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.
| Marksmanship Medal | |
|---|---|
 Navy and Coast Guard Marksmanship Medals | |
| Type | Ribbon |
| Presented by | Department of the Navy and Coast Guard |
| Status | Current |
| First awarded | 1969 (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[citation needed] | ||
|---|---|---|
| P229R DAK | Qualification | M4 Carbine Rifle |
| 114-128 | Marksman | 140-166 |
| 129-143 | Sharpshooter | 167-174 |
| 144-150 | Expert | 175-200 |
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
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c 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
- ^ "Pistol Marksmanship Medal (Pm)". Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ "Rifle Marksmanship Medal (Rm)". Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ 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
- ^ U.S. Coast Guard Uniform Regulations COMDTINST M1020.6G, Commandant United States Coast Guard, dated March 2012, last accessed 4 June 2012
- ^ Navy Rifle Marksmanship Medal, by Military Medals, last accessed 18 February 2013
- ^ "ASSIST-QuickSearch Document Details". quicksearch.dla.mil.
- ^ 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
- ^ Alaska: National Guard Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Award (Rifle), Medals of the World, updated 25 December 2004, last accessed 6 December 2014
- ^ Alaska: National Guard Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Award (Pistol), Medals of the World, updated 25 December 2004, last accessed 6 December 2014