Every guy is getting an ACOG now?This is my second deployment to Afghanistan. My first deployment could be considered a joke. All that we ran into was IED's. My second deployment they sent us to a hornets nest. I am still in Afghanistan and that being the case I will not say where I am or what unit I am in. I will say this.
In regards to the M4.
I know that there are many options out there that are field proven to be more reliable than the current direct impingement system we are using. I have been in more firefights than I can count, and I am also guilty of not cleaning my M4 everyday, or even every week for that matter. Much to the credit of this great gun, I have never had a malfunction of any kind. I would like to have suppressors as standard issue for every infantryman but that is just out of the cards with our current budget.
Optics.
The only units that deploy with M68's are supports units. Every Infantry unit that I have seen in sector has ACOG's. Granted I know that the occasional less fortunate National Guard unit has to make due with CCO's, I would say the majority of the ground pounders have ACOG's. I opted out of the ACOG for a personal optic. I put an EOTech EXPS3-1 w/3x Magnifier. I am still able to engage targets within the weapons effective ranges, but I feel much more comfortable with the speed of target acquisition during CQB. I do think that the EOTech and magnifier combination is something that the Army should look into.
Weapons Training.
I was able to do a Close range marksmanship training class prior to deployment. Though it was not the most thorough class I have ever taken it definitely opened the door to many different ideas and schools of thought. Most of which I have in turn passed down to my soldiers. The army needs to broaden its horizons as far as the marksmanship training is concerned. Stop the cookie cutter mold for marksmanship and just send the men to the range with as many rounds as they can use. I promise they will come away better shots than if you simply get them to shoot 40/40.
I concur on the marksmanship training.



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