The United States Marine Corps’ marksmanship has long set it apart from other branches. This focus has created a culture in which every Marine is primarily a rifleman. Rifle accuracy has often been the deciding factor in battles in American military history.
The Marine Corps marksmanship badges program is one of the toughest and most respected ways to learn how to use a rifle in the world. It has created generations of expert sharpshooters who live by the warrior spirit of America’s expeditionary force.
Marine Corps Marksmanship Badges & Their Meanings
The Marine Corps gives marksmanship qualification badges to people who are good at shooting. They wear these badges with pride on their dress uniforms. Marksmanship badges, on the other hand, must be earned again every year, ensuring that Marines keep their skills sharp throughout their careers.
Three Levels of Marine Corps Marksmanship Qualification
Expert: This is the highest level of qualification. To become an Expert, Marines must get 220 to 250 points out of a possible 250 on the annual qualification course. The Expert badge features a wreath design with two crossed rifles in the center, and people who earn it can wear special badges.
Expert shooters can hit targets with precision from any shooting position and at any distance, often within a set time limit. Getting an Expert qualification is a big deal and something that Marines are proud of for the rest of their careers.
Sharpshooter: To get the intermediate qualification level, Sharpshooter, you need to score between 210 and 219 points. The Maltese cross design on the Sharpshooter badge stands for good, reliable shooting. Sharpshooter Marines have shown above-average skill and consistency with their service rifles, even though they haven’t reached the highest level.
Marksman: To be a Marksman, you need to get at least 190–209 points. The Marksman badge is the lowest level of qualification, but it still shows that you passed a challenging course of fire. For a Marine to be considered good with their service weapon, they must at least pass the Marksman test.
Badge Components & Re-qualification Bars
Marksmanship badges have hanging bars that show that the person requalified at the same level. Every time a Marine re-qualifies at their current level, they get another bar. Depending on the time period and the rules in place, these bars indicate the score or whether someone is qualified. Some Marines rack up a lot of bars over their careers, creating a visual record of how well they shoot.
The badges are made of metal and go on the left side of dress uniforms, below ribbons and medals. The weight and arrangement of several qualification bars can create a unique look. Senior Marines with long careers often have impressive collections of re-qualification bars under their badges.
Distinguished Badges in Marine Corps Marksmanship
The Marine Corps gives special badges for outstanding performance in competitions, in addition to basic qualification levels. The Distinguished Rifleman Badge and the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge are two of the highest honors for marksmanship. These badges go to Marines who have performed very well in formal shooting competitions and earned scores that place them among the Corps’ best shooters. Distinguished badges are rare and indicate that someone has been practicing for years and has a natural talent for shooting.
Historical Foundations
The “Devil Dogs” of the U.S. Marine Corps have used an English Bulldog as their mascot since 1922.
The Marine Corps has always placed great emphasis on marksmanship, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that it became official and organized. During the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection that followed, Marine leaders knew that better shooting skills could make up for having fewer troops and give them an edge in battle. But the modern marksmanship program didn’t start to take shape until the years before World War I.
The Marine Corps set up its first official marksmanship qualification standards in 1908. Doing so made it possible to judge and reward Marines fairly for their shooting skills. This groundbreaking move made Marines different from other branches of the military. The program focused not only on accuracy but also on quickly and effectively engaging targets in a variety of situations. This early training would be beneficial for Marines in World War I, when being a good shot could mean the difference between life and death in the trenches of France.
Timeline Of Notable Events
Early 20th Century (1900-1920)
During the early years of Marine Corps marksmanship, they created qualification courses and standardized training methods. The Corps officially adopted the qualification badges in 1911. These badges would later become famous symbols of Marine shooting skill.
During World War I, Marine snipers became renowned for their accurate rifle fire at battles like Belleau Wood in 1918. Here, they shocked German troops, earning the Marines the nickname “Devil Dogs.” The Corps’ stories of Marines fighting enemy soldiers at ranges of more than 500 yards became part of its history and underscored the importance of marksmanship training.
Interwar Period (1920-1941)
The Marine Corps continued to develop its marksmanship program between the two World Wars. The Corps competed in national shooting competitions and always came out on top, further building its reputation. Training ranges got better, and the Known Distance (KD) course became the standard at all Marine bases.
The M1903 Springfield rifle remained the Marines’ primary weapon, and they learned a great deal about how it worked. During this time, the Marine Corps also formed the Rifle Team. They competed at Camp Perry and other national venues, which brought honor to the service.
World War II (1941-1945)
World War II‘s island-hopping campaigns put marine marksmanship to the test across the Pacific. The marksmanship program also taught basic skills and discipline. These secondary skills were instrumental, even though combat conditions often made it impossible to employ the long-range precision shooting stressed in peacetime training.
