The armys newest catch phrase uttered by a General. Every soldier is a rifleman. Seems that Marines had been doing that all along. Wonder where the General heard that phrase before.
Semper Fi Marines
ZinsBH-at-tecom.usmc.mil.45025.0
Every soldier a rifleman???
Moderators: rexifelis, pilkguns
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Bill Abernethy
Re: Every soldier a rifleman???
Yup, in my day (the 1960's) it was "Every man a rifleman." It was doctrine with the Marines. If the army wants to be politically correct, shouldn't they say, "Every soldier a rifleperson"?
Bill Abernethy, USMC, 1965-68
bill-at-wccnet.org.45032.45025
Bill Abernethy, USMC, 1965-68
bill-at-wccnet.org.45032.45025
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Chris L in NC
When I was in AFROTC ...
... one of the senior cadets told us he had a classmate at Field Training thrown out and his scholarship revoked for refusing to fire the .38 revolver on the range. Seems this guy wasn't into guns. That was too much for even the US Air Force Corporation.
Best of all, a Navy F-8 pilot, oops, aviator, in Vietnam had to eject (IIRC after a SAM hit, possibly the first F-8 pilot to survive a SAM hit) and landed offshore. He got his raft inflated and settled in to wait for rescue. He saw a Vietnamese fishing boat not far away and to discourage them from bothering him, emptied his revolver in their general direction. But, he said, "I wasn't much of a gun guy and couldn't figure out how to reload it." Good thing he scared them off with just six rounds. Fortunately for all concerned, a helo grabbed him a few hours later.
Right, Gunny, the Army seems to have appropriated somebody else's slogan, but maybe we should be thankful that the Army of the Potomac is trying to change the Clintonoid Prime Directive not to hurt anybody's feelings. Since I live near Fort Bragg and many of my church friends are airborne, Ranger, SF, combat aviators etc., I can tell you we have some good fighters here. I only hope they can make the rest of the Army like that.
chrisatty-at-hotmail.com.45040.45025
Best of all, a Navy F-8 pilot, oops, aviator, in Vietnam had to eject (IIRC after a SAM hit, possibly the first F-8 pilot to survive a SAM hit) and landed offshore. He got his raft inflated and settled in to wait for rescue. He saw a Vietnamese fishing boat not far away and to discourage them from bothering him, emptied his revolver in their general direction. But, he said, "I wasn't much of a gun guy and couldn't figure out how to reload it." Good thing he scared them off with just six rounds. Fortunately for all concerned, a helo grabbed him a few hours later.
Right, Gunny, the Army seems to have appropriated somebody else's slogan, but maybe we should be thankful that the Army of the Potomac is trying to change the Clintonoid Prime Directive not to hurt anybody's feelings. Since I live near Fort Bragg and many of my church friends are airborne, Ranger, SF, combat aviators etc., I can tell you we have some good fighters here. I only hope they can make the rest of the Army like that.
chrisatty-at-hotmail.com.45040.45025
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E Kuney
Re: Every soldier a rifleman???
Do they still have to have people standing around the jarheads repeating over and over; 'Pointy part in FRONT!' while they run the classes on loading rounds into magazines? ;-)
: The armys newest catch phrase uttered by a General. Every soldier is a rifleman. Seems that Marines had been doing that all along. Wonder where the General heard that phrase before.
: Semper Fi Marines
.45044.45025
: The armys newest catch phrase uttered by a General. Every soldier is a rifleman. Seems that Marines had been doing that all along. Wonder where the General heard that phrase before.
: Semper Fi Marines
.45044.45025
-
Scott
Re: Every soldier a rifleman???
Wow. I thought it was 'every citizen a rifleman...'
Ed Abbey, or perhaps his dad, once observed that the rifle was the instrument of democracy, while the tank and the bomber were the tools of tyranny and despotism...
For what it's worth.
Scott
submoa-at-aol.com.45049.45025
Ed Abbey, or perhaps his dad, once observed that the rifle was the instrument of democracy, while the tank and the bomber were the tools of tyranny and despotism...
For what it's worth.
