The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - ACOG at USMC recruit training/knitial qaulification?

0351A · January 8, 2013, 05:44 PM

I left in 2010, though only while I finish my degree. I know that when I got out recruits were still being trained on iron sights. The last few times that I qualified though we had the option of using either acogs or iron sights. Allot of us, myself included, still preferred iron sights for qualification. My personal feeling has always been that the best configuration is the most basic. Others disagree, and that's fine, but I certainly think that starting new soldiers or Marines at the basic level and building from there is best. My unit had enough range time to stay in practice, but we were infantry so of course we had a higher budget for such things. In do wish though that the regulations regarding range time weren't so stifling. The area behind my barracks had a small range set up that we used a couple times as a unit, but I always wanted to be able to pull some rifles out and get some range time. There is no reason why a couple authorized NCOs can't bring their guys shooting on a slow day to brush up on skills. Many of us would have been happy to throw some of our own money in the pot for ammo too. That would be a great way to improve skills at the small unit level.
As to it not being relevant to practice at small arms when you do something completely different, that's bull. Every man should be competent at his personal weapon, and carry it in all places. There is the occasional incident of "allied" forces attacking our people on these large bases, and I hear from good friends at those bases that half of our people don't bother carrying ammo because they think nothing will happen. That's called complacency. A long time ago, military men were expected to be armed and ready at all times, even liberty. Hilariously, some folks still think that's the case. I heard one of the liberal pundits say in response to the NRA suggestions that fort hood was a "whole base full of good guys with guns, and it didn't make any difference". The fact is almost none of them were armed. That's a Damn problem.
Sorry, I was in a very long line...

January 8, 2013, 05:44 PM	#28
0351A Member Join Date: December 17, 2012 Posts: 21	I left in 2010, though only while I finish my degree. I know that when I got out recruits were still being trained on iron sights. The last few times that I qualified though we had the option of using either acogs or iron sights. Allot of us, myself included, still preferred iron sights for qualification. My personal feeling has always been that the best configuration is the most basic. Others disagree, and that's fine, but I certainly think that starting new soldiers or Marines at the basic level and building from there is best. My unit had enough range time to stay in practice, but we were infantry so of course we had a higher budget for such things. In do wish though that the regulations regarding range time weren't so stifling. The area behind my barracks had a small range set up that we used a couple times as a unit, but I always wanted to be able to pull some rifles out and get some range time. There is no reason why a couple authorized NCOs can't bring their guys shooting on a slow day to brush up on skills. Many of us would have been happy to throw some of our own money in the pot for ammo too. That would be a great way to improve skills at the small unit level. As to it not being relevant to practice at small arms when you do something completely different, that's bull. Every man should be competent at his personal weapon, and carry it in all places. There is the occasional incident of "allied" forces attacking our people on these large bases, and I hear from good friends at those bases that half of our people don't bother carrying ammo because they think nothing will happen. That's called complacency. A long time ago, military men were expected to be armed and ready at all times, even liberty. Hilariously, some folks still think that's the case. I heard one of the liberal pundits say in response to the NRA suggestions that fort hood was a "whole base full of good guys with guns, and it didn't make any difference". The fact is almost none of them were armed. That's a Damn problem. Sorry, I was in a very long line...