2018 NRA Long Range Nationals

Jul19 by John M. Buol Jr.

Members of the United States Army Reserve Competitive Marksmanship Program (USARCMP) competed in the NRA National High Power Rifle Long Range Championships held 12-17 July 2018 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

USARCMP competes in and often wins National-level competition to develop the skills of Army Reserve shooter-instructors, validate marksmanship capabilities, and demonstrate marksmanship proficiency.

Notable USAR Long Range Achievements

SPC Stephens won the Billy C. Atkins trophy, the Service Rifle long-range aggregate. SPC Stephens also won the Porter Trophy for taking first place with a Service Rifle during Match 535 and the Farr Trophy for taking first place in Match 538 with a Service Rifle.

SPC Stephens won the Billy C. Atkins, Porter, and Farr Trophies

SFC Gervasio (P) took third place in the overall individual aggregate.

Roumanian Trophy Team Match is a four-person team event. USARCMP took first place. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

USARCMP also won the Herrick Trophy Team Match, another four-person team event. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

Bausch and Lomb Trophy is awarded to the High Reserve team for long-range team matches. USARCMP took first. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

Bausch and Lomb Trophy team. USARCMP also won the Herrick and Roumanian Trophies.

Photo Album

2018 Pistol National Matches

Jul16 by John M. Buol Jr.

2018 NRA and CMP Pistol Nationals
photos by SGT Robert Farrell

SGT Robert Farrell also did this video:

USARCMP Service Pistol shooters competed against the best National Rifle Association and Civilian Marksmanship Program Precision Pistol competitors from the United States from July 9 to 15 using accurized .22, CenterFire, .45, and Service Pistols. There were 500 registered competitors for the NRA National Pistol Championships (July 9-13) and over 540 registered competitors for the CMP National Trophy Pistol Matches (July 14-15).

In addition, USARCMP members assisted with conducting the Small Arms Firing School. SAFS is held in conjunction with the National Matches and all branches of service are mandated by Federal law to provide shooter-instructors to conduct a marksmanship training clinic. All U.S. citizens and service members can attend these annual events.
http://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-national-matches/small-arms-firing-schools/

The overall Service Pistol Team consisted of 17 USARCMP members. USAR Black was the primary six-person element for Team matches.

USAR Black
LTC Patrick Sleem (Service Pistol Team OIC), SGM George Greene (Service Pistol Team NCOIC), LTC Mitchell Rosnick, MAJ Thomas Bourne, SSG Jonathan Rosene, and SGT Nickolaus Mowrer.

From left, SGT Mowrer, SGM Greene, MAJ Bourne, SSG Rosene, LTC Sleem, LTC Rosnick

The rest of the USARCMP roster included LTC Casillas, LTC Luis Garcia, CSM Steven Slee, SFC Brenn Combs, SFC Joshua Rosendorn, SFC Braddford Griffith, SFC Sonny Pearman, SFC John Buol, SGT Robert Farrell, and SGT Matthew Elliot. New to the Service Pistol Team is SSG Sandra Uptagrafft.

From left, SGT Farrell, LTC Rosnick, SFC Pearman, SFC Rosendorn, SFC Buol, SGM Greene, SGT Mowrer, LTC Sleem, SSG Rosene, LTC Garcia, CSM Slee, SFC Combs, MAJ Bourne, SSG Uptagrafft.

NRA Nationals

Preliminary Match
The Preliminary Match was a separate event consisting of .22, Center Fire and .45. SSG Rosene finished in the top ten overall. SGM Greene took 2nd place among Master-class Service competitors.

.22 Team Match
USAR Black took 3rd place overall and was the 1st Reserve component team. Firing members were LTC Rosnick, SSG Rosene, SGM Greene, and SGT Mowrer

CenterFire
SGT Mowrer and SSG Rosene finished in the top 10 individual match results.

For CenterFire Team, USAR Black was the 2nd place Master/Service team and 1st Reserve element.

.45
For .45 Team, USAR Black was the first place Master/Service team.

