksmen but every Marine came away with a newfound knowledge of the weapon and its uses.
“This training opens up more opportunities for us as MP’s,” Sansom said. “It gives me better background and better capabilities as an MP.”
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