Scott
submoa-at-aol.com.45049.45025
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RJP
History lesson
Since 1967, I have served in the Army as active duty, reserve and National Guard. Yes, every soldier is a rifleman except chaplins and some medical personnel. Some are better shooters than others, but it is a common task for all soldiers to fire service rifle or service pistol.
I was lucky enough to have participated in many service rifle and pistol matches in the late 1980's. Then, during the Clinton years, budgets were cut drastically for competitive shooting. The shooting programs were taken away from TRADOC (training and doctrine command) and a much reduced program was attached to the recruiting command. Needless to say, shooting is not a recruiter's priority and the military competitions got smaller every year.
What we are seeing is a return to national level competitions, last seen in the late 1980's.
.45055.45025
I was lucky enough to have participated in many service rifle and pistol matches in the late 1980's. Then, during the Clinton years, budgets were cut drastically for competitive shooting. The shooting programs were taken away from TRADOC (training and doctrine command) and a much reduced program was attached to the recruiting command. Needless to say, shooting is not a recruiter's priority and the military competitions got smaller every year.
What we are seeing is a return to national level competitions, last seen in the late 1980's.
.45055.45025
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Dick Poore, USAF
Re: Every soldier a rifleman???
{the tank and the bomber were the tools of tyranny and despotism...For what it's worth.}
Also for what it's worth and for the record...during Operation Iraqi Freedom it took B-52's crews from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB less time to destroy the Medina Divison of the Republican Gaurds (who were gracious enough to mass in the open) than it took Ted Kennedy to dial 911 at Chapequidick.
Also, during Iraqi Freedom US Marines were under fire from a large enemy armour column counter attacking south of Bagdad -- they simply dialed 1-800-2BW-Destroy on their radios and we took out the entire column with our new sensor fused cluster bombs (each bomblet finds it's own tank with sensors)-- the radio response from muddy boots Marines talking directly to the crew was..quote.."HOLY SHIT..Thanks!"
These events and others paved the way for the final infantry assault on Bagdad. Coalition and Joint warfare at it's best -- nobody fights alone folks -- it's a combined arms team. The Nation calls and we haul.
Dick Poore, Major, USAF
2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB LA
.45058.45049
Also for what it's worth and for the record...during Operation Iraqi Freedom it took B-52's crews from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB less time to destroy the Medina Divison of the Republican Gaurds (who were gracious enough to mass in the open) than it took Ted Kennedy to dial 911 at Chapequidick.
Also, during Iraqi Freedom US Marines were under fire from a large enemy armour column counter attacking south of Bagdad -- they simply dialed 1-800-2BW-Destroy on their radios and we took out the entire column with our new sensor fused cluster bombs (each bomblet finds it's own tank with sensors)-- the radio response from muddy boots Marines talking directly to the crew was..quote.."HOLY SHIT..Thanks!"
These events and others paved the way for the final infantry assault on Bagdad. Coalition and Joint warfare at it's best -- nobody fights alone folks -- it's a combined arms team. The Nation calls and we haul.
Dick Poore, Major, USAF
2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB LA
.45058.45049
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David Liwanag
Re: Every soldier a rifleman???
: The armys newest catch phrase uttered by a General. Every soldier is a rifleman. Seems that Marines had been doing that all along. Wonder where the General heard that phrase before.
: Semper Fi Marines
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Every Marine a Rifleman?
General Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the Army, went to Marine Amphibious Warfare School (and I believe Marine Command and Staff School).
From Kent Gooch's article "A Sniper’s Confession: The Importance of Competitive Shooting to Sniping"
"The USMC did not have a competitive program prior to 1900. In a letter he wrote to he NRA in 1943, Lt. Gen. Thomas Holcomb, Commandant of the Marine Corps during W.W.II, and a Distinguished Rifle shooter, said the following:
I was introduced to the N.R.A. in 1901. It was a rude introduction because our team was soundly trounced, finishing sixth in both the Hilton Trophy Match and Interstate Team Match-events, which the following year, were combined into the National Rifle Team Match. Naturally, we did not relish such a poor showing so we set out to learn how to shoot. By 1910 the Inspector of Small Arms Practice, U.S.M.C., reported proudly that "over one-third of the men in the Marine Corps are now qualified as marksmen, sharpshooters or expert riflemen!" How many of the present generation of officers realize that in those days the Army, Navy and Marine Corps were actually learning how to shoot from the civilians and civilian-soldiers who formed the backbone of the National Rifle Association? In 1911 the Marines won their first National Rifle Team Match, and by 1917 we had progressed so far along the marksmanship trail that every Marine who sailed overseas was a trained marksman.
