The Department of Defense recently conducted a capabilities-based assessment (CBA) to establish the combat effectiveness requirements for rifle marksmanship. The standards for target engagement were defined in terms of “probability of incapacitation given a shot,” “range,” and “time.”
Given that the specified target surface areas on the Marine Corps course are considerably smaller, hits recorded by Marine recruits should represent incapacitating hits. For the task “Engage Threat Personnel With Small Arms Fire, From 201 to 500m [Meters],” the requirement established was greater than or equal to 50 percent probability of incapacitation per shot. Marine recruits achieved 62.86 percent incapacitating hits from 200 to 500 yards, all unsupported and with iron sights.
The CBA further determined that “[U.S. Army soldiers] lack the ability to achieve desired accuracy and incapacitating effects against personnel targets at ranges from 0 to 500m.” Based on postcombat surveys, 10 percent of the cumulative distribution of personnel targets engaged across all types of terrain are at ranges of 400m or greater. In Afghanistan there have been units that have completed very kinetic deployments whose direct fire engagements were all at distances of 500m or greater.
The Marine Corps is the only Service that conducts marksmanship training beyond 300m for all personnel.
http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/article/challenges-imperiling-our-marksmanship-standards
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