Marines had to change their training when they switched from the M1903 Springfield to the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle, but they did so quickly. Even though they used a variety of weapons in close-quarters combat, legendary snipers like John Basilone showed the warrior spirit that comes from training to shoot.
Cold War Era (1945-1991)
There were significant changes to the marksmanship program after World War II. The Marines adopted the M14 rifle in the 1950s, and the M16 in the 1960s. This change required updating training protocols. The Vietnam War showed both the strengths and weaknesses of marksmanship training in jungle warfare. In response, the Corps changed its program to focus on quickly finding targets and shooting from different positions. The Rifle Qualification Course, as we know it today, was created during this time. It included more realistic combat scenarios while still focusing on the basics.
Modern Era (1991-Present)
The Gulf War, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and evolving combat needs led to ongoing changes in Marine Corps marksmanship. The M16A4 service rifle and, later, the M4 carbine, as well as advanced optics such as the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG), were significant technological advances.
The Annual Rifle Training (ART) program replaced older programs. It included more realistic combat situations, stress shoots, and engagements at unknown distances. In recent decades, there has also been more focus on combat marksmanship skills. These include shooting from behind barriers, quickly engaging multiple targets, and switching between weapons systems.
The Rifleman’s Creed
Marines switched from the M1903 Springfield to the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle during the defense of the Philippines.
The Rifleman’s Creed, also known as “My Rifle” or the Creed of the United States Marine, is essential to the culture of marksmanship in the Marine Corps. Major General William H. Rupertus wrote this powerful statement during World War II. It sums up the Marines’ relationship with their weapons and their dedication to being the best in arms.
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.” -Major General William H. Rupertus, USMC
The Creed starts with the simple statement, “This is my rifle.” This one is mine, but there are many others like it. This opening makes it clear that every Marine is responsible for their weapon and how well they use it. The Creed goes on to say that the rifle is the Marine’s best friend and the only way to stay alive, and that they must learn to use it as well as they learn to live their own lives.
The most important thing the Creed says is, “My rifle and I know that what matters in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make.” We know that the hits matter. We will hit. This passage stresses accuracy over volume of fire, a key difference between Marine Corps marksmanship training and simply getting used to guns.
Marine Corps Marksmanship Badges: The Ultimate Military Skill?
All Marines, regardless of MOS, must qualify annually in marksmanship using iron sights and optics. (Credit: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoW) VI does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
Marine Corps marksmanship is more than just a military skill. It’s a part of Marine culture that defines what it means to be a Marine. The focus on accurate, effective rifle fire has stayed the same from the first days of formal training to modern combat operations, even though weapons and tactics have changed. The Rifleman’s Creed is the philosophical basis of this culture, and qualification badges are a way to show that someone has done well and continues to do well.
Every Marine, whether they are a foot soldier, an aviator, or work in administration, must show that they can use a rifle every year. This rule reinforces the basic idea that there are no rear-echelon Marines; everyone may have to fight with a rifle in hand. The marksmanship program builds the Marine Corps’ unique warrior ethos, discipline, and confidence while ensuring they are always ready.
The Marine Corps marksmanship badges program will evolve as warfare evolves. It always emphasizes accuracy, discipline, and the rifleman’s duty to make every shot count. Marine Corps marksmanship has been a part of the Corps for more than a hundred years, and it’s still a source of pride for everyone who earns the title of Marine.
My first rotation after I graduated from medical school was peds house. That is inpatient pediatrics in the vulgar tongue. As a newly-minted MD, my job was to take care of really sick children who were in the hospital.
This wasn’t just some Podunk community hospital. This was the Battlestar — a sprawling Level 1 trauma center in the inner city. Folks came from far and wide to seek our services. In this case, that meant that these kids were legit sick. I was frankly terrified.
There is a hierarchy to the medical staff in a big teaching hospital. The rank system is almost as sacrosanct as that of the military. The trappings are obvious if you know where to look.
A .357 Magnum revolver is a formidable combat tool.
My Very First Day
Medical students are the lowest of the low — think whale dung in the Marianas Trench. They wear short white coats that end around the base of their buttocks. RLDs (Real-Live Doctors) wear long white coats.
When it was time to pick white coats for graduation, I had four styles to choose from. I told the guy I didn’t care about belts, buttons or lapels. I just wanted the longest coat they had. I wanted folks to know I was no longer a medical student from a slant range of 500 meters.
Anyway, it was my very first day as an actual doctor, and I was on call in the children’s hospital. I got paged to a patient’s room stat. I arrived to find this tiny little kid having a grand mal seizure.