Overall
SGT Mower won the Army Reserve Pistol Trophy as the High Reservist

In .22 Only overall, CSM Slee finished 3rd overall.

CMP Pistol Nationals

For the CMP Pistol Nationals, the Team helped conduct the annual Small Arms Firing School.

LTC Garcia coaching during SAFS

USAR CMP shooters making the President’s Hundred cut included LTC Sleem, LTC Rosnick (first year), MAJ Bourne, SGM Greene, SSG Uptagrafft (first year), and SSG Rosene.

LTC Rosnick receives his first President's Hundred tab from LTC Sleem

SSG Uptagrafft prepares to earn her President's Hundred tab.

SGT Mowrer won the President’s Hundred Glock Award for being the first place competitor shooting a Glock.

In addition to earning the President’s Hundred tab for his first year. LTC Rosnick also legged out in the CMP’s .22 Distinguished.

For the CMP EIC Pistol Match, SGM Greene was in the top ten overall. SGT Mowrer had a top-five finish in the Glock (GSSF) Camp Perry National Challenge.

For the U. S. Army Reserve Memorial Trophy (Reserves), LTC Sleem was second overall, followed by SSG Rosene in third.

For the U. S. Coast Guard Memorial Trophy (Reserve Component Teams), USAR Black took second. Firing members were SSG Rosene, LTC Sleem, SGM Greene, and LTC Rosnick.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/arcd/albums/72157698646495584/with/28586756667/

http://competitions.nra.org/championship-results/nra-national-outdoor-rifle-pistol-championships-results.aspx

https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=16352

M249: AR vs. LMG

Jul11 by John M. Buol Jr.

The M249 is supposed to be used in either an Automatic Rifle and Light Machine Gun role. What differentiates either? For years, both qualifications were conducted in a very similar manner and many personnel failed to appreciate any difference.

An Automatic Rifle is individually issued, carried, and used while maneuvering as a part of a team. A Light (or Medium or Heavy) Machine Gun is a crew-served weapon that supports maneuvering elements in offense and defense. The same M249 can be pressed into either role but the usage differs depending on which.

I’ve found many personnel are confused by this difference and merely conduct whichever qualification is easiest.

A Proposed Fix

The following is merely an idea from one person (me) that has no official basis or status. I suggested this to personnel writing current Army small arms doctrine and they will have final say what becomes official.

Given that personnel don’t seem interested in reading and learning the difference, I’d say we should make the AR and LMG quals more distinct. The current AR qual mostly looks like a watered-down version of the LMG/MMG qual.

Grouping and Zeroing: Use the new 25-meter rifle/carbine zero target at 10 meters. Given that target’s 6 MOA “legacy” dashed circle is 4cm – same width as the 10 meter MG paster – and the 4 MOA circle and diamond is about 2.5 cm. The grid at 25 meters is 1 MOA squares, making it 2.5 MOA/0.75 mils at 10 meters. Zero standard becomes to shoot a centered three round burst inside the 4cm circle on that target from prone bipod supported.

Eliminate the 10 meter MG target and course and use the 10-meter range as a preliminary group/zero exercise, like the rifle/carbine.

Qualification: The Automatic Rifle qualification should be similar to the new four-table Modified Record Fire (Barricade) course. Phase 1 and 2 becomes Bipod Supported. Phase 3 and 4 uses a barricade and are fired kneeling and standing supported, respectively. Current Automatic Rifle transition ranges (100-400 meters) can be used as-is with the addition of a barricade and emphasizing longer shots bipod prone and closer distances from kneeling and standing, like the rifle/carbine.

Like the rifle Modified Record Fire (Barricade) course, this makes the qual similar to Drill G (Fight Up).

The Modified Record Fire (Barricade) course requires a reload while changing positions during the timed lull between tables, which (obviously) should be required to be done with magazines in the FLC/LBE/etc. I’d suggest having at least one reload for the AR course in the same manner, reloading with an ammo can, soft assault pack, etc. in a manner as how ammunition would normally be carried on person.

