| Marksmanship Medal | |
|---|---|
 Navy and Coast Guard Marksmanship Medals | |
| Type | Ribbon |
| Presented by | Department of the Navy andCoast Guard |
| Status | Current |
| First award | 1969 (U.S. Navy) |
    Ribbons: Navy (left), Coast Guard (right); rifle (above), pistol (below) | |
TheMarksmanship Medal is aUnited States Navy and theU.S. Coast Guard military award and is the highest award one may receive for weapons qualification. The Marksmanship Medal is the equivalent of theExpert Marksmanship Badge in theU.S. Army andU.S. Marine Corps. Additionally, selectState National Guard organizations award marksmanship medals to guardsmen who achieve some of the highest aggregate scores at state-level marksmanship competitions.
The Marksmanship Medal is awarded for qualifying as an expertmarksman on either theSIG Sauer M18 (Navy or Coast Guard),9×19mmBeretta M9 (Navy or Coast Guard),.40 S&WSIG P229 DAK (Coast Guard only), orM16 rifle. To qualify at the expert level, a superior score must be obtained on an approved weapons qualification course. The standard Navy weapons qualification course for pistol normally consists of several courses of fire from strong-side supported (standing), weak-side supported (standing), and strong-side supported (kneeling) positions. For the rifle, the Navy qualification course consists of firing from a sitting and prone positions.[1][2][3]
Those qualifying as an expert marksman are authorized to wear the Marksmanship Medal, awarded as two separate decorations for rifle or pistol qualifications. Those having qualified on both pistol and rifle may receive both medals for simultaneous wear. The Marksmanship Medal is worn as a full-sized medal on dress uniforms. On a duty uniform all successful qualifiers may wear the award as the standardMarksmanship Ribbon. Those qualifying as an expert are authorized to wear theExpert device on the ribbon and those qualifying as a sharpshooter are authorized a "S" device (Navy-bronze and Coast Guard-silver) for that ribbon.[1][4][5]
The Navy Marksmanship Medals were first issued in 1969.[6][7]
| Navy[1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| M9 Service Pistol | Qualification | M16 Rifle or M4 Carbine |
| 180–203 | Marksman | 140–159 |
| 204–227 | Sharpshooter | 160–169 |
| 228–240 | Expert | 170–200 |
| Coast Guard[citation needed] | ||
|---|---|---|
| P229R DAK | Qualification | M4 Carbine Rifle |
| 114–128 | Marksman | 140–166 |
| 129–143 | Sharpshooter | 167–174 |
| 144–150 | Expert | 175–200 |
Similarly, theAlaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs awards theAlaska Adjutant General's Marksmanship Proficiency Medals, one for rifle and one for pistol, to the top ten guardsman with the highest aggregate scores at the Alaska National Guard Adjutant General's Match. The winners of these awards are selected to join the state's marksmanship team to represent the Alaska National Guard at theWinston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships for a chance to win theChief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge. A red, white, and blue ribbon is used to represent both medals (
); however, the actual rifle and pistol medals suspended by this ribbon are distinct.[8][9][10]
| Personal decorations | |
|---|---|
| Unit awards | |
| Good Conduct medals | |
| Expeditionary medals | |
| Service ribbon awards |
|
| Marksmanship | |
