More Efficient Live-Fire Rifle Marksmanship Evaluation

Abstract

Abstract : To examine the feasibility of enhancing live-fire rifle marksmanship evaluation efficiency on the U.S. Army's 40-round standard qualification course, 2 groups of 90 One-Station-Unit Infantry trainees fired 20 rounds from the (foxhole) supported position followed by 20 rounds from the (prone) unsupported position. A significant positive linear relation between the total number of targets hit and the number of hits fired under each position was found for the formative group (Group 1) and confirmed for the cross-validation group (Group 2), with the former group's predictive models accounting for about two-thirds of the variance in the total hit scores of both groups. Separate look-up-table tools were then developed from pooled group data for predicting first-attempt qualification at the Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert levels on the basis of either supported or unsupported position hit scores. Thus, rifle marksmanship proficiency, heretofore measured on the basis of 40 rounds, can be accurately predicted on the basis of only 20 rounds fired from either fighting position, although use of scores fired from the supported position is recommended until further research can be conducted. These tools can serve as easy-to-use diagnostic instruments for (a) identifying who should continue with qualification firing (e.g., those likely to qualify after firing 20 rounds) and who should not (e.g., those unlikely to qualify after firing 20 rounds), and (b) providing empirically derived performance standards needed in the future to assess rifle marksmanship proficiency during practice, as well as qualification, on the basis of 20 rather than 40 rounds, thereby saving both range time and ammunition without sacrificing evaluative integrity.