POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii -- The distinctive pop of M16A4 rifles and echoing shooting commands could be heard as Headquarters Battery of 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment fired rounds through silhouette targets during tables three and four combat marksmanship relays at PTA, April 12.
All ranks participated to improve their skills. Marines practiced engaging targets while moving; failure to stop drills; box drills; hammered pairs and identification; and pivot, present and fire drills while shooting table three.
“Table three is based on moving while firing, so it’s more realistic to how Marines will have to react in a combat situation,” said Cpl. Blake E. Harley, Headquarters Battalion, training noncommissioned officer from Arlee, Mont. “Finding your groove while doing your combat glide and figuring out how to fire on target while on the move are essential tools in a Marine’s marksmanship arsenal.”
After table three, Marines remained until evening to use their night vision goggles with infrared lasers. Table four tested and improved the Marines skills at night fighting and precision.
Since the lasers are infrared they show up in the Marines’ night vision goggles as a fine thread of green light.
Marines were required to move while engaging the target using the laser, since the goggles prevented them from looking through their rifles’ optics and perform each shooting exercise from table three.
“It’s important to get comfortable using NVGs and PEQ-15 lasers because Marines often use the cover of night as an advantage in combat,” Harley said.
Although Marines didn’t take scores to be recorded, the purpose of these shoots was to improve an individual Marine’s basic riflemen skills.
First Battalion, 12th Marines is scheduled to stay at PTA until May 9 after completing 46 days in a field-training environment. It’s preparing for an upcoming deployment in the 2nd quarter of 2010 to Afghanistan.
This week and next, batteries look forward to starting artillery fire. The training includes every type of round in their arsenal and practicing multiple suppression, timing and advanced firing tactics over several days.