Upon my arrival, the accumulated crowd of distraught family, nurses and sundry support staff parted like the Red Sea. Thank the Lord, the doctor’s here.
Now, understand, I had never before even seen a grand mal seizure. I had read about them, to be sure, but that’s a pretty significant departure from actually gazing upon a terrified mom clutching this tiny purple kid who is flopping around like a beached carp.
With all eyes on me, I retrieved my laminated dosing card, authoritatively inquired regarding the kid’s weight, and calculated a weight-based dose of Ativan on the fly.
One of the floor nurses pulled up the medication and pushed it into the kid’s IV. We all waited expectantly. Then, the kid stopped shaking. I took the win. By the end of that month, I had two kids seizing at once and still answered a phone call.
‘Twas a Dark and Stormy Night…
Our hero was a retired law enforcement officer with decades of practical experience. A friend was whiling away a delightful evening swapping war stories with the man. The conversation inevitably wandered to, “What was your most exciting call-out?”
This guy had been a rookie cop. Not only was he a rookie cop, he was on his very first patrol alongside an experienced veteran. They got a call to report to a domestic disturbance.
A domestic disturbance is a 10-80. These things range from raised voices on one end of the spectrum to a full-bore firefight on the other. This poor guy and his partner knocked on the door to see what was amiss.
Regardless of the circumstances, in times of stress, you tend to fall back on your training and experience. Public domain.
The Bad Guy burst out of the house guns a-blazin’. The rookie cop’s senior partner caught a round and was out of the fight. The kid reached for his service weapon, in those days a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, and did what he had been trained to do — draw, front sight center of mass, and squeeze.
So, this law enforcement officer actually shot a man on his first time out in the real world in uniform. He had been a real cop for all of eight hours.
The training that he had undergone prior to that moment served him well, and both he and his partner survived the deadly encounter. He never again had to fire on another perp despite decades of active service. The system worked as it was supposed to.
Ruminations
The human mind is a most curious thing. Our brains weigh about 3 pounds and are mostly fat, yet they’re the most complex mechanical contrivance in the known universe. It is a uniquely-capable learning computer that inculcates experiences to shape future behavior. Subject this remarkable device to the right stimuli, and it can eventually pilot the space shuttle.
It’s a weird old world that gets weirder by the day. With distressing frequency, Americans are pitted against Americans over political, religious or philosophical issues. In such a toxic milieu, folks often behave poorly. That’s the reason I carry a gun whenever I’m not asleep or in the shower.
Whether it is a little kid having a seizure or some armed redneck lunatic on a bender, when life goes all pear-shaped, you will inevitably fall back on your training and experience.
Tactical shooting is fun. Those who fundamentally disagree have either never done it properly or are too fragile to survive anything more arduous than a transient power outage. However, it is also important. Stock up on cheap blasting bullets, then go burn them like your life depends on it. You just never know when you might need to slip your big boy pants on.
Stereocard,“Hospital at Fredericksburg, Va., May, 1864” War Photograph Exhibition Company. (VMHC 2002.460.123)
In the Civil War’s wake, thousands of veterans became addicted to morphine and opium, medicines used to treat painful injuries and lingering sicknesses sustained during the war. Veterans’ families looked on in horror as opioid addiction destroyed old soldiers’ health and damaged their self-esteem, relationships, and reputations.
Opiates were some of the most widely used medicines in 19th-century America. During the Civil War, surgeons administered morphine injections and opium pills to soldiers who had endured gunshot wounds and amputations.
Opium was also a major remedy for diarrhea and other diseases that spread through army camps during the war. The medicines worked well—too well, in fact. Countless veterans became addicted to opium and morphine, which they continued to take after leaving the army.
Veterans dubbed opioid addiction “opium slavery” and “morphine mania,” among other names. As these monikers imply, addiction had severe consequences for veterans’ lives. Drug addiction, although it was widespread, was deeply stigmatized in the Civil War era.
From many Americans’ point-of-views, veterans who struggled with opioid addiction were immoral and unmanly. They deserved to be punished, not helped, according to this line of thinking. Consequently, addicted veterans struggled to find sympathy or medical care, and they often died of accidental drug overdoses.
The experience of Confederate artillerist John Tackett Goolrick and Frances Bernard Goolrick, his wife, illustrates the wide-ranging health, emotional, and social consequences of opioid addiction for Civil War veterans and their families.
The Goolricks wrote scores of letters describing the staggering costs of John’s morphine addiction, which stalked the family for nearly a half-century after the Civil War. The letters are housed in the Goolrick Family Papers collection at the VMHC. Most Americans were reticent to discuss opioid addiction openly. But the Goolricks were frank about their struggles, and their letters provide an unparalleled window into the broader phenomenon of opioid addiction among Civil War veterans.
