Master Gunner Common Core Site

Master Gunner Common Core

Course Description

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Purpose: Train noncommissioned officers on advanced universal gunnery methodologies, gunnery training with a focus on vehicle mounted machine gun weapons systems, and the planning and implementation of gunnery training programs.

Phase Scope: Master Gunner Common Core is taught in 20 days in four modules:

DIRECT FIRE AND WEAPONS TRAINING: Trains the direct fire engagement progress to provide a standardized method of engagement for weapons and platforms on the battlefield. This method allows Soldiers and leaders to maximize the effects of lethal fires against the enemy while reducing or eliminating the effects of fires on friendly or neutral personnel, equipment, or facilities. Trains maintenance procedures used to identify and troubleshoot complex malfunctions that occur during the firing of the M240 series and M2 machine guns.

AMMUNITION AND BALLISTICS: Trains the ability to identify, classify, and forecast direct fire ammunitions that will enable Soldiers to manage ammunition allotments and training requirements at the Battalion level. Trains atmospheric effects on rounds due to nonstandard conditions to increase probability of first round impacts on target. Discusses lethality capabilities of all current and future ammunitions against various enemy threats encountered in the operational environment. Develops surface danger zones and verifies live fire training is being conducted IAW Installation and DOD regulations.

GUNNERY TRAINING MANAGEMENT: Develops gunnery programs that sustain and improve unit gunnery proficiency training based on the Commander’s intent and the Commander’s assessment of unit’s strong and weak areas. The Gunnery Program provides supervised decentralized training to include but not limited to key collective tasks, Warfighting Skills, preliminary gunnery training and integration of training devices and simulations, individual and crew-served weapon training and qualification. The emphasis on gunnery standards focuses a unit’s direct fire lethality in combat operations to build and maintain ready units conducting unified land operations for Combatant Commanders as outlined in ADP 7-0.

UNIT TRAINING PLAN: Develops a mounted machine gun company-level unit training plan. Soldiers conduct in-progress reviews throughout the course to ensure they are covering all resources and prerequisites required for a crew qualification. The course culminates with a briefing of the unit training plan they designed to a panel of simulated Battalion staff.