R 032339Z FEB 15
MARADMIN 049/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCCDC QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/FY15 COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP SYMPOSIUM (CMS) POST-SYMPOSIUM MESSAGE//
REF/A/DOC/CMC/04SEP14//
REF/B/DOC/MCCDC/11OCT12//
REF/C/DOC/MCCDC/25NOV03//
REF/D/DOC/MCCDC/MAR11//
REF/E/DOC/TECOM/24OCT14//
REF/F/DOC/CMC/05SEP14//
NARR/REF A IS MCO 3574.2L THE MARINE CORPS COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAMS (MCCMP). REF B IS MCRP 3-01A RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP. REF C IS MCRP 3-01B PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP. REF D IS CMS CHARTER OF MARCH 2011 WHICH CAN BE VIEWED AT HTTP:(SLANT, SLANT)WWW.TRNGCMD.MARINES.MIL/UNITS/NORTHEAST/WEAPONSTRAININGBATTALION.ASPX. REF E IS THE RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS (ROP) FY15 CMS, AND IT CONTAINS DETAILS OF VOTING, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND DECISIONS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE ADVOCATE WHICH CAN BE VIEWED AT HTTP:(SLANT, SLANT)WWW.TRNGCMD.MARINES.MIL/UNITS/NORTHEAST/WEAPONSTRAININGBATTALION.ASPX. REF F IS MCO 3591.2K THE MARINE CORPS COMPETITION IN ARMS PROGRAM (CIAP)//
POC/V.S. POPE/CWO5/WTBN QUANTICO, MPMS/-/TEL: DSN 278-5520/TEL: CML 703-784-5520/EMAIL:  VINCENT.S.POPE(AT)USMC.MIL//
RMKS/1. THE CMS PROVIDES A FORUM FOR COMMAND REPRESENTATIVES TO MEET, IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS ISSUES, AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP.  AS A FORUM THAT CONSOLIDATES COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP ISSUES, THE CMS PROVIDES SENIOR LEADERSHIP A PICTURE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF MARINE CORPS MARKSMANSHIP. WTBN QUANTICO, HOSTED THE FY15 CMS FROM 20-23 OCT 2014.
2. THE FY15 CMS CONVENED THE FOLLOWING WORKING GROUPS (WG): WG1 WEAPONS (ENDURING), WG2 RANGE AND FACILITIES CAMPAIGN PLAN (ENDURING), WG3 COMBAT RIFLE PROGRAM, WG4 COMPETITION IN ARMS PROGRAM, AND WG5 SIMULATIONS AND DISTANCE LEARNING.
3. FROM THE ISSUES BROUGHT FORWARD BY THE EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE (ESC), THE ADVOCATE (DEPUTY COMMANDANT, COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION (DC, CDI)) APPROVED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
    3.A. RANGE AND FACILITIES CAMPAIGN PLAN (RFCP) LINES OF EFFORT (LOE):
        3.A.1. RFCP LOE 1 - SUSTAINMENT OF EXISTING FACILITIES - WILL IDENTIFY DEFICIENCIES BASED ON CURRENT REQUIREMENTS, PRIORITIZE DEFICIENCIES, AND SEEK FUNDING SOURCES TO STANDARDIZE MCCMP RANGE SUSTAINMENT.
        3.A.2. RFCP LOE 2 - RECAPITALIZATION/MODERNIZATION TO MEET FUTURE CAPABILITIES - WILL IDENTIFY FUTURE REQUIREMENTS, CONDUCT STUDIES, PRIORITIZE RECAPITALIZATION/MODERNIZATION, AND SEEK FUNDING SOURCES TO STANDARDIZE MCCMP RANGE DEVELOPMENT.