John enlisted in the Fredericksburg Artillery as a young man. He was an ardent supporter of the proslavery Confederate cause, remaining with Robert E. Lee’s army until the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865, the bitter end to the war in Virginia. Many of Lee’s men had deserted by that point. John suffered a severe gunshot wound in the left leg at the siege of Petersburg in August 1864.
He was transported behind the lines to Richmond’s massive Chimborazo hospital, where surgeons apparently prescribed morphine for the pain before patching John up and sending him back to the frontlines. At Chimborazo, or some point in the ensuing years, John became addicted to morphine.
Lithograph, “Campaign Sketches: The Letter for Home” by Homer, Winslow L. Prang & Company. (VMHC 2000.165.6.5)
John and Frances cared deeply for one another, but his morphine addiction took a serious toll on their marriage. The Goolricks were a fixture of the social scene of Fredericksburg, where they built a life in the decades after the Civil War.
But all the while, John consumed ever-higher doses of morphine. As his addiction grew worse, it debilitated his body and mind. Finally, in 1896, John suffered a morphine-induced breakdown, some 30 years after leaving the army. This was not uncommon, as many veterans lived with chronic addiction for decades. But John’s breakdown imploded his relationship with Frances.
Morphine abuse clouded John’s mind and judgment, leaving him unable to practice law, his postwar occupation. The family’s finances dwindled, and, with little hope that John’s state would improve on its own, Frances demanded that he submit to harsh medical care for addiction.
In the 19th century, medical care for addiction often entailed having one’s morphine dose abruptly discontinued, triggering agonizing withdrawal symptoms. John most assuredly did not want to undertake this grueling medical ordeal. But Frances insisted, threatening divorce if he did not comply. As Frances explained to her brother in a February 5, 1896, letter, John “will beg and implore me not to do this. But I must, I must, I can bear neither for myself or the children, this life any longer.” “I am obliged to leave him,” she added, for “I can see nothing else to do…. His mind and brain [are] clouded by” morphine, and “there is no dependence to be put in him.”
John and Frances’s family took the news of John’s addiction hard. Extended family members appear to have known about the veteran’s morphine addiction before his 1896 breakdown, but almost certainly did not realize the severity of the situation. Because morphine addiction was stigmatized, it threatened the upper-class Goolricks’ social standing. So, the family had to deal with John’s addiction swiftly and quietly.
One option was institutionalization. Virginia’s public mental asylums, like Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, often admitted Civil War veterans and other Virginians suffering from drug addiction.
But, as John’s brother warned in a March 7, 1896, letter, this measure would bring great shame to the entire family because asylums were, like addiction, stigmatized. If word got out that John had been committed to an asylum, it “would be commented upon and asked about” in the newspapers.
Fearing damage to the family’s reputation, Frances, along with John’s brother and sister-in-law, settled on a more private solution. Within a few days of his collapse, Frances sent John away to his brother’s farmhouse, just outside of Fredericksburg. The family ultimately restrained John by locking him in a room, where hired nurses prevented escape while John endured the agony of opioid withdrawal over the course of several weeks.
John’s ordeal was heartbreaking for his family to witness. As Nora, John’s sister-in-law, explained to Fannie in a March 10, 1896, letter, “my heart aches to look at him.” Eventually, John’s body and mind recovered, and he returned home to Frances. But the family’s letters hint that John relapsed several times before his death in 1925.
The Goolricks’ saga illustrates several aspects of addiction commonly experienced by Civil War veterans who struggled with opioid addiction.
First, the Civil War, despite ending in 1865, caused health complications for John that lasted for decades. This facet of the Goolricks’ story, which was not unique to John and Frances, complicates the persistent myth that most Civil War veterans simply returned to normal after leaving the army.
In reality, many veterans dealt with challenging, war-related disabilities for the rest of their lives. Additionally, like other couples of the era, the Goolricks based much of their self-esteem on their ability to fulfill certain social roles.
Men like John were supposed to act as breadwinners, while women like Frances were supposed to manage the “domestic sphere” of life. Yet, addiction inverted these roles, leaving John unable to work, while Frances stepped in and managed the family’s public and financial affairs—an inversion of gender roles that neither Goolrick relished.
The couple also experienced great shame at the public airing of John’s addiction, demonstrating how opioid addiction was not merely a health problem, but one that affected from all other aspects of life, as well. Finally, the Goolricks’ story reminds us that Americans of generations past struggled with opioid addiction, much like the millions of Americans grappling with addiction amid today’s ongoing opioid crisis. Opioid addiction has a long history dating back to the Civil War.