As a side note, we should also have the pistol qualifications require all tables start holstered and reloads done from gear on the clock. LMG/MMG qualifications should have a timed reload and a barrel change portion between tables for the same reasons.

If this sort of thing was built into qualification requirements, leadership might start to care more about it.

2018 Interservice Rifle

Jul7 by John M. Buol Jr.

24 JUNE 2018 – 2 JULY 2018 MCB Quantico, VA

USARCMP Service Rifle shooters competed against the best competitors from all branches of the DOD throughout a competition consisting of High Power Service Rifle (NRA and CMP) using accurized versions of military-issue rifles.

The 57th Interservice Rifle Championships at Quantico just concluded with the Awards Banquet last night. I attended the Banquet and presented some of the awards. For your situational awareness, here are the results focusing on the Army Reserve Marksmanship Team:

For the Team matches, the Army Reserve Team was the Top Reserve Team for the 6 and 10 Man Team Matches. The Reserve Team also finished 2nd overall and the Top Reserve Team in the Infantry Trophy Match (which involves moving as a squad engaging targets).

The ARCD Team won the 4 Man Post and Station Commanding General Team Match and the Post and Station Infantry Trophy Match.

Individually, SSG Dave Bathen won the Interservice Navy Match (200 yard Slow Fire Standing). SGM Doug Withus was third in the Interservice 600 Yard Service Rifle Match. SGM Withus was also third in the Interservice 1000 Yard Service Rifle Match, while SSG Augustus Dunfey was the winner of that Interservice 1000 yard Service Rifle Match. In the Interservice Individual Long Range Championship Service Rifle Match, SGM Doug Withus was the winner and set a new Interservice Long Range record by firing a 398 with 20 X’s (Bullseyes) at 600 and 1000 yards.

Stephen D. Austin
Assistant Chief of Army Reserve

USAR CMP Service Rifle Team at Interservice

Results
https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=17122

Photo Album

2018 Interservice Pistol

Jun22 by John M. Buol Jr.

17 JUNE 2018 – 22 JUNE 2018 Fort Benning, GA

USARCMP Service Pistol shooters competed against the best competitors from all branches of the DOD throughout a five-day competition consisting of Precision Pistol (NRA and CMP) using accurized .22, CenterFire, .45, and Service Pistols.

The overall Team consisted of 13 USARCMP members. USAR Black was the primary six-person element for Team matches.
USAR Black:
LTC Patrick Sleem (Service Pistol Team OIC), SGM George Greene (Service Pistol Team NCOIC), LTC Mitchell Rosnick, MSG Christopher Taylor, SSG Jonathan Rosene, and SGT Nickolaus Mowrer.

USAR Black poses with some of the awards won during Interservice. From left, SSG Rosene, MSG Taylor, SGT Mowrer, SGM Greene, LTC Sleem, and LTC Rosnick.

The rest of the USARCMP roster included LTC Luis Garcia, MAJ Thomas Bourne, SFC Brenn Combs, SFC Joshua Rosendorn, SFC John Buol, SGT Robert Farrell, and SGT Matthew Elliot.

Results:

– USAR Black was High Reserve and 2nd Overall
– USAR Black finished in the top three of all Team matches, including, .22, CenterFire, .45, Service Pistol, 2700 Team Agg, and Overall Team Agg
– SSG Rosene was 1st Place Reservist, 2nd overall .22, and 2nd Director’s Match
– LTC Sleem, LTC Rosnick, SSG Rosene, SGT Mowrer had multiple top ten overall finishes
– A USARCMP Team shooter made the top ten of all individual matches fired.