    3.B. MARINE CORPS SERVICE RIFLE TRAINING AND READINESS (T/R) EVENTS. CURRENT ENTRY LEVEL-TRAINING (ELT) RIFLE T/R EVENTS VARY BETWEEN ENTRY-LEVEL AND ANNUAL TRAINING AND DO NOT REFLECT THE EMPLOYMENT-CENTRIC TASKS EXPECTED OF MARINES IN COMBAT. DC CDI TASKS THE MARKSMANSHIP PROPONENT TO DRAFT A SINGLE SET OF EMPLOYMENT-CENTRIC RIFLE T/R EVENTS (FOR ALL RIFLE TABLES) AND STAFF TO THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST FOR INCLUSION IN AN OUT OF CYCLE CHANGE TO THE INFANTRY T/R MANUAL.
    3.C. RIFLE COMBAT OPTIC (RCO). RCO SHORTFALLS DUE TO MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY ISSUES AT THE BASIC SCHOOL, THE RECRUIT DEPOTS, AND BOTH SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY ADVERSELY AFFECT MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. OPERATING FORCES UNITS HAVE SIMILAR, BUT LESS SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALLS. DC CDI REQUESTS LOGISTICS COMMAND (THROUGH COOPERATION BETWEEN THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT, INSTALLATIONS AND LOGISTICS, AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER, INFANTRY WEAPONS) EXAMINE MEANS TO IMPROVE RCO MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT, WITH PRIORITY TO THE ELT PIPELINE.
    3.D. MCCMP RIFLE TABLES RE-DESIGNATION AND IMPLEMENTATION. IN FY14, TABLES 2-4D MODIFICATIONS WERE APPROVED WHICH INCLUDED THE CONSOLIDATION OF TABLES 3 AND 4 (INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED SKILLS) INTO ONE SET FOR ALL MARINES. FOR CLARIFICATION AND REPORTING PURPOSES, THESE TABLES ARE BEING RE-DESIGNATED AS TABLES 3, 4, 5, AND 6 (IMPLEMENTATION SPECIFICS WILL BE DETAILED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE). SELECT MARKSMANSHIP TRAINING UNITS WILL TEST AN IMPROVED TABLE 2 COURSE OF FIRE DURING FY15 TO INFORM DISCUSSIONS AT THE FY16 CMS. 
    3.E. USMC THREAT TARGET: THE PROCUREMENT OF THE USMC THREAT TARGET IS APPROVED FOR USE DURING EXECUTION OF TABLES 2, 5, AND 6. ADDITIONALLY, MPMS WILL EXPAND TESTING FOR USE OF THE THREAT TARGET IN TABLE 1.
    3.F. SMALL ARMS WEAPONS INSTRUCTORS COURSE (SAWIC): SINCE THE DEACTIVATION OF SAWIC, SPECIFIC WEAPONS INSTRUCTION SKILL SETS RESIDE SOLELY WITH MARINE GUNNERS, BUT MISSION REQUIREMENTS SURPASS THEIR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTION. THE MARKSMANSHIP PROPONENT IS DIRECTED TO REVIEW THE FORMER SAWIC (MOS 0932) T/R EVENTS AND PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION (POI), AND THE CURRENT FOREIGN WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR COURSE (FWIC) POI TO DETERMINE WHICH SKILLS APPLY TO CURRENT MISSION REQUIREMENTS. THE MARKSMANSHIP PROPONENT WILL PROVIDE CG, TECOM AN ANALYSIS OF COST, TIME, AND MANPOWER TO REINSTATE SAWIC.
    3.G. USMC HOLSTER SYSTEM MOUNTING: THE MARKSMANSHIP PROPONENT IS TASKED TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON FUTURE EXPANSION OF HOLSTER WEAR BASED ON OPERATING FORCES REQUIREMENTS (CHEST MOUNT, SHOULDER HOLSTER, ETC.). CURRENTLY HIP AND THIGH MOUNTED HOLSTER CONFIGURATIONS REMAIN THE ONLY AUTHORIZED CONFIGURATIONS FOR EXECUTION OF COMBAT PISTOL PROGRAM (CPP) TABLE 1.