This article was written by Jonathan S. Jones for Virginia History & Culture Magazine, Spring/Summer 2020. Jonathan received his PhD in History from Binghamton University, Spring 2020. The George and Ann Richards Civil War Center at Pennsylvania State University awarded Jones a postdoctoral fellowship, and he accepted an assistant professorship in the history department at Virginia Military Institute, which he began in the fall of 2021.
Johnathan’s book project, “‘A Mind Prostrate’: Opiate Addiction in the Civil War’s Aftermath,” chronicles the Civil War–era opioid addiction epidemic—America’s original opioid crisis. The project uncovers the traumatic experiences and harsh consequences of opioid addiction for Civil War veterans and their families. The project also reveals America’s long, but largely forgotten, history of opioid crises. The book project stems from his PhD dissertation (Binghamton University, 2020), and his research was enhanced by an Andrew W. Mellon Research Fellowship at the VMHC in 2019.
Admiral Hyman Rickover bullied physics, bureaucracy, and common sense into submission and birthed the Nuclear Navy. His side quest, the pint-size NR-1 on truck tires, became the weirdest, coolest tool in Cold War deep water.
From Polish Kid To Nuclear Pit Boss
Admiral Hyman Rickover was unique in the annals of the US military. Born in Poland and brought to the US as a child to escape persecution of Jews, Rickover took his first paying job at age nine, earning three cents an hour holding a light for a neighbor who was operating a machine. He entered the US Naval Academy in 1918. In 1922, Rickover graduated 107th out of a total of 540 midshipmen.
Admiral Hyman Rickover was a serious piece of work. He is rightfully known as the Father of the Nuclear Navy. Public domain.
Rickover was acerbic, difficult, and mean. However, he was also notorious for getting stuff done. He spent World War 2 organizing and fixing things on ever-increasing scales. He helped coordinate repairs on the battleship USS California in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks and ended the war in command of a ship repair facility in Okinawa.
When Nuclear Power Hit The Ocean And Everything Shifted
Admiral Rickover was the driving force behind the use of nuclear reactors in modern warships. He accompanied every new nuclear boat on its first trip out to sea. Public domain.
The Manhattan Project and the two prototype nuclear weapons that ended World War 2 changed the way the world worked. A vast effort was subsequently expended developing novel applications for nuclear energy as both tools and weapons. In 1946, Hyman Rickover took a job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His passion became nuclear power for warships.
The original plan was to use miniaturized nuclear reactors to drive US Navy destroyers. Rickover, however, felt that effort would be better expended on submarines.
The Navy, like all bloated military enterprises, enjoys a great deal of administrative inertia. Superior officers who disagreed with the driven little man had him assigned to an office in a disused female restroom in an effort to sideline his efforts. Rickover bulled his way through in the same way he did everything else in his life.
Pressurized Water, Unlimited Endurance, New Tactics
The USS Nautilus was the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. The Nautilus fundamentally changed the nature of naval combat. Public domain.
In February of 1949, Rickover threw himself into the development of a pressurized water nuclear reactor for submarine propulsion. The prospects were indeed tantalizing. If he could pull this off, Rickover faced the possibility of a stealthy warship that could operate submerged indefinitely. With essentially unlimited energy, a theoretical nuclear-powered submarine could make its own breathable air and clean water.
It could patrol the world’s oceans at will, loitering as needed to avoid detection. At that point, crew endurance and food stores became the limiting factors in operational deployment. Rickover felt that this was a crusade worth fighting for.
His was an inexplicably unpopular position. As a result, Captain Rickover’s superiors wanted him put out of the Navy for failure to achieve flag rank. The list of names the Navy submitted to the US Senate in 1953 for congressional approval of admiral rank did not include Rickover’s.
Where approval of this list is typically a fairly routine, perfunctory thing, the Senate, in this case, refused its blessing without Rickover. The Secretary of the Navy subsequently convened a special promotion board with the express purpose of approving Rickover for that list. The US Senate left the exchange happy, and Rickover got his star.
This is the S1W nuclear reactor that powered the USS Nautilus. It represented cutting-edge 1950s-era engineering. Public domain.
The S1W reactor that Rickover developed was a miracle of 1950s-era technology. Highly reliable and exceptionally safe, this device would fit into a submarine hull with a 28-foot beam. In 1954, the US Navy commissioned the USS Nautilus, powered by an S1W. The Nautilus was the world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine.
Safety Record That Shamed The Soviets
The Nautilus suffered an underwater collision with the American aircraft carrier USS Essex in 1966. However, none of Rickover’s boats ever suffered a serious reactor failure. Public domain.
Building a compact, self-contained nuclear power plant was a Gordian challenge. Making that device safe to operate for long periods underneath the sea bordered on impossible. However, Rickover pulled it off.
