Every Marine is a rifleman.

[whitehall]

Every Marine whether enlisted or an officer has to qualify with the basic weapon every year. If the MOS calls for a handgun he has to qualify with a rifle and a handgun. Little silver badges are warn on the dress uniform to indicate the proficiency with the weapons, marksman, sharpshooter and expert. It's Marine Corps policy but personally I doubt if any officer above the rank of Major ever sees the rifle range. Maybe there is an age waver that I'm not aware of but if you look at carefully posed photos of Marine Generals they are all wearing expert badges and I doubt if they consistently qualify expert at their age. It's not meant as a real hard criticism, just an interesting observation.

 

[eagle1462010]

Awards on the chest previously earned are allowed for the duration of service.

Once earned always kept.

 

[thanatos144]

Every Marine whether enlisted or an officer has to qualify with the basic weapon every year. If the MOS calls for a handgun he has to qualify with a rifle and a handgun. Little silver badges are warn on the dress uniform to indicate the proficiency with the weapons, marksman, sharpshooter and expert. It's Marine Corps policy but personally I doubt if any officer above the rank of Major ever sees the rifle range. Maybe there is an age waver that I'm not aware of but if you look at carefully posed photos of Marine Generals they are all wearing expert badges and I doubt if they consistently qualify expert at their age. It's not meant as a real hard criticism, just an interesting observation.

Do you have proof or are you just wanting to make a class warfare argument just because?

 

[longknife]

Do you think this is "news"?

From the time the Corps was founded, Marines aboard US ships were there to protect from boarding and to board enemy ships in their role as seaboard infantrymen! [This actually came from the Royal Navy]

In addition to qualifying with individual weapons - to include bayonets and knives, ALL Marines much pass a physical fitness test each year - even 4-Star Generals.

 

[whitehall]

Awards on the chest previously earned are allowed for the duration of service.

Once earned always kept.

Weapons qualification badges are not medals nor are they awards.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Every Marine whether enlisted or an officer has to qualify with the basic weapon every year. If the MOS calls for a handgun he has to qualify with a rifle and a handgun. Little silver badges are warn on the dress uniform to indicate the proficiency with the weapons, marksman, sharpshooter and expert. It's Marine Corps policy but personally I doubt if any officer above the rank of Major ever sees the rifle range. Maybe there is an age waver that I'm not aware of but if you look at carefully posed photos of Marine Generals they are all wearing expert badges and I doubt if they consistently qualify expert at their age. It's not meant as a real hard criticism, just an interesting observation.

I believe for Officers there is a service time in years where they no longer have to qualify or it could be rank. A major is never going to be using a rifle in command he can not afford to lose track of his unit while firing at the enemy.

There is also a cut off for senior enlisted as well for the rifle. Can probably Google it and get the info.

 

[Mr Natural]

Lucas McCain was The Rifleman.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/wtbn/MCO 3574.2K/MCO 3574 2K .pdf

Ok rank 0-4 and up are not required to qualify with a rifle unless it is the T/O weapon for that billet. That is Major in the Marine Corps.

Any officer that has served more then 13 years is not required to qualify with a rifle unless it is the T/O weapon for his billet. That pretty much takes most Majors out.

GySgt and above enlisted ( E-7 to E-9) are exempt from firing the rifle unless it is the T/O weapon of their billet.

I did remember it right.

Exemptions are in Chapter 2 of the order.

 

[whitehall]

Every Marine whether enlisted or an officer has to qualify with the basic weapon every year. If the MOS calls for a handgun he has to qualify with a rifle and a handgun. Little silver badges are warn on the dress uniform to indicate the proficiency with the weapons, marksman, sharpshooter and expert. It's Marine Corps policy but personally I doubt if any officer above the rank of Major ever sees the rifle range. Maybe there is an age waver that I'm not aware of but if you look at carefully posed photos of Marine Generals they are all wearing expert badges and I doubt if they consistently qualify expert at their age. It's not meant as a real hard criticism, just an interesting observation.

I believe for Officers there is a service time in years where they no longer have to qualify or it could be rank. A major is never going to be using a rifle in command he can not afford to lose track of his unit while firing at the enemy.

There is also a cut off for senior enlisted as well for the rifle. Can probably Google it and get the info.

You should know as well as I do gunny that the beauty of the Marine Corps is that every Marine regardless of rank is assumed to be capable of acting as a rifleman. Maybe there is a waver for age but not for rank.

 

[eagle1462010]

Awards on the chest previously earned are allowed for the duration of service.

Once earned always kept.

Weapons qualification badges are not medals nor are they awards.