    3.H. WEAPONS IMPROVEMENTS: DC CDI DIRECTS THE GENERATION OF A DELIBERATE UNIVERSAL NEEDS STATEMENT (DUNS) TO INITIATE RESEARCH, TESTING, AND EVALUATION OF SEVERAL ENHANCEMENTS TO THE M4 AND M16A4 SERVICE RIFLES. SPECIFICALLY, THIS DUNS SHOULD INCLUDE:
        3.H.1. A RIFLE COMPENSATOR THAT ENHANCES RECOIL MANAGEMENT;
        3.H.2. A TRIGGER MECHANISM THAT PROVIDES CONSISTENT TRIGGER PULL (THE CURRENT SERVICE RIFLE’S TRIGGER HAS THREE SEPARATE PULLS DUE TO THE BURST MECHANISM);
        3.H.3. A FREE-FLOATING RAIL SYSTEM AND HEAVIER BARREL TO IMPROVE ACCURACY BY REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF BARREL-FLEX WHILE APPLYING SLING-TENSION OR SUPPORTING THE WEAPON IN VARIOUS FIRING POSITIONS;
        3.H.4. IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY APPROVED AMBIDEXTROUS MAGAZINE RELEASE AND SELECTOR LEVER, AN AMBIDEXTROUS CHARGING HANDLE;
        3.H.5. AN AMBIDEXTROUS BOLT-CATCH RELEASE TO MAXIMIZE WEAPON FUNCTIONALITY FOR LEFT-HANDED SHOOTERS;
        3.H.6. ADOPTING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE SQUAD DAY OPTIC/MACHINEGUN DAY OPTIC (SDO/MDO) RETICLE PATTERN AS THE USMC STANDARD. STUDIES SHOW THESE RETICLE PATTERNS ARE MORE INTUITIVE AND CONTRIBUTE TO MORE RAPID TARGET-ACQUISITION AND IMPROVED ACCURACY. THE INTENT WOULD BE TO REPLACE CURRENT RETICLES AS THEY UNDERGO DEPOT-LEVEL MAINTENANCE.
    3.I. AMMUNITION:  CURRENT SERVICE AMMUNITION DOES NOT PROVIDE OPTIMAL ACCURACY AND LETHATLITY. THE EXPENDITURE OF THE CURRENT A059 (5.56 BALL) STOCKPILE AND PURSUIT OF AB49 (SOST) AS A REPLACEMENT IS DIRECTED. ADDITIONALLY, DEVELOPMENT OF A DUNS IS DIRECTED TO INITIATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR A SIMILARLY MORE ACCURATE AND LETHAL SERVICE PISTOL ROUND, WITHOUT COMPROMISING RELIABILITY.
    3.J. WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT: FY15 AUTHORIZED WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT MARADMIN WILL BE RELEASED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
    3.K. CIAP: THE EXECUTION OF REGIONAL COMBAT SHOOTING MATCHES, IAW REF F IS APPROVED. THE COMBAT SHOOTING MATCHES SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
    3.L. SIMULATIONS: DC CDI DIRECTS REPLACEMENT OF ANY REMAINING INDOOR SIMULATED MARKSMANSHIP TRAINER (ISMT) M16A2S WITH CURRENT WEAPONS SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE THE USE OF OPTICS. ALSO, THE RANGE AND FACILITIES STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN PLAN GROUP IS TASKED TO INTEGRATE ONGOING VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION ASSESSMENTS TO IDENTIFY FUTURE SIMULATION TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.
4. ACTION ITEMS: WTBN QUANTICO WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE ITEMS IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF THIS MESSAGE AND, AS NECESSARY, MAKE LIAISON WITH OTHER COMMANDS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE EFFORTS.
5. CMS WAY AHEAD. THE CMS HAS PROVIDED A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF MARINE CORPS MARKSMANSHIP, AS WELL AS STEPS TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM. THE FY16 CMS WILL BE HELD 19-22 OCTOBER 2015. WTBN QUANTICO WILL DRAFT A CALLING MESSAGE FOR TOPIC SUBMISSION FOR THE FY16 CMS IN JULY 2015.
6. CONTACT THE POC WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE REFERENCES IF UNABLE TO VIEW ON THE WTBN QUANTICO WEBSITE.
7. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL KENNETH J. GLUECK JR., DC CDI.//