Marksmanship Medal

The Marksmanship Medal is a United States Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard military award and is the highest award one may receive for weapons qualification. The Marksmanship Medal is the equivalent of the Expert Marksmanship Badge in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. Additionally, select State National Guard organizations award marksmanship medals to guardsmen who achieve some of the highest aggregate scores at state-level marksmanship competitions.

Not to be confused with Marksmanship Ribbon.
Marksmanship Medal
Navy and Coast Guard Marksmanship Medals
TypeRibbon
Presented byDepartment of the Navy and Coast Guard
StatusCurrent
First awarded1969 (U.S. Navy)
 
 
Ribbons: Navy (left), Coast Guard (right); rifle (above), pistol (below)

The Marksmanship Medal is awarded for qualifying as an expert marksman on either the Sig Sauer M18 (Navy or Coast Guard), 9×19mm Beretta M9 (Navy or Coast Guard), .40 S&W SIG P229 DAK (Coast Guard only), or M16 rifle. To qualify at the expert level, a superior score must be obtained on an approved weapons qualification course. The standard Navy weapons qualification course for pistol normally consists of several courses of fire from strong-side supported (standing), weak-side supported (standing), and strong-side supported (kneeling) positions. For the rifle, the Navy qualification course consists of firing from a sitting and prone positions.[1][2][3]

Those qualifying as an expert marksman are authorized to wear the Marksmanship Medal, awarded as two separate decorations for rifle or pistol qualifications. Those having qualified on both pistol and rifle may receive both medals for simultaneous wear. The Marksmanship Medal is worn as a full-sized medal on dress uniforms. On a duty uniform all successful qualifiers may wear the award as the standard Marksmanship Ribbon. Those qualifying as an expert are authorized to wear the Expert device on the ribbon and those qualifying as a sharpshooter are authorized a "S" device (Navy-bronze and Coast Guard-silver) for that ribbon.[1][4][5]

The Navy Marksmanship Medals were first issued in 1969.[6][7]

Navy[1]
M9 Service Pistol Qualification M16 Rifle or M4 Carbine
180-203 Marksman 140-159
204-227 Sharpshooter 160-169
228-240 Expert 170-200
Coast Guard
P229R DAK Qualification M4 Carbine Rifle
114-128 Marksman 140-166
129-143 Sharpshooter 167-174
144-150 Expert 175-200
Alaska Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Medals

Similarly, the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs awards the Alaska Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Medals, one for rifle and one for pistol, to the top ten guardsman with the highest aggregate scores at the Alaska National Guard Adjutant General's Match. The winners of these awards are selected to join the state's marksmanship team to represent the Alaska National Guard at the Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships for a chance to win the Chief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge. A red, white, and blue ribbon is used to represent both medals ( ); however the actual rifle and pistol medals suspended by this ribbon are distinct.[8][9][10]

See also

References
  1. OPNAVINST 3591.1F, Small Arms Training and Qualification Archived 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, Department of the Navy, dated 12 August 2009, last accessed 18 February 2013
  2. "Pistol Marksmanship Medal (Pm)". Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  3. "Rifle Marksmanship Medal (Rm)". Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  4. U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations: Chapter 5, Section 3 Identification Badges/Awards/Insignia, Navy Personnel Command, updated 27 July 2011, last accessed 4 October 2011
  5. U.S. Coast Guard Uniform Regulations COMDTINST M1020.6G, Commandant United States Coast Guard, dated March 2012, last accessed 4 June 2012
  6. Navy Rifle Marksmanship Medal, by Military Medals, last accessed 18 February 2013
  7. "ASSIST-QuickSearch Document Details". quicksearch.dla.mil.
  8. Alaska National Guardsmen take aim during marksmanship competition, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, 134th Public Affairs Detachment, by SGT Michelle Brown, dated 20 May 2013, last accessed 6 December 2014
  9. Alaska: National Guard Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Award (Rifle), Medals of the World, updated 25 December 2004, last accessed 6 December 2014
  10. Alaska: National Guard Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Award (Pistol), Medals of the World, updated 25 December 2004, last accessed 6 December 2014
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