.22, 2nd Overall agg
SSG Rosene

Top ten .22: LTC Rosnick, LTC Sleem, SGT Mowrer

USAR Black
.22 Team, Third Place
LTC Rosnick, SGM Greene, SSG Rosene, SGT Mowrer

CenterFire Individual
SSG Rosene and SGT Mowrer had multiple top ten finishes

USAR Black
CF Team, Second Place
LTC Sleem, LTC Rosnick, SSG Rosene, SGT Mowrer

.45 Individual
SGT Mowrer and SSG Rosene had multiple top ten finishes

.45 Team
USAR Black, Third Place
SSG Rosene, SGT Mowrer, LTC Rosnick, LTC Sleem

Service Pistol (“ball gun”) Individual

Top ten finishes from LTC Sleem, SSG Rosene, and SGT Mowrer.

Service Pistol (“ball gun”) Team
USAR Black, Third Place

Director’s/EIC
SSG Rosene 2nd Overall

Overall Individual
SSG Rosene top ten 2700 NRA and Overall Individual aggregate

Overall Team
USAR Black 2nd Place 2700 agg
USAR Black 2nd Place Overall agg
1st Place Reserve Component team

EIC at BWC

Jun12 by John M. Buol Jr.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. —

Master Sgt. Russell Moore, combat heavy engineer, 416th Theater Engineer Command of Darien, Illinois, NCOIC USARCMP Service Conditions/Combat Team conducts a safety briefing before the Combat Pistol Excellence in Competition event at the 2018 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 10, 2018. This year’s Best Warrior Competition will determine the top noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier who will represent the U.S. Army Reserve in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Anshu Pandeya) (Released) (Photo by Sgt. Anshu Pandeya)

Sgt. 1st Class Chris Volmer, Fox Company, 3rd Battalion, 415th Infantry Regiment, 95th Training Division of Boise, Idaho and USARCMP member demonstrates weapon handling during a safety briefing before the Combat Pistol Excellence in Competition event at the 2018 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 10, 2018. This year’s Best Warrior Competition will determine the top noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier who will represent the U.S. Army Reserve in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Anshu Pandeya) (Released) (Photo by Sgt. Anshu Pandeya)

Noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted Soldiers competing in this year’s U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition will not only have the opportunity to be the Best Warrior, but also to accrue points to earn a rare distinction in the Excellence in Competition Program.

Gen. Phillip H. Sheridan implemented the EIC program in 1884 to cultivate the Army’s tactical proficiency and lethality of force.

“It was started to improve marksmanship training techniques, improve weapon and ammunition capabilities, raise proficiency of service rifle and service pistol throughout the Army, provide an opportunity to excel through competition, and establish a basis for quality marksmanship instructions. And that’s pretty much the way it is now,” explained Roscoe Castle, EIC custodian at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Civilians and service members alike are eligible to compete, though the two populations earn separate badges. Soldiers can only earn the Distinguished Marksmanship Badge by competing in Excellence in Competition matches for rifle or pistol. Competitors must accumulate 30 points throughout three competition tiers to earn a Distinguished Badge. Soldiers earn their first 10 points in Tier 1 to receive the Bronze EIC Badge. The top 10 percent of Best Warrior competitors at the combat pistol EIC event will earn this badge.

Soldiers must earn their next 10 points in Tier 2 to receive the Silver EIC Badge, and Soldiers who earn the final 10 in Tier 3, totaling 30 points, receive the Distinguished Badge. Soldiers can also compete in intercontinental events for an international badge. To date, the Army has only awarded badges to 1,856 pistol shooters and 3,389 rifle shooters. Only 438 marksman have earned both honors, and there are just 16 awardees in the history of the competition who have all three.

“It’s a permanent-wear badge issued by the Department of Army with a set of orders that permanently replaces your marksmanship badge, in this case, for pistol,” said Master Sgt. Russell Moore, a combat-heavy engineer for the 416th Theater Engineer Command based in Darien, Illinois, and noncommissioned officer in charge of the Best Warrior pistol match.

“You don’t see them (EIC badges) very much. Everyone says, ‘You can’t be wearing that foreign device.’” Moore explained to the competitors. As one of the few Soldiers who has earned distinguished badges in both categories, Moore told the competitors to respond, “Hey, sergeant major. It’s one of the oldest devices in the United States Army.”

