The Making Of A Marine Sharpshooter

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I always thought the "Sharpshooter" badge looked pretty sweet. The point spread is really narrow to get one so you don't see that many of them.
 
When I went we made one phone call from the Depot upon arrival saying we made it there safe and sound. That was about it.
 
People got phone calls home from the Depot? I didn't touch a phone until boot camp was done and I was at the airport calling home to make sure somebody would pick me up. Didn't know I was that Old Corps.
 
You know, us Army grunts never got phone calls, and we qualified as expert marksman. And if you didn't make 270/300 you were a dirt bag.

Gotta love that 25 mile road march for FTX too.

:neener:

Kids today, I tell ya.
 
I loved the rifle range in boot camp. The only thing that sucked was the 15 mile hump there. When I graduated, like everyone else, I wanted off that damn island. Dad, who hadn't seen the island since the 1968 wanted to go to the rifle range. I told Dad I didn't want to go to the rifle range, it was 15 miles away and I'm ready to go. Dad said, no it's not, it's just a 1/2 mile away (I was in 3rd Bn.).

No Dad, trust me, it's 15 miles up the road. We humped our gear 15 miles it took us a little over 3 hours to get there.

Imagine my suprise when it was only 1/2 a mile away...

How they make a 15 mile forced march to a place 1/2 a mile away is beyond me. Just further proof that Marine Corps Drill Instructors can't count.
 
LMAO! I had a similar experience when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton back in '98. The DI's like to take the long way...
 
What is the current scoring system? when I was in boot camp, it was a max of 250, when I was leaving, it was transferring to the "one shot, one point, (except for the bonus 15 points) 65 max system.
 
I thought I did well with a 235 out of 250 back in '69. and YES I have the "WoodStock" shirt from Sgt. Grit and love it!. ;)

A phone call from P.I.??????? Wow! imagine that.... Never got one except the "I'm here...." on day 1. I'm really getting old!
 
FLAvalanche, that's called the scenic route. Much nicer than the expressway! :D
 
I got out of USMC in 1983 and it was still a 250 point course. No one got a phone call based on their score on the range.
 
FLAvalanche said:
I loved the rifle range in boot camp. The only thing that sucked was the 15 mile hump there. When I graduated, like everyone else, I wanted off that damn island. Dad, who hadn't seen the island since the 1968 wanted to go to the rifle range. I told Dad I didn't want to go to the rifle range, it was 15 miles away and I'm ready to go. Dad said, no it's not, it's just a 1/2 mile away (I was in 3rd Bn.).

No Dad, trust me, it's 15 miles up the road. We humped our gear 15 miles it took us a little over 3 hours to get there.

Imagine my suprise when it was only 1/2 a mile away...

How they make a 15 mile forced march to a place 1/2 a mile away is beyond me. Just further proof that Marine Corps Drill Instructors can't count.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I know this.

The qualification range from my basic training batallion was 1.7mi... if you drove straight there.

Our Drill Sergeants somehow made it 13mi.

Think of a sidewinder with vertigo and that's how we navigated the roads there.
 
Retired in 98

We were still doing the 250 points and the then new PET training. What are they doing now?. One thing for sure, it's nice to mention that Marines have to qual out to 500 yard with Iron sights and mansized targets, and that's every cook, baker and candlestick maker. Did I mention you gents make me feel like an old b%^#@*&. LOL
Oh yeah. Whats this phone call crap? they sent a telegram home to tell our family we made it to PI.
BLT 2/6
BLT 2/9
BLT 2/4
31st (worst) MEUSOC
15th MEUSOC
SOI West

Semper FI.

Guns - out
 
I was standing on the yellow footprints July 27th, 1992. I don't remember making a single phone call. It's possible we made one when we initially got there like others have but those first 2 days are a blur. I do know we never made one through boot camp.

The scoring was 250 points when I was there. It changed while I was in the fleet, I believe on my second enlistment. Then it was a total of 65 points I believe? I know a lot of people didn't like the change but I always shot expert so I was never worried about it.

I also see that they have changed it to if you shoot Expert twice you don't have to requalify. When I was in I think it had to be 3 or 4 times you had to shoot Expert and you didn't have to qualify any more but you did have to do the PET training which I never did. Just send me to the range...
 
