Weapons Qualification

Holy Smokes...

What a long day at the range !!! We got up at 05.30 hours so we could drive from Camp Funston to D Co. 101st FSB before the roads closed (because of morning PT). We ate breakfast at the mess hall close to D Co 101st FSB.

After breakfast and drawing our weapons (an M4 carbine and M9 Pistol) we set out for the range. First we zeroed our weapons and then off to the qualification range. We first qualified (or familiarized) with the M9 pistol. Then we qualified with the M4 carbine. Those of us that had problems zeroing or qualifying stayed later until qualified.

I was one of the lucky few that had problems. I'm used to the "old school" way of securing the butt of the weapon inside your LBE shoulder harness to ensure it fit into your shoulder socket and placing the tip of your nose on the charging handle to ensure a correct site picture.

However, for this range, we did not wear LBE. We wore IBE (or what I refer to as our "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits). With the IBE there is no way to secure the butt of the weapon into your shoulder socket. And if you place the tip of your nose on the charging handle, but you change the placement of where the butt of your weapon is, you change the site picture of your weapon system.
This will cause a problem for both zeroing your weapon and qualifying with your weapon.

When I shoot in the prone supported or unsupported position, I don't have a problem securing the butt of the weapon against the top of my shoulder. However, in the foxhole supported (or unsupported) position the M4 would consistently slip out, creating the potential of obtaining a new site picture for the next shot.

For example... On the qualification range. I shot 8 for 10 on all targets in the prone unsupported position and 5 for 10 in the kneeling position. But I shot 4 for 20 in the foxhole supported position. For a total of 17 hits out of 40 (23 are required to qualify).

The next time out to qualify, instead of using the foxhole supported position, I used the prone supported position. That made all the difference in the world, as I shot 29 for 40. It made for a very long day at the range. But a very useful day, as lots of important lessons were learned on this day.

I'm looking forward to the range week we will have as a team.

But now, we must prepare to go on our Leader's Recon. We depart at 20.00 hrs, draw our weapons and we'll be taking a bus from Ft. Riley to Dallas/Ft. Worth where we will catch an R&R flight to Kuwait.