This year’s Army Reserve BWC will determine the top noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier who will represent the U.S. Army Reserve in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. But even if Reserve competitors don’t advance to the Army-wide competition, they still have the special opportunity to receive the EIC Bronze Badge and the points toward earning the rare Distinguished Marksmanship Badge.

http://www.usar.army.mil/News/Display/Article/1546973/best-warriors-compete-to-earn-rare-marksmanship-badge/

Safety Of Use Message: M16/M4

Jun1 by John M. Buol Jr.

BLUF

A small number (881 out of 259,000) of M16/M4 weapons have been found to potentially have an unintended discharge while manipulating the selector.
An additional step in the updated Function Check will readily determine if your M16/M4 is affected.
If your M16/M4 passes the additional steps to the Function Check to inspect for this problem, there is absolutely no need to change Immediate Action procedures.
The previous Immediate Action procedure (“SPORTS”) has been since replaced with an improved procedure described in TC 3-22.9. TACOM and the published Technical Manuals have not yet updated to the new standard.

SOUM #18-004 alerted the field of an unintended discharge on an M4A1 PIP’ed (Product Improvement Program) weapons that occurred when the operator pulled the trigger with the selector switch between the SEMI and AUTO detents (outside of detent). The weapon did not fire when the operator pulled the trigger and instead fired when the selector was moved further. As a result of this incident, an on-going investigation determined that there is the potential for all carbines and rifles noted above, to behave in this way.

First, this potential mechanical problem is uncommon. The Army has converted 259,000 M4s to M4A1s in the past three years with the M4 carbine product improvement program. Out of 259,000, 881 have been found to exhibit this problem.

Second, TACOM’s updated Function Check will easily determine if your M16/M4 is one of those of the small number affected.

Updated Function Check
User Actions: Until a resolution is found, units are required to perform the following additional function check on all M16 and M4 series rifles and carbines. If the unit reported failure data IAW SOUM 18-004, then reporting action for those weapons has been satisfied.

1. Ensure weapon is clear by observing the chamber, the bolt face, and magazine well. The weapon should always be pointed in a safe direction. Do NOT perform this check with live ammunition.

2. Perform standard function check IAW WP0007.

3. Move the selector lever to the SEMI position then move the selector to a position between SEMI and AUTO (BURST for non M4A1’s) and squeeze the trigger. The hammer should drop when trigger is squeezed. If the hammer drops, repeat by slightly repositioning selector between SEMI and AUTO (or BURST). If the hammer does not drop when the trigger is squeezed, this is a failure. Record this information and continue to the next step.

4. If hammer does not drop, move the selector in either direction. If the hammer drops without squeezing the trigger, this is a failure. Record this information.

5. Gather information recorded from the additional function check and submit to TACOM Equipment Specialists.

Do NOT use SPORTS or C-SPORTS

The SOUM goes on the describe a suggested “update” to the now out-of-date Immediate Action procedure that has since been replaced in TC 3-22.9.

First problem, an Immediate Action amendment is completely unnecessary if the Function Check is passed. Confirming correct mechanical function is an administrative action conducted during Drill A – Weapon Check, not something to do while engaging targets.

Second problem, SPORTS was replaced as an overly-convoluted and less effective approach than what the new Immediate Action procedure in TC 3-22.9 directs. Taking a tangled “immediate” six-step procedure and adding yet-another step defies the entire point of immediate action.

Third problem, this low percentage mechanical problem only occurs while manipulating the selector. Immediate Action is only necessary after attempting to engage target(s), meaning the weapon was already set to discharge (obviously) and there is no need to manipulate the selector while performing it.

TC 3-22.9, page 8-10

RULES FOR CORRECTING A MALFUNCTION
Do not attempt to place the weapon on SAFE (unless otherwise noted). Most stoppages will not allow the weapon to be placed on safe because the sear has been released or the weapon is out of battery. Attempting to place the weapon on SAFE will waste time and potentially damage the weapon.

TACOM-SOUM-18-005