US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Bragg, NC)

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V ' ' Target Detection An unusual sound, a rustling in the grass or bushes, are critical sounds to a soldier in battle. A combat soldier must have a keen eye and an excellent ear to detect these factors. How can you fire at an enemy you cannot see? This is where target detection plays an important role in basic com- bat training. In target detection training, the utargetsi' are lightly camouflaged soldiers set in a natural surrounding. The trainees search for such targets, developing a skill for lo- cating and marking the uenemyw. Practical exercises are performed in this phase of rifle marksmanship and a trainee gradually learns that an empty battlefield may not be empty at all. Finally, the trainee is ready for record fire, where he utilizes techniques learned in battlefield firing and target detection. ,WW 27 am We 5, ,,,, M z , f -

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has R1 as , K K 4 x Q E Q N -X .. -tw i ,. 3 A Hs , 5 A .o gs . gg , .. lr Mx, 4 is - 'A' r , X 1 X Qigig faf ,gg if .Q f ' X 4, , X X Q X 25 Meter Range Q N .S 2 - if , 5 . s si . as Rage f 'f Eff, sz , 3 3 7 Q ,, ax as .k... QQ Q5,X in Basic combat trainees receive 95 hours of marksmanship instruction during the training cycle. The marksmanship course is designed to develop in the trainee the confidence, will, knowledge, and skill required to use his rifle effectively in combat. The first phase of rifle instruction is the 25 meter range, zero Hringf, Here, a basic combat trainee learns the fundamentals of basic marksmanship. Mechanical train- ing, aiming, sight alignment and adjustment are stressed. The soldier also 'gzerosw his weapon for combat firing. The trainee analyzes his liring and judges his own in- dividual performance with the Weapon. Basically, all soldiers are infantrymen. And for all soldiers, skill with the rifle is basic. - 1.4-if as A ,si sf t ,, I fp. ,,

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Field Firing During Field Firing, the men learn to detect and hit tar- gets under conditions that might be encountered in actual combat. They learn about the effects of wind on a bullet and how to compensate for these effects. Since a rifleman must be able to see a target 'before he can hit it, training in target detection is a major part of Field Firing. A great deal of time is spent in practicing detection of single and multiple, hidden, and moving targets. When the men spot a target, they must then make an accurate estimate of the distance to that target. They must be able to do this instantly with constant accuracy, for on the field of combat they would be engaging targets at varying ranges and must know how to compen- sate for the distance. They learn how to move safely with a loaded weapon and quickly take up firing positions when brought under attack. Every detail is covered, from rapid reloading procedures to personal camouflage skills, to give each man the ability to go into combat, confident that he knows his weapon and has the skill to use it to his best advantage. ar-MQ' YMMJ,