Over the course of the Russian nuclear submarine program, there have been fourteen known catastrophic reactor breaches. Thanks to Rickover and his superhuman compulsion for detail, the US Navy has had none. Spillover tech from US Navy nuclear programs contributed substantially to the safety of American terrestrial reactors as well.
The Interview Chair Trick And Other Rickover Tortures
Rickover was driven beyond all reason. He was also a miserable boss. He personally supervised the launch and shakedown sortie of every nuclear boat launched on his watch. During his tenure as chief of the Navy’s nuclear programs, every candidate for the nuclear power course had to interview with him personally. The content and nature of these interviews became the stuff of legend.
I have a friend who survived his encounter with Rickover. He said that, for starters, Rickover sawed off the front two legs of the chair you sit in a bit shorter than the back two. This meant that if you tried to get comfortable during the interview, you would gradually slide forward out of the chair. Rickover then proceeded to grill you mercilessly just to see how you responded under pressure. Candidates who lost their composure were remanded to Rickover’s unlit coat closet for a time to regain their wits before resuming their interviews.
Power, Eccentricity, And The Personal Submarine
If I were as rich and cool as this guy, I’d be weird, too. Public domain.
All seriously powerful people are eccentric. These eccentricities either drive them to their unusual positions or develop subsequent to their arrival. I would submit Elon Musk, Howard Hughes, Donald Trump, George Soros, Adolf Hitler, and Vladimir Putin as examples. These eccentricities are not necessarily bad. However, there inevitably results a sense of entitlement to one degree or another.
I’m not blaming these people. Were I Elon Musk with half a billion dollars in the bank and my own rocket ship company, I’d expect some cool perks as well. In Rickover’s case, he felt he needed a personal submarine.
CIA vs Rickover Over Nuclear Turf
The nuclear submarine USS Halibut was eventually acquired by the CIA for clandestine use during the Cold War. Hyman Rickover was absolutely livid over that. Public domain.
At such rarefied levels, military operations often distil down to petty little turf wars. Flag officers are absolutely insane about maintaining their own little fiefdoms. Hyman Rickover felt that all nuclear-powered submarines should answer to him personally. Naval Intelligence and the CIA felt otherwise.
The CIA co-opted the USS Halibut as an underwater intelligence gathering platform as part of Operation IVORY BELLS. IVORY BELLS was a fabulously successful initiative designed to locate, isolate, and tap Soviet underwater communication cables.
The communists assumed the cables were secure, so they did not bother encrypting their communications. Once we tapped into these cables, we could surveil Russian military activities in real time with no one being the wiser.
NR-1 The Tiny Nuclear Sub That Went Where Divers Could Not
NR-1 was a small nuclear-powered submarine that was originally proposed as a search and rescue vessel. Reality was a good bit murkier. Public domain.
The very existence of the Halibut was like sand on Hyman Rickover’s eyeballs. When he realized that the CIA wasn’t going to give its spy submarine to him, Rickover decided that the next best thing would just be to build his own. Rickover’s personal nuclear-powered midget sub was designated NR-1. NR-1 was launched in 1969 at a cost of $30 million. That would be about a quarter billion dollars today.
NR-1 was an exceptionally capable machine. She could safely descend more than 2,300 feet deep and use her remote manipulator arms to do Sneaky Pete stuff on the ocean floor at depths well beyond the capabilities of even hard-suit divers. To thrive at those depths, the hull had to be perfectly circular and utterly uniform. Tolerances were less than a millimeter all around. Under Rickover’s direction, naval engineers pulled it off.
Not even the Father of the Nuclear Navy could write a check for a quarter billion bucks without some good reason. Rickover, therefore, declared that NR-1’s mission was actually Deep Sea Rescue. While an honorable pursuit, NR-1 didn’t technically possess the means to rescue anybody. It just went really, really deep.
Inside NR-1 What Made It Work
This is an early concept drawing of NR-1. You can see the truck tires on the bottom that allowed the sub to creep along the ocean floor and gather bits of discarded Russian kit. Public domain.
While NR-1 was an exceptionally capable machine, it was also cramped and fairly austere on the inside. Crew space for the 7-man complement was minimal, and support equipment for stuff like food preparation was decidedly suboptimal. The boat would sortie for up to a month at a time, during which the crew subsisted on instant TV dinners. However, the tech built into the vessel was unprecedented.
Lead shielding for submersible reactors is always a technical challenge in submarine design. NR-1 got around this by incorporating a single lead bulkhead that separated the miniaturized reactor in back from the crew spaces up front. Once complete, NR-1 would indeed operate submerged indefinitely. In actual practice, the limiting factor in operational deployments was the capacity of the toilet.
