FY26 COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP SYMPOSIUM (CMS) POST SYMPOSIUM MESSAGE

R 101854Z MAR 26
MARADMIN 095/26
MSGID/GENADMIN/DC T&E QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/FY26 COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP SYMPOSIUM (CMS) POST SYMPOSIUM
MESSAGE//
REF/A/MCO 3574.2M/6Apr2022//
REF/B/MARINE CORPS MARKSMANSHIP CAMPAIGN PLAN//
REF/C/CMS CHARTER/NOVEMBER 2021//
NARR/REF A IS THE MARINE CORPS ORDER FOR THE MARINE CORPS
COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAMS (MCCMP). REF B IS THE MARINE CORPS
MARKSMANSHIP CAMPAIGN PLAN. REF C IS THE CMS CHARTER.//
POC/J. C. GRAYEK/GUNNER (CWO4)/DIRECTOR, MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT SECTION (MPMS), WTBN QUANTICO, TEL: 703 784-5275/EMAIL:
[email protected]//
POC/M. L. PAUGH/GYSGT/SNCOIC, MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
SECTION (MPMS), WTBN QUANTICO, TEL: 703 784-5450/EMAIL:
[email protected]//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. From 24 to 26 September 2025, Weapons Training
Battalion (WTBn) Quantico hosted the FY 2026 Combat Marksmanship
Symposium (CMS). The CMS offers a forum for the Total Force to
identify and discuss issues and provide recommended solutions to
improve combat marksmanship. The CMS provides a single point to
consolidate combat marksmanship issues and gives senior leadership
an accurate picture of the Service's current marksmanship state.
2. The FY26 CMS convened working groups (WG) to discuss entry-level
and annual marksmanship qualifications, the Advanced Precision
Marksmanship Program (APM) Program of Instruction (POI),
marksmanship instructor training continuum, future marksmanship
training technologies, and the Competition-In-Arms Program (CIAP)
with a focus
on the new Marine Corps Attack Drone Competitions (MCADC).
3. The Executive Steering Committee (ESC) brought forward the
following items that Deputy Commandant, Training and Education
(DC T&E) approved:
3.a. Entry-Level Qualification Update. WTBn-Quantico has fully
integrated the Annual Rifle Qualification (ARQ) into The Basic
School (TBS). Weapons Field Training Battalion (WFTBn)-Parris
Island and WFTBn-Edson Range have completed three Entry-Level
Qualification (ELQ) pilots and one ELQ Hybrid pilot in FY25.
WFTBn-Paris Island and WFTBn-Edson will continue ELQ evaluation
through FY26 to refine ELT courses and propose a standardized
course at the FY27 CMS targeting ARQ-equivalent qualification parity
by FY29. Assessment of the ELQ pilots will be a collaborative
effort between WFTBn-Parris Island, WFTBn-Edson, WTBn-Quantico,
and the Office of Naval Research, including a longitudinal
assessment and evaluation of Marine ELQ performance from the
Depots to associated marksmanship performance at the Schools of
Infantry (SOI), and ultimately ARQ and Infantry Marksmanship
Assessment in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF).
3.b. Annual Marksmanship Qualification Updates
3.b.1. Effective with this MARADMIN, Marines are authorized to use
unit funded Using Unit Responsibility Item, M17 Romeo red dot optic,
National Stock Number 1240-01-713-979 for Combat Pistol Program
(CPP) qualifications.
3.b.2. Effective with this MARADMIN, Marines in units that are
issued Glock pistols from the USMC (e.g., MARSOC) or Department
of State (e.g., MCESG) for unique duty requirements are authorized
to use these pistols for CPP qualifications.
3.b.3. Effective with this MARADMIN, Tables 3-6 courses of fire are
changed to a Global Force Management (GFM) deployment requirement in
lieu of annual requirements. Units are required to execute Tables
3-6 during their GFM work-up cycle prior to their deployment.
3.b.4. Effective with this MARADMIN, ARQ "Destroy" targets are no
longer required for ARQ due to the white boundary suppress zone not
counting in a Marine's qualification score. The ARQ "Drill" target,
which does not have this suppress zone, may be used in lieu of the
"Destroy" targets to reduce the costs and logistical requirements to
execute ARQ.
3.b.5. Effective with this MARADMIN, the SOIs will use the
following Lethality Factor scoring metrics for the Infantry
Marksmanship Assessment (IMA) and Rifleman Marksmanship
Assessment (RMA).
KDT SBD SOM MRC
Infantry Common Course .38 .99 .98 2.7
Marine Combat Training .33 N/A .81 2.1

3.b.6. Effective with this MARADMIN, Marine Forces Reserve is
authorized to process waivers for annual marksmanship qualifications
via the first General Officer in the chain of command.
3.c. Marksmanship Instructor Training Continuum
3.c.1. The APM course will continue to prioritize student
allocations based on unit alignment to GFM and crisis response
missions with the goal to ensure APMs return to their units prior
to training with other Marines during 3000-level collective Training
and Readiness events.
3.c.2. Combat Marksmanship Coach (CMC) and Combat Marksmanship
Trainer (CMT) Content Review Boards (CRB) were conducted in July
2025. The CRBs focused on incorporating best practices learned from
the Infantry Marksmanship Training Program in future CMC and CMT
courses. The CMS concurred with the CRB out-briefs. Weapons
Training Battalion, Quantico will continue Master Lesson File
construction to support submission of revised CMC and CMT POIs
in Q2 FY26.
3.c.3. WTBn-Quantico will host an Operational Planning Team
conference in Q2 FY26 to develop courses of action to create and
sustain Advanced Marksmanship Instructors across the Service.
3.d. Competition-In-Arms Program
3.d.1. Consistent with the ongoing updates to Marine Corps
Marksmanship Competitions (MCMC), all future competitions will
incorporate IMA and Precision Marksman Assessment (PMA) stages,
with the goals to identify annually the most lethal marksmen in the
Service and increase small-arms marksmanship lethality data sets to
help inform senior leader decision-making.
3.d.2. MCADCs will continue to focus on training and certifying via
competition Attack Drone-Operators (AD-O), Attack-Drone Instructors
(AD-I), and Payload Specialists (PS). Additionally, at each MCADC,
the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team will continue to inform and
update the Fleet on best practices for first-person view attack
drone employment.
4. The CMS met its intent to gain a clear picture of the current
state of Marine Corps marksmanship and the steps required to
continue to improve the program in accordance with the MCP.
WTBn-Quantico will draft a calling message for the FY27 CMS in May
2026 announcing the symposium dates, anticipated topics, and
guidance from DC, T&E and to solicit further inputs from the FMF.
5. Contact the POC for any requests for information.
6. Release authorized by Lieutenant General Benjamin T. Watson,
Deputy Commandant, Training and Education.//