They offered to let me PET shoot the last time I was scheduled for the range, I told them I'd rather burn the ammo. Afterall, that's what we were there for right? I remember checking into my last duty station as a Corporal sporting only a good cookie, pizza box pistol badge and a 3rd Award rifle expert badge. The Master Guns happend to walk into admin and did a double take when looking me over. He asked me how in the hell I had a pizza box pistol badge and a 3rd award expert rifle, I just told him the rifle badge is all that mattered.
 
I was 5th Award expert. I also had the wonderful job of helping our non-shooters (and non-swimmers) qualify.

I had one kid. McKinley was his last name. I wouldn't say the kid was a ****bird it's just that if something bad was going to happen, it was going to happen to McKinley. I had been in for 4 years, just reenlisted and was just promoted to Sgt. McKinley came in on a 6 year contract, had 5 years in and was a PFC 3rd award....

We were spinning up for a Med cruise so we had just been to the pool to requal and of course I had to jump through my butt because McKinley couldn't swim. Now the Lt. tasked me with making sure he qualed on the range because he never did.

I spent 2 weeks prior to the range snapping in with McKinley. Working on his form. Working on his trigger pull. Everything. I knew we were assigned the Delta range at Camp Lejeune and range Delta is the worst. The crosswinds can be a pain because it's the last range and it's right on the water.

To make an already long story short, it comes down to the 500 yard line. McKinley has shot 5 of his 10 rounds at 500. I'm tallying up his score and he's made it and I breathe a sigh of relief. The Lt. comes up and asks me how he's doing and I give the Lt a thumbs up.

Just then McKinley starts yelling for me. And with the Lt. standing right beside me he looks down at his rifle at the serial number and says, THIS AINT MY RIFLE!!
 
ca4106...Great story...thanks for sharing.
In listening to some of the posts, I realized something...That's the neat thing about listening to us vets/retirees...It was always harder when "we" went through...Whether it was basic/boot camp, to Ranger(not me) or other(pick one)..ours was the last hard class...lol. I can remember waiting in line at the "phone banks" at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., on the couple of occasions we were afforded/awarded... The days of "open bays" are long gone. We never had one or two guys in a room. In fact we were lucky to have less than six. Granted, it has gotten softer...a lot softer. I had heard a lot of the stories about changes, but kind of took 'em all with a grain of salt. Then our son went in the Army. Tennis shoes for PT...What...??? He was saying that his unit was the only training unit that was wearing boots for PT. Tennis shoes...? Mood cards...What's that all about..? Not trying to hijack the thread..sorry. Back on topic, in Basic, I was shooting Expert in all the practice sessions. The day of actual qualifying, it rained on us pretty good, and I ended up with sharpshooter. Boy, was I disappointed. Had to wait until 1st time out with my unit in Germany to qualify expert, but was able to maintain it from then on. I found it easier to maintain one award badge by qualifying the same with all weapons...lol...(Didn't like cleaning brass, pins, awards, etc.) What's most important in all of this, looking back to the OP's story...and reflecting on mine and my son's Army time...the legacy...It was important , what we did at the time we did it... Thanks to all who have served and sacrificed...but we have to leave another legacy, as well...One of teaching and sharing our love of shooting and firearms, our history, 2nd Amendment rights, etc., to our kids and the younger generation, to insure it's survival. Don't let up in the fight..Support and pray for all of our young people serving our country today.
Tac
 
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Crossrhodes, the course of fire was close to the same, except scoring was hit or miss, and there were bonus points for getting inside the x ring on the 200 yard slow fire. 50 shots, with a 65 point possible.
All targets on the 200 and 300 yard lines are"Dog" targets, the 500 still uses the full torso.
I only fired this course once, just before I got out.
 
rromeo

Thanks for the info. I'm glad we are still shooting out to 500. I spent 20 years as a grunt, no DI or recruiting duty, and range week was the vacation week for me because we were off the range and out of the armory and on libo by 1500.

Semper Fi.
 
500 yard Is great. That big target to hit and you're prone, it's gravy.
I talk to my shooting friends, and they're amazed that we shot 500 yards with iron sights. I say "yup, and I always hit the target."
 
I got out in 1985. I really liked the rifle range at Camp Pendleton. What was really bad was the forced hump over Mount MFer with full battle gear and ammo. Then going down the cliff they said was the other side. It was pretty funny though when you were going down, and from behind you could hear CRASH, THUD,THUD as some private goes tumbling past you head over heals, crap flying everywhere out of their packs. When they hit the bottom about all they had left on was their socks and skivies.:D Good times, good times.
 
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