NR-1 incorporated a set of wheels on the bottom that allowed the sub to creep along the ocean floor. These wheels were equipped with otherwise standard Goodyear truck tires. One crewmember was positioned on his belly in the bottom of the sub behind a set of portholes. In this configuration, NR-1 crept along the sea floor gathering up the remains of Soviet nuclear missiles that splashed down after operational tests.
What We Know About NR-1 Missions And What We Don’t
NR-1 was a weird boat commissioned by kind of a weird guy. It was, however, undeniably cool. Public domain.
Even today, nobody is completely sure what NR-1 actually did operationally. Her conning tower and sail were painted orange in keeping with the charade that she was actually a search and rescue boat. In 1976, NR-1 located an F14 fighter jet that rolled off the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy and sank in 1,960 feet of water. Ten years later, she helped locate the remains of the space shuttle Challenger after it broke up in flight. NR-1 was formally retired in 2009.
Hyman Rickover served through thirteen Presidential administrations. Reagan eventually forced him to retire at age 82. Rickover was rendered apoplectic by that. Public domain.
Hyman Rickover got a special dispensation from Congress to spend a total of 63 years in uniform. He was the longest-serving member of the US armed forces in American history. Rickover served under thirteen different Presidential administrations and oversaw 3,000 ship-years of accident-free nuclear warship operations.
This is the second nuclear-powered attack submarine to be named after Hyman Rickover. It remains in service today. Public domain.
Despite his legendarily grueling work ethic, Rickover was married twice and fathered one child. His first wife died of natural causes after 41 years of marriage. The Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Hyman Rickover was commissioned in 2021 and remains in active service today.
Despite this draconian approach, or more likely because of it, US Navy nuclear power officers have earned a righteous reputation for excellence in both military and civilian circles. Rickover succumbed to a stroke in 1986 at age 86, four years after he retired from the Navy. His nicknames included “The Father of the Nuclear Navy,” “The Kindly Old Gentleman,” or, simply, “KOG.” Rickover’s ghost still drives the Navy’s nuclear power program to this day.
NR-1 Specifications And Quick Reference
Model
NR-1
Caliber
N/A
Barrel Length
N/A
Overall Length
N/A
Weight
N/A
Capacity
7 crew
MSRP
$30,000,000 (1969)
Pros And Cons Of Rickover’s NR-1 Legacy
Pros: Extreme depth capability, remarkable safety culture, innovative mission systems like manipulator arms and seafloor wheels.
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Army marksmanship has always played a key role in American military readiness, starting with musket drills in the Revolutionary War and continuing through today’s precision rifle competitions.
The Army’s firearms training has evolved from a basic battlefield skill into a comprehensive program that encompasses training, competition, and recognition. Understanding this history shows how Army marksmanship badges maintain strong combat skills and set a standard that also shapes civilian shooting sports.
Historical Foundations: Army Marksmanship Badges
The American military has valued marksmanship since its earliest wars. During the Revolutionary War, frontier riflemen demonstrated the importance of accurate shooting, but formal training was not always consistent.
During the Civil War, many soldiers lacked strong marksmanship skills. Studies showed that thousands of rounds were fired for each casualty. This led military leaders to recognize that winning in battle required more than just giving soldiers weapons.
The Army began to focus more on marksmanship after the Spanish-American War, when it was clear that American soldiers often did not shoot as well as their opponents. In response, the Army set higher training standards and started keeping records of who qualified. In the early 1900s, the Army introduced standardized courses in which soldiers demonstrated their skills at various distances and in different positions.
World War I accelerated these changes. The Army realized that good marksmanship required organized training, not merely prior hunting or shooting experience.
Training camps added rifle ranges, and marksmanship became an essential part of basic training. This was also when qualification badges were introduced to recognize shooting skill, a tradition that continues today.
Timeline Of Notable Developments
Developed by Eugene Stoner at Armalite in 1957, the M16 replaced heavier weapons and became the military’s standard-issue battle rifle.
World War II
This era saw large-scale mobilization, so the Army made marksmanship training uniform across all bases. The M1 Garand became the primary infantry rifle, and training courses focused on its use. Training also became more realistic, with time limits and added stress to better prepare soldiers for combat.
1956
The Army started the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning, Georgia. This unit was created to improve marksmanship throughout the Army and to compete in shooting competitions both in the U.S. and internationally. The USAMU has produced numerous Olympic medalists and world champions, thereby establishing a strong reputation among military shooters worldwide.
During The Vietnam War
The Army adopted the M16 rifle, which was lighter and had less recoil than the M14. This change meant soldiers had to learn new shooting techniques. Training began to focus more on combat skills, such as moving while shooting, engaging multiple targets, and practicing in realistic scenarios. The Army stopped training exclusively with stationary targets and then adopted more active methods.
