Marksmanship is a critical skill for both homeland security (civil defense) and warfighting. Many National Guard men/women struggle with marksmanship. Marksmanship training is critical to creating competent and confident soldiers.
Delivering basic marksmanship training at home station will support CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package (CERF-P) and the 10 NG Regional Homeland Response Forces (HRFs). Annual rifle qualification and engagement skills training focus on assessing/scoring soldier skills, and measuring unit participation in the events rather than teaching basic marksmanship. OPTEMPO funding needed for these events is huge, yet the actual individual training value is negligible. Units/armories need inexpensive, easy to use marksmanship training capabilities.
FM 25-100 stresses marksmanship as a paramount soldier skill. Unit commanders need marksmanship training tools at the armory and state training sites which provide realistic, measurable dry-fire and live fire training. These marksmanship coaching tools are needed for the NCO/SNCO corps. The National Guard needs easy access to marksmanship trainers which support training in armories and at state training sites. These marksmanship trainers must support:
• IMMEDIATE MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN INDIVIDUAL QUALIFICATION
• MUST PROVIDE REPORT SHOWING SHOT TRACE WITH DIAGNOSIS OF SHOOTER TECHNIQUE ISSUES
RELATED TO SIGHT ALIGNMENT, STEADY HOLD, BREATHING AND CANT
• FOCUS ON DEVELOPING MUSCLE MEMORY SUPPORTING TIGHT SHOT GROUPING AND ZEROING
• SMALL, WIRELESS, PORTABLE FORM FACTOR, USING ASSIGNED WEAPON
• PROVIDE TOOLS TO DEVELOP COACHING SKILLS IN NCO/SNCO CORPS
• MUST SUPPORT DRY-FIRE, SIMULATED RECOIL (CO2) AND LIVE FIRE
• MUST SUPPORT USE INDOORS, OUTDOORS, ON RANGE AND IN LANES
• NO EXTERNAL WIRING/INFRASTRUCTURE, EYE SAFE (NON-LASER) WITH 3 YEAR WARRANTY
Reduced costs associated with qualification and engagement skills training are collateral benefits.