VILSECK, Germany- U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, conducted the Marksmanship Master Trainer course for 2nd Cavalry Regiment Soldiers on Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 21- Feb. 26, 2021.
The course was significant because it marked the first time an in-person MMT course had been held at GTA by the Combined Arms Training Center since the start of the corona virus.
The MMT course is designed to improve noncommissioned officers' marksmanship skills by learning and understanding the fundamentals of marksmanship as well as the doctrine associated with it, said Sgt. Jackson Mitchell, team leader for Fox Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cav. Regt., and student in the MMT course. By the end of the course, they will be qualified to train other NCOs in their unit as well as assist commanders with the planning and implementation of their marksmanship strategy.
"This course allows us to train NCOs who can then become trainers themselves," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Cline, an MMT course instructor with 1st Bn., 29th Infantry Reg. "They become battalion-level assets who have the knowledge and skills to conduct training safely and correctly."
In 2016, the Army released Training Circular 3-22.9 "Rifle and Carbine Marksmanship", which replaced Field Manual 3-22.9 published in 2008. Cline said the MMT course focuses on teaching the current shooting methods outlined in the TC to maintain lethality across the force.
"The updated version of the manual is much easier to navigate," Cline said. "The real challenge of this course is training Soldiers on the new qualification standard."
In 2019, TC 3-20.40 "Training and Qualification of Individual Weapons" was released. The new qualification standard expands on firing positions beyond the standard prone supported, prone unsupported, and kneeling positions, said Mitchell. In order to simulate more realistic combat operations, the new standard incorporates barricades as well as shooting from a standing position, said Cline.
"I always considered myself to be a good shooter," said Mitchell. "Going through this course I've realized that there were a lot of things I wasn't doing correctly, and fixing them has really helped my shooting a lot."
Because this course is taking place during COVID-19, mitigation measures have been emplaced to ensure the safety of our Soldiers and their families, said Cline. The instructors who came here from Fort Benning were required to quarantine at Camp Aachen for 14 days, as well as Soldiers who came from outside Germany. Classrooms are sanitized throughout the day, and deep-cleaned after Soldiers are released for the day. Masks are also required anytime Soldiers are unable to maintain 6 feet of distance.
"The mitigation measures emplaced in Germany are impressive," said Cline. "However, training can't stop no matter what."
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