Since The 1980s
The army’s marksmanship programs have continued to improve. New equipment, such as better rifle optics, night vision, and laser sights, led to changes in training.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan made combat marksmanship even more important, as soldiers had to hit targets at different distances in both cities and rural areas. Today’s training includes practicing under stress, making quick decisions, and combining shooting with other combat skills.
The USAMU remains a leader in American competitive shooting. Its Service Rifle, Action Shooting, and International Rifle and Pistol Teams have won many national championships and Olympic medals. In addition to competing, the USAMU is the Army’s primary center for marksmanship, developing training methods and equipment that support soldiers across the Army.
Civilian Marksmanship Program Connection
Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Green, Bogalusa, with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Service Rifle Team. (Credit: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
The Army’s link to civilian shooting sports is managed through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). Congress started the CMP’s earlier version in 1903, believing that citizens who could shoot well would help national defense. The Army initially operated the program but transferred it to a federally chartered nonprofit organization in 1996.
The CMP’s mission remains closely linked to military readiness. It provides firearms safety training and rifle practice for citizens, especially young people. Through the CMP, civilians can purchase surplus military rifles, participate in shooting competitions, and receive marksmanship training. Many CMP matches use courses similar to those in the Army, directly linking civilian practice to military skills.
Army marksmanship teams often compete with civilian shooters at CMP events. The National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, bring both groups together in what some call the “World Series of Shooting.” These events allow Army shooters to compete with top civilians and help spread marksmanship culture across the country. Many soldiers continue to compete in civilian matches after leaving the Army, so skills and experience are shared both ways.
The CMP also runs programs in schools and shooting clubs across the country, often with help from Army marksmanship experts. Because of this community approach, many recruits already possess basic shooting skills when they begin basic training, so qualification takes less time and effort.
Marksmanship Qualification Badges
The Army displays shooting skill with qualification badges worn on uniforms. These badges recognize individual achievement, encourage soldiers to improve their performance, and set clear standards for marksmanship.
Marksman Badge
The basic qualification level is awarded to soldiers who meet the minimum standards on the Army’s weapons course. It still requires safe handling and the ability to hit targets at different distances. This badge’s design is a squared-off cross.
Sharpshooter Badge
This award is the middle level and requires better performance on the qualification course. Soldiers who earn it demonstrate consistent accuracy and strong foundational skills. The badge resembles the Marksman badge but adds a set of target rings to the center. Many soldiers see the Sharpshooter badge as a true mark of skill, not just the minimum standard.
Expert Badge
The highest regular level, indicating exceptional marksmanship. To earn it, soldiers must hit targets at long range, do well under time limits, and show strong shooting skills. The Expert badge is a source of pride, and many units hold friendly competitions to see who can earn and keep it. This badge takes the sharpshooter design and adds a laurel wreath around it to indicate its highest status.
Each badge can be awarded for different types of weapons. The Army gives badges for rifles, pistols, machine guns, and more. Bars hanging below the badge show which weapon the soldier qualified with. For example, a soldier might wear an Expert Rifle badge with several bars for different rifle types.
Distinguished Badges
These are above the regular qualification levels and honor outstanding marksmanship. The Distinguished Rifleman and Distinguished Pistol Shot badges are the highest awards outside of competition teams. To earn one, a soldier must collect points by placing high in several matches over time. These badges are rare and highly respected in the Army.
Soldiers who earn Distinguished badges often become marksmanship instructors for their units and share their skills with others. The selection process ensures that only those who demonstrate consistent excellence, not merely a single exceptional performance, receive this honor.
Army Marksmanship Badges: Heritage & Prospects
Army Marksmanship Badges: Soldiers earn marksmanship badges to recognize achievement and encourage excellence.
The program continues to change to meet new challenges. Today’s training draws on lessons from recent wars and focuses on integrating shooting with movement, communication, and decision-making. Advanced simulators enable soldiers to practice scenarios that are difficult or impossible to reproduce on conventional ranges.
The connection between military marksmanship and civilian shooting sports remains strong. The CMP continues to help Americans improve their shooting skills. Army shooters who compete internationally continue a tradition of excellence that is over a hundred years old, representing both their service and the wider American shooting community.
The badge system is updated periodically to reflect new weapons and training, but its primary goal remains the same: to recognize achievement and encourage excellence. Whether a soldier earns a Marksman badge through hard work or a Distinguished badge after years of competition, these awards show the Army’s ongoing commitment to marksmanship as a key military skill.
Even as technology and warfare change, the basics of Army marksmanship remain the same: disciplined training, standard testing, and recognizing achievement. These principles help American soldiers keep the shooting skills they need to succeed and set a high standard that extends across the Army and into civilian life.