General Holcomb and his men were not the only Marines lacking in sufficient rifle technique at the turn of the century. In the Sept 1971 MARINE CORPS GAZETTE, USMC shooting legend LtCol. W.W. McMillan wrote, "In 1899, Commandant Heywood was appalled to learn that less than a hundred Marines, officers and men, could not meet qualification requirements with the then current Krag Jorgenson rifle. By direction of Major C.H. Lauchheimer, the Corps proceeded to take shooting seriously, both for combat purposes and competition. Marksmanship became a highly prized skill and valued adjunct to leadership."
Prior to World War I, Marines like Calvin A. Lloyd, D.C. McDougal and then-2ndLt Thomas Holcomb advanced the respectability of match shooting, while pioneering instructional techniques and training methods for a far flung expeditionary Corps. In 1906 Marines began getting the M1903 Springfield rifle. Those who could shoot expert with it were rewarded with marksmanship qualification pay of $3.00 per month. "
=======================
Getting spanked by the civilians and the National Guard was the impetus for "Every Marine a Rifleman".
david.liwanag-at-usarec.army.mil.45432.45025
: Semper Fi Marines
========================
Every Marine a Rifleman?
General Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the Army, went to Marine Amphibious Warfare School (and I believe Marine Command and Staff School).
From Kent Gooch's article "A Sniper’s Confession: The Importance of Competitive Shooting to Sniping"
"The USMC did not have a competitive program prior to 1900. In a letter he wrote to he NRA in 1943, Lt. Gen. Thomas Holcomb, Commandant of the Marine Corps during W.W.II, and a Distinguished Rifle shooter, said the following:
I was introduced to the N.R.A. in 1901. It was a rude introduction because our team was soundly trounced, finishing sixth in both the Hilton Trophy Match and Interstate Team Match-events, which the following year, were combined into the National Rifle Team Match. Naturally, we did not relish such a poor showing so we set out to learn how to shoot. By 1910 the Inspector of Small Arms Practice, U.S.M.C., reported proudly that "over one-third of the men in the Marine Corps are now qualified as marksmen, sharpshooters or expert riflemen!" How many of the present generation of officers realize that in those days the Army, Navy and Marine Corps were actually learning how to shoot from the civilians and civilian-soldiers who formed the backbone of the National Rifle Association? In 1911 the Marines won their first National Rifle Team Match, and by 1917 we had progressed so far along the marksmanship trail that every Marine who sailed overseas was a trained marksman.
General Holcomb and his men were not the only Marines lacking in sufficient rifle technique at the turn of the century. In the Sept 1971 MARINE CORPS GAZETTE, USMC shooting legend LtCol. W.W. McMillan wrote, "In 1899, Commandant Heywood was appalled to learn that less than a hundred Marines, officers and men, could not meet qualification requirements with the then current Krag Jorgenson rifle. By direction of Major C.H. Lauchheimer, the Corps proceeded to take shooting seriously, both for combat purposes and competition. Marksmanship became a highly prized skill and valued adjunct to leadership."
Prior to World War I, Marines like Calvin A. Lloyd, D.C. McDougal and then-2ndLt Thomas Holcomb advanced the respectability of match shooting, while pioneering instructional techniques and training methods for a far flung expeditionary Corps. In 1906 Marines began getting the M1903 Springfield rifle. Those who could shoot expert with it were rewarded with marksmanship qualification pay of $3.00 per month. "
=======================
Getting spanked by the civilians and the National Guard was the impetus for "Every Marine a Rifleman".
david.liwanag-at-usarec.army.mil.45432.45025