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Pfc. Kevin Irving, a point man with, 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, lays in the prone and shoots down range
at targets a part of his evaluation. Marines with the unit were
evaluated for their offensive and defensive fundamentals during a
training exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune June 18-22.
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Hmmm. When I first saw this I was rather jazzed at seeing one of the few clear pics of a Marine using the M27 IAR. But the caption left me cold. Are we seeing confusion regarding the employment of the M27 in line companies? It could be wrong. The Marine might be boasting a bit, but the idea that your Machinegunner is used as your point man seems off. I remember writing the 24th MEU asking how they planned on using the M27. The Public Affairs Officer wrote me back stating that (I'm paraphrasing) they would employ it as needed in roles that they deemed fit. I'm good with that.
The M27 was brand new to the fleet, and the book hadn't been written yet.
But getting back to the photo. You're going to have one of your machine gunners as point man on patrols?
Definitely time for the Infantry School House to start writing up some type of manual on the employment of this weapon. Its really starting to look like its just being used as another M-16A4 in the field. If that's' the case then I say again....redesignate it as the M-16A5 and get them in the hands of all Marines.
'Nuff said!
