Marksmanship Qualification Failure

What happens if a soldier fails marksmanship qualification?

What happens if a U.S. Army Soldier fails an annual marksmanship qualification test?

Nothing happens in actual practice. Ill-informed NCOs pretending to be instructors may drag the qualification ordeal out, throwing more ammo at the hapless troops they’re unable to coach effectively in the hopes they might accidentally shoot a passing score once, at least until the range is called. Even if a score isn’t pencil whipped to claim training records are green, nothing happens to the soldier or their career.

Army Regulation 600–8–19 (General Enlisted Promotions and Reductions) discusses promotion points based on weapon qualification scores and a waiver process for those that don’t qualify but provides no specific guidance about separation.

For the past half-century (and likely longer) there is no precedent for involuntary separation due solely to marksmanship qualification failure in the U.S. Army. I defy anyone to provide one documented example of a soldier forced out of service solely due to inability to pass a standard small arms qualification and with no other reason. This is all but non-existent in the Marine Corps as well.

The simple fact is none of the services place marksmanship as a high priority, at least for the majority of personnel. Military marksmanship standards are low, even at the “expert” level. Look up Task Force Smith for history on this.

https://funshoot.substack.com/p/task-force-smith

Video examples with citations:

Army retention personnel have no formal “flag” disbarring a soldier from reenlistment due solely to small arms qualification failure. There is no specific mention of any consequence concerning marksmanship qualification failure in any Army regulation. Fitness test recency and scores (the Army Combat Fitness Test, previously the Army Physical Fitness Test) and body composition assessment (body fat estimate via circumference measurements, preceded by height/weight screening) are mentioned many times. Despite any bluster, senior Army leadership places no priority on marksmanship for most personnel.

Any soldier who avoids misconduct, reports to duty on time, and passes fitness and body composition assessments can reenlist. If that soldier is also minimally competent at their job (MOS) while maintaining a tidy uniform and fresh haircut, they’ll go far. The bar for success in the military for most personnel is not high.

Don’t take my word for it, review relevant Army Regulation to confirm:
AR 601–280 Army Retention Program
AR 600–8–19 General Enlisted Promotions and Reductions
AR 140–6 US Army Reserve Commander’s Retention Program
AR 140-111 US Army Reserve Reenlistment Program