Army Marksmanship Unit

Soldiers Assigned to the ‘Home of Champions’ Train the Military’s Best

Fewer than 100 soldiers, all with expert marksmanship skills, make up this elite unit. They are the best of the best, not just in the military, but throughout the competitive shooting world. Founded in 1956, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit exists to increase lethality throughout the Defense Department via mobile training teams, doctrine development and conducting research and development in concert with small arms development centers.

A montage of Army marksmen aiming their weapons.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit demonstrates America’s military marksmanship prowess by winning national and international shooting competitions, and enhances Army recruiting efforts through shooting demonstrations, public engagements and providing clinical marksmanship instruction.

We exist to fight and win. … We can win silver and bronze medals in training. There is no silver medal and bronze medal in combat. Training hard, failing, getting better at those basics, always holding yourself to that standard — that’s good training management because second place in combat is living with regret."

~ Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer

Training for Lethality

The Instructor Training Group soldiers serve as the primary instructors in support of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s mission to improve small arms lethality. Made up of combat veterans with a wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience, the group conducts tailored marksmanship training courses for more than 4,000 service members across the Defense Department each year. These mobile training teams provide effective marksmanship training courses and subject matter expertise to assist commanders in achieving their mission.

Train the Force

The USAMU offers several proven programs designed to meet soldiers’ needs, from drill sergeants conducting initial military training to special operations assets across all military branches. Each class of students fires a baseline course of fire. The baseline average is 18 to 22 hits on target out of 40, less than 50%. The percentage of hits that would be lethal to an adversary is even smaller. After a one-week course with USAMU’s instructors, those same soldiers have a 30 to 40% increase in hits and 40 to 50% increase in lethality.

Listen to leaders explain why lethality is so important and how USAMU training increases readiness.

Train the Trainer

Every year, the USAMU supports the Cadet Command’s Cadet Summer Training program. Soldiers train U.S. Military Academy instructors and Army Cadet Command ROTC instructors in marksmanship with the sole goal of these newly anointed trainers passing along the information to their students. But West Point and the cadet commands aren’t the only groups the USAMU supports. It provides marksmanship education to the officer corps through training programs for the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course, Armor Basic Officer Leader Course, Maneuver Captain's Career Course and Reserve Maneuver Pre-Command Course.

Doctrinal Support

USAMU’s expertise has impacted an innumerable number of soldiers. It’s responsible for the development of the original Marksmanship Master Training Course, the Army’s first institutional marksmanship course. It also authored evergreen training publications and assisted with doctrine updates for both the M7 service rifle and M17 service pistol.

To remain combat-ready, our soldiers must shoot, move, communicate and bond through tough training and learning to overcome adversity.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer

Research and Development

With resources not found anywhere else, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Custom Firearm Shop pushes the boundaries of what is possible, offering intense research and development with accelerated concepts to production.

Gunsmiths, machinists, range technicians and ammunition specialists, who could be called the backbone of the unit, customize competition arms and ammunition while standing on the forefront of innovation. The Custom Firearms Shop’s research, development, testing and evaluation efforts have led to enhanced accuracy, reliability and combat effectiveness across the Defense Department. The M21 and M24 sniper systems, special-purpose rifles and squad-designated marksman rifles were developed and tested at the USAMU. The unit has also been involved with the M7 rifle and M-17 pistol from the beginning and continues to conduct ballistic testing to ensure the weapon systems and ammunition meet capability requirements across the force.

We need the best systems in the hands of warfighters where they need it, to the Cocoms to deter and send the signals that when that fight comes, we're ready to win and win decisively.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Perfection in Action

Aiming for Perfection

Best of the Best

1:24

Best of the Best

1:00

Aiming for Perfection

Fostering Readiness Through Competition

Army Lt. Gen. Floyd L. Parks, a decorated soldier and internationally recognized advocate for American marksmanship, recognized the danger a force weak in shooting presented. His suggestions to President Eisenhower prompted the formation of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. In a 1958 address to the Department of Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Parks stated, “Marksmanship training is an essential element of readiness for combat. The crying need in each of our wars has been a demand for better individual marksmen.”

This remains true today. In an article for the Army University Press, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer asserted, “The consequences of artificial readiness are the difference between life and death, success and failure, and winning or losing. Are you ready, or do you need a warm-up target? The enemy doesn’t plan on giving you one!”

The USAMU has been tasked for decades with conducting several time-honored national-level training events and maintaining Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) records. The U.S. Army Small Arms Championships (All-Army) is an annual series of matches that fosters an intense and unique training environment. Army soldiers and cadets of all skill levels can attend. Competitors not only learn from the Olympians and National Champions at the USAMU, but from one another under the stress of competition.

The Armed Forces International Pistol Matches foster competition among the services and Small Arms Firing Schools offer yet another opportunity for anyone, military or civilian, to learn basic marksmanship skills. The goal of the congressionally mandated firing schools is to encourage the development of American marksmanship, passing along skills to encourage the next generation of America’s warfighters.

There is no time in battle to become disciplined—it happens before or not at all.” Army Lt. Gen. Floyd L. Parks

Competition

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit wins national and international shooting competitions, supports Army accessions, and advances small arms lethality to demonstrate Army marksmanship capability, enhance recruiting and increase marksmanship effectiveness in combat.

Action Shooting

Service Pistol

Service Rifle

International

Shotgun

Action Shooting

The Action Shooting Team competes in state, regional, national, continental and world championship competitions.

Service Pistol

The Service Pistol Team competes in Conseil International du Sport Militaire – known as CISM and the Military World Games – the Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting, the Interservice Small Arms Competition, the Interservice Championships and the National Championships, as well as conducting the Small Arms Firing School at the National Pistol Matches for the Department of Defense.

Service Rifle

The Service Rifle Team competes in open team matches and individual championships, state service rifle and highpower championships, interservice and national competitions and the Palma World Championships of International Long Range Rifle Shooting. The Service Rifle Team also conducts the National Small Arms Firing School for the Department of Defense each summer during the National Rifle Matches.

International Rifle

The International Rifle/ Pistol Team competes in interservice, national, international, world-level and Olympic competitions and conducts the Smallbore Clinic during the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, every summer.

Shotgun

The USAMU Shotgun Team competes in interservice, national, international, world-level and Olympic competitions.

27 TOTAL

Olympic Medals

Won by USAMU Shooters 1964-Present

14 GOLD

7 SILVER

6 BRONZE

USAMU's Connection to the Olympic Games

Soldiers Assigned to the ‘Home of Champions’ Train the Military’s Best