Shots echo all around as the Marine focuses on his front site tip. He steadily places it center mass of the target while keeping it aligned with the rear site aperture. He takes a deep breathe and releases it while applying slow, steady pressure to the trigger. As he reaches his natural pause, the round is ejected from the barrel, zipping through the wind and puncturing the black paper target 500 meters down range.
With the transition from M16A2s to M4s there come a question: Should Marines be allowed to use a rifle combat optic to qualify on the rifle range, or should Marines stick with iron sights?
Although there are many opinions on the matter, the fact is Marines train how they fight. It’s always been that way and that will never change.
Marine Administrative Message 529-08, whichmandates that M4s outfitted with an RCO or any otherattachments will be used on the range regardless of what the Marine prefers to use.
Like most people I’ve spoken with, I immediately associated using an RCO on the range as a way of cheating the system. But after debating it with fellow Marines for weeks, I find myself unable to choose a side.
There are good points to each. The fact that using iron sights has been a part of Marine Corps marksmanship since 1775 makes it difficult to change to a different type of optic. But as any Marine who has ever deployed knows, we always use RCOs in theater. They work really well as long as the Marine is competent, which most Marines in a combat environment are.
Unlike the iron sights, the optics provide a telescopic view that demands an initial adjustment to the delicate moving images, and requires different handling and new skills to learn how to adjust for wind, atmospheric conditions, bullet drop and distances to the targets. With the iron sights the adjustments are made on the rear sight elevation knob.
The main argument is Marines who are trained using RCOs will lose their skills with the iron sights, and the Marines who are well versed in using the iron sights will have no idea how to operate in combat with an RCO. What a lot of people overlook is the fact that both the RCO and iron sights are equally important. Instead of using one more than the other, we should incorporate the use of each equally.
There will always be arguments as to what mode is better, but whatever the Marine Corps chooses to use, Marines will adapt and overcome because the missionalways comes first.
— Combat Correspondent: jimmy.serena@usmc.mil
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