So sue me. They qualify for ribbons that can be worn on the uniforms.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Every Marine whether enlisted or an officer has to qualify with the basic weapon every year. If the MOS calls for a handgun he has to qualify with a rifle and a handgun. Little silver badges are warn on the dress uniform to indicate the proficiency with the weapons, marksman, sharpshooter and expert. It's Marine Corps policy but personally I doubt if any officer above the rank of Major ever sees the rifle range. Maybe there is an age waver that I'm not aware of but if you look at carefully posed photos of Marine Generals they are all wearing expert badges and I doubt if they consistently qualify expert at their age. It's not meant as a real hard criticism, just an interesting observation.

I believe for Officers there is a service time in years where they no longer have to qualify or it could be rank. A major is never going to be using a rifle in command he can not afford to lose track of his unit while firing at the enemy.

There is also a cut off for senior enlisted as well for the rifle. Can probably Google it and get the info.

You should know as well as I do gunny that the beauty of the Marine Corps is that every Marine regardless of rank is assumed to be capable of acting as a rifleman. Maybe there is a waver for age but not for rank.

Actually there is I cited the order. O-4 and up and GySgt and up, unless their T/O weapon is a rifle are exempt. They are encouraged to qualify but no allotment of ammo is set aside for them. Also any officer with more then 13 years service is exempt unless his T/O weapon is a rifle.

 

[mudwhistle]

The Army required us to re-qualify periodically. Makes no sense to wear an expert qualification when you can't meet the standard anymore.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The Army required us to re-qualify periodically. Makes no sense to wear an expert qualification when you can't meet the standard anymore.

Once you are no longer required to qualify I believe you may continue to wear your last qualification badge.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Why would the marine Corps decide that major and up and Gysgt and up are exempt from rifle qualifications? At the rank of Major and higher you are a Company commander or in one of the S or G shops or a battalion XO. The command billets should not be wasting leadership time worrying about firing on the enemy. If the battle is so bad that a commander must pick up a rifle, they will be available from the fallen. The Battalion and command support officers have duties other then combat and in combat will not be involved in single combat, they will be planning, executing and worrying about a myriad of command and logistic problems that preclude them from being involved in single combat. Again if the need arises due to the conditions these officer will acquire a rifle from the dead or wounded.

GySgt and above also have command decisions to make that would be adversely effected if they were busy in one on one combat with a rifle. They are controlling the flow of the tactical battle and have no time to worry about engaging the enemy in one on one fire.

The exceptions of course are those who's billet requires a rifle be issued.

The Marine Corps still recommends that Major and above and GySgt and up train as they can with the rifle. But there generally is no rifle for them and no ammo assigned for rifles for them. This is due to the command needs and of course budget constraints.

I fired every year as a GySgt even though it was not required at the end.

 

[mudwhistle]

The Army required us to re-qualify periodically. Makes no sense to wear an expert qualification when you can't meet the standard anymore.

Once you are no longer required to qualify I believe you may continue to wear your last qualification badge.

I haven't looked up the regs but during boards our awards had to be current. They might have exempted General officers but I don't remember any wearing them. They usually have too much else to wear other than weapons qual badges. That's like wearing the National Defense ribbon. You only have so much room on your chest.

 

[namvet]

 

[whitehall]

I believe for Officers there is a service time in years where they no longer have to qualify or it could be rank. A major is never going to be using a rifle in command he can not afford to lose track of his unit while firing at the enemy.

There is also a cut off for senior enlisted as well for the rifle. Can probably Google it and get the info.

You should know as well as I do gunny that the beauty of the Marine Corps is that every Marine regardless of rank is assumed to be capable of acting as a rifleman. Maybe there is a waver for age but not for rank.

Actually there is I cited the order. O-4 and up and GySgt and up, unless their T/O weapon is a rifle are exempt. They are encouraged to qualify but no allotment of ammo is set aside for them. Also any officer with more then 13 years service is exempt unless his T/O weapon is a rifle.

OK, I'll buy the notion that O-4 and GySgt and above are exempt from having to qualify with the basic weapon. In that case it follows that they should not wear a shooting qualification badge. Any former Marine can spot a rifle and pistol qualification badge. Look at any portrait photo of a high ranking Marine and you will never see anything less than expert. It's not that big of a deal but I think it's phony.

 

[Warrior102]

Awards on the chest previously earned are allowed for the duration of service.

Once earned always kept.

Unless you're John Kerry.
He neither earned nor kept his.

 

[thanatos144]

I don't see how an officer can get out of having to go to the range the Marines pride themselves on this

 

[whitehall]

I don't see how an officer can get out of having to go to the range the Marines pride themselves on this

I don't either. The dirty little secret is that generals create their own rules. If some damn private can wear an expert rifle badge than by God a general can wear one too. I think that's the way it's been and nobody ever called them on it.