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Marines engage targets during the Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, June 24. The course trained Marines to become combat marksmanship coaches to further improve Marines’ shooting abilities Marine Corps-wide.

Photo by Sgt. Brian Marion

Aiming for success; Miramar Marines complete marksmanship course

29 Jun 2015 | Sgt. Brian Marion Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

Marines from various units across the station completed a Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, June 26.

The Marines in the course completed the Intermediate and Advanced Combat Rifle Marksmanship (ICRM and ACRM) programs to better assist their units in marksmanship training.

"[The ICRM through ACRM] is where we start to see the development of the applicable skills that units will use when they [deploy],” said Sgt. Richard Franz, the formal marksmanship training center deputy director. “It’s not built into the basic curriculum that every Marine gets to do annually. It’s important they get access to it now, because at some point, they may be training someone who may have to use it.”

During the courses of fire, the Marines engaged targets between five and 300 meters, approached targets while engaging them and familiarized themselves and their units with each course.

"I’m learning way more in this course than I have in the past,” said Cpl. Lea Caines, a combat engineer with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, MCAS Miramar. “These tables are focused more toward combat.”

Once the Marines graduated, they began working at the range complex as combat marksmanship coaches for the air station.

They get this extra training and they can take it wherever they go in the Marine Corps, and it will be familiar to them,” said Franz.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar