Chapter 31 Family Ties Part 2

[Ray]

I think Ray has a bit of a chip on his shoulder with his comments that Marines as a whole shoot better and that "every Marine is an infantryman".

No, not literally. However, when being promoted and in an annual test the vast majority of the questions are infantry related. I had to know every single bit of information that any rifleman knew, as well as what was part of my MOS as a 6287. I worked on F-18 ejections seats in the Marines, yet I had to know information like how to load/disassemble/carry/team fire/service and M2 .50, demonstrate the proper way to acquire 4 and 6 digit locations on a map, and so on. I'm sorry, but you're just wrong. I don't mean it as a dick measuring contest, but you are in fact wrong. Every Marine is required to meet minimum standards in marksmanship, are tested and required to qualify annually, and it has been that way for a very long time. History is not on your side.

The problem is that non-combat arms Marines live under the fiction that they are firstly in the 'infantry'. It is true that for esprit de corps they have the motto "Every Marine a rifleman" it doesn't mean that they are all infantry. The guy that's flying the V-22 isn't going to show up in Camo Fallujah and get word "Hey bud you'll be walking patrols while you're here."

First statement is not true. Marines know damn well that they aren't all professional infantryman, and what who does tell you that is an explicit liar. We all are required to maintain knowledge of what an infantryman needs to know, and we are required to keep our marksmanship up to standard every year. I think it's funny that you say the V-22 pilot isn't going to show up in camo in Fallujah. You obviosuly know nothing about Marines if you think that is true. V-22 pilots, and other fixed wing pilots do exactly what you say they don't. Two of our Captains were company commanders and FACs in Fallujah both times it was assaulted. ALL officers in the Marines are trained as platoon commanders, and are required to lead from the front in OCS in an infantry capacity. They don't even get trained on what they are going to do until after OCS, so they are all basically trained as infantry officers. Enlisted Marines are all trained that way as well, not as company commanders/platoon commanders, but they are basic infantrymen as well.

The long and short of it is there are Soldiers who are shitty at shooting just like there are Marines that are shitty at shooting, and there are Soldiers that are great at if same as there are Marines that are great at it.

I don't deny that some are better shots than others. What I am saying is that it's not too far a stretch that he's a poor shot, because marksmanship isn't that important to the Army. Marines are far superior to soldiers in marksmanship, they have been for almost 250 years and will continue to be if the Army doesn't put more emphasis on it. I have no reason to believe they will because they've never had any real interest in marksmanship as a unit.

Ray, take the chip off your shoulder

I have no chip, I merely stated facts. It's you that seems to take offense where there was absolutely none meant. I suggest you learn more about the Marines though, the majority of your information is explicitly false. I won't deny that Marines have pride that clouds their judgement on how we are, but there's reason for it. We are simply that good.