SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 – On September 16, 2024, U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command Commanding General Benjamin T. Watson signed and released the Marksmanship Campaign Plan (MCP). This plan, developed after years of research, offers a clear, measurable definition of lethality and provides Marines with standardized metrics to assess and enhance their effectiveness in combat.
The MCP introduces the S.P.E.A.R. Model of Lethality, an innovative framework that evaluates Marine proficiency using five key attributes: Speed, Precision, Executive Control, Adaptability, and Risk Exposure. By quantifying these characteristics, the Marine Corps can more accurately assess how lethal individual Marines are in combat scenarios.
“The objective is to further enhance and train our Marines to be the most capable and lethal warrior possible, while also enabling leaders the ability to rapidly assess their unit’s small-arms marksmanship lethality readiness, from individual to collective unit levels.” Maj. Gen. James “Hammer” Hartsell (Ret.), Distinguished Shooter
A pivotal development in the MCP’s journey began with the introduction of the Annual Rifle Qualification three years ago. This revamped qualification emphasized combat-relevant shooting positions and focused on achieving lethal effects. Now, the MCP goes further by implementing the Joint Marksmanship Assessment Package interface, a cutting-edge shot-timer technology designed to measure lethality. JMAP enables Marines to track and compare their performance with others, providing a clear view of individual progress and areas for improvement.
The data-driven nature of JMAP allows leaders to make informed decisions without speculation. For instance, when evaluating new weapons, holsters, or training curricula, the Marine Corps can now rely on quantifiable data rather than assumptions to determine which equipment or tactics yield superior performance. The MCP also includes the Infantry Marksmanship Training Program and Infantry Marksmanship Assessment, which provide a comparative analysis between Marines trained with legacy methods and those who have undergone modernized marksmanship training.
“With the publication of this MCP, we are witnessing the most transformative change in Marine Corps marksmanship in over a century,” said Colonel Scott Cuomo, Commanding Officer of WTBn-Quantico. “Importantly, the MCP builds on years of close teamwork across Headquarters Marine Corps, within Training and Education Command, with the Office of Naval Research, and with units across the Fleet Marine Force–all laser-focused on acting on decades of lessons learned in combat to make the Marine fighting on the ground as lethal as humanly possible. This close teamwork has resulted in our Service small-arms marksmanship lethality-focused training now being the best it has ever been. And, what’s equally exciting is that this training–and our Marines’ overall, quantifiably-measured lethality–is only going to get even better over the next five years as we achieve each of the goals set forth in the MCP, including scaling JMAP employment across the Service.”
In addition to the MCP, TECOM is committed to advancing other critical initiatives that enhance Marine Corps readiness and lethality, such as live, virtual and constructive training systems, enhanced multi-domain service-level training exercises, and continued investment in force fitness scientific research.
As the Marine Corps adapts to emerging threats and challenges, TECOM remains at the forefront of innovation, driving change through modernized training and education systems and programs that measurably enhance individual and unit combat readiness. TECOM initiatives help ensure America’s Marines remain the world’s premier fighting force.
Queries pertaining to the document or TECOM Force Design initiatives can be sent to tecom.media@usmc.mil.
Capt. Jacoby Getty
Marine Corps Training and Education Command