Today's Rifleman

Abstract

In 1988, the Marine Corps formalized training for non-infantry Marines with the creation of Marine Combat Training Battalion (MCT). The creation of MCT Battalion was designed to be the culminating step in establishing the Marine Corps ethos "Every Marine a Rifleman" ethos.1 Since its inception, MCT has undergone four radical shifts that have altered the number of individual skills taught and the amount of time devoted to teaching each individual skill. These changes have been so rapid and dramatic, that the MCT of today would be in every respect unrecognizable to a 1988 graduate. However, the basic definition of what a Marine rifleman is and his place on the battlefield has not changed since the programs inception. The changes that have taken place at MCT reflect not mere refinement of an existing program, but a change in philosophy and an attempt to "specialize" an "every Marine" concept for today's current operating environment. These changes have not made today's rifleman any more relevant and have come at the high price of inconsistency within our entry-level training pipeline.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 20, 2008
Accession Number
ADA500034

Entities

People

  • Zeb Beasley

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Doctrine
  • Explosive Devices
  • Grenade Launchers
  • Grenades
  • Hand Grenades
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Land Navigation
  • Launchers
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Navigation
  • Schools
  • Students
  • Training
